The Trail of Breadcrumbs, a Whole Lotta Nickels, and a Free Campsite

Day: 9 (Radford, VA to Rural Retreat, VA)
Average Speed: 9.5 MPH
Miles Cycled Today: 61.2
Miles Cycled Total: 445
Mood: Frustrated

Outside the Billings' RV

I was hoping to do 90 miles or better today [insert sad trumpet sound effect here]. 

But man is it difficult for me to get a move on in the morning. 

First of all, I make sport of oversleeping. Motivated Me goes to bed every night saying I’m gonna get up early and take on the world! But Sleepy Me is a whole ‘nother beast. I don’t even really know him that well… but he’s so much stronger than Motivated Me. 

Second, it takes me about an hour to pack up all my crap. Pretty much everything needs to be unpacked when I get to a destination. And then everything needs to be repacked carefully the next morning. 

Searched for this for 1/2 Hour. Found it Packed Properly.

Last, I need at least an hour to search for the things that I lose. Today it was an SD memory card. I couldn’t find it… no big deal! There’s a CVS down the road and they’re cheap! But when I went to pay for it, I realized my debit card was missing too. Now that’s a big deal. 

Back to the hotel. 

Not there. 

Finally found it at BT’s (the dive in Radford where we were at last night) after following the trail of breadcrumbs. Maybe that disgusting Jager shot wasn’t such a great idea after all. 

With that taken care of, I was able to say goodbye to Hanna (her parting words: “Don’t get hit by a car!” She might not be overly sentimental, but you can’t say she’s not practical!). It was already after 11 AM. 

Look at All They Offer in Pulaski County!

The first 20 miles felt great! Cruisin’ right along. And as luck would have it, I found this great sign that welcomes cyclists to this part of Virginia and even offers to find lodging- Jackpot! I had no clue where I was staying tonight, and someone else was willing to pick up my slack. 

Then the right quad pain came back. With a vengeance. That changes everything. Every time my right leg cycled I winced (it pedals a lot actually. I did the math. I counted the number of times I pedaled in a straightaway using a mid-gear over a tenth of a mile: 88. You know how people say ‘If I had a nickel for every time…’ and it literally never adds up to

much? Well, if I had a nickel for every time I pedaled I would be making $44 per mile. At this point, I would have $19,580. Who has the time to think about this kind of stuff? Me. I do.). 


So anyway, my leg hurts. 

Most of the trip today was uphill- and I started stopping every five miles or so to give that sucker a rest. While I did find this charming throwback mercantile in the tiny town of Draper, any stopping time is hard to make up. 

Also, I ordered a turkey club at Draper’s Mercantile… and apparently they hadn’t slaughtered the turkey yet. 40 minutes.

The Draper Mercantile

Making use of down time, I called that number I saw on the sign earlier to see if they could hook me up with some accommodations for the night. I assumed it was the number for Batman of the Cycling World, and someone was just waiting for that phone to ring so he/she could be a hero. But instead, I got Debbie in the Town Hall, who had no clue a bike route even existed. She tried to be helpful though- I could hear her Googling “places to stay…” in the background. She came up empty but offered me coupons to Shoney’s if I wouldn’t mind stopping by… it was only 8 miles away. 

Thanks, Debbie. I’ll pass. 

Today's Modified Route (Didn't Make Destination)

Rural Retreat Campground

My original destination of Damascus changed to Troutdale, which changed to Sugar Grove, which changed to Rural Retreat, where I am now. 

I found a lovely campground where the office was closed for the night. Sweet! I don’t have to pay! I thought. 

I wasn’t 50 feet into the campsite area when a pickup truck pulled up beside me. 

“Whatcha doin’?” the guy at the wheel asked with a sly grin.

“Just gonna set up camp for the night,” I said.

“Mmmm. Office is closed ya’ know.”

“Yea- I know, I figured I’d pay in the morning!” Lie.

“They don’t open ’til ten in the mornin’- and I recken yer headin’ out ‘fore then,” he said, eyeing my gear. Then he leaned forward like he was going to share a secret. “Hey… Find a site.. git out early… and don’t tell ‘em. I ain’t gonna rat ya’ out.”

Thanks, Billy Bob. And I'll stay mum about the open can of Busch Light you're holding just feet away from the “Alcohol Not Permitted” sign. 

Dinner Spread at the Billings' RV

Southern hospitality won over as always though. I was only moments in my camp and talking to Hanna on the phone when an amicable looking fellow came towards me. Maybe he’ll offer me dinner I thought, and promptly hung up on Hanna to work the charm. 

And sure enough, “You wanna join us for supper?” was probably the fourth or fifth sentence he spoke. 

Don't ask me twice. 

Yum.

The Great Map Debate of 2016

For the next half an hour, my map was passed around the picnic table as everyone in the Billings family offered different suggestions as to which route I should be taking. 

People like offering route suggestions far more than they like talking about the weather, I’ve found (got caught in an hour-long downpour today by the way). 

I’m fed. I’m showered. I have great neighbors. And a “free” site.

Who could ask for anything more?

P.S.

Is This Sign Necessary?

Chances are if you don't know this rule, then reading this advice might be a struggle too.

Hitting the Break, a Driverless Google Car, and A Night to Remember

Day: 8 (REST DAY in Radford, VA)
Average Speed: 0 MPH
Miles Cycled Today: 0
Miles Cycled Total: 384
Mood: Relaxed

Outside the Radford, Virginia Bike Shop

If you've been following my mileage and doing a bit of calculus, you may be thinking that this slow poke can't afford a rest day. 
No worries. I took the Bernie Sanders math course, and getting this done before I have to be back to work in September should be no problemo.

Besides, there are at least 10 reasons why I am cashing in on what should be the one and only rest day:

1) Hanna's here. 'Nuf said. 
2) Heavy rain forecasted.
3) I need to re-organize and re-pack, now that I've figured out what I need and what I don't.
4) Some minor bike repairs necessary.
5) It's July 4th.
6) My right quad needs a bit of downtime. 
7) It's Monday.
8) Cycling is for girls.
9) I have to clip my toenails.
10) Virginia is for lovers.

Seriously, it could not be a better day to take off, and I'm actually expecting low mileage per day through the rest of Virginia and pretty much all of Kentucky due to terrain. But I'm gonna haul ass through Missouri and Kansas. 

Melissa Takes a Test Ride in Aisle 12

Hanna and I had no agenda for today- just needed to find ourselves a Wal-Mart for a couple of small things: a spare tube to replace the one I used (YES, I HAVE SPARE TUBES!), a patch kit, a screw to hold my water bottle cage on my bike (one of my cages fell off-- and those screws are not sold separately... they come with the cage... but I didn't need the cage... just the screw... and the screws are just lightly taped on the back... so... thanks for the donation Wal-Mart!) and some deodorant.  

It was delightful to turn the corner, however, and find Melissa gleefully riding a child size bike down the aisle to test it for size. She's pretty short, and adult size bikes won't fit her. But she's worried about people making fun of her for riding a small bike. I have no idea why. I've never seen someone so shamelessly cruising down the aisles of Wal-Mart on a kid's bike. Not only that, but this wasn't a stealth pic... I asked permission. Melissa rules. And so does that bike. People of Wal-Mart you are not, Melissa. You're just a damn good time. Get that bike. 

We found our way to Blacksburg (home of Virginia Tech) after our shopping spree, and joined the sparse crowd of onlookers watching a Fourth of July parade.

Boy are we glad we didn't blink! 

It made our Memorial Day parade in Unionville, NY look like a well choreographed Rockettes Spectacular. 

Hanna's dog, Lina, drew for more adoring stares than did the paraders.

Earlier today, there was a Shark Tank marathon playing in the background in our hotel room, and I just thought of a great idea to pitch: Dog rentals for single people. EVERYONE wants to pet Lina and talk to us about her. I'd say we can rent her out for 40/hour at least. If you're on a budget, we can probably find you one of those obnoxious Dachshunds for like 2 bucks a day. Great way to meet people.

Lina Licks a Baby

It was also kind of fun to drive a car for a bit.

But why am I the one driving you ask?  

Because Hanna lives in fear of driving in Virginia. 

She got a speeding ticket here (surprise!) four or five years ago, and never paid it. Now she thinks the entire state is on a manhunt for her and is (no joke) afraid of being arrested if she's pulled over. She even came up with an alias to use as a passenger in case I was pulled over. 

Hanna Saves a Baby

This, however, does not stop her from being the most intense back seat driver ever. From the passenger seat, she physically completed the following tasks while I was in motion: changing the windshield wiper speed, flipping the directional, putting the car in park, putting the car in reverse, rolling down the driver side window, rolling up the driver side window, changing the heat/AC, changing the radio volume (she likes the volume in increments in five, and- ignorantly, I set it to seven), pulling the key out of the ignition, putting the key into the ignition, turning the key, and- I kid you not- parallel parking the car... while I was driving. I assume this is what it's like to drive one of those Google cars that do everything for you. If that's true... I don't recommend buying one, at least not until it's out of beta.   

Hanna's Parking Job from the Passenger Seat

Note that this list does not include the endless comments made about my driving- most of which started with "Hey, Grandpa..." because I'm just as slow a driver as I am a cyclist. 

But hey... one of us doesn't lose sleep over the thought of driving in Virginia.

Just sayin'. 


The night was capped off with dinner at dive called BT's, where a Radford University graduate named Nate was doing a shot of Jagermeister mixed with Red Bull and Bacardi 151. When I told him that sounded like the most disgusting thing I'd ever heard of, he said "Want one?"

Yes. 

I just wanted to make sure it was as gross as it sounded. It was. 

Fireworks in Radford, VA

This band was impressive. 











A small town fair with a small town country band and small town fireworks ended a hugely important day for me. 

Even though it culminated with a torrential downpour, I'm still awake right now. I just don't want it to end. Don't get me wrong- I'm so, so ready to continue... but I have gold right now for just a few more hours.

As I type this, Hanna is sleeping in one bed, and Lina in the other. 

But I'm hesitant to get into either. 

Because then it will be tomorrow. 

P.S.

Stay in school kids! Take this guy's word for it!

'Merica!

TerRAIN Pain, Wet Sloppy Kisses, and the Best Gift Ever

Day: 7 (Daleville, VA to Radford, VA)
Average Speed: 10.6 MPH
Miles Cycled Today: 52.8
Miles Cycled Total: 384
Mood: Overwhelmed and Overjoyed

An Early Birthday Gift

It's Nine AM Somewhere!

There's nothing quite like waking in the morning, fixing a coffee, getting ready to greet the day, and finding your motel neighbor chugging a room temperature Bud Light tallboy outside your door. That's Junior for you! Junior sounds exactly like Harvey Fierstein with an intensely thick southern accent. I could only make sense of every 5th or 6th syllable that he uttered. I usually nodded vaguely with a couple of "uh-huh"s thrown in there to feign understanding while at the same time wondering if Google Translate had a Junior-friendly setting. 

But me and Junior did have one thing in common: We were both wearing the same exact outfit we had on yesterday! Only I guarantee my underwear is cleaner since I haven't worn any yet. (TMI?)

Do you ever see a cyclist riding in the rain, and say to yourself "That must suck!" Well, I have news for you. It does. 

The Hills of Catawba in the Rain

Neither the rain nor the terrain played nice today. And both dampened my mood. While the scenery continued to be gorgeous, my mind wasn't really in it. The hills were frequent and extremely steep. Like a backwards roller coster that goes more up than down. It was hard to get into "uphill mode" because, as steep as the climbs were, they weren't long enough. But I whimpered "Not again!" like a little baby every time I saw a doozy ahead. 

Also, somewhere along the line, I maybe probably definitely injured my right quad. The pain started slow, but by the end of today's ride it was pretty much on fire. So there's that. 

A Terrible Sign to See on a Bike

Everything just seemed so... annoying today. Like this detour. Do you know what it's like to hit a detour sign on a bike and have no clue how many miles it's going to take you out of your way? I was in a dead zone and couldn't Google it, and it wasn't pictured on my map. 

What do you do? 

I debated carrying the bike across the bridge that was being worked on, but they had that thing blocked off pretty good... and it looked pretty dangerous. Eventually I just crossed my fingers and decided to follow the orange arrow, which caused much angst (It worked out... but still... the not knowing... arrggh!)

Today's Terrain

Also, I had been warned several times about the intense climb into Christiansburg (where I wrote "Wow.") and the anticipation of it gave me more than a bit of anxiety, especially with my right leg acting up.  

Yet somehow, I did get myself into "uphill mode" [ONE... MORE... PEDAL:...] when I finally got there. 

Don't get me wrong- it was a struggle. But I didn't feel the quad burning and just kept at it. 

Here's a quick embarrassing vid of me getting my ass kicked at the tail end of that climb. The amount of grunting would embarrass Monica Seles. NOTE: I promise you the hill is MUCH MUCH steeper than it looks on film. Go take a picture of a hill up close if you don't believe me... they never look steep head-on in a camera. 

                 

But ironically, what made the day truly difficult was knowing that Hanna would be waiting for me just 52.8 miles away. 

A few days ago, she decided on a whim that she wanted to drive down from New York to see me for a day. Either I'm the shittiest boyfriend in the world (Hey babe, what do you say we make Radford, Virginia our summer getaway spot for like 28 hours?), or she's the best girlfriend in the world. 

I couldn't wait to see her, which made the ride that much harder. Every mile seemed like ten.

I stared at my tripmeter, watching and waiting for each tenth mile to pass. 

It's like being in a painfully boring class and staring at the minute hand on the clock. You know that only makes it worse, but you do it anyway. 

The last mile to the hotel we booked (I sprung for a La Quinta! Ooh la la!) took an eternity. But the reward couldn't be sweeter. I was covered in wet, passionate kisses as soon as I landed in the parking lot... by Hanna's dog, Lina.

Lina Attacking me with Kisses

Lina Licking the Sweat from My Helmet

Lina is 95 pounds of pure muscle, but she's the only one who doesn't know that. She immediately pounced on me, sending my bike to the pavement and nearly knocking me over as well. I'm sure the delicious taste of my sweat had something to do with it, but this dog would not stop licking me for a solid 15 minutes. 

Hanna greeted me with a kiss too, but was way more turned off by my ripeness than Lina. 

The Perfect Gift

If you don't know Hanna, you're missing out. She's thoughtful, generous, empathetic, and hilarious. 

Rather than simply handing me the things I asked her to get, she wrapped it up into an adorable early birthday gift (see top of post). She also took the time to bring some supplies from my house that I needed and left New York at 3 AM to get down here as soon as she could. 

And this was all her idea. 

Hanna and I at Sharkey's... the Local BBQ Joint

I am beyond overjoyed that I am getting to spend two more nights with her (I'm taking tomorrow as my one and only rest day) when I thought there wouldn't be any until the end of summer. 



I mentioned in an earlier post that when I go into "uphill mode" I can only think one thought. A few times, the thought I used was about how lucky I am- to have the opportunity to do this. 



I tried to use the "I'm so lucky..." thought today (I'm so lucky that Hanna actually came to see me), but it wasn't working... it was just making me painfully aware of how badly I wanted to get to my destination immediately. 

By the way, I thought it was July 4th the entire day today. Hanna informed me it was the 3rd. Now I really don't care about a zero mile day tomorrow! I just got a whole day back!

P.S.

Happy Fourth of July!

'Merica!

YOLO to Hojo, a Fortunate Flat, and All the Pretty Horses

Day: 6 (Reeds Gap, VA to Daleville, VA)
Average Speed: 10.8 MPH
Miles Cycled Today: 93.3 (3 of which were pointless)
Miles Cycled Total: 331
Mood: Proud

Graffiti is Encouraged at Gertie's... and I had a Sharpie!

Woke Up to Clear Blue Skies

I woke up to this: It's hard to tell, but that's a perfect blue sky coming through the clear mesh of my tent. No need for a rainfly last night. The stars were just as unbelievable to fall asleep to as this sky was to wake up to. I found the big dipper last night. Several times. It's the only constellation I know.

Ended at a Flea Bag Motel

And then I rode 93.3 miles all the way to this: A Hojos where I am the only non-permanent resident. My neighbors in room 305 welcomed me with a 1/2 can of Busch Beer ("Hey brotha'... ya' wan' the resta this? Ya' look like y'all could use it!"). For the first time ever, I declined a beer. 

I think I'll also pass on the continental breakfast. And the pool. This place doesn't even pretend to be sanitary. 

Any English teachers looking for examples of juxtaposition for a lesson plan, please feel free to use the above. 

LONG ride today, with lots of mountains and great scenery. I left my "stealth" campsite at about 8:30 this morning and got to the Ritz Carlton here in Daleville at 9:40 PM (night ridin' ain't nearly as bad as I thought it would be!). Check out the terrain map... it's pretty cool:

Began Today's Ride at "Start"and Headed... ummm... Left

3 Mile Drop to Vesuvius

Do you see that bad-ass descent? Where I wrote "Wheeee!"? That is every bit as steep as it looks. Unreal. I would love to say that I hit 80 MPH on that, but I didn't even break 20. While it was thrilling, it's not the place to go for speed. It's a 3-mile intensely switchbacked drop into a one-horse town called Vesuvius. 

Thank God for disc brakes.

Left Dave and Right Dave

But... imagine heading the OTHER way and having to come UP! That's what these two had just done. Dave and Dave. And Left Dave is 75 years old. These two have a tradition that every year they cycle up that craziness on July 4th weekend. Amazing.

Not only did Left Dave just finish climbing the continuously steepest hill I've ever seen at 75 years old, but he's wearing a Jolt Cola jersey. 

Sorry, Right Dave... you're cool... but Left Dave is where it's at. 

There were a lot of cyclists on the Blue Ridge today, and I was able to group them into two different categories: Those who don't want to be Lance Armstrong, and those who do. Luckily, most fall into the former category... like the Daves and the many others I chatted up today. The other type (and I know you've seen them on the road)... jeez. They won't acknowledge your existence while on-bike since waving or saying hello might screw up their aerodynamics- and they won't acknowledge your existence off-bike either because they're just plain assholes. 

Gertie's in Vesuviu

The real highlight of the day was this little gem at the foot of the mountain in Vesuvius. They have an assortment of bizarre, worthless crap for sale and great food* (*bear in mind that all food tastes great to me now. I doubt you'll be reading about Gertie's in Zagat's anytime soon). 

The place is peppered with confederate flags and covered in graffiti (I added my own... see photo at top of post)

And I shit you not... The Star Spangled Banner was playing when I entered. I waited until it was over before I sat down to order a burger. 

Gertie's Welcome Sign

The staff was super friendly to me, even after I read the sign hanging below the cash register. I thought about trying to don a Southern accent so I didn't get kicked out, but whenever I do any accent, it winds up sounding Russian. I vill have zee hahm-burger vit chez, zank you. That would be worse.

The ride out of Vesuvius and into the next (town?) was flat and peaceful. I threw the earbuds back in and fast-forwarded every Billy Joel song that shuffled through on the iPod. I'm coming out: I'm officially an ex Billy Joel fan. Done. Keith Jarrett was the soundtrack for today. 

Later, outside of Lexington, things got exciting again when I met a small hill. Piece of cake! I just did the Blue Ridge! This hill is a joke! But it was kicking my ass. I was in my lowest gear, sweating buckets, and struggling to move.

And I must've pushed myself at least 1/4 mile up that damn thing before realizing my back tire was flat. 

Top Question so Far: Did you pack spare tubes? YES! And tire levers! And Pete at Sussex Bike Shop gave me a private tutorial on roadside maintenance. I had this baby up and running again in 15 minutes (with help from Asa, a passing cyclist).

We would've had it on quicker if so many people didn't stop to offer assistance. But boy am I glad one guy did. He asked where I was heading... I told him Lexington, and I got the Hairy Eyeball. "Lexington's the other way," he said cautiously. My pretentious literary side kicked in, and I wanted to say My dear sir, you are obviously unfamiliar with the poet Robert Frost- you see, I am taking the road less traveled. Because these types of roads are grassy and want wear, I am avoiding the major roads. 

Instead I pointed on my map, where it clearly showed I was on the right track. His Eyeball grew Hairier. Then he moved my finger an inch to the left. "You're here, buddy. Not there." 

Oh. 

Had I not gotten this flat tire, and had this man not stopped, I would've pedaled at least 10 miles- probably more- in the complete opposite direction. Instead, it was a 3 mile detour.

Even humble pie tastes delicious. 

Lexington is yet another beautiful town in Virginia, and its corner ice cream shop was begging me to stop, but I was losing time and had to keep going. 

But how can you keep going when you round a corner on a traffic-less serene road and see this: 

Horses Five Miles Outside of Lexington, Virginia

You can't. Three horses drinking in a stream means stop. For a long time. And enjoy beauty.

Before I left, more than a few people said "It's a shame you probably won't be able to do any sight seeing since you'll have to be on the bike the whole time!" This always drew a blank stare from me. I don't understand this sentiment. At all. And when I explain that I think the opposite is entirely true- that I'll be doing nothing but sight seeing- they usually clarify by saying I wouldn't be able to see museums and whatnot. 

Keep your museums and the interstate highways with the endless parade of Hardee's. 

I'll take the horses. 

This was a fine moment. And it was worth riding in the dark tonight in order to sit there for half an hour and watch while neither a single car nor person passed. 

Even though it all led to a friggin' Howard Johnson's in the end.

P.S.

Gertie's sells Apple Platers too!

But I wouldn't buy it because it doesn't come with enough tea.

You'll get that joke in about an hour or so.

Warwick in Virginia, Mountain Mamas, and an Interrupted Booty Call

Day: 5 (Charlottesville, VA to Reeds Gap, VA)
Average Speed: 7.7 MPH (mountain)
Miles Cycled Today: 34.4
Miles Cycled Total: 237
Mood: Confident

Cool Little Windmill on the Lawn of Last Night's Host

For those of you watching my miles per day (as well as my average speed) go down and down, hold off before collecting your winnings on betting against me. Today is the most confident I've been yet. There are a couple reasons I didn't get that far today:

Beautiful Downtown Charlottesville

1) My congenial hosts for last night, Carolyn and her husband, Rob Lowe (I swear this guy looked just like Rob Lowe... I'm a straight male and I had difficulty looking away), warned me that I'd never want to leave Charlottesville once I'd seen it. They were right. My favorite local town near me is Warwick, NY, and Charlottesville is Warwick on crack. I meandered through the town this morning, had breakfast, and did a load of laundry at the local laundromat. Today's plan was only to make it to Afton, which is a short trip, so that I'd be fresh for hitting the Blue Ridge tomorrow. So, in other words, I purposely got a late start. 

2) I reached Afton before 3 PM (way too early to stop), and just decided to keep on going. This is my first major climb of this journey, and knowing I was already past my destination for the day, I was in no hurry and took lots of breaks. Here's something I never thought I'd say though: The climb felt GREAT. Sure I might have been moving anywhere from 3-5 mph for long stretches, but there was nothing miserable about it. I had been fearing this leg of Virginia since I started. Ain't no big thang!

The Arrow Represents What I Biked Today

The climb to the town of Afton itself, however, is extremely steep, and when I got to the top, I nearly fell off the bike into the Post Office parking lot. And this is how I met Kay- one of Afton's post masters. She was headed toward her truck to stock some mail, saw me, and shouted "WE GOTTA A CODE 76 HERE... I REPEAT CODE 76!" (The bike route I'm on is 76). Kay outwitted me at every turn. "Y'all get on in to the post office, honey, and get y'self some A/C. I'll get these here water bottles and I'd hug ya' but ya' look disgusting." She continued to pontificate as she filled up my water bottles: "I think y'all are crazy bikin' this mountain in this heat. Does your mother know about this? I couldn't bike 40 feet in this kinda weather." I told her that most people consider it mind over matter and she zinged me with "It's menopause over matter for me!" Her goodbye line as she got back in her truck was "Yer gonna weigh all of 5 pounds by the time you get out there!"

 I told her I'd be happy if I just lost my man-boobs. 

Scenic Overlook #1... A Far Cry from the Top

Here's a tip for anyone who's passing a scenic overlook and is hungry or thirsty: put on a bright orange shirt and a biking helmet, and wait. Every car that stopped wanted to either feed me or fill up my water bottles. One tourist asked if I would like a fresh peach that she picked earlier in the day. My eyes lit up. Food tastes so good to me now. All of it. Even dusty granola bars, but this peach... this damn peach... I will never forget it. When cycling uphill, I go into "uphill mode" where nothing really hurts and I can keep at it no problem as long as I think about only one thing. Usually the thing I think about is "ONE... MORE... PEDAL..." which I say over and over again sort of rhythmically. But after this rest stop, I replayed myself eating that peach. It made me smile. This one thought carried me through to the next scenic overlook. That lady will never know how important that peach was. 

Scenic Overlook #2... Where the Freeloading Continued

But more ladies were willing to play pseudo-mom ahead. 

One pulled into the next overlook solely for the purpose of giving me an ice cold bottle of water. I accepted. Another offered me a granola bar. I accepted. Yet another offered me a ride to the top. I declined. 

If you ever doubt such thing as kindness in strangers... hop on a bike. The occasional honks from cars are few and far between. Generosity and hospitality, on the other hand, are abundant. 

Everyone is your momma on the mountain. (Even Frank, the guy who offered me a soda and great conversation about traveling). 

BUT... there is one problem on the Blue Ridge: there ain't no place to really stay. Knowing I had no host tonight is both liberating and nerve-wracking. Liberating because I had no deadline to meet, but nerve-wracking because I have no idea where I'm going to wind up.

I found this cool little picnic area around 6 PM. There was a sign that clearly said, "No Camping in the Picnic Area" and a Park Ranger car nearby. But I wasn't sure if I was technically in the no-no area or not, so I decided to wait by the ranger car to ask. I still had plenty of time to forge ahead if I wasn't allowed.

 Waiting to Sweet Talk the Ranger

But I waited. And waited. And waited.  And while I was waiting, I watched the sun going down. Uh oh. If this guy says no... I'm in trouble. 

Renee and Mike

While waiting, I met Renee and Mike. Renee is a very free spirit indeed, and claims to be the great niece of the legendary Cookie Lady of Afton. She gave me sound advice: "Get out of that bright orange shirt and sneak a camp away from that car!" No sooner had she said that when the ranger finally appeared. And I asked him. And he shook his head. NO. But then he pulled me to the other side of his car, and spoke in hushed tones lest Renee and Mike heard something:

Creepy Service Road that is the Basis for Horror Stories

 (looking nervously from side to side and speaking out of the corner of his mouth) "There's a service road just outside the gate that leads up to a meadow where we have a utility shed. Promise me you won't touch anything and you won't leave anything behind... no one will bother you there."

Scouts honor.

Just before driving away, he very casually added, "By the way, a grown adult male was attacked by a bobcat around here yesterday. That's where I've been for the last two hours. Looking for it."

Sweet Dreams!

My "Stealth" Campsite Tonight... Hosted by Mosquitoes

Renee asked if I would like to join her and Mike for dinner. While I was tempted, I wanted to set up camp before the sun went down for good. Also, Mike was silent. He clearly was looking to get some action, and I wasn't part of the plan. 

I have no food sans a granola bar or two. One more bottle of water. No shower.

And I couldn't feel better. 

Re-think those bets, folks. I'm doing this. 

P.S.

Jesus uses a flip phone...

...And does his laundry just like the rest of us.