Will's Bicycle Adventure

Everett Rotary pulls a surprise

Fri, 3 Oct 2008 09:59:42 -0800

I love being involved with Evevett Rotary. Since joining the club 7-8 years ago, I have made many friends, and have felt that, through Rotary, I have been able to make a difference to my community and to the betterment of the world. That is why I intended to visit Rotary clubs as I bicycled across America. I even packed two small club banners to exchange with the president of whatever club I was visiting.

Once my itinerary was put together, I researched the Rotary clubs in the towns where I would be staying, and wrote the time, day of the week, and location of each Rotary club. I then emailed the presidents to make sure that they would not be offended if I appeared in less than business attire (translate that as being in bicycle clothing). As luck would have it, since the odds were one in seven that I would be in a town when a meeting was occuring, the only meeting that I was able to attend was in Manhatten, Kansas. The remaining banner, packed in my panniers, would be used when I was finished with my trip, and had arrived in Raleigh. Noting that the Raleigh Rotary met on the 21st floor of a downtown building, I made the assumption that members would be dressed in business attire, so I checked with the president of the club (prior to my leaving Everett) and was told that I would be welcome dressed in casual clothing, but I might be more comfortable if I wore business slacks and a nice shirt.

So I prepared some clothing for Karen to mail to Raleigh. It would arrive just prior to my arrival there.

Upon arriving in North Carolina, I emailed the club to make sure they would be meeting on the 25th, and to make arrangements for a banner exchange. Receiving no email reply, I called the club phone number and left a similar message. The president of the club, George Wallace, called to confirm the meeting and the banner exchange. He was very welcoming.

Arriving a little early at the Raleigh Rotary meeting on the 25th, I met several members who were very friendly. The president arrived and welcomed me to the head table.

At the appropriate time of the meeting, I was asked to come up front for the banner exchange. Instead of waiting with his club banner, the president had a long tube, out of which he pulled a poster.

As I looked closer, I saw that it was a poster-sized photograph. In the photograph were approximately 50 members of my Rotary club, seated and standing, in tiers. Many of the members were holding large letters, that spelled out the message: "Congrats! Where there's a Will, there's a way!" I was absolutely dumbfounded (a common feeling for me, but exceptionally so this time)!

I knew that one of the members, Mark Nesse, was giving progress reports on my trip, but with all of the trips that club members take every year, I was surprised that they would make this amount of effort regarding my little trip. The logistics of getting this many people together, getting the letters printed, having the photograph enlarged, and arranging with the Raleigh Rotary president to present it were enormous.

My deepest and sincerest thanks to each and every one of my Rotary friends. You have profoundly humbled me. I look forward to getting back.

Will McMahan

Finish Line

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 23:27:27 -0800

Will-

You made it to the finish Line with ease... We all know it was all down hill fron Seattle.

Your daily posts were excellent and made the best reading ever. Can't wait to hear more about the ride in person.

What great faith you have to make through this ride of life.

Alex & Michele

You are awesome!!

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:32:39 -0800

This has been such an incredible fun site to follow and still part of me wants you to just roller skate home so we can follow your journey some more. Congratulations, Will. What a wonderful accomplishment and life dream fulfilled... Can't wait to visit in person. Sharon Harriss

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:10:28 -0800

How exciting! You made it! I can't believe you are there already - the time (at least at this end) seems to have flown by! You completed an amazing feat and we couldn't be more proud. Enjoy your vacation - can't wait until you get home and we can give you a hug in person! Congratulations Will on your stamina, perserverance and beliefs. See you soon, Terry and Clay

congrats.

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:33:46 -0800

congrats on a great journey. it was such an honor sharing time with you along the way. you were a highlight of our trip and molly asks about you often. have a safe trip back home again and stay in touch. hugs

love from joan chuck and molly

go buffs!

Day 87-Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 13:35:16 -0800

A good night's sleep is what we all wish for, but it was not forthcoming last night. Awaking at 3AM, I just couldn't get back to sleep. At 5 AM, I got up. It was still unclear as to the exact distance to Raleigh, but my guess was somewhere between 45-50 miles, although it could be 60. An early start would get me to our meeting point in Raleigh regardless of the distance. Today was not going to be quite as hot--maybe 90 degrees--but I still slathered on the 50 sun block. The motel had a reasonably nice breakfast. I was on the road at 6:50 AM.

The terrain was changing. The hills were still there but more gradual slopes, so a higher speed was possible going uphill. It was 2-3 hours before I even needed to go into my low range chain ring. This means, simply, that I was going a little faster than yesterday, and it was less tiring.

When I reached Pittsboro, I had a decision to make. The road was terrific with lots of room on the shoulder. I could stick on the road, bypass Pittsboro, and arrive safely on the other side of town, nine miles later, safe and sound. Or I could exit through town. There would be no shoulder, and thus more risk. Yet the distance would be reduced from 9 miles to 5 miles. I opted for the shorter but riskier route. Another problem, which I hadn't mentioned before is that when I ride in the early morning when the sun is rising, I can't see the images in my mirrors, so I am somewhat blind to what is coming up in the rear. The bright glare of the sun makes it almost impossible to use the mirrors. On 64 it didn't matter as much because I was on the shoulder. It ended up not mattering as much here either because the trees along the road blocked the sun, so I could see as well as hear traffic approaching.

While I'm in town, let's eat. I'm hungry. Ahh, there is a cafe.

The road rolled with the hills but I was making pretty good time. I had mentioned once before about how courteous car and truck drivers were to me, giving me lots of clearance. In my opinion, the ones at risk were some of those cars as they tried to pass me and duck in before oncoming traffic. Today a new problem occured, none of it potentially dangerous to me. But twice a car in the right lane moved over into the left lane in order to give me more clearance. However, they forgot to check to see if a car was on their left. Twice a car was run off onto the left shoulder that way. And people are worried about me?

The next major town is Cary, which is just west of Raleigh, but first I cross over a rather large, pretty lake. It is calm, and a few fishermen are out in their bass boats. We exchange waves. The cool air feels good.

Holy cow! There is the Cary city limits sign! One thing for sure is that I won't be late to meet my brother. Jim and I had discussed a route through Cary, and we would meet at the Fairgrounds. After almost 4,000 miles on the road, I was not fearful of riding on busy streets, but the ones I was on in Cary seemed a little bit too risky, so I moved up to the sidewalk for a while. It was a little after 11 AM, and I was getting hungry again, so I was hopeful for a restaurant to pop up soon. Ahh, I turned right and there is a bicycle lane on the right. I have seen few of those since leaving home. Now I won't have to be as concerned about the traffic. A mile later the bike lane ended. What is that up ahead on the left? It looks like a pavillion. Yes, it is. I'm at the Fairgrounds. It is 11:30 AM. I only have to wait for my brother to get here at too. At least I wasn't late.

Off to the side, and across the railroad tracks, is a convenience store. I purchased a large Gatorade, sat under a tree, and tried to reach my brother's cell phone, not wanting to rush him at all, but just to let him know that I was here. No answer. So the next calls, in order of importance, was to Karen, then my mother. I called several others, but the only one I can remember is my church back home, but the pastor was out. Maybe I had better have a hot dog and some sweet rolls. Better get some water, too, as I was low.

I decided to re-cross the railroad tracks and find a shady place to rest at the Fairgrounds entrance. Man, traffic was crazily busy. So busy, in fact, that I dismounted and walked the bike across the street. Jim calls. He'd left his cell phone at home, and just retrieved my message. Jim bicycles, but I was concerned about him riding in this traffic, so I suggested that we meet a little closer to his house. Perhaps the traffic would not be so bad there. He agreed, and we planned to meet at Meredith College.

Waiting for traffic to clear, I eased out into left turn lane. When the light changed, instead of making the turn, I went wide and stopped by the Raleigh City Limits sign. I'd hoped to have my picture taken there beside it, but now took one of the bike leaning against it.

Meredith College was not far down the road, but the traffic was much more reasonable there. I pulled inside the entrance, leaned my bike against a brick pillar that would be visible to Jim, and walked over to a tree that provided cool shade while waiting. Getting sleepy, I was considering curling up on the grass and taking a nap, when a voice called out "Hey. Will!" It was my brother, Jim.

The ride to his house was a little tour of Raleigh. We drove past two more colleges, including North Carolina State University. We passed the brand new YMCA (at which I would attend a spinning class early Friday morning), rode by the state capital and Governor's mansion. Soon we were in familiar territory. The Crispy Creme store was my first clue. A block from Jim's house, a contingent of people including his wife, Barbara, son, Cory, and exchange student, Yo Yo, were there to take photos for the record. A neighbor kindly had the honor of being the photographer.

One block later, and 53 miles after I left this morning, we were at his house. Over 4,000 miles after leaving Everett, Washington, I had finally reached the end of my journey. I'd had no further falls or spills after having those three in a four day period. No dogs were able to get ahold of me. Except for the falls, I sustained no injuries, nor aches or pains. I'd ridden several days where the temperature hadn't gotten above freezing. And several weeks where the high temperatures rarely dropped below 95. The thought of all of the people and places that I had met and visited was too large of a collage for me to even ponder. We have such a great country, filled with such great people! I have, humbly, seen such wonders and learned from wonderful people.

There was also, importantly, an inner journey in addition to the outer one. I have grown closer to God. I hope that I can do a better job of finding the path that He has set out for me. He still has much work to do.

Tonight is a celebratory dinner with my cousin's family. Likewise on Friday. On Saturday, my brother invited a number of his friends over for a party.

Most importantly, however, is that Karen is flying out on Monday. It has been too long since we have seen each other. I can't wait!

It is hard to feel that a trip, such as this one, can just end. Day after day of pedalling. You just can't turn off the switch and go back to life as it was. But, of course, there is no other choice.

I will continue to add to this journal. There are a number of things that I did not write about.

My deepest thanks to those that have expressed their pleasure out of reading about my life on the road. I think that my cousin, Kendall Hodgson, who is a farmer in Little River, Kansas, had the most interesting comment. He said "I think of your ride as a metaphor for Life, in that with the proper planning, and some persistence, taken one step at a time, our struggles will eventually get us where we want to go." Amen to that.

Will McMahan

Day 86-Tuesday, August 19th, 2008

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:01:00 -0800

There were several items for consideration before I left the Pierce's home. First of all, the area in which they live has only one traffic

outlet, so all people commuting to work will be on a narrow road that has no shoulder. I would need to leave late enough for the road to clear itself of most commuters. We decided that 8 AM would work. Secondly, I sure hope that I-85 is not backed up like it was yesterday. The new road that we discovered last night will bypass the Interstate, but it was a twisty turny road with no shoulder--not a very safe road for a bicycler if there is much traffic. Thirdly, the later start and the location of the Pierce house made it questionable as to how close I could get to Raleigh tonight. My brother, Jim, was planning on leaving work early and bicycling out to meet me, then leading me to his house. Staying with the Pierces took me a little out of the way of Raleigh, but I am glad that I took the opportunity to stay there and get to know them.

We had a magnificent breakfast that set the stage for a good ride. The weather was going to be mostly clear.
When I pulled out onto the main road, the traffic was sparce compared to when I came in yesterday afternoon. On a whim, I kept count of the vehicles that needed to pass me over the seven miles to the main road. There were only 35, including 5 commercial trucks. A pretty small number considering the distance. Before reaching the main highway I crossed over I-85, and it seemed to be clear of yesterday's congestion. Good! That meant that the small bypass road shouldn't have much traffic. I turned right onto the main road.

Several miles down the road I passed a textile mill that was being torn down. Neil Pierce had been in the textile industry before retiring, and shared how the companies were going offshore in order to keep costs down. This, of course, created great pain in the local communities whose workers were laid off. It must be quite a challenge for a worker to re-acquire a job in this area when there are so few around.

My memory was that the bypass road was immediately to the left after crossing the bridge over the Yadkin River. To go straight was to get onto I-85. Since there was a bit of traffic, I was going to cross the bridge on the shoulder, stop until traffic cleared, then cut across to the bypass. As I started across the bridge, 5 cars all passed me in the left hand lane, slowed and turned onto my little bypass road. Oh no! This was not going to be the little peaceful ride that I'd hoped for. Looking ahead, I saw traffic backed up on I-85. Once on the bypass, I was hopeful that traffic would diminish, but that would not be the case. The bypass was fairly short, not much more than a mile or two, and after a while it did straighten out which made it safer for me, but the first half mile was fraught with peril as lots of cars and semi truckss tried to get past me without having to slow down. Nonetheless, soon I was back onto a main road where visibility was good. In the first hour I had ridden 12 miles. I was happy with that.

The second town I passed through had a nice convenience store/cafe, and I went in to have breakfast #2. When leaving, I asked how far I was from Highway 64, and what followed brought up much contemplation on my part as I pedalled on. Two employees, both women took it upon themselves to advise me as to how to get to Raleigh, and it certainly wasn't Hwy 64. "Take 85" they insisted. When it dawned on me that the 85 they were referring to was the Interstate, I explained that bicycles weren't allowed there, they still insisted that it was better. And 64 was narrow, had fast traffic and was very hilly. I thanked them for their help. It is so difficult to be fully accepting of any advice for directions from a person that doesn't bicycle. Non-bicyclers have little concept of grade (steepness) because the car has no problem with grades. People have described big, steep hills as little ones. They have inaccurately estimated distances, normally thinking that things are much closer than they really are. They put themselves, in their minds, on a bicycle and advise based upon how they would feel on a given road, not allowing for their inexperience. I learned to be highly skeptical of advice, but I still had need, on occasion to ask. And sometimes the advice was spot on.

Several miles down the road was the entrance to Hwy 64. It was a two lane road, but it had a 4-5' shoulder for me to ride on. This was great! I wondered how long this would last. Mile after mile passed by. Eventually I was approaching Asheboro. I was getting low on water, as I was consuming alot. Sue Pierce had made the comment that Bojangles had the best sweet tea, so when I came across one, I pulled in for lunch. Yes, the tea was good and I drank a number a large glasses of it. It seemed I had been hydrating more of late than before. I found out later that the temperature had gotten to 95 degrees, but it was that hot, and hotter, in Kansas and Missouri, plus humidity, but my body was telling me to drink more.

Jim had left a message that he would like to meet on the outskirts of Raleigh at 1 PM tomorrow, so I would need to get reasonably close in order to ensure my timeliness. There were two towns that seemed to fit the bill: Siler City and Pittsboro. Pittsboro was 15 miles closer so that was my goal.

Unfortunately, I was starting to wear down. There were a number of long hills before Asheboro that were taxing in the heat, and I was not sure that I would be able to make it to Pittsboro. What if there were no motels in Pittsboro? I didn't want to go there to find myself homeless again. I'd have to check.

After Asheboro, Hwy 64 widened to five lanes, and still maintained the wide shoulder. Uh oh. There was a Doberman Pinscher on the other side of the road that wanted a piece of me. It was tracking me along the opposite side of the road. The problem for the dog was that it couldn't get over to my side of the road without getting hit by a car or truck. Ha! The dog was smart enough, at least, to stay over there. That reminds me that several weeks earlier, there were 3 consecutive days where dogs were chasing me. Then that stopped except for one other occurance, and then today.

Finally, Siler City. I was approaching 70 miles for the day, and was beginning to drag a bit. A motel appeared on the right that looked appealing. I stopped at a nearby convenience store to guzzle more Gatorade, and asked some of the patrons about the motel. Two things stand out among their replies: First of all, there are several more near restaurants up a mile. Secondly, Pittsboro had no motels. So I checked into a motel in Siler City.

Oddly, no one seemed to have a consistent answer as to how many miles it was to Raleigh. Numbers ranged from 40-60. The maps were okay until nearing Cary (just west of Raleigh). In talking to Jim, he decided to meet me at 2 PM instead of 1 PM, so I had an extra hour of riding tomorrow to get there ahead of him.. I think I'll start riding early, before 7 AM.

Tomorrow was going to be the last day of my journey. Over 4,000 miles. All types of terrain. All types of weather. Day after day of pedalling. It was going to end tomorrow.

Will McMahan

Day 85-Monday, August 18th, 2008

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:19:52 -0800

The final three days to Raleigh begin this morning. I've had over 5 full days of rest in Wilkesboro, and it is time to finish what I started on May 26th.

Originally, I was going to meet my childhood friend, Ted Pfeifer, at his sister and brother-in-law's home in Salisbury, N.C. We planned to spend a day together before I moved on. He, however, was not able to make the trip from his home in Pennsylvania. Yet in talking to Ted's brother-in-law, Neil Pierce, I could still stay overnight with he and his wife, Sue. That seemed like an excellent idea.

I needed to figure the route from Wilkesboro to the Pierce house near Salisbury, a distance of around 70 miles. In talking to several locals, I decided on Highway 115 south to Statesville, then east on Highway 70 to Salisbury. Highway 70 was a newly paved four lane highway.

North Carolina, someone told me, consists of three areas: the Mountains, the Coast, and the Piedmont. The Piedmont, apparently being a rolling, more level portion of the state. There is actually a fourth, sub-catagory, called the Foothills, and that is where Wilkesboro is located. Hillier that the Piedmont, but less hilly than the Mountains.

Finding Highway 115 was easy--it started about a mile from the home of my brother Tom. At 7:50 AM, I had left the house and soon was on 115. It is a typical state highway: narrow with no shoulder, and several times on hills, I pulled off the road to let traffic pass. But once out of Wilkesboro, the traffic lessened.

It would be interesting to see how five days of rest was going to affect me. I had eaten a relatively light breakfast, just a couple of bowls of cereal, so after 1 1/2 hours of riding, I stopped for a breather, and ate some Trail Mix. Not much later, though, I came across a convenience store with a grill, so I stopped and had breakfast #2. It seemed that since I was heading south on 115, I was bisecting the Foothills, and there were more hills than I had expected, though none of them difficult. They just slowed me down.

Statesville, 37 miles down the road, was a neat town that looked like it was doing well. Downtown I found a restaurant that looked like it had potential. When I entered and saw the tablecloths, I almost turned around, but the prices were fair, and the servor insisted I was dressed fine. As the day was starting to heat up, I drank a seemingly infinite amount of iced tea along with lunch. Leaving Statesville, I found the newly paved Highway 70.

Unfortunately, newly paved does not mean that all four lanes are open. Only two lanes were open and with the shoulder not marked by a white line, the cars tended to give themselves more room to the right. The highway became divided but still only one lane of use each way. I finally moved over to the other side of the paving barriers, and rode there, thus freeing up the cars and trucks from having to deal with me. On occasion, usually when workers were in the lane I was in, I would move back over to the far right. It seemed to be a good solution, moving back and forth, but mostly secure on the left side of those large traffic cones.

In Salisbury, I knew that I took a wrong turn somewhere, but the need of a Gatorade drank overruled any other concern. It was starting to warm up but never got into the 90's. While guzzling a 32 ounce bottle of Gatorade, I chatted with a young man who had ridden his motorcycle up from Charlotte to pick up his girlfriend as she got off work. When a local stopped to look at the bike, I asked him for directions and he re-directed me. While doing so, the young motorcyclist, who was listening in, would interject his comments. His girlfriend apparently lived over that way, so he was familiar with the area. I bought another Gatorade that would fit in my water bottle holder, and then took of for the Pierce house.

Salisbury and the adjoining town, Spencer, were nice towns to ride through. Spencer was a town formed around the railroad, and now featured a Railroad Museum along with numerous rail cars. I found the turn off the main road and knew I was 5-7 miles from the Pierces. A motorcyclist honked at it passed me. It was the young man from the convenience store. He had picked up his girlfriend, who was on the back. Up ahead, some work was being done next to a church. As I was passing, a lady across the road, who was harvesting apples, held one out for me. That is all I needed to pull in and chat while munching on a fresh apple.

A bit after 4 PM, I found the Pierce home. It is situated very nicely on a lake which is one of a chain of lakes. How nice to sit out in there enclosed porch overlooking the lake, drinking large glasses of iced tea.

After dinner, we had a discussion as to how to get up to Highway 64. It led almost all the way into Raleigh, was a major highway, and probably had a very nice shoulder. Unfortunately, the only way over the Yadkin River included a brief stint on the Interstate, which is illegal here for bicycles. So we piled into their car and drove over to see if there were any alternatives. Apparently, there had been an accident on the northbound section of the Interstate because traffic was backed up for miles. We noticed some traffic going to a little side road and we wondered if that road led around the Interstate to a spot where I wanted to be. It did! Now I had a route that I could take in the morning without needing to be carried on a trailer over the Interstate Highway.

Sue and Neil were terrific hosts but it was getting near my bedtime. I had clocked in 75 miles today, and had a plan for tomorrow. Only two days from the terminus of the trip. Tropical Storm Faye was heading our way and it would be nice to be in Raleigh before it hit town. We'll see how my luck holds out.

Will McMahan

Day 79-Tuesday, August 12th, 2008

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 02:56:47 -0800

Yes, today I will be in Wilkesboro! I have been looking forward to riding my bicycle into the nursing home parking lot. Mother called and she wanted me to come to the back door because it is close to her room. Okay.

It is only 30 miles away, so once I get over the Blue Ridge Mountains, it will be mostly downhill except for a few rolling hills. The weather will be nice. I wonder if the road will have a good shoulder. It is a four lane road with lots of traffic, but a shoulder will make it safe.

Since the motel was serving a nice breakfast, I had one a little after 6 Am, and another around 9:30 AM. Having done devotions and packed the bike, I departed for the last leg of this part of my journey.

The highway, called 421, was a nice four lane road, but it had curbs and gutters on the side of the road, all the way out of town. That meant that there was no shoulder, and I had to ride in the right hand lane. Fortunately that didn't last long. As soon as we were out of Boone, the curbs and gutters went away, and were replaced by a nice 8' smooth shoulder. If this kept up, this would be a very safe ride.

The area is very picturesque, with lots of hills overlapping hills, and a mixture of trees and fields. The climb up to the Blue Ridge Parkway was not bad at all. The Parkway is 10 miles out of Boone, and once past it, the road dropped sharply, and I was coasting over 30 mph for several miles. From that point there were some rolling hills but nothing difficult. The shoulder narrowed but it was still wide enough for me to stay completely off the right hand lane. Once inside the Wilkesboro area, the shoulder shrank some more, making pedalling a bit less safe, but several thousands of miles that I had ridden were just like these and the drivers created a safety barrier because of the courtesies they extended by giving me lots of room.

I arrived in Wilkesboro around noon. Not wanting to get to my mother on an empty stomach, I stopped at Applebees for lunch. Knowing that I was not going to be bicycling for a few days, I dialed down the amount of food ordered.

Mother calls. My brother, Tom, has a short break for lunch and wants to meet me, and carry my bike and gear back to his house. From there I would use their other car. It was a very kind thing for him to hook up a utility trailer that would haul everything nicely, but I wanted to ride to the nursing home. He and I chatted on the phone about it. Since he was close, he stopped in. It was great to see him again. I hated that he went to such an effort to help, and then I wouldn't accept it.

The nursing home, called Britthaven, was several more miles down 421, and less than a mile from the exit. I found it easily, and as I started coasting down the hill to the back of the complex, there, by the backdoor, sat my mother in her electric wheelchair waiting for me. It was a grand reunion! We both had waited a long time for this occasion!

Too soon, it seemed, I needed to leave for that day. My sister-in-law, Margaret, needed to be picked up from work at 3:30 PM.

Since I will not be riding again until Monday, August 18th, this journal will take a rest until then. It is noteworthy, however, that we did have a birthday party for my mother, her 88th. It was held at my brother's home. Happy 88th Birthday, Mother!

Will McMahan

Day 78-Monday, August 11th, 2008

Sun, 10 Aug 2008 23:01:00 -0800

One disadvantage to not having the extreme heat during the day (the last couple of days have had highs of 80 degrees) is that the nights are a bit cooler. This is not a problem if one has a sleeping bag. I, however, had sent my sleeping bag home when I was in Boulder, and intended to sleep in one or two sleeping bag liners. I'm sure that would have been sufficient on a normal summer evening. On a chillier one like last night, it was insufficient. I awoke and put on my long sleeved shirt; then my trousers; then heavy socks. It was an uncomfortable sleep, but it was sleep, and I would need all I could get for today.

I am getting excited about seeing my mother, hopefully tomorrow, now that the reality is that I am close. To see her I only had to cross the Blue Ridge Mountains, but I knew from experience that crossing the mountains might present a very difficult challenge. The route I was taking was supposed to be the best, in terms of least difficulty, according to several people, but I've learned to not to be too trusting of other people's opinions regarding road difficulty.

The convenience store had a section in which I could sit down and eat breakfast. Several men were having a discussion on world and local affairs, but one of them greeted me when I sat down and asked where I was riding to. This was a great oportunity to confirm the route I'd been told to take. All the men agreed that it was an excellent route. I confirmed which road I was planning on taking out of town, and they agreed that the road was the correct one. (Last night, the servor at Subway had told me not to take that road, saying it was the wrong one. I thought she was wrong, and decided to check in the morning with someone else.)

It was a little chilly, and I wore my STP jacket. the sun had risen but all of the rays were blocked by the hills and mountains to the east. I set off towards Boone. It was going to be 44 miles, not a long distance, but would feel longer if it was difficult with too much climbing.

I was pleased that the road was following a stream, always a good sign. As long as it did that the grade of steepness would not be bad. In re-checking the map, I realized that I would be entering Tennessee from Virginia, and would be there for a while before entering North Carolina. After several miles, I was in Tennessee. An hour went by and I was still following the stream. This was a good route! It was climbing since leaving Damascus, but at a gradual grade. It was just enough of a grade to demand a little extra effort if I wanted to remain in the middle chain ring (If I shifted to the lower chain ring, I would sacrifice 2-3 mph, but it would have been an easier cadence.).

As I wound through the mountains, always gradually climbing, the sun kept rising. It finally got high enough to be on me directly. It felt good. The jacket wasn't needed for the rest of the day.

My fears about the road into Mountain City being a hilly and steep were unfounded. The town sat on the same stream that I had been following out of Damascus. This would be a good time for some food. A sandwich fit the bill.

Later in the morning I finally saw a big hill. I had entered an open valley with lots of homes and businesses. When I reached the bottom of the hill, there was a sign that said "Welcome to North Carolina"! I had made it! (There are a number stickers on my bike that say "North Carolina or Bust".) Before entering the state, which meant climbing the hill, I pulled into a cafe, since I was hungry. (but not until I took a picture of my bicycle leaning against the North Carolina sign)

From here to Boone it was hilly, and bit more of a challenge, but not a difficult one. The biggest problem was the narrowness of the roads, combined with an increasing amount of traffic, but no shoulder to the road. On one steep hill, in particular, I was going slow, about 4 mph, and the traffic behind me started to accumulate. There was too much oncoming traffic for cars to safely pass, so I pulled into a driveway and waited for the traffic to clear before pulling out again. I did this 7-9 times up that one hill. Cars and bicycles need to co-exist, and with all of the courtesies that cars and trucks have extended me, pulling over to let travel flow better was the least I could do in return.

Boone! I'm in Boone! It's still early in the afternoon. You know, I could probably make it to Wilkesboro. It's only 30 miles away. As I weigh this proposition, I decided to stay in Boone for the day. I had no idea how much more climbing would be involved in getting over the Blue Ridge Mountains, and, since I wanted to go directly to see my mother in her nursing home, I knew that she would want to be looking her best, and a surprise would not allow that.

Can you believe it? I'll be in Wilkesboro tomorrow! Visiting my brother and sister-in-law, and seeing my mother, were both key objectives for this journey. Once in Wilkesboro, I would only be three riding days to Raleigh. Of course I would stay in Wilkesboro, and visit for a few days before departing.

Tomorrow I will leave mid-morning. One of the men at breakfast this morning had said "If you can survive getting into Boone, the road widens, and the rest will be easy." So far he had been correct. Let's see if he continues to be. Probably.

Will McMahan