Day 5: Over the Blue Ridge; Afton to Lexington

May 10, 2015

Afton, VA (Cookie Lady's House) to Lexington, VA (Super 8)

(Note to readers regarding the elevation profiles; the profile is calculated from Point "A" on the map to Point "B" on the map. Since I am traveling east to west on the first half of this transcontinental journey, my route of travel is usually shown on the map as being from right to left. However, the elevation profile is shown from left to right, so it must be "reversed" in your head to understand it.)

Climbing Today; 4,566 ft -- Total So Far; 11,978 ft

NOTE; this is a relatively long post with lots of pics. The scenery was just spectacular, and part of the reason I'm doing this journal is for my own records, so forgive me for the photo overload today - I won't usually do that. Should you elect to wade through this, don't say I didn't warn you!

Today was certainly the most unusual Mother's Day of my life. Dan, Josh, and I headed up the hill after breakfast. Breakfast for me was about 1/2 of a hot dog bun and 1/2 cup of instant coffee. I was afraid to eat more considering the labor ahead. I like to warm up by cycling easy for a few miles before I start riding hard; but today we had to start out immediately heading up a steep grade, so there was no way to warm up easy. Afton is around elevation 1200, and we would be ascending to about elevation 3300. But not all at once. You ascend, then lose, then ascend some more, then lose some more, then ascend some more - you have to work for it. The ridge was blanketed in fog, and I liked that - it provided shelter from the sun and cooled things off.

The work was hard, but we bit it off one little piece at a time. Josh and Dan went ahead of me and I thought I might not see them again, but I caught them at each rest stop and we rode together at times.

Many of the scenic views had an elevation listing, and it was helpful to know where you were in elevation - although it was disappointing when you lost elevation and knew you had to gain it back.

Humpback Gap Overlook (the elevation listings were helpful)

I caught up with Josh and Dan at a rest stop where they were talking to a couple of tourists. They had given Dan some coffee and he joked as I pulled up that the coffee was all gone and there was none for me. I didn't need coffee, but I was concerned with having enough fluid. I had a bottle left, but we had lots more climbing to do. Josh gave me some water (cyclists help each other - I gave them food last night, and it came back around), and one of the ladies went to her car and brought me 2 small cokes. That was very helpful, another act of kindness from a stranger - it gave me the confidence to know I could make it over the hard climb to come.

These Ladies Gave Me 2 Cokes - It's the Real Thing When You Need It!

As I approached Reid's Gap, I encountered Kristen and Meggan pushing their bikes up a ridiculously steep incline to the Blue Ridge. They had camped down the hill last night and were rejoining the route. As we talked, this couple showed up on tricycles;

I didn't get their names, but they are cycling the Transam. It's her first time to cycle in many years, so they are moving at a slow pace for a while until they get conditioned. They plan to stop at a family reunion in Caney, Oklahoma (not far from where I live in Tulsa) along their journey this summer. I'm impressed.

At a rest stop with Josh and Dan, I snapped this pic of Dan with his American flag;

The thought is that drivers approaching from the rear who might not otherwise respect the safety of a bicyclist, will respect the sanctity of the American flag and drive politely. Who knows? That may be wise in Kentucky and Missouri, particularly - maybe. Josh is also carrying a DSLR with him, so I asked him to use my camera and take a snap of me. Here's the author somewhere on the Blue Ridge Parkway;

And here is a pic of a cyclist named Mack. Mack is doing the Transam, and is hauling his gear in a BOB trailer. Mack is a big fellow, big as a Mack truck, so it's easy to remember him. I mean that in a good way, Mack, don't be mad.

A few parting photos of amazing views;

From the Blue Ridge, the Forest Seems to Go On Forever

The Fog Adds to the Beauty of the Blue Ridge

Atop the Blue Ridge, a Nice Place to Live

Finally, I reached the descent off the Blue Ridge;

A 4-Mile Descent! I Earned it Though, Paying in Advance For This Joy Ride

What an amazing downhill run it was! It was hard-earned and I loved it. Constant curves taken at 35 mph, I appreciated my disc brakes. The run on into Lexington was mostly downhill for the next 14 miles as it followed a beautiful mountain creek;

Stream I followed Downgradient Toward Lexington

And then I came upon this waterfall;

Just when I thought I was through climbing for the day, the last few miles into Lexington were quite tough. The heat had intensified as the sun came out, and the humidity was high. Finally I made it to the hotel. There was no laundry, so I washed my clothes in the sink and set them out to dry. Touring cyclists are quite creative when it comes to doing laundry;

Mother Nature's Clothes Dryer, Just Outside My Motel Room Window

Seems as though I'm a bit tired, good night folks...

Today's ride: 55 miles (89 km)
Total: 290 miles (467 km)

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