Day 15: Pippa Passes to Hazard: TGFWPS or "Raindrops on Roses" is not among my favorite things

May 25, 2006

Woke up this morning in the hostel's double bed after being lulled to sleep by the chest freezer's rhythmic churning and my own tiredness. From bed, I couldn't tell if the Weather Channel had been correct in its rain prediction. I didn't hear any and assumed the best but was proven wrong on opening the door to the outside. Sigh.

I took my time getting ready--washing my waterbottle, lingering over my blueberry poptart, re-reading my map and the guidebook and hoping that the steadily dripping rain would stop.

It didn't, so I finally pulled up my waterproof socks (TGFWPS), put on my jacket, cinched on my vinyl pants, and loaded up the bike.

I cautiously rode down the steep hill back to the route and headed on my way, remembering times I'd intentionally ridden in or just after rain with my old bike to go "puddle jumping" in one of my post-college childhoods.

Up the first hill, I realized an equipment-test failure on my part. I know I've read about how unbreathable rain gear just isn't worth it b/c you sweat so much and end up wet from the inside out rather than from the outside in from the rain. But I'd ridden in these cheap pants and been ok before. But I'd used them in the flatlands of Indiana where I could easily regulate my temperature just by slowing down a bit, thereby avoiding the sweating problem. But that kind of regulation isn't possible in the hills of Kentucky.

It was warm enough to go sans jacket for a while, and the rain was getting lighter, so off with the jacket. Wet shirt? ok. Wet shorts? unacceptable. So out come the baby scissors I'd meant to send home and I chop off the legs on the pants, leaving me neon green rain shorts to my knees and black waterproof socks halfway up my chubby calves. I'm telling you--it was sexy. So sexy that a white SUV almost rear-ended somebody while watching me instead of the car turning in front of him/her (and I was at least 15 feet off the road) (or maybe they were paying attention to something else, but I'd like to think it was me).

The rain did stop a few miles later, but the coal dust on the roads had turned to coal muck that all the cars and trucks were spraying onto me as they passed on the narrow roads. I wasn't even 10 miles down the road, and my bags, bike, and I were getting disgustingly coal-coated, so I didn't have to think too hard about heading to the Hindman library when I saw the sign at the edge of town. I'ds started late enough that I didn't think I'd make it to Booneville anyway (one original thought), so the delay didn't matter much and would hopefully give the roads a chance to dry out.

The library computers were FAST! so I got pics uploaded for like 4 days (not all the text, though).

Even after over an hour online and more time eating my spaghetti leftovers from the previous night and even though the sun had been brightly shining the whole time, the roads were still damp--and it was getting Hu--Mid.

Joannie, an Indiana transplant, stopped to chat just outside Emmalena and gave me some good road tips and local info. She passed me a couple of times later in the day and tooted her encouragement!

So to back up, I had only 8 miles done by noon, my progress through Emmalena toward Dwarf was slowed by wind (didn't see any dwarves...or elves either for that matter--actually, I don't know that I even saw the town of Dwarf--must have blinked) and my turn onto highway 80 at mile 20-something was miserable. Hot, dusty, traffic-y, head wind-y with a debris, gravel, and coal filled shoulder . That and information on storms coming through and the lack of good camping for 25 miles and my need to clean up and do laundry and ... anyway, it's a hotel night.

Things you see: coal trucks, coal debris, traffic, perpetual rumble strip, hill. Things you don't see: heat, headwind, my coal dust-covered self, my attitude toward all these things

Wal-Mart in Hazard, KY is the most dangerous place I've been so far. You should see how people drive their carts around here, but my clothes are drying by the A/C, I had time to call a whole bunch of people and electricity to recharge my phone (Cingular hasn't given me a good signal for a couple of days), and pillows and I'm clean! A bath AND a shower!

Baby bananas from the Hazard Wal-Mart (I am easily amused, and they were really good)

That motel up there was probably cheaper, but it was UP there

I want to spend the night in Berea, so if I didn't make it to Booneville today, I wasn't going to hit Berea tomorrow anyway. I'm a little behind where I wanted to be, but I'm still having fun and loving the freedom of the road, even if a certain body part is, um, sore.

Holed up in the Super 8 and watching the big storm line head this way on the Weather Channel. Hope it passes by morning so I can justify my hotel night. I'm planning my attack on the continental breakfast for morning (early run when I wake up--2nd run when I finish packing) and slowly sinking into these pillows...

Today's ride: 32 miles (51 km)
Total: 657 miles (1,057 km)

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