Day 15 - April 26 - Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, TN to Ripley, TN - Crossing the T.....Part One

April 26, 2024

Day 15 - April 26 - Meeman-Shelby Forest State Park, TN to Ripley, TN

Ripely! Believe It or Not!

Ed’s Story

We survived the rain yesterday. We were pretty much in our tents from about 2 o’clock on, just getting out for a shower and performing other necessary items. Needless to say bedtime came early.

Got up to a blue sky, changed from yesterday.

The first 40 or so miles of the ride were on easy country roads. There was little to no traffic on the roads. Additionally, there were enough curves in the road that we didn’t get stuck in a rut riding straight like on the Natchez Trace.

Yes, there were some hills and some climbs, but nothing like we saw last year when we went cross country. There were some dogs that barked at us; but only one that would’ve eaten us if it was not chained up. It was a German Shepherd and it did not seem happy to see us.

We had a tailwind from the south for most of the ride. For the last seven miles before we got to Covington, TN we were riding southeast so needless to say we felt the effects of the wind on that portion.

We stopped in Covington for lunch and to buy groceries for tomorrow night when we are at Reelfoot Lake State Park. The tailwind returned for part of the last 17 miles from Covington to Ripley, TN.

We are staying at an Econo-Lodge tonight. The room is OK; the shower was hot; the A/C seems to be working; however…. They do not have a guest laundry. I am currently writing the journal at the Family Laundry a little more than a mile from the hotel.

John will meet me later for beer and chips at the Mexican joint, and then on to Pizza Hut for dinner. The only real bar in this town is about 2 miles south of the hotel.

It turns out Pizza Hut is take out only so we ate at the Mexican beer restaurant. Vegetarian fajitas were pretty good.

This truck has gone to seed. Any day now I expect to see little Ford Rangers driving around it.

These Tennessee cows have joined together to discuss forming a union. They decided that they need to have a stake in their future. Little do they know, there is a steak in their future.

Fort Wright was Tennessee's first military training camp in which soldiers could gain experience in the construction of fortifications and the setup of artillery batteries to counter naval attacks. They could undertake defense drills and acquire general military skills and discipline.

It’s all yours if you wanna put some time and money into it.

Todays ride

Until tomorrow, happy biking!

John’s Story

Yesterday before we started Ed said he was getting a bit nervous what with all the folks warning us against riding through Memphis. When we negotiated the city and came out none the worse for wear, I think he was disappointed that no one at least threatened us. As far as I was concerned, I figured that almost everyone in Memphis is NOT murdered on any given day. 😁

When we arrived at the state park welcome center yesterday to check in, we were still 1 1/4 miles from the campground. Ed reminded me that maybe 7-8 years ago we did a weeklong ride called BRAT (Bike Ride Across Tennessee) that started and ended at this park. I remember the very steep hills going into and out of the campground, and steeled myself for the grind.

The hills weren’t there. Apparent the BRAT route went out of the park in the opposite direction, where all the steep hills are. I think they did that purposefully just for the riders. Well, we missed the hills this time around. Thank God for little favors.

It was actually kind of nice to be trapped in our tents yesterday afternoon by the rain. Reading. Nap. Snacks. How could I complain? After all the rain yesterday, our tents were remarkably dry this morning.

I have to confess to finally using one of the items I carted all the way across the country last year and never used. An old Nalgene bottle I labeled with a giant “P” on the side and lid. It was raining hard with no signs of stopping any time soon. I wasn’t going to make a run for the outhouse. You can fill in the blanks.

This giant wolf spider was crawling on my tent as I took it down this morning. His body is about an inch long. I’m just glad he was on the outside last night. I think.

If you’ve ever been on an organized group bike ride (like BRAT) you know what tadpoles are. The ride organizers paint them on the road to provide guidance so riders don’t need to be looking at maps all the time. We saw them quite often today, so we knew that the roads we were riding had been used by our ilk before.

The first 25 miles today were my favorite of our tour so far. Winding country roads with a few hills. Lots of intersections to break the ride up into smaller chunks, instead of riding down the same road for many miles at a time (a la the Natchez Trace). Smooth. Lightly travelled; we didn’t pass a car (or a car pass us) from either direction for the first 6 miles. Tree lined so oftentimes shady. Scenery and items of interest along the way.

I wonder how vehicles like this end up abandoned out in a field. Did it die here, and they just couldn’t fix it? Was it thrown here like a piece of trash? Is it art?

Shouldn’t there be signs alerting the vehicle drivers and farm equipment operators about the presence of cyclists on the road? Instead of just warning cyclists that they travel at their own risk? This is still a motor vehicle dominated country, isn’t it?

There’s at least one bicycle friendly household out here in the wilds of western Tennessee. Or is this the trophy won by the farm implement operator who accidentally incorporated the cyclist who rode it into a bale of hay?

This could be the guy. And he’s a poet, channeling Fat Albert.

I have no idea what this is about, and I wasn’t about to stop to find out. Everything about the place (things you can’t see in this picture) shouted, “Stay away!”.

Another book you can’t judge by it’s cover. This sweet little 76 year old lady operates a tiny country store we visited along the way today. Irene was a sergeant major in the U.S. Army. She spent time as a drill instructor, and I’ll bet she was tough!

No OJ at the country store (or much of anything else for that matter), but they did have this drink. It hit the spot.

David, it’s a good thing you had your foundation issues addresses. These folks didn’t…

When we were traveling northeast early in the day, the southeast wind wasn’t much of a factor because of the trees sheltering the roads. When we turned southeast, though, it became a bear, because by then the forested areas on each side of the road had disappeared, and been replaced by pastures and cultivated fields.We were glad to get to Covington and turn back northeast, where the combination of southeast wind and open fields have us a push.

Here the 20+ mph wind is whipping the flag.

Lauderdale County Courthouse in Ripley, TN.

Tomorrow will be a longer day, probably 68 miles or more, but there should be a stiff south wind to help us along.

Reflections and Ruminations

Earlier in the trip I wrote in this journal about the biker who was so worried when planning his trip through the South. Dangerous roads and drivers. Intolerant conservative rednecks prepared to pounce at any evidence of opinions different from their own. I pooh-pooped (sp.?) his concerns. Now after two weeks of biking through Florida, Alabama, mostly Mississippi, and a bit of Tennessee, I offer these reflections.

I haven’t found the roads so far any more hazardous than roads I’ve ridden anywhere else. Yes, it’s nice to have a rideable shoulder, but they’re not everywhere. Many of the secondary roads are narrow, two lane affairs with little or no shoulder, but as with secondary roads anywhere the traffic is generally much lighter there.

The key is to be visible and vigilant. I have a bright red flashing taillight, and try to wear bright colors. I have a mirror that I watch constantly when traffic approaches from the rear. Once I see a vehicle begin to pull into the other lane, or slow down as it approaches me, I know I’ve been seen and relax, but I’m always ready to bail out into the bar ditch if necessary (I’ve never had to, anywhere). I’m always wary of a vehicle passing me when another vehicle is approaching from ahead, that the passing vehicle has enough room to comfortably get around me. Another concern is when multiple vehicles approach from ahead and one tries to pass the others, that the passing vehicle sees me ahead. But all this is just common sense that needs to be applied everywhere.

99.9999% of drivers so far have been courteous and cautious, sometimes to a fault, hanging back for a long time before they decide to pass. I try to wave them around me when appropriate. Most drivers move completely into the other lane to pass. Only one or two have come within the magic 3’ when they pass. I would say that overall the drivers have been more courteous than the general driving population I have experienced in the past.

Concerning the demeanor of the people we’ve encountered. This is the South. People are almost invariably gracious and hospitable. Wave and they wave back. Greet them with a smile and they respond in kind. Everyone tells you to be safe out there. Wherever we stop there seems to be someone who wants to know where we’ve come from and where we’re going, or wants to share something about their cycling experiences.

You can’t judge from appearances. Not every grizzled old guy in bib overalls you meet is a simple farmer. There was the guy I met in the little diner at the back of a convenience store who used to be the superintendent of schools for the district. One fellow who approached us to talk turned out to be a retired FedEx pilot on his way to the private plane he keeps at an airstrip nearby. And let us not forget Ed’s wife’s cousin’s husband, who for all appearances could have been a homeless person if you encountered him on the street instead of at his home, but had a long career in politics and the law, and on the side was a championship BBQer and accomplished musician.

As an aside, I once met the father of a coworker (who was himself one of the best geophysicists at Phillips Petroleum) at breakfast out in West Texas. Dad was visiting from Missouri, and was wearing overalls and a plaid flannel shirt. He talked a lot about working the family farm back in Missouri. As my coworker and I drove to the office after breakfast I asked him a question that prompted the response, “Oh, Dad’s only been working the farm since he retired from his career as a university physics professor”.

The South gets a bad rap sometimes, and in some places and at some times it is deserved, but we have not encountered that on our trip.

Today's ride: 60 miles (97 km)
Total: 744 miles (1,197 km)

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Kelly IniguezYour reflections were the best part of today's entry. Thank you for taking the time to share them.
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