August 23, 2016
Day 84 Kosciusko to Ridgeland
We left earlier than we have been this morning to try to have cooler and drier riding weather. We were mostly successful. The highs are going to be in the 90's now - probably until we get home - and afternoon thunderstorms are going to be frequent. We had one short shower around noon, but as soon as we stopped to put on our magic rain covers, the rain stopped too. It was the first day we've had in the 90's, I think, since that heat wave we encountered in Ontario in mid July. It's the weather we expected all summer, so we feel fortunate to have escaped it until now.
Our route is still on the Natchez Trace Parkway.
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Today's section was very flat - a good thing - and without any places to buy Diet Coke - a BAD thing! We stopped at each of the two places noted on the park service maps as having convenience stores. The first one was out of business and the second one, 24 miles farther down the road, was closed. Its only open on the weekend after school starts, we were told. We did survive our Coke deprivation and made it to Ridgeland where we corrected that deficiency at the first gas station we saw.
We had planned to walk some short trails off the Trace this morning. We stopped at the first one and Kerry walked about 500 feet down the trail. Numerous mosquito bites - including one on his upper lip - drove him back and we quickly got on the bike and rode on. We didn't explore any more trails today.
We did stop at a roadside historic site when we saw a cyclist there. We've been very surprised at how few other cyclists we've encountered on the Trace. We've seen only a few day riders and not a single touring cyclist yet. This guy was a local rider, Jimmy Moore, who was very knowledgeable about the Trace and cycling in the Jackson area. He was a very interesting and friendly guy and we enjoyed talking to him. Our conversation covered a wide range of topics from the child-free lifestyle to the North Carolina mountains to working vs. retirement. We were glad we stopped to talk.
The next place we stopped was the River Bend picnic area. It had beautiful views of the Pearl River. There we met Jerri and Darryl Andrews, a very friendly couple out for a drive on the Trace. We had fun talking with them about our trip. They wished us well and safe travels as we rode away. About ten miles down the road, a silver SUV pulled up slowly beside us and it was Jerri and Darryl saying hello again. Nice meeting you guys!
We rode alone today as Team A had to return to Kosciusko ten miles into the ride for forgotten water bottles. With all our breaks and all their speed, they arrived only about a half hour behind us, having ridden 20 miles more than we did. We had a good day, but we missed their company.
Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km)
Total: 3,971 miles (6,391 km)
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