Eastern Kentucky and Virginia

21/07/2015

I made it Virginia! I'm currently sitting at a picnic bench in breaks interstate Park, about 4 miles into Virginia. I've still got some hard riding to do, but I'm pretty excited to be out of Kentucky. My experience in Kentucky was far different from what I expected. I've run into a number of folks who tell me that Kentucky is full of rabid dogs, and is terribly ugly east of Berea. While I encountered a few dogs, I didn't feel that I was in any danger of being eaten alive. The landscapes were fantastic. Most of my time was spent riding along creeks and rivers that run in between the hills. Every 20 to 30 miles I would climb up one of said hills. The climbs have been short but brutal. Most of them have been less than a mile and a half, but I often find myself in the easiest gear on my bike, crunching along at 3.5 mph. The descents are fun; steep with lots of turns.

Yesterday my plans to stay in Hindman, KY fell through, as I hadn't given the host enough lead time. The next free place to stay was another 50 miles down the line, so I ended up riding about 120 miles. 9 and a half hours on the bike. Luckily the place I stayed had a bed, so I slept like a baby. Thanks to Greg and Alice for providing a comfortable and welcoming place to stay.

Two days from now I go over the first of two big climbs in the Appalachian mountains. Everything I've been doing up until now will pale in comparison to these climbs. They say cyclists sometimes just keel over from exertion on these climbs. They say Vesuvius, the second one, is five miles long at a 22% grade.