TransAm Day #9 Damascus, VA - Breaks, VA
TransAm Day #9
June 3, 2018
Damascus, VA - Breaks, VA
78 Miles
Ride Time 6:27 Hours
Tour Total 596 Miles
details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180603-0733-68741
The Rusty Crank had a bit too much lubrication last night in Damascus and was feeling the affects this morning. Steve G started stirring in his tent at 5:30 and it was time to get up. No pack yoga this morning. I had breakfast in the hostel with about a dozen hikers doing the Appalachian Trail. I met and talked to Sister Sticks, who is doing the whole thing, south to north. She told me that she has cell phone service through Walmart which is a conglomerate of different phone providers. Steve H and I have ATT. Steve G has Verizon. ATT, for example, doesn’t work in Damascus. Verizon didn’t work in another place we visited. Redundancy is important out here on the road.
There was a scale in the hostel for hikers to weight their gear. I decided to hop on to check my bodyweight. WTF I came in at 210. I am gaining weight on this tour.
There was a washer and dryer at the hostel, and it was nice to have dry clothes in the morning for once. The humidity here has been 100%, and nothing on the laundry line dries. Unfortunately I forgot to stick my soggy clothes from the day before into the dryer. They went right back into the net I keep on the back of my bike- what Steve G likes to call the rolling dryer.
Having heard that Rusty crank added another state to his tour Steve H is now threatening to ride to Canada to add another country. I was hoping to hit Kentucky today so that I could brag three states in two days. I actually made it to just right across the river. Steve H knows how to egg me on. Steve H hails from Lexington KY, and has agreed to be our guide and interpreter once we enter eastern Kentucky.
After about 20 miles of riding this I started climbing Hayters Gap. It was 2436 feet of straight up ascent in about five miles. I was pedaling up 9-10% grades. It was rough going, foggy, and completely wet up top. All of the streams here are at capacity because of all the rain.
Up on the ridge, I met Bob and Susan Brubaker. Check out their blog at brubikers.com. They’re riding the TransAm west to east, broken up into six trips. Their tour’s mission is to spread stroke and cancer awareness. Bob had a stroke a few years back. They ride modified recumbent tricycles that can be fastened together to make a tandem. They warned me about the wind in Kansas and not being able to find water or electrical power out west. Susan carries a giant air horn to scare dogs. As I departed, I warned them, “You’ve got serious hills up ahead”. They replied, “You do too”.
I was on State Route 80, a two lane road, for most of the day. At Rosedale it joined State Route 19 for a two mile stretch. It was a bit like being on the edge of a freeway. There was a wide shoulder to the right of the white line, but I only had about 14 inches of clearance between the rumble strip and the sharp drop into the gravel. I passed a broken iPhone and narrowly missed a large raccoon carcass splayed across the shoulder. There were numerous flattened turtles. The scent of roadkill was in the air today. The good part about divided highways is that there are never any steep grades.
After the second big steep climb I met Chad and Selena who had a small road side peach stand. I was starting my decent and slammed on my brakes when I noticed they had peaches. Chad claims that he drives them up from Georgia. He had been a coal miner until he was hurt in an accident in the ‘90’s. He was spitting chewing tobacco about every other word. I loved the way they talked. Selena gave praise to God for the rain and the sun. They hope one day to ride cross country on a motorcycle. While we were all standing there it began to downpour. Their canopy’s footprint was 6’x6’. Imagine two tables of fruit and vegetables, three cyclists from outer space, and two locals from coal country all huddled together trying to stay dry. It rained so much that water collected in large pockets above us in the canopy. When the storm ended Steve H and I gave them tour mementos, and we continued down the mountain.
My first shots were fired today against a chasing dog. It wasn’t a serious effort from either side, but I want to be prepared for what lays ahead in Kentucky. I had never even squeezed the trigger before. It’s just pepper spray so don’t get your panties in a twist PETA folks. HALT! Dog Repellant Spray is approved by the US Postmaster General.
At a late afternoon snack break, I learned Steve H’s secret when he emerged from the supermarket with two packages of sliced turkey. He proceeded to stuff the turkey into his mouth one package at a time. Steve G. was so impressed that he ran back into the store for some turkey slices of his own.
I’ve been trying to use my Garmin elevation profile screen to anticipate upcoming ascents. Unfortunately it only gives me detailed elevation information from 2 to 4pm. That crazy thing has a mind of its own. On one steep downhill today I hit a new tour speed record of 37mph.
On a steep uphill about 10 miles from my destination, I encountered Matt from Indianapolis, who is riding the Transam from Ashland, VA to Oregon. I rode all the way to Breaks with him.
I met Don from Utah headed east bound. He started May 1st from California and is headed to North Carolina. He had the nicest rig I’ve seen yet, decked out with a solar panel. It was odd not to see fenders or paper maps. Don was so high tech that Steve H believes he's got a team sending him turn by turn directions through an earpiece. Don was a character.
I knew I had three more hills coming into Breaks. I ran out of water, which I can never allow myself to do again.
At Breaks Interstate Park I ran into Brian. The four of us will be heading westbound together in the morning.
June 3, 2018
Damascus, VA - Breaks, VA
78 Miles
Ride Time 6:27 Hours
Tour Total 596 Miles
details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180603-0733-68741
The Rusty Crank had a bit too much lubrication last night in Damascus and was feeling the affects this morning. Steve G started stirring in his tent at 5:30 and it was time to get up. No pack yoga this morning. I had breakfast in the hostel with about a dozen hikers doing the Appalachian Trail. I met and talked to Sister Sticks, who is doing the whole thing, south to north. She told me that she has cell phone service through Walmart which is a conglomerate of different phone providers. Steve H and I have ATT. Steve G has Verizon. ATT, for example, doesn’t work in Damascus. Verizon didn’t work in another place we visited. Redundancy is important out here on the road.
There was a scale in the hostel for hikers to weight their gear. I decided to hop on to check my bodyweight. WTF I came in at 210. I am gaining weight on this tour.
There was a washer and dryer at the hostel, and it was nice to have dry clothes in the morning for once. The humidity here has been 100%, and nothing on the laundry line dries. Unfortunately I forgot to stick my soggy clothes from the day before into the dryer. They went right back into the net I keep on the back of my bike- what Steve G likes to call the rolling dryer.
Having heard that Rusty crank added another state to his tour Steve H is now threatening to ride to Canada to add another country. I was hoping to hit Kentucky today so that I could brag three states in two days. I actually made it to just right across the river. Steve H knows how to egg me on. Steve H hails from Lexington KY, and has agreed to be our guide and interpreter once we enter eastern Kentucky.
After about 20 miles of riding this I started climbing Hayters Gap. It was 2436 feet of straight up ascent in about five miles. I was pedaling up 9-10% grades. It was rough going, foggy, and completely wet up top. All of the streams here are at capacity because of all the rain.
Up on the ridge, I met Bob and Susan Brubaker. Check out their blog at brubikers.com. They’re riding the TransAm west to east, broken up into six trips. Their tour’s mission is to spread stroke and cancer awareness. Bob had a stroke a few years back. They ride modified recumbent tricycles that can be fastened together to make a tandem. They warned me about the wind in Kansas and not being able to find water or electrical power out west. Susan carries a giant air horn to scare dogs. As I departed, I warned them, “You’ve got serious hills up ahead”. They replied, “You do too”.
I was on State Route 80, a two lane road, for most of the day. At Rosedale it joined State Route 19 for a two mile stretch. It was a bit like being on the edge of a freeway. There was a wide shoulder to the right of the white line, but I only had about 14 inches of clearance between the rumble strip and the sharp drop into the gravel. I passed a broken iPhone and narrowly missed a large raccoon carcass splayed across the shoulder. There were numerous flattened turtles. The scent of roadkill was in the air today. The good part about divided highways is that there are never any steep grades.
After the second big steep climb I met Chad and Selena who had a small road side peach stand. I was starting my decent and slammed on my brakes when I noticed they had peaches. Chad claims that he drives them up from Georgia. He had been a coal miner until he was hurt in an accident in the ‘90’s. He was spitting chewing tobacco about every other word. I loved the way they talked. Selena gave praise to God for the rain and the sun. They hope one day to ride cross country on a motorcycle. While we were all standing there it began to downpour. Their canopy’s footprint was 6’x6’. Imagine two tables of fruit and vegetables, three cyclists from outer space, and two locals from coal country all huddled together trying to stay dry. It rained so much that water collected in large pockets above us in the canopy. When the storm ended Steve H and I gave them tour mementos, and we continued down the mountain.
My first shots were fired today against a chasing dog. It wasn’t a serious effort from either side, but I want to be prepared for what lays ahead in Kentucky. I had never even squeezed the trigger before. It’s just pepper spray so don’t get your panties in a twist PETA folks. HALT! Dog Repellant Spray is approved by the US Postmaster General.
At a late afternoon snack break, I learned Steve H’s secret when he emerged from the supermarket with two packages of sliced turkey. He proceeded to stuff the turkey into his mouth one package at a time. Steve G. was so impressed that he ran back into the store for some turkey slices of his own.
I’ve been trying to use my Garmin elevation profile screen to anticipate upcoming ascents. Unfortunately it only gives me detailed elevation information from 2 to 4pm. That crazy thing has a mind of its own. On one steep downhill today I hit a new tour speed record of 37mph.
On a steep uphill about 10 miles from my destination, I encountered Matt from Indianapolis, who is riding the Transam from Ashland, VA to Oregon. I rode all the way to Breaks with him.
I met Don from Utah headed east bound. He started May 1st from California and is headed to North Carolina. He had the nicest rig I’ve seen yet, decked out with a solar panel. It was odd not to see fenders or paper maps. Don was so high tech that Steve H believes he's got a team sending him turn by turn directions through an earpiece. Don was a character.
I knew I had three more hills coming into Breaks. I ran out of water, which I can never allow myself to do again.
At Breaks Interstate Park I ran into Brian. The four of us will be heading westbound together in the morning.
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