Buccs/Bucks on Bikes: Tuesday, August 3 - Day 51 - 76.9 Miles

Today was my favorite ride of the trip. I feel like I have said that a couple of times, but I am sure that this is officially it! There was a real steep, tough climb (the last of the trip), continued cooler temperatures for the majority of the day, and amazing views from the Blue Ridge Parkway. I could have stayed on the Parkway the entire day. There was zero traffic and the views of the ridges in the distance and the valley below made for 20+ miles of perfect riding.

The climb that took us up to the Parkway was a steep one. I don't think I would call it the toughest climb of the trip due to the fact that it was only 4 miles long. It did take over 30 minutes to make the 4 miles, though, so it was steep. I was forced to stand up on my pedals for the majority of the climb, because I was in my lowest gear and sitting in the saddle was tough to stay over 5 mph. About the time I reached exhaustion, the climb was over....that was a good thing. I was totally soaked with sweat when I reached the top....probably slightly dehydrated because I was unable to drink during the climb. I was pulling on the bars so hard, that taking my hands off the bars was not an option. Anyway....obviously it was good fun.

Like I said....once we were up on the Parkway, it was great riding. The rolling terrain was fun and the traffic was very light. It allowed me to really look around while I was riding. There was fog throughout the stretch of Parkway and the sights in the distance reminded me of my and Kim's favorite place to visit, Tennessee. The views made me want to get off of my bike and explore the trails that I would see on the side of the road. Again....the Appalachian Trail crossed our route. I believe that this is the last time we will cross paths. At one of the stops we made to refuel with Kim, I saw two people get out of their truck and put on backpacks to camp at a shelter, nearby on the AT. It sounded like fun. If I didn't have this ride to finish, I would have loved to go with them.

The rest of the day was winding through the country, making our way to Charlottesville, Virginia. When you get closer to towns, and this case, a city, it is a little bit more nerve racking. The closer you get to these places, people become sooooo much more important (in their minds). If you cause them to wait 17 seconds to pass you, it is the end of the world. The have to get around you. They have things to do. There were some beautiful homes on the ride into the city. There seems to be a lot of money in this area.

We are staying this evening on the campus of University of Virginia. It looks like a pretty cool campus. Kim and I walked around for about 1.5 hours and looked at many of their athletic complexes.

Our plans are still the same. The next couple of days we plan on riding around 150 or so miles and ending with 40 or so on Friday into Yorktown. We will let you know how it goes.