After a nice night’s sleep and breakfast Nancy, the boys, and I took a hike on one of the trails in the park to check out an old foundation in the woods. My guess is it was built in the early 1900’s as a reclusive home or camp. Today is a rest day, bike check and new rear brake pads were replaced yesterday. All set to leave tomorrow.
April 16, I helped Nancy hitch up the Teapot to leave for her next campsite in Breaks, VA. I started my ride to Troutville, VA. where I plan to stay at an Appalachian trail hostel 35 hilly miles away. I arrived late afternoon and began settling in with two other hikers, a young man with a husky dog, he was asleep, and Edna. Edna, at 61, was on her way north to finish the Appalachian Trail in Maine. The morning brought the promise of a great day of riding after the delicious home cooked breakfast provided by the host.
April 17, today I will descend off this ridge and make my way to Hayters Gap and the long and very steep switchback climb over Middle Knob Mountain to Lebanon,VA to the Elk Garden United Methodist Church bike hostel. The roads and scenery today are out of the world beautiful, but grueling with steep rollers.
Here at last, now I can eat and get to bed early. There is heavy rain coming tonight through tomorrow with high wind gusting to 50 mph. I will rest tomorrow and wait out the storm with only one more day of riding before meeting up with Nancy in Breaks, VA.
