The jar is empty

Earlier this evening I enjoyed the last of the peach flavored moonshine. Sniff.. no more.

Today was a rest day recovering from last several days of hard riding. My right shoulder has a rotator cuff type pain caused by a hike a bike down climb @ Monte Sano when i slipped, fell backwards & put down both hands. Seems to resist force applied, believe it is just bruised.

Round trip to Chattanooga for Candy pedal rebuild parts. Yesterday about 3 miles from end of ride the right pedal just blew up by not staying attached to the spindle. Turned out the sealed bearing froze and broke apart. River City cycles on N. shore of Tennessee river. Ronald, the owner let me take a shop shower. Back to Dalton @ Bear Creek and rebuilt pedal.  Nonmetallic body showing abuse. New design makes the body from cnc aluminum. Might be worth new purchase as much as I hate these present pedals as they are hard to get into and sometimes release unexpectedly… but it is the mud clearing that sells them.

Saw a sign for train show @ trade center. Checked it out in afternoon. Big garden toy show G gauge, modlerers make their layouts outside. Talked to several slightly older men about the gauge and one guy about steam engines. Interesting & informative but $10 entry fee was considered way too steep.

Went looking for a dinner spot hoping to find something like The Elk in Spokane. No success. Ate @ Charlies, had a salad with deep fried chicken tenders. Huh?

Back of Bear creek for sleep tonight.

Last night i slept near the Dry Creek TH @ start of Snake Gap race. Found level spot  about 100′ off the gravel road. While I was there several rigs went in & out. Today when i drove down to use CXT outhouse made in Texas plant I saw the gravel road had been chewed up by spinning tires. My original sleep spot was @ the center of the damage, would have been pretty noisy.

Yesterday I left bike shop and drove to above spot for ride start. Ride will be about 15 miles of Pinhoti and a road ride back. I rode this section 2X last year, one being the road ride back. This section is not very technical but it beat me up from exertion. past 2 days of hard riding had a carry over. 27.25 miles, 3 hours, 3144 cals, & 3257′ climbed. Rinsed mud & sweat off w/ wet wash cloth from van h2o. Low elevation mtns that provide about 800′ relief, back roads are narrow & twisty. Very pleasant. Quite a few houses for sale. Economic engine is carpet that goes into new homes & remodels. Guess where the employment numbers are?

2 days ago on Shane’s led ride we rode by Shake rag road from moonshining days suposedly a grandmother would sit on a house porch and shake a rag @ cars driving by if there was moonshine to be had. She didn’t wave @ the Law.

Tomorrow I will start working closer to Augusta for May 5 start of IMBA conference. Staying @ Bill Victor’s. Chris Lesser emailed to say a snowball has a better chance than he making the conference. Darn.