But internet and cell phone coverage has not met the backwoods.

Friday i rode Douthat SP in VA.Nothing tech but lots of climbing and the resultant downhills. Good trails, low down soem machine cutting replaced the old hiking tread. Above that it was the old slightly rooty hiking trails. Overgrown thru lurel slicks. Crossed a stream and a snake fell out of a tree and slitherede away b4 I could identify it. It was black which is safe. Copperheads like h2o and are very hard to see and make no sound b4 the  fangs break the flesh.

The heat and high humidity are beating me.

I am in a laundromat parking lot catching up on posting while the machine does the dirty work. Another week of clean riding clothes.

Monkey butt cleared up back in Brevard using bag balm b4 and after ride. Not needed b4. I have a hard ass.

Today i tried the IMBA epic @ Slaty fork, WVA again. Last night I studied the map and directions. Today i visited Elk River resort and talked w/ Greg, their mtn bike man. I learned that nobody had reported trail conditions.  I set out hoping that on a Sat of a 3 day weekend I might hook up w/ other riders. At the TH the overgrown grasses were unbent from vehicle tires. Up @ 4000′. Headed out on old logging / coal hauling / railroad beds that held mud bogs. I suffered about 2 miles when I decided I had enough. I just had no desire to ride in the glop. I drove back down mtn to river and rode the short beginner trail. This area was strip mined long ago and clear cut logged. Broadleaf forest. The strip mines were made by way old machines that just made like road cuts along the mtn side. The high walls are mostly recovered.

Back @ Elk River I spoke some more w/ Greg. Small circle: Rich Edwards of IMBA trail Solutions used to work for Elk River. A guy came up to me and commented about seeing me in the BikeMag article. He got a picture of me at the back of my van. From Cincinnati, made his day.

Heading over to Seneca Rocks ndew IMBA epic and then down to Harrisionburg, VA b4 heading north to state college and another new epic, then Pitsburg area then to Ohio by June 15.

Over & out. Hope to get out of heat by heading east over the divide.

And down by the river 1 block off main drag.  The Appalachian trail drops right thru downtown. Town is wrapped around tourists riding the Virginia Creeper trail, a rails to trails success. There might be 10 businesses renting bikes & driving shuttles for 35 mile 1 to 3% downgrade along Whitetov Laurel trout stream. All kinds of riders and bikes pedal the trail which is still rideable gravel.

Today i drove from Boone, NC area after riding Warrior Creek and staying in an Army Corps XG. Very mountainous, scattered modern houses in woods. Lots of acreage in christmas trees on slopes too steep to cultivate. Not much farming. Old homesteads tucked back in the hills. Stores that supported them are all gone, new people drive miles to a city for supplies or on way home from work. RT 58 travels ridges & drops down into a hollow & climbs back.

Hot place to ride today was Iron Mtn, an introduction to west riding as the only ST was on downhill after road climb up, and it was short lived. Met Greg, a native of South Africa. He said the movie Invictus was true and that he was in the stadium for the  match or maybe scrum. He laid out a loop consisting of 11 miles uphill of the Virginia Creeper, several miles down rt 58, up FS road 90 to finally the ST. I am liking old hiking trails & Sedona biker made trails over the machine cut trails.  Mtn bike trail designers put an awful lot of creative energy into trail design creating flow for a bike rider. The tread is all but pavement smooth. What becomes challenging are the berms and grade dips. Warrior creek loop had so many bermed switchbacks in the drainages to shed the water per that designer’s perspective. Actually becomes boring. Give me a day of Pisgah @ Brevard to enjoy my squishy bike.

The spin on the rail road grade was enlightening as that it was all spinable and I don’t spin. The AT shared some of the same trail and there were numerous vacant hiker camps. Short story, climbed out of creek bottom, rode down rt 58 & climbed up FS road to Iron mtn trail, 6 miles to town, last 2 miles was an old eroded logging road. The hillsides were stripped by 1920 and reforested. Too short a piece of ST for effort. Once on it I was all alone.

Parked in a lot signed Public Parking, no mention of no overnight camping which I will attempt. Don’t try this at home. Cop has cruised me 2x and I am kitty block from the police station.

Yesterday I bid Bruce adieu and drove to Boone, NC to find a ride. MTBR forum listed maybe 8 rides out of Boone. I found Boone bike & touring store, met Joseph who immediately set about to line up a ride for the next day. He set me upon Warrior creek east of town. It is a machine cut trail snaking along the shores of an Army Corps of Engineering man made reservoir. Rained recently leaving questionable traction @ the bottom of the grade dips. I slithered several times to convince myself that traction is sketchy. I got splattered & coated w/ woods mud as did the bike. Both were showered, albeit different times.

Paid $22 camp fee as the $18 primitive campsites have been converted to power & h2o. Included shower. Drove by historical plaque for the song Tom Duley grave site a mile away. The song is real.

Monday I left Brevard after a cranial treatment by Kim. She was able to lessen the pain in my SI. Picked up my warranty replacement shoes from Sycamore cycles & said goodbye to Wes. Stopped @ the Hub for a chain and said good bye again. Drove to Asheville to a chiro adjustment by Robin. Today my body found a new stasis. Hung w/ Bruce. Again, helmetless & lightless we pedaled to his friend Niccole’s house. We stopped for a half rack of Miller bottles and split it between our 2 packs and continued to Niccole’s. She will not drink craft beer. No breakers. I step up climbed the 3 steps to her porch. Bruce was impressed. Yesterday he rode the Pisgah Bad Ass race course, some 60 miles on a rigid single speed. Quite an accomplishment. Ate dinner. Much later after the rain let up we rode back to Bruce’s in the light rain & wet streets.

Scrape on my shin is quite painful sitting here typing.

Made Spanish Bulghur for dinner tonight. It is spiced w/ Cayenne. I was parked in the sun making me very warm to start. The pepper made me sweating hot.

Need to research for tomorrow.

Today was a Pisgah ride lead by Todd & attended by several other riders. The Pisgah single tracks are rooty w/ step ups & roll overs. 83 degrees and 60% humidity & some climbing. Rode thru rhododendron tunnels. Today the lead rider cleared a rattlesnake along trail. The second rider stopped as did the rest of us and we checked out the snake. Big guy, about 4’long & just smaller than my clenched fist. Paul & Emily are moving to Puget Sound shortly, their own road trip.

My Turner DW Spot is just super on these trails… but my engine peters out on uphills. I came off a water bar going downhill and got a little sideways. I stuck the landing w/ the bike laid over and turned. Impressed Shrimper who was right behind me. Not my intention, just happened. Compliments to bike & build up.

Parked @ computer place here @ cedar Mtn sucking off his wireless internet as do various others upon occasion.

So catch up.

Yesterday I awoke in my van parked on a side street near Bruce’s. Today there is a street festival on the other side of his house’s intersection. Local neighborhood. Local crafts & women in their summer dresses. I visited a chiro booth staffed by owner Robin. I learned that she is a competitive cyclist and works on extremities using that spring tool. She sold me; we have an appointment on Monday. The other booth person was Kyley who is a mtn bike racer. She raced against Grace who beat her.  Kyley was miffed that an older woman just rode away from her.

I saw this mound of whipped cream & melted chocolate on some kind of a baked thing. I learned it is Funnel Cake. I was given a sample. Pure fat. Later I saw the booth selling them to see the size. They covered a regular size paper plate. Huge.

Earlier Bruce & rode out bikes downtown to another market. Bruce lives almost downtown in old residential section. Great old houses. He and several other guys were crashing in a $600,000 old house that just sold and they are booted out. Gorilla riding on my squishy bike, no helmet and just my street shoes pedaling thru stop signs. Asheville is sprawling hilly. After the market tour we did an urban ride up a treed hillside enjoying a paved uphill w/ no traffic. A spectacle of expensive house, enough to notice that many are for sale. We checked out Grove Park Inn partway up on hillside, very posh. We are walking around in our sweaty street clothes, completely out of place.

Sat night I needed to get back to Todd & Heather’s for the night and to plan for today’s ride. I have been parking in the Faith memorial chapel in the one spot that is level. The parking spots are denoted by railroad ties held by rebar that sticks above the tie. Last night I stepped out of my van and ran my left shin down one. Long gouge first aided w/ neosporin & 2 large patches.

Friday night in Asheville I scored a used pair of Time ATAC composite pedals @ a bike shop. Better than the aluminum ones sent to Dad’s. I installed them after patching my wound. Very positive sound when clicking in but requiresw a pretty good foot twist to release. Little bit of practice for Sunday ride. I rode them today w/ great satisfaction. Alas, I think I can part w/ CrankBrothers pedals.

Spent evening w/ Todd & Heather. Invited to dinner tonight, need to leave soon.

Today after our ride I crashed the Hub bike shop. I didn’t want a beer. As I was gathering up myself for  my exit I noticed a guy w/ young child & wife walk towards my van unsure if he knew me but thinks he does. I invited him over and he told me he saw my picture in the BikeMag article. He said he is hoping to do an adventrue someday. In the store another rider approached me and asked if I was the guy in the article. Yes. They are from FL where I rode several of their trails.

Off to dinner. Someday maybe I will recount my Friday in Asheville. Hung w/ Bruce, owner of Pisgah Works, seller of my wool jersey. From Cleveland, OH area.