DAY 5 – LET THERE BE LIGHT!

Day 5 of Zeke and the Navigator’s multi-state camping tour pleasantly arrived under bright blue skies. After 4 straight days of rain and dreary skies, we thoroughly enjoyed our morning coffee, bagel with cream cheese, and a banana as we prepped for the day. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as we surveyed what little bit of the sky we could see above the narrow mountain valley of Beaverdam Campground.

Our first order of business was to decide to stay or to go. We’ve been committing to only one night at a time so that we would have the maximum flexibility in our trip planning. We already had the information that the campground was booked solid beginning Friday so the decision was really whether to risk staying and having to travel to another campground and hope for a site on Friday or hit the road today and be more certain of finding a place to stay for the weekend.

We very much wanted to enjoy some sunshine so we opted to stay at Douthat State Park one more night and take our chances on finding an open spot elsewhere on Friday. After our morning intake of caffeine, we hurried down to the camp office to secure our spot for the night and to also try to get a cell signal to check in with the Navigator’s father. Reception was very poor for some reason and this prompted us to head down to Clifton Forge where we knew from yesterday’s visit that strong Verizon signal existed.

Given the beauty of the day and lack of riding that I’ve been doing, the Navigator suggested that I ride my Fuji CCR3 to Clifton Forge and meet her at the Krogers where we needed to shop and turn in some DVDs. She also offered to grab a couple of images on the way as proof that I really did ride at least once on this trip!

(Zeke on Douthat State Park road) 

The ride to Krogers encompassed 10 miles. Shortly after leaving the Park’s boundary, we came upon a paving project that had reduced the road down to one lane of travel and you had to follow the “pilot car” in order to get to where you were going. I tried to keep up with traffic once we began moving but only managed to stay on the bumper ahead of me for a couple of miles. Fortunately, there was no one behind me so I wasn’t impeding traffic. The paving materials appears to be some kind of thin concrete and stone slurry. It was definitely not the inches of asphalt that I’m used to seeing at home.

After leaving Douthat State Park Road, you immediately go under I-64 and into the town of Clifton Forge. The road at this point is dual lane in both directions with businesses on each side. There is one short climb up to the Krogers store.

(A bike lane runs along this section of Clifton Forge highway) 

It was warm and I had definitely worked up a good sweat on the run to Krogers. The Navigator was waiting on me and properly documented my unnoticed arrival at Krogers. There were no balloons and festive crowds awaiting me and, even better, Floyd Landis had made no assertions that I was a doper. At least, I’m guessing that’s why there were no assembled national press members at Krogers waiting on me to smoothly unclip.

(Note that I don’t leave home without my Road-ID) 

After cooling down and posting my blog report and checking email, we did our grocery shopping for the next few days and rented our final DVD from Krogers. To our list of watched movies, we’ll now add Old Dogs. I’m not yet sure where it falls on my movie critic’s list. Definitely above Nine but well below Brothers. I’d say it is solidly in the middle of the pack.

Back to the Park we go…

After loading up with supplies to get us to Sunday, we returned to our peaceful campsite to find that the neighbors beside us were greeting the attendant members of their family reunion this weekend. The noise level had definitely increased given that there are 8 grandchildren in this reunion between the ages of 18 months and 5 years. I had enjoyed my conversation with Ken, the patriarch of the family, yesterday. He and his wife were the first campers to arrive. Ken had unloaded bicycle after bicycle from his camper getting ready for the kids to appear. He also had his own 2 bikes purchased at Kitty Hawk Bikes in Kitty Hawk, NC.

The Navigator and I enjoyed our final campfire at Douthat State Park with a meal of grilled hamburgers and slaw. Just prior to the meal, we hiked down to Douthat Lake and experience a nice change in the available light as dusk began to fall.

Folks had settled in for the night as I made my last walk around the campground. Very tired children were no where to be seen as they had run out of energy slightly earlier while adults, moving at a much slower pace, were sitting around their campfires enjoying each other’s company and low volume conversations.

The Navigator and I climbed into our bed with good books to read. It wasn’t long until dreaming had replaced reading. The quiet sounds of the forest critters and the smell of smoldering campfires made for a great backdrop for sleep – truly restful sleep. 

…Until HE arrived…

More later,

- Zeke

AN UNEXPECTED RIDE…

The ride started like so many rides before it. The weather was pleasant, traffic was light, and I felt in good mind and spirit. My legs felt strong and the recent weather induced downtime did not seem to have hurt me. I started out on the pleasant rural road at an easy cadence as I warmed up my muscles.

As I was cruising along, I noticed that the spring jonquils and other early bloomers were beginning to make themselves known. The pretty yellow colors and those of the paper white Narcissus were bunched together in small groupings against the downed logs and in little clusters against the few remaining snow banks. I can’t recall when the air smelled fresher.

I was called back from my reveries by the pleasant sound of a bell tinkling and realized that I had been joined on my ride by a young lady whom I had never met.  She was riding effortlessly beside me on what I took to be a step-through hybrid of some sort. Her bike appeared to be nicely setup for commuting. She was riding in an upright position and had some fatter road tires mounted. I thought I detected 3 rings upfront and what looked to be a 9 or 10 speed cassette on the back. She had a pretty basket attached to her handlebars, which appeared to be full of some sort of goodies. My mouth began to water with thoughts of home baked cookies.

The absence of traffic made it quite safe for us to continue riding side-by-side so we could talk. It turns out she was a local girl, whose passion for cycling led her to be a full time rider. Rather than being dressed in the spandex and brightly colored apparel of the day, she had on a fresh looking set of cotton shorts, T-shirt, and tennis shoes which she kept on her platform pedals almost effortlessly. I swear she was maintaining an even push/pull on her pedal stroke the entire time.

Given the pleasantness of the day, I had failed to keep up with our route of travel and I noticed that I was in somewhat unfamiliar territory. I didn’t recognize the area but wasn’t unduly alarmed. My co-rider certainly seemed to know where she was going so I took solace in that and just enjoyed the friendly company. I did note that we seemed to have ridden into a glen where the spring weather was somewhat further along than the area in which I had started the ride. The greens were certainly greener, flowers more fully opened, and the blue skies had a deeper color that I sensed I could almost literally taste.

In short time, I could see an approaching fork in the road. The left fork was river grade and appeared to continue on between the pristine mountain creek on the left and the rhododendron filled banks of the mountain on the right. The right fork began a gentle climb up the mountain. I could see that a more challenging climb would become part of any decision to take the right fork. Decision time was approaching as to whether to climb or continue this pleasant interlude along the creek.

Even though I had been riding a couple of hours at this point, it still only felt like minutes due to the ride being so effortless. I asked my impromptu companion which route she would be taking and was not surprised to hear that she was heading down the left fork. I determined I had the energy and desire to climb. I thanked her for the good company and conversation and realized I had not  been made aware of her name. To my inquiry, she emitted the most pleasant sounding chuckle and said, “Well, my biking friends like to call me Slipstream Sallie so I guess that will be good enough for you to.”

When we reached the fork in the road, I bid her a fond adieu and began my trek up the road hardly travelled. As I predicted, what had been a gentle incline at the fork became a steadier incline within a mile. The two lane road showed signs of damage from the winter storms with potholes appearing on a regular basis. The weather had also begun to change as I climbed with the signs of spring at the lower elevations becoming less and less noticeable as I gained altitude.

Somewhere into the second or third mile of the climb, I noted a cold chill had begun to wrap around me. The previous feelings of warmth and bliss were rapidly being sucked out of me as I continued the climb. The trees were still very much barren at this point and the cold gray granite rock only added to the austere feeling of this mountain road. Grit and gravel were now constants and I had to be careful to maintain my forward motion in a steady seated cadence because I would lose rear wheel traction when I stood to mash the pedals through the increasing incline.

The tree line was approaching now and, on the road just ahead, was a solitary rider. The black and white paint scheme of his bike along with the yellow accents let me know that he was riding a Scott Addict RC. Somehow the colors of his high end bike matched the spring thunderstorms I could see off in the valley. He was dressed all in black in what appeared to be the standard bibbed pants and winter jersey of a roadie. His helmet was black and he had made no effort to wear any hi-viz colors. He was, in fact, quite difficult to see as we moved into a fog bank that had encompassed the road.

His pace was such that I was coming alongside him and could take note of his full beard. His facial expression was one of someone who has suffered on many a long climb. I did my best to greet him pleasantly as I approached. I did not want to make the same mistake that I had made with Sallie so I got down to names quickly. I introduced myself as Zeke to which he bared gritted teeth and said simply “Harry – Headwind Harry.”

Realizing that Harry wasn’t up for company, I tried to pull ahead but could not do so. The incline had become too great and my heart beats per minute had way exceeded my training zone. Breath was short and I was struggling to simply keep the bike vertical. I had only moved a wheel’s length in front of Harry as he maintained his same pace.

It was then that I noticed that his clothing wasn’t spandex and lycra at all. It was an interwoven grouping of bubbles that at once formed a seamless exterior covering and, at the same time, seemed to encompass some sort of scenery. As best my condition would allow, I was drawn to the bubbles and in them I saw scenes of loss and agony. I saw the death of my father and the loss of my beloved dog. In another, I saw the universally recognized look of grief as a young mother mourned the loss of her child. Other bubbles depicted earthquakes and famine.

I was appalled and scared beyond belief and had an overwhelming urgency to get away from Harry, who merely let up slightly on his pace and dropped onto my back wheel. I could sense the sneer coming off of him as he closely tracked my wheel on the climb to the gap. I must have been 200 yards from the gap at this point and was struggling mightily to get away from Harry. To add insult to injury, a strong headwind, almost visible to the naked eye, roared through the gap toward us and sapped my remaining strength. I was running purely on fear now motivated only by the sounds of Headwind Harry laughing behind me.

Finally, I pushed through the wind and crossed the gap into the sunshine and began the descent down this most treacherous mountain. It was a couple of miles before I realized that Harry was no longer on my wheel. In fact, looking back, I’m not sure he came through the gap at all.

Several more miles down the mountain, I came across a small mountainside cafe where the road intersected with one coming from the east. I was worn out and in bad need of sustenance after my harrowing journey. I was on the verge of bonking and recognized the need for fuel for my body. I pulled in beside 4 other bikes that were lined up in a rack at the door of the cafe.

I recognized one of them as belonging to Sallie. I was mighty pleased to realize a friendly face was just through the door. Upon entering into the dimly lit room, the smell of fresh coffee and freshly baked pastries overcame me and I almost wept with joy. To my surprise, Sallie was at a table with Lance, Levi, and Alberto, who it seems had escaped the media frenzy for the day and were out on a friendly ride together. It quickly became evident that they were the best of friends despite the “show” that they put on in the public face. It was also quite evident that they were finding the same comfort and blissfulness in the company of Sallie that I had so recently enjoyed.

I quickly came to learn that their perceived animosity was nothing more than a manipulation of the media to draw ratings for their races. As with professional wrestling, they recognized that fake threats and over-the-top antics were actually good for their business. Here, alone and out of the limelight, they were enjoying the camaraderie of good friends devoted to their sport. I was quickly drawn into their conversation and soon found my fears of Headwind Harry receding into the shadows of my mind. Sometime in the afternoon, I moved to the porch and drifted off into sleep as I soaked up the power of the sun.

I sensed a hand on my shoulder shaking me and a voice saying “Zeke, Zeke! Are you alright? What are you doing down here?” As I slowly opened my eyes and became aware of my surroundings, I found my “best half” standing over me. I discovered I had quietly left our bed during the night as my fever reached its peak. I’m ready for this head cold and fever to go away…

Until later,

- Zeke

MILESTONE FOR BLOG REACHED

Zeke’s Great Smokies 2 Wheeled Adventures reached a new milestone in the wee hours of February 17th. The 5000th visit to the site occurred at 3:24 a.m. Unfortunately, I can’t thank a specific human for the special visit as it was a googlebot crawling the site. However, I can say  a big THANK YOU to the 5001st visitor from Goleta, California, who came via a referral from BikingInLA. The visit occurred at 5:24 a.m.

This blog has been up and running since my first post on Saturday, January 10, 2009. The post was titled A New Year, A Renewed Set of Goals. While starting the blog was somewhat of a lark on my part and to learn more about the power (or lack thereof) of blogs, I must say that 1 year and a month later, I have discovered that through the blog, I’ve become a better rider and, hopefully, a better writer as well. I’ve also been fascinated by the technology of the experiment. I’ve made new friends with whom I have constant contact and have found a medium by which my brother, David, who lives on the west coast,  and I (living in the mountains of Western North Carolina) can enjoy a common activity despite the 2300 miles that separate us physically. My understanding of the world of cycling has been immensely broadened on too many levels to list here.

In addition to Bro Dave and my “best half” Kathy, I received early support and encouragement from Kent Peterson at Kent’s Bike Blog and from Jim Artis at Cycling Experiences. Alan at Ecovelo was kind enough to give me a listing on his blog roll relatively early on as was Tracey at Springfield Cyclist. Dave Moulton was equally gracious in giving me a listing at Dave Moulton’s  Blog. Most recently, I was very pleased to be honored with a link on BikingInLA. As anyone, who participates in this electronic medium knows, building links and cross links to the best sites is a major part of the success of any blog. I can only say THANKS to each of these folks for their support and confidence in my work. I take it seriously that each of you give me the opportunity to expound on my thoughts/rides/observations on your sites.

Of all the help that I’ve received, a very special thanks goes out to Jim Artis as his frequent postings regarding my writing, his suggestions, and his feedback have been of immeasurable help!

So, I fully realize that 5000 visits are mere child’s play in the greater world of blogging. It is a start though and that 10,000th visit cannot occur without having achieved this milestone first. Again, thanks to all those who have helped Zeke’s Great Smokies 2 Wheeled Adventures “ride” this far. I hope you’ll continue to join me as we head down the road!

Sincerely,

- Zeke

A New Year, A Renewed Set of Goals

Another new year is upon us and along with that comes looking back at personal goals achieved and setting new goals for the coming year of 2009. After many years of absence from self-powered 2 wheeled adventures, I found myself in a position of finally being "sick and tired" of being "sick and tired" due to being out of condition. This revelation came to me at "The Magic Circle's" annual beach trip when after two days of "bowling" on a Wii video game, I couldn't lift my right arm and had pulled a muscle in my right gluteus maximus. Disgust with myself finally reached the tipping point and I told my wife that I was getting back into shape.

Immediately upon returning home, I started shopping for a cycle as I had enjoyed cycling prior to getting married some 26 years ago. I knew that my ankles couldn't take the pounding of running anymore so cycling seemed the ideal choice for me. I finally settled on a Fuji hybrid at my local shop, Rolls Rite Bicycles. John Mudge, the owner, was great in walking me through what I was trying to attempt in getting back into shape and what kind of circumstances I envisioned riding. I left the shop with the hybrid convinced that I would be riding both road and gravel/packed dirt.

It didn't take long to discover that I was really going to be spending my time on paved roads so John took my new(old) bike back and I left the shop with a Fuji CCR3 road bike. My cardio condition had already vastly improved by this point and I looked forward to increasing both my frequency of riding and miles ridden. I set a goal of being able to ride from my office to my home by the end of July 2008. Depending upon the route chosen, this is a 18 to 22 mile trip. I pleasantly surprised myself by reaching my goal by the end of June 2008. My cardio conditioning had really continued to improve and I was averaging around 150 bpm for each ride. Anyone familiar with the area of the Great Smoky Mountains knows that ample opportunties arise for hill and climbing work so I was getting a very nice mix of decent climbs with long river grade runouts. I was also very pleasantly surprised to find that I was now wearing pants a full 2" smaller in the waist.

As fall 2008 came and went, my rides continued to become an important part of my daily existence. If I wasn't actually riding, I seemed to be reading about riding and all things related. I became aware of committees that addressed cycling needs at the State level and of legislation impacting cyclists at the Federal level. I also experienced a close friend have a terrible bike accident when he crossed over the rumble strips along the sides of the road while he was trying to avoid being hit by a 18 wheeler. I managed to cut my carbon footprint and my monthly gas costs significantly by car pooling to town with my wife and then riding home at night on the bike. Unfortunately, with the end of day light savings came the end of lots of week day riding.

With the sunsetting by 5:15 p.m. and my work not typically ending until 7:00 p.m., riding at night just became too dangerous on the small rural roads of our community. My riding became relegated to the new trainer I purchased, which is a post for another time. Still, the desire hasn't waned and I've been able to enjoy a couple of short rides on some of the more temperate days of late December and early January 2009. I'm looking forward to the new riding season and hoping to achieve some new personal goals.

I'm looking for more rides, long rides (gee, a century by the end of the summer would be great!), more weight control, less carbon footprint, and just generally being lucky enough to continue enjoying the great outdoors of the Great Smoky Mountains.

-- Zeke

BTW, the image in my profile is my ancestor Harry Yount, who was the first gamekeeper of Yellowstone National Park and is considered to be the Father of the National Park Service Rangers. If you are interested in that sort of history, check out this link: http://www.nps.gov/history/history/hisnps/npshistory/yount.htm and, just another postscript, Zeke is my nickname given to me by my physician for some reason known only to him!