Gainesville, GA

About 560 miles of pedaling from Norfolk, VA and I've arrived in Gainesville, GA.  Heading out of Norfolk riding was rainy and a bit intense until past Suffolk.  Then I was able to find some enjoyable low traffic country roads. 

Country road and cotton field near the VA NC border

A two day ride to Raleigh, I had my first evening of camping.  After finding a lot of ticks in the woods, I decided to sleep on a lookout over an old aqueduct along the Roanoke River in the town of Weldon, the rockfish fishing capital of somewhere. 

Roanoke River accommodations

The next day I rode into Raleigh, which is becoming a trend during bike trips. The ride into the city was a taste of the hotter and hillier conditions to come, along with more aggressive drivers.  Aunt Lisa and Uncle Joe took good care of me, putting a lot of food in my belly, getting me rested up, and arranging visits with cousins Kyle & Greg, and Grandma.  Joe and I accomplished some bike work and he led me out of town on his preferred route west.

With Aunt Lisa and Grandma. I missed Grandma's 98th bday by about a week.

Bottom bracket replacement on Joe's old mtb.

The weather was questionable heading out of Raleigh, so I decided to do a shorter ride to Staley, NC, where I stayed with couch-surfing hosts and young farmers, Emily and Adam.  I arrived in time to give a hand installing drip tape, pick some radishes, and get a farm tour.  They are farming 4 acres of fruit, veggies, and flowers, just the two of them, and they still had the energy to cook up a hearty farm dinner. 

Adam and Emily at the Mighty Tendril Farm http://mightytendril.com

The rain arrived that night, so I was glad to be inside.  I rode away in heavy rain on the very busy high speed route 64 and 49.  The rain lasted until late morning and then cleared up.  I decided to try to find some less traveled roads with minimal success before arriving in Charlotte.  Unfortunately the roads that don't have traffic typically don't get you where you need to go in any direct fashion.  In Charlotte I stayed with Warmshowers host, Lydia and her husband, Steven.  Recently married, Steven is new to Warmshowers and a bit unsure of it.  Nevertheless, they were incredibly kind to me and I enjoyed the visit, and hope I converted Steven into a believer.  They introduced me to the lunchbox wedding proposal video after I asked why there was a Rambo lunch box in their dining room. Worth the 2.5 mins to watch: https://youtu.be/CTneDwc9qX4

Lydia and Steven, lunch box wedding couple, in Charlotte, NC

After crossing Lake Wylie, the NC SC border, the riding got better, with more country and fewer cars. However, more country in the south means more dogs.  I camped along the road in a remote area well hidden and still I heard dogs barking all night long.  The next day I broke the record for number of dog encounters in 15 mile stretch: 10. 

The record stretch started with a 5 dog chase.  I was riding up a hill and could hear a ruckus ahead, people shouting and dogs barking.  I was thinking a domestic dispute, and then I saw two cyclists, 2 of the 3 other cyclists I saw in the South, riding toward me with dogs after them.  I started laughing, and then the dogs started after me.  Luckily I was now going downhill and they couldn't keep up. 

Five other dog chases followed shortly after.  Why it is common practice to let your dog run free in the South is a mystery to me.  One woman was outside when her dog came at me.  I wasn't going to outrun him, so I stopped and yelled at the dog.  She came running and apologized saying in a thick southern accent "he just likes a chasin' anything with two wheels."   During another multi dog encounter the next day  the owners sat and watched straight faced as I cursed in frustration.

Nice country riding in SC. Take a close look in the lower left hand corner.

In Anderson, SC I had the pleasure of staying with Warmshowers hosts, Steve and Jeanne.  Steve has been hit by a car in Montana while cycling, crashed on his motorcycle at 75 mph, broke his femur skiing,  has Parkinson's disease and appears to have no intention of changing his lifestyle.  He has crossed the US several times on his bicycle and plans to ride from Havre, MT to Fargo, ND this summer to complete the trip that was cut short by his accident.   On top of a good dose of inspiration they helped me plan my route to Gainesville and stuffed me like a pig.  Jeanne even left me a chocolate on my pillow like Aunt Selma.  Steve then escorted me with his motorcycle 15 miles out of town.  More about Steve and Jeanne: www.sqpd.us

Steve and Jeane

My ride to Gainesville, GA was nicer than expected.  Temperatures were around 80, wind was calm and traffic not overwhelming.  When I entered Gainesville city limits that changed and I was again looking forward to the peace and quiet of hiking. 

GA state line. Note the extended hiking poles. They work well for getting a bit more respect on the road.

Gainesville is the end of my biking journey as it the closet town to the AT trailhead that has a bike shop and FedEx shipping center. I feel very fortunate to have found my host here, Andrew,  on couch-surfing.  He has been incredibly helpful, good company, and plans to drive me 35 miles to Amicalola Falls State Park  tomorrow and start me off hiking with some company .  He also lives a couple blocks from Wrenched Cycles, where I got a free bike box and packing material.  He drove me to FedEx this morning.  $80 to ship my bike, a bit more than I was expecting, and I'm nervous about the condition it will be in upon arrival. 

Packing my bike was a bit of a challenge, mostly because the pedals didn't want to come off. My multi tool, an adjustable wrench, and PVC pipe did the job.

It feels exciting to have so little equipment with me now. Only about 12 lbs of gear. Time to hike!