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Slideshow
A slideshow of photos from Kentucky can be found at https://photos.app.goo.gl/zhnj7N9zMwzaHCJr8 .
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Missive No. 3: Kentucky
After leaving The Breaks a week ago Sunday, I descended into Kentucky. Then I climbed. Then I descended again before climbing once more. You get the picture. The Blue Ridge and mountains of Virginia were behind, but the first days in Kentucky were not easy. The Appalachians are a challenge for any bicyclist, yours truly being no exception with her 40 pound load and legs that began pushing pedals when Eisenhower was President.
Those first days were in the heart of Appalachia. I had been warned that I would feel I had entered a third world country. The region is indeed depressed, but I didn't find it any more depressed than some parts of Maine, let alone the countries I have been posted to overseas. The people I encountered were uniformly kind and helpful. I remember in particular Louis, who chatted with me at the side of the road that first morning, welcomed me to Kentucky, and gave me a flower that I carried on my front rack trunk for the rest of the day.
Berea is where Appalachia meets the Bluegrass. I immediately felt the difference. The Appalachians were behind me now. The terrain turned to rolling hills with prosperous farms. Not climbing a mountain or two every day was a welcome change, but the lack of shade made riding tough in the afternoon sun.
In the days after Berea, I passed through the land on Daniel Boone, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Merton. In Bardstown I found myself in the bourbon capital of the world. As a Northerner, I came to understand that Kentucky was the original West for the young United States.
In Kentucky I sometimes felt like the proverbial general who plans for the next war based on the last one. After three weeks I can say unequivocally that the TransAm is different from the Northern Tier. There are the heat and humidity, of course, but that's just part of it. For example, there is lodging. Last year I stayed exclusively with WarmShower (WS) hosts, at campgrounds, and in cheap motels. In Kentucky I have stayed largely in churches, hostels, and even a volunteer fire station. I have used my tent all of four times since leaving Yorktown. As I struggle up hills, I sometimes question why I am carrying all the camping gear if I'm rarely using it. But will I camp more as I get further west?
Another difference is the number of cyclists and the sense of bicycling history. The TransAm is the original Bikecentennial route from 1976. Some of the churches I stayed at have their guest logs going back to that first year.
Last year I encountered several cyclists going west to east, but I never met anyone going east to west. I really did feel alone. This year I feel I am on a bicycle highway. I indoor camped at churches two nights in a row with Cathy and Richard. Then Joe caught up with me for two nights. Nearly every day I encounter bike-packers going the other way. Moreover, endurance racers in this year's TransAm west-to-east race speed past, giving a shout or wave as they go by. They are doing in three weeks what I plan to do in three months.
Levi, a student at Western Kentucky University (WKU), was my high point for the past week. We met virtually in 2017 when I spoke to WKU students about the Department of State and LGBT+ issues. His name popped up when I was typing in a telephone number after crossing into Kentucky. We reconnected. He came up from Bowling Green and camped with me at Rough River Dam. The next day he rode with me to Utica, where we stayed for the night with our LGBT WS host family Angelica and Jo. We were both emotional when it came time to part the next morning.
Where am I overall? I try not to think about it, but I believe I am about a quarter of the way through this year's 4200 mile journey. I did cross into Central Time a few days ago. That puts me about a week or ten days behind where I was on last year's Northern Tier adventure. 60-80 miles/day was my norm last year, but this year I'm averaging a standard 50. I have done 70 miles twice, but I've also had days when I've done only 40-45. Between the mountains, hills, and -- most of all -- the heat and humidity, that's the most I can do. Doing 70 miles on the two days I have done so required waking before sunrise and rolling out just as the sun was coming up. Only in the mornings is it possible to make good progress. In the afternoons I slow to a crawl with ever more frequent hydration breaks wherever I can find a tree.
So when will I finish? Again, I try not to think of it. At the current pace I would guess sometime in the first half of September, but I really don't know. I'm taking this day by day.
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Daily Log
Sunday, June 20, 2021 -- 16,191 km cum - 117 km/day
This was a solid 72 mile day from The Breaks to Hindman, KY. Lots of climbing. The heat and humidity are back, and thus I was not shy about walking up parts of a few of the hills.
Highlights of the day include:
- Dogs -- Not as bad as I thought, but there were several. Dismounting worked best, but I still had to use the pepper spray once. The whistle seems useless.
- Louis -- A hiker and biker who lives in Ashcamp and who welcomed me to KY. He gave me a flower that I secured to my front trunk for the rest of the day.
- Dave & Lisa -- They run the historical society B&B in Hindman. Turned out the B&B is closed due to Covid, but Dave & Lisa are wonderful people. Democrats even. They gave me a wonderfully cold Coke. (I had given away my own bottle of Coke to a thirsty girl along the road a few tens of km earlier.)
- Steve & his son Grayson -- They are with the Baptist church where I'm actually spending the night in Hindman.
- Cathy & Richard -- A TransAm bike-packing couple with whom I'm spending the night at the Baptist church. They left the Methodist hostel in Elk Grove the morning of the day I arrived.
Monday, June 21, 2021 -- 16,253 km cum - 62 km/day
Shot down in Chavies after only 38 miles due to thunder stoms that are supposed to last through the night. I'm at The First Church of God with Cathy and Richard from my last night in Hindman. They got here before me and made arrangements with Brian the pastor. The church is not listed on the AC maps.
I had hoped to get to Booneville today, but oh well. When I saw the stormy forecast, I nearly stayed in Hindman. 62km for the day is better than 0.
Tuesday, June 22, 2021 -- 16,360 km cum - 107 km/day
What a difference a day makes. The rain ended, and I set set out about 15 minutes after Richard and Cathy at 7:45 a.m.. I caught up with them on the first of three big hills on the road to Buckhorn. By noon I had gone the 30 miles to Booneville. The sky was clear, and the air was cool. I decided I could do more and pushed on to Sandgap for a daily total of 65 miles.
The topography is changing. It's still hilly, but the real mountains were behind me after Booneville. Appalachia is also fading. The homes and towns look more prosperous, wealthier.
I'm at the City Gone Country B&B for a luxury night. I first called Theresa from Booneville and was lucky that the B&B was not booked tonight. Rick picked me up from the Family Dollar in Sandgap. I had hoped Cathy and Richard might catch up and share the B&B with me, but I think they called it a day in Booneville. (I later learned they made it to McKee.)
Wednesday, June 23, 2021 -- 16,479 km cum - 119 km/day
Today's ride was just one km short of 75 miles. It should have been more like 70, but I missed two turns and had to backtrack.
It was also a pretty day in rolling countryside. This is a prosperous agricultural area, quite a contrast to Appalachia. Harrodsburg is the oldest city in KY and the home turf of none other than Daniel Boone.
It's a cheap motel night. There were no other options in Harrodsburg.
Thursday, June 24, 2021 -- 16,562 km cum - 83 km/day
How nice to have ridden just barely over 50 miles. I detoured to Bardstown when I learned the inn in New Haven is closed. I'm glad I did, as my ride took me through pleasant rolling roads through Abraham Lincoln country. Thomas Merton also lived in the area at the Abbey of Gethsemane. Bardstown itself is the birthplace of Stephen Foster and is the self-styled bourbon capital of the world.
This is another cheap motel night insofar as there were no other options. I arrived early enough to go out to dinner. How wonderful! The next several days should also be on the short side.
It was one year ago today that I set out from Marine City to begin my ride to Washington State on the Erie Connector, Northern Lakes, and Northern Tier routes.
Friday, June 25, 2021 -- 16,642 km cum - 80 km/day
A good 50 mile day through pretty, rolling countryside. Passed the Lincoln boyhood home in the morning and the Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site in the afternoon. In between I stopped at the Sweet Spot in Hodgenville. I'm camped indoors tonight at the VFD in White Mills, surrounded by fire trucks and rescue equipment.
Tomorrow will be a short 35-40 mile day to Rough River Dam State Resort Park. Levi from Western Kentucky University (WKU) will meet me there. He's a glifaa connection from 2017 and plans to ride with me for a day. It will be nice to have a companion for a bit!
Saturday-Monday, June 26-28, 2021 -- 16,898 km cum
Saturday: ~68 km/day
Sunday: ~68 km/day
Monday: ~120 km/day
These were two short 40+ mile days followed by a long 74 miler.
On Saturday I covered the short but tough ride to Rough River Dam Park. The heat and humidity are back. Levi met me at the park, and we camped for the night at the park airport. We enjoyed a great dinner and breakfast, and then we rode together the 40+ miles to Utica. How wonderful it was to have a riding companion for the day!
In Utica we had a WS night with our LGBT+ hosts Angelica and Jo, who cooked a wonderful pasta dinner for us. We were joined by TransAm cyclist Joe Stallone. The three of us slept together in the hippie room in the garage.
It was tough saying goodbye to Levi this morning. We had bonded quickly. The ride to Marion was long and hot with temperatures in the upper 90s, but at least the worst of the hills are behind. On the other hand, the land is agricultural with little in the way of shade. It was hot, hot, hot.
Joe and I are together again tonight at the cyclist hostel hosted by the Methodist Church of Marion. We have bunks and a shower. The church has been hosting cyclists since the bicentennial year of 1976.
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