NOTE: These are the first and second missives for Robyn's 2021 TransAm Bikecentennial ride. The third missive can be found at https://attitude-maneuver.blogspot.com/2022/01/robyns-2021-transam-bikecentennial-my.html.
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The TransAm route from Virginia to Oregon is the original Bikecentennial route from 1976. I set out from my home in Maine in mid-May. After a break for a family reunion, I stood at the TransAm's start in Yorktown, VA, on June 6. Three months later on September 6 I rolled up to the end at the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria, OR.
As I rode, I wrote missives to family and friends. What follows below is the first of those missives that I wrote from the VA/KY border. After the missive itself, I have transcribed the day-to-day log that I kept in a spiral notebook as I inched westward. You will also find a link to a slideshow of photos taken along the way.
Will I do a similar trip in 2022? As long as health and strength allow, I'll be riding onward to some destination. I know by now that bike-packing is in my blood.
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Slideshow
A slideshow of photos from Maine and Virginia can be found at https://photos.app.goo.gl/xbcyMpoLCzzYHzeJ8
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Missive Nos. 1 & 2: Maine and Virginia
I'm at Breaks Interstate Park on the VA/KY border. It's Saturday. After seven solid days and 358 miles of riding, I've earned a day off to rest up, do laundry, and to explore a bit on two feet instead of two wheels.
What a difference a week makes. I'm much stronger and have regained my climbing legs. The weather has been beautiful, both cooler and less humid than on the day of my miserable ride from Williamsburg to Richmond. The scenery and small towns of southwestern Virginia have been pleasingly reminiscent of the hills and mountains of New England.
Those hills mean I've regained my legs the old fashioned way by climbing hill after mountain after hill. I did one 60+ mile day, but I've also had a 40 mile day. This pales in comparison with my 60-80 mile days last summer, but then I remember that I was quite content with 40 mile days when I crossed the Greens of VT and Whites of NH in 2019. Better mileage days will come when I'm out of the Appalachians.
The highest mountains are, in fact, already behind me. I was consistently above 3000 feet on the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway, and I was at 3800 feet crossing through the Mt. Roger's area a few days ago. The descent from the Blue Ridge to Mt. Vesuvius was memorable for its steep grade. I'm glad I heeded advice from Martha and Jim Gullo to take breaks to give my rims time to cool. They were almost too hot to touch. I did the same on a few other descents. On the steep ascents I took frequent hydration breaks, sometimes every half km, but in the end I was able to get to the top with both feet on the pedals. I've drunk so much Gatorade and eaten so many bananas that I should buy stock.
I stayed in motels twice when there was no other choice and, in the second instance, to avoid severe thunderstorms that were about to break over my head. I've also had two good camping nights and was able to put my stove to good use.
My most enjoyable nights, however, were at hostels. The first was The Broken Fiddle in Damascus. The Appalachian Trail passes near Damascus, and I was the one cyclist in a full house of AT backpackers. (Thanks to TransAm cyclist Mike Lowan for recommending it!) I had dinner that night with Midnight and Breezy, a young couple from MA who are thru-hiking the AT. They asked me for my trail name, and I had to explain that this tradition has not caught on with bike-packers. At least not yet, so they suggested I start it. So here it is: Never too Late. That's my self-selected trail name for the summer. I missed my chance to ride the TransAm when it was first mapped in 1976, but here I am on it at last. Most of the route is signed well as U.S. Bike Route (USBR 76), a reminder of that bicentennial year.
My second hostel was the community hall of the Elk Ridge Methodist Church. I was alone this night, but I used this solitude to read through the log of cyclists who have stayed here since the Methodist community opened its doors to cyclists in 1976. Again I felt surrounded by the history of Bikecentennial and the TransAm.
Problems? None to speak of other than overcoming the hubris with which I got off the train in Newport News on June 6. The Atlantis, aka Woodswoman II. My only physical problem has been a pain in the neck that I woke up with one morning. I must have slept in some funny way during the night. I suppose one could say I'm my own pain in the neck. It's nearly gone after a couple of days of Ibuprofen.
Tomorrow I cross into KY for more, albeit lower, hills and legions of bike-chasing dogs for which the state is infamous. Forward I go!
From The Breaks,
Never too Late Robyn
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Daily Log
Starting odometer reading: 15,055 km
Wednesday-Friday, May 12-14, 2021 --
Wednesday-Friday, May 12-14, 2021 --
Wednesday: 15,134 km cumulative - 79 km for the day
Thursday: 15,187 km cumulative - 53 km for the day
Friday: train to Boston - 0 km for the day
Just had a wonderful Amtrak sendoff with Lily and Ellen at the Brunswick train station. I'm on the Downeaster to Boston, where Jessica will meet me with her bike. We'll find dinner somewhere, and then I'm off to Washington on the Night Owl -- with a sleeper!
I must admit almost to having tears in my eyes as I left home, but soon it felt good to be on a fully loaded bike again under my own power. I am carrying more in the way of cooking gear -- espresso maker include -- and I am out of shape after the winter. Still, it was a good ride down to Bangor on Wednesday. I stayed the night at Gret and Mark's and went out to dinner with Greg. How strange it is to eat out in a restaurant after this long Covid year!
I had a shorter but equally wonderful ride to Searsport on Thursday. Ellen me me there with her pickup. We put Woodswoman II in the back and went on to Belfast for a good dinner at a small pub near the waterfront.
Today Ellen drove me to Brunswick over the same 80-mile route that I biked last year. Lily met us there with coffee. Having the two of them with me as I boarded the Downeaster felt like a real bon voyage!
In short, this year's adventure has begun.
PS -- Jessica led me on a delightful 15-mile ride around the Boston waterfront followed by a seafood dinner. I'm now in my sleeper to Washington. It's the first time I've been in a Boston-DC sleeper since the 1980s!
Saturday, May 15, 2021 -- 15,214 km cum - 27 km/day
Just a short ride today from Odenton to my sister's apartment in Gambrills, MD. I don't know where the extra km came from. The distance from Odenton to Gambrills is less than 8 km. I did have to do some walking to/from the "Bike Doctor" to have my rear fender replaced after it was broken by Amtrak, but that's too short a distance to explain the extra km.
Wait a second. It was the ride around Boston with Jessica. That explains the extra distance.
Sunday, June 6, 2021 -- 15,299 km cum - 85 km/day
Only a 53 mile day on flat terrain, but it was tough. Despite walks and fitness room while I was at our family reunion in Arizona in the second half of May, three weeks of inactivity took their toll. My legs are woefully out of shape. I knew the heat would be intense on the ride from Newport News to Yorktown to Williamsburg, and given that Amtrak didn't get me to Newport News until after 11 a.m., I knew I would be riding in the hottest part of the day. But I forgot just how oppressive the heat and humidity are in Virginia. I'll have to keep my days short until I'm back in shape, but the heat may keep the days short even then.
The good news is that I'm staying with a wonderful WS family, Jartha and Jim Gullo. They fed me, and I've had a wonderful shower and a bed for the night. I can't put into words what their hospitality means to me at the end of this first day.
Monday, June 7, 2021 -- 15,411 km cum - 113 km/day
I'm writing this on Tuesday in Richmond. This, my third day in, is a down day. Already.
Monday was the worst, most difficult riding day of my life, worse even than my 2008 ride from Tashkent, UZ, to Khujand, TJ. It was even dangerous.
The day started well enough with a good breakfast in Williamsburg. The first 50 miles went well on the mostly flat Capital Trail.
Things began to fall apart in mid-afternoon. At first I was just tired and increasingly weak. I had to push Woodswoman up even the slightest inclines. I had to take longer and more frequent breaks. Then the cramps started, not only in my legs. My hearing became funny as though I had wax in my ears. I could tell my heart was racing. As I walked the final blocks to the Hampton Inn in downtown Richmond -- I had abandoned all thoughts of camping -- I had to sop, sit, and rest. Frankly, I was getting scared.
Heat exhaustion. For the first time in my life, I experienced severe heat exhaustion. It wasn't funny. I pushed myself too far. I may even have been in a state bordering on heat stroke.
I may have to curtail this trip. I'll continue forward for the next few days starting as early as I can and keeping my miles short. Then I'll take stock. This trip is supposed by be challenging, but it is also supposed to be fun. Yesterday was not fun.
Wednesday, June 9, 2021 -- 15,492 km cum - 80 km/day
It's now Thursday, and I am chilling out, resting with my friends Ron and Ellen in Afton.
I got up at 4:15 a.m. on Wednesday and was pedaling at 6:15 a.m. I took the Google-recommended route to Mineral because it was only 50 miles, some 15 miles shorter than the official AC route. It definitely was a better day with good roads and light traffic, but I remained spooked by Monday's experience. I took frequent breaks, drank lots more water, downed a sports drink at the halfway point, and ate a banana for potassium. It took me 5 1/2 hours to go the 50 miles to the B&B I had reserved in Mineral.
But it was sticky and uncomfortable the whole way. The trip was better than Monday's but it decidedly was not fun. I called Ron and asked him to pick me up. I announce to the world that I planned to abandon the trip.
This morning, after a long, restful and deep sleep, I'm not so sure. Might it be cooler on the other side of the mountains? Could I shed some weight and plan on more motels? Perhaps. Stay tuned.
Friday-Saturday, June 11-12, 2021 -- 15,571 km cum - 79 km/day
That's actually only 79 km over two days, but I'm going forward. On Friday I rode the steep climb up Afton Mountain to Rockfish Gap. That was all of 10 km, but it was steep. Ron met me there with his car. We put Woodswoman on the back and returned to his and Ellen's home, stopping along the way to visit the newly reopened Blue Ridge Tunnel.
I spent the evening repacking. The Chromebook is going home, and Ron & Ellen will mail my cool weather clothes and other supplies to me down the road. This morning, Ron returned me to Rockfish Gap, and off I went! I'm camped for the night at Mallard Duck campground on the road to Lexington.
How far will I go? I really don't know. Today's was a hard ride on the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway with a number of long climbs. I pushed Woodswoman at times. I'm clearly not in the shape I was in last August.
Highlights of the day were one black bear, one deer, better weather, a rim-heating descent into Vesuvius, and a snow cone at Jimmy's outside Vesuvius. Dinner consisted of canned black beans (courtesy of Ellen) and quinoa cooked on my MSR International stove. Hurrah, I'm camping!
Moreover, today my ride started to become fun again.
Sunday, June 13, 2021 -- 15,665 km cum - 94 km/day
A good 59 mile day to Troutville. I'm slow and clearly out of condition as compared with last summer, but I am doing better than I was a week ago.
I lingered far longer in Lexington over a second breakfast than I had intended. Reason? Claudia and her husband Frank. They are fascinating people who are athletic into their 80s. Both are geologists, and Claudia is also a journalist.
I opted for the Comfort Inn tonight. It's a good thing I did. Severe storms struck shortly after I checked in. It's good to be indoors.
Monday, June 14, 2021 -- 15,786 km cum - 91 km/day
This was another good 51-52 mile day to Radford, VA, that took me to the end of Map 12 and on to Map 11. I'm finding the going harder than last summer, but I am moving forward steadily if slowly.
Why is it harder this year? Heat and humidity are a big part, but I'm also a year older and out of shape after the long Covid winter. There isn't much I can do about the heat and humidity, but I do feel my riding strength and endurance returning.
I also shouldn't discount the terrain with its ups and downs. It reminds me of the Alleghenies north of Pittsburgh where I rode in 2019.
Today I met my first eastbound bike-packer. Mike Lowham started from his home in Laramie, WY, on May 17. Oh, youth!
I'm at the Quality Inn in Radford. There are no campgrounds or WS hosts in the area. Given the heat, I don't mind these motel nights.
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 -- 15,857 km cum - 101 km/day
Finally I have had a good, normal bike-packing day, some 63 miles from Radford to the campground in Rural Retreat. Why was today better? The humidity was low, and the temperature rose only to the upper 70s F. Also, after a week on the road, perhaps I'm getting my legs back. Perhaps.
I was even able to enjoy the rolling VA countryside. At a truck stop, I met and talked with Sue from Connecticut. She's driving down to NC.
At last a truly enjoyable day!
Wednesday, June 16, 2021 -- 15,936 km cum - 79 km/day
The good weather and the good riding continue. I just checked in at The Broken Fiddle in Damascus. It's a hostel for backpackers and bike-packers. For $30 I get a bunk, shower, and laundry. Damascus is reputed to be "The Friendliest Town on the AT."
If only this wonderful cool and dry weather could continue!
PS -- I had dinner at the local diner with Breezy and Midnight, two young AT thru-hikers from Massachusetts. In the diner we met another couple who are biking the TransAm. Perhaps I'll see more of them along the way?
Why do AT thru-hikers get trail names but TransAm riders do not?
Thursday, June 17, 2021 -- 16,001 km cum - 65 km/day
This was a short 40 mile day by design from Damascus to Elk Garden. It was by design because I knew there would be a 3.7 mile climb of 1500 feet at 8-9% grade. I took it slowly with hydration breaks every 0.5 km, but I made it without having to get off and push. By 3 p.m. I had arrived in Elk Garden and checked in at the bike hostel sponsored by the local Methodist community. After dropping my rear bags and emptying most of the front two, I rode into Rosedale and back to get a few things for dinner. Then it was off to the outdoor, summer cold-water-only shower for a most refreshing wash-up.
I should also mention this morning's good Southern breakfast (i.e., biscuits, gravy, and grits) at the diner in Damascus. I said goodbye to Breezy and Midnight and talked with others at The Broken Fiddle before I headed on my way.
Last but not least, I had my first truly good night's sleep.
In short, after six days of riding since leaving Ron and Ellen's, I'm feeling stronger and am beginning to enjoy myself. I know there will be hard days ahead and that this spell of cooler, drier weather will end, but for now it's enough that in these days I have re-captured the feeling of last summer on the Northern Tier.
Friday, June 18, 2021 -- 16,074 km cum - 73 km/day
A 45-mile day to Breaks Interstate Park, the VA-KY border, and my firt rest day since leaving from Ron & Ellen's last Saturday. That's about 358 miles for the week, not bad but not great. Not bad because I was going up and down in the Blue Ridge and Appalachians the whole way. I was remembering today that I was quite happy with 40 mile days when I went through the Greens and Whites of VT and NH in 2019. Not great because I'm nowhere near the consistent 60-80 mile days of last year.
I had more steep climbing at the start and end of today's ride. In another week, will I at last be out of the Appalachians? Perhaps, but I need to get through Kentucky first.
Enough. I have earned tomorrow's rest day.
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