Day 7, Newbern, VA – Damascus, VA 92 Miles (487 Total)
Time on bike: 9:05:52
Avg: 9.8 mph
Daily Ascent: 6647 ft (72 ft/mile)
Max: 32.5 mph
Today was a day of long, gradual ascents through beautiful Virginia scenery. I peddled through valleys with wooded mountains rolling along side of me, covered with pine and oak trees. At one point I passed through a town around noon and the temperature read 68 degrees. Chilly compared to my home in Uganda. These hills today, though, weren’t as steep as yesterday. I can handle the long, gradual ones better, but to say the least, I’m looking forward to the flat plains of Kansas!!
It’s great to be doing this. Outside. On a bike. Great exercise. Sun shining. Listening to the birds, watching deer cross my path, hearing the bubbling brook I’m cycling next to. So the hills aren’t much fun. The experience is. It serves to remind me to enjoy life more, which I don’t do naturally. And to mingle more with people. Everyone has been incredibly friendly thus far. They’re interested in the bike and the trip. I know I’ve said all this before, but it’s so true. And the bike just starts the conversation.
By the end of my trip today, I had already covered 75 miles through the mountains and I wanted to reach Damascus for the night. Needless to say I wasn’t interested in climbing more hills, but as luck would have it I was on a road that paralleled a mountain stream that lead almost all the way into town. Downhill for a majority of the way! What a relief!
On a side note, I hate cooking! I brought some pots and a Whisperlite stove, but I dread busting it out. I’d rather eat cold food or eat out than spend the time necessary for cooking! After biking all day I just want to eat! Is something wrong with me??
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