Heading downstream along the New River from Galax, VA the trail is desolate. The river is bustling along from recent rains and provides soothing conversation. A rock here, a branch there all combine to comforting drone somewhere above a hum and below a roar.
I don't think I would ever wake up sleeping in these cabins with the river channeling more water and greater decibels.
This is just north of Galax, VA along the New River and associated railtrail. The river is swollen from recent rains with ongoing storms in the region. I'm considering the barend a watermark.
Here is the video version for more immersive effect.
Further down the trail some real falls. These are bit more distant so camera struggles to capture the effect.
A bit further on I get a reminder of the Great Smoky Mountains
And then a tunnel. I must be near West Virginia. It's certainly better than going over the mountain. The tunnel was pleasant in the morning. Later in the evening the experience varied.
Finally crossing the New River. I'm ecstatic to see new wood. This means trail investment. This is my third trip to the New River railtrail. In the vein of voting with my feet this is approaching an artery!
More new construction. Yeah for railtrails! My inner math nerd in me amortized the cost of my last bike. I used movie theater ticket prices for reference. Nature and trails are such an effective form of entertainment.
Hang a left at Fries Junction and eventually reach Fries. I've heard it pronounced more like Freeze than Fries. I missed this dam on previous trips. This is one of three(?) along the route. They have what appears to be serious hydro electric potential here.
This is facing east from the dam. The purple line is a camera artifact but certainly beautiful. At the moment I was reveling in the light reflecting off the water.
Back to Fries Junction and then head northeast toward Pulaski. Dark clouds and dropping temperatures prompted a stop to add pants and waterproof layers. My luck held through the morning and the rain waited. Heading north toward Pulaski this scene seemed to go on for hours. Eventually I crossed a bridge and the angle of horizon changed but the supporting scenery was much the same.
Heading up to Pulaski I starting hitting the Ibuprofen before noon. It was going to be a long day. Days of rain softened the trail making for constant resistant and constant grind.
After a desolate morning there was a sudden traffic jam. I overtook one couple heading north as we met another couple coming south on one of the many trestles. At mile 60 my camel back surrendered its last milliliter of what started at 3 liters. I thought of continuing on to Pulaski on two frame bottles to preserve weight and then realized this was a training ride. The trail afforded water and I partook setting out restocked but also heavier.
Originally I hoped for lunch in Pulaski. My mental calculations indicated a chance of getting off the trail before dark so I flipped the bike around at Pulaski, started southbound, made lunch of Stinger bars, and kept pedaling. Signs near Pulaski mention a train station. I need to investigate that as maybe I can do Amtrak and save the drive. Heading back south I come upon a convenience store and three little old ladies I saw walking the trail earlier. They cheered me on and I reciprocated. I paused for a quick lunch - half can of Pringles, Moon Pie, and Moutain Dew Voltage. I'm accustomed to the earlier. I cannot explain the latter. It sounded good at the time. The net effect was a boost southbound. I left the convenience store and the little old ladies getting into their car to escape the coming storm. At first there was thunder and lightening but little rain. I counted my blessings. Then the rain hit. Then the hail hit. I was thankful for layers and helmet. It wasn't as bad as I expected. I had visions of car hood dents in my skull.
I was okay pedaling along in the rain, hail, thunder, and lightening until I came to a bridge. Not just any bridge, a high bridge. Along the trail trees were taller than me. On the bridge I was the tallest thing around. Is my titanium bike frame conductive? I haven't checked. It doesn't really matter as all of the water on my surely is conductive. I have nominal insulation in the 29x2.0 or 2.2 tires and wooden slats of the bridge. It was either wait it out or else. I found myself exchanging convenience for logic ever so momentarily. I waited for a flash of lightening and then sprinted over the bridge. I could use a mental picture of the clouds as a capacitor and the lightening a discharge. That would allow a little time to recharge. It doesn't work this way in reality. I needed across the bridge and anything I could reason out to propel my body over the bridge would work. Across the bridge and southbound I went.
The rain let up and it felt like my bike weighed 50 pounds heavier. I doubt this as all outer surfaces are water proof. Still the going was slow. Most likely the trail surface softened further. Even the 2" knobbies were sinking into the mud, into the water, into the gravel. The going was slow. I eventually slowed to my run pace - 6 miles per hour. At that point I took a walk break to stretch my left IT band which was acutely painful. I used the opportunity to calculate the distance to my destination. Then I checked the GPS. I couldn't get the GPS to follow the trail but it was 20 miles as the crow flies. I figured 5 an additional 5 miles for winding around and a little fudge factor as I was heading upstream and uphill. I still had a chance of exiting the trail before dark. I really wanted that to get a picture of the amount of dirt caked onto me and the bike. After 20 miles I reached Fries Junction and a sign indicating 12 miles to Galax. So much for finishing in daylight.
Heading southbound on the final trail of the day I hit nightfall, temperature fall, and rainfall all at the same time. I was excited to enter the tunnel from the morning ride for a bit of respite. When I entered something threw off all sense of balance and direction. I lurched to one side and grabbed for brakes. My right hand rear brakes drew all the way back to the handlebar. I was gentle with the left hand front brake and eventually found myself stopped crossways on the trail inside the tunnel out of the rain. My left IT band reminded me of how it was sore to begin with and these emergency handling procedures were digging into already borrowed time. In the end I stayed vertical but with an even larger debt to my left IT band.
I summoned up energy to propel myself toward the trail head. It was four miles from the trailhead to hotel. My car was parked at the trailhead - assuming they don't tow it away at dark. I emptied my camelback and kept pedaling. Assuming 3 minutes per song only 12 songs to the trailhead. Push, push, push, pop. My body said enough. I reached dehydration and bonk earlier. I recovered somewhat but not enough to maintain this pace. I downshifted to gut-it-out mode and trodded along.
I finally finished at mile 112. How ironic. My car was still there. I loaded up the bike and stripped off my trail encrusted outer layer. Then I realized my bike lights were still on. I attempted to step up onto the door jam to turn the bike lights off and my left IT band screamed out in surrender. I in turn almost screamed and cried. I was sure I'd done permanent damage.
Gingerly getting into the car I had no signal to call ahead for dinner. I stopped thinking I could walk in and place an order. It took several minutes of pleading and trying alternative movements to get agreement from my left IT band to allow this movement for critical calories.
While dinner cooked I ventured across the street to a carwash. I couldn't get pictures of my encrusted bike but I knew it needed a bath for hotel admission.
After ferrying everything up to the room I stepped into the shower fully clothed. Everything was dirty enough to warrant wash.
Shower, dinner, and bed. It was a good if inescapable 112 muddy gaveled wet sloppy miles.
112 miles
6021 calories
1 hr stop time - gotta keep moving!
After the fact I realized the rain didn't increase my weight but it did further soften the trail surface. Sometimes riding through water yielded the least resistance. Pick my lines carefully and save energy wherever possible.
Food intake:
4 sleeves of Cliff Shot Blocks
6 Honey Stinger Bars
2x3 Liters water from camel back
1 20 fl oz Mountain Dew Voltage
1 half can of Pringles
1 double decker chocolate Moon Pie
I need to carry more water. I was dehydrated even after 6L on a wet cool day. I need to learn to to "ride cool" instead of bundled up in a layer of sweat.
Stinger bars are good but they get old. Carry a variety of bars.
While technically I can ride 112 miles on knobbies through mud, water, and 7k feet of climbing I would struggle to do this with just the food and water on my back while sleeping in a bivvy. I need better balance.
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