A run-in with hikers
Tent a little humid, and not the best night of sleep with birds and animals singing and huffing around my tent, I woke up on the edge of sunrise. The light was still blue from night fall as I peeked out outside, the sun rise straight ahead with mist lazing in the valley. This and some indulgent morning stretches made up for the mediocre sleep.
I packed my things, took down my tent, and hopped on the road after a speedy breakfast. Straight into a climb, with minimal camping opportunities, so I was grateful I stopped where I did.
Soon I left Blue Ridge Parkway, met with miles and miles of smooth downhill road. As my bike and I shifted weight side to side to most efficiently tackle each corner my confidence in it grew. The gears shifted more smoothly, something of my tinkering helped: what, I don’t know.
As I neared Lexington the downhills morphed into steep humps to speed towards and quickly overcome with momentum and gear switching. I stopped in town for a 2nd breakfast (burger and fries) and a top up of snacks.
With the sun bright and on quiet country roads the road felt fun as I braced for ramshackle bridges and rail tracks, glided alongside streams and farmhouses, and through dappled sunlight.
At Troutville, American civilisation abruptly began. Wide double lane roads, businesses set back by car parks, and dangling telephone cables. Soon I turned off and reached the hostel, leaning me and my bike on a wall to rest. Mistaking a guest for the owner, I found out they were out for a while. So I sat, stretched, let friends and family know I’d finished for the day, and joined the hikers tackling the Appalachian Trail on the porch.
Their daily loads and mileage were lower, but we agreed our energy expenditure and grubbiness were roughly matched. A mix of folks, it was nice to slip into familiar small talk with strangers from varied lives with a shared love of the outdoors.
It was my first late night on the trip. In bed at 22:30 after chatting long past sunset in the comfortable company of kind acquaintances with unique passions. The perfect way to dose up on socialising before two days of long rides and lone camping.
