April 8, the 2nd Monday & THE Eclipse
Without jumping over the rugged sections in western Pennsylvania threatened by flooding, we risk turning up in Harrisonburg days after the RockStar Grande Depart. Since there’s only two access points to rental car companies along our route, our compromise is to skip a few hundred miles on The Trillium section. That means we drive from Fairport, New York to Cumberland, Maryland.
Week 1 was Training in Inclement Weather but this is a beautiful morning with just a little splattering of rain.
We start pedaling again from Cumberland. Lovely bike paths are immediately accessible— The Great Allegheny Passage and the C&O Towpath get us around the city and into The Hellbender.
We cross the bridge over the North Branch of the Potomac River into Wiley Ford, West Virginia — and Hill Training Week begins!
Right out of the gate I miss my picture of the day – a storefront window along the road in Wiley Ford, all by itself, in the middle of nowhere, in between big hills.
A storefront window filled with wedding dresses and pastel formal bridesmaid dresses. That picture in my head is for Karin Muewisson, soon-to-be daughter-in-law! I know Karin is all set, but a backup plan can sometimes be helpful!
A small store is next where we stop to resupply, and the owner makes us a couple of breakfast sandwiches on an electric griddle. Little do we know this will be our last real store until Virginia.
On to more hills.
All we notice of the eclipse is a bit of a chill in the air and a slight overcast. We fill bottles from a spring and go on climbing.
We find a covered pavilion at the Falls Assembly of God Church at 44 miles and call it a day. Richie Wizel, hiker on the American Discovery Trail from coast to coast, is already camped amidst the picnic tables. Richie hikes with a 3-wheeled cart and umbrella. His composite-tipped work boots are high to protect against snakes and are responsible for his trail name, Das Boot.
I use the first of my freeze dried meals and Mike rehydrates his refried beans and pulls out his tortillas – emergency food we’ve carried from home.
As we finish up, the pastor and his grandson stop by to see if we need anything. Not only do we refill water for the next day, but they offer chips and sodas from the church pantry!
Tuesday
Hill climbing intensifies right out of camp.
Our kayaking days in the past took us to many rivers and creeks around the state, but this is a new corner of West Virginia for us.
It’s this day that we start “level climbing.” We face 5-mile+ climbs with 13-15% grades. I’m shocked to be riding them but I do need “stand over the bike” mini-breaks. I pedal up to a slight plateau, stop and stand for a few moments, and then manage to start up pedaling again.
We camp at Eagle Rock on the bank of the South Branch of the Potomac River and dig into another package of emergency rations.
The river is a little on the high side and we hope this isn’t the one where we need to do a stream crossing.
Wednesday
We have a few snacks and start riding, hopes for breakfast pinned on Kyle’s Store. Ten miles later our hopes are dashed. We pull into a 1950-era gas station/store with a couple of old-timers sitting out front in chairs.
Kyle shows us where he keeps a few cans of diet sodas and we scan the nearly empty boxes of candy on the rack. A bag over the meat slicer cuts Mike’s hope for a deli sandwich. I walk around the dusty aisles, scattered with more hardware items than food, peering into empty coolers, until I spot an empty coffee maker on the counter. Kyle graciously agrees to make me a cup!
I find a couple of protein bars while Mike chats with Kyle about Joe Manchin. Turns out Kyle has known him all his life and says he’s always struggled—with both sides of the fence.
I find a can of corn on the shelf and eat that. We drink more coffee, fill our water bottles and take off.
Mike’s Video Roll:
Rain jackets and pants continue to be ready at any moment. It’s another day of “put the rain gear on, take it off, put it back on,” pedal mere feet and then remember to put the zip lock bag back on the phone….and stop again. Another stop to take it all off again. Repeat the cycle (pun intended)!
Oh, the hills….Mike is faster at “level climbing,” but the technique keeps me moving upward.
We turn off pavement and start riding Rough Run Road. Our feet get wet but that’s refreshing.
By the 4th stream crossing though my feet are refreshed enough!
We stop to filter water and start our cold rehydration—another emergency ration.
I don’t think the climbing can get more intense but it does. I walk up a really long stretch. My pace has slowed and Mike comes back to push my bike for awhile. A Dominion Energy worker stops to tell us the best camping spot, for which I’m definitely ready. I wonder how he got his truck through the two deep stream crossings.
We eat and then I use my last emergency meal to cold rehydrate for tomorrow’s breakfast. We have little water left but hope to find more to filter in the morning.
Thursday
The morning starts with downhill for which I am grateful. The need for “on & off & on again” with the rain gear is even more frequent than yesterday.
But we’re going downhill for long stretches!
We ride Long Run Road for a long time but eventually drop down and out onto a secondary road in Virginia. I spot a tap on the side of a church and for the first time today I feel I can freely drink the water I have.
Uphill climbs are back to our manageable 10-15% grades and we roll into Harrisonburg around mid-day. We warm up in the Shenandoah Bike Company where we’ve shipped a box of resupplies they’ve kindly held for us.
I arrive with a handful of gorp and 2 goo gel packs. I always pack excess amounts of food but I went through it all on this stretch.
We refuel with an awesome meal at Pulp, the cafe in the bike shop, and then find a discounted motel for the night.
We’re more than a week early for the race, but better than a day late!
Friday
We upgrade to a hotel across the street and catch up on showers and laundry and food.
We meet a couple of Appalachian Trail hikers, father and son, at our hotel. Dad is 82 and a former, long-time endurance runner. They’re frustrated with being sidelined by the weather for days now.
Saturday
We explore the area, do some bike shop shopping and get to know the lay of the land.
Mike shares his bike with some local admiring bike mechanics.
As we ride home through JMU (James Madison University), I nearly take out a starship on a downhill. No cars, no pedestrians, I think the intersection is clear. I only see the squat robot at the last moment because it flashes a green light and backs up onto the sidewalk.
Once I spot my second starship, I see it’s a robotic “box” to deliver hot and cold food to the dorms!
Sunday
We ride the first 5 miles of the race and struggle a bit to get the turns down in the trail network in Hillandale Park.
I have my walking strategy down (it’s in the video) but I still need to go back and practice the path through the trail network so I know the turns.
We’ll spend the next few days eating, recovering and organizing for the upcoming RockStar.
I’ll post again shortly before race day, April 20!
Bikepacking 