SOLSTICE!

Our first day riding starts out cold and busy as the cars of Asheville whiz past. All but one are courteous.

Last night Nicole rolled us into town and we spend our few precious moments seeking some hearty nourishment. Following one such meal at Rosetta’s Vegetarian Kitchen we indulge in some gloriously vegan desserts for as long as the rain drizzled down on the streets outside.

We leave the ArtHaus Hostel–and B.J.’s hospitality–but not before meeting Andrew Williams, a fellow traveler. After learning of our venture he reaches out to some friends–Enoch and Danny–who volunteer for us a place to stay when we arrive in Athens! All of whom have bounced between Athens and Gainesville at various times. And as we’re leaving we meet a woman on her way to Gainesville for a job at the University of Florida! Small world…

We start rolling and our first direction is one of Asheville’s many fine caffeine establishments–Izzy’s Coffee Den accommodates us with hot, liquid inspiration and we pop across the street to a book store. Before we walk out, another copy of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance becomes mine. I will peruse this copy during the trip and gift it to Stephanie, as I promised her a copy so long ago! She buys Thich Nhat Hahn’s The Miracle of Mindfulness.

A few short miles down US-25 and we are on the Blue Ridge Parkway, and what a glorious road it is–so well groomed and sporting virtually zero traffic! But our jubilation is soon challenged as we make our way up to some high ridges. Our day starts in Asheville at 2500 feet and before we exit the parkway we have glimpsed 5900 feet. With plenty of gaps between the peaks it feels as though we’re spending most of the day climbing and regrouping, climbing and regrouping… I am feeling somewhat exasperated by this experience, and I’m sensing that Stephanie might be feeling similarly. We break again to regroup and while I sit by the bikes, Stephanie disappears into the fog for a few minutes. She emerges from the fog–perhaps figuratively as much as literally–exclaiming her wonder at how new this experience is! And in this I sense a recognition and appreciation of the moment, and I draw my own inspiration from her revelation. Scaling these peaks for hours is difficult but eventually you hit your easiest gears (although neither Stephanie nor myself have triple-chainrings!) and slow down and accept the terrain in front of you. Before long my mind is rolling with something childishly ridiculous like “la la la la la, this is what I’m doing now, la la la…”. Its nice when you sometimes forget the part of your body that is hurting.

Most of the day we cannot see more than 50-100 feet in front of us. And this is never more apparent than when I nearly slam into a barrier! The Parkway is closed from US-276 to US-215, and our options are (a) jump the barrier and risk that a bridge is out and we may have to double back or (b) risk US-276, a busy road, in some very foggy weather. So we opt to jump the barrier and before long the reason for the closure reveals itself–falling ice has scattered itself precariously across the roadway. Our bicycles can easily avoid these slippery chunks.

We exit The Parkway onto US-215 and then the mode becomes brakes, brakes, brakes(!), which we burn for several miles before making camp a few miles shy of Balsam Grove, NC.

About 50 miles today…