Skyline Drive

Skyline Drive is a national park and highway that traverses the peaks of the northern shenandoah mountains. Front Royal to Waynesborro, 105miles and a lot of up and down. The big challenge wasn't steapness; in my easiest gear I could make it with my 60lbs of stuff. It wasn't even the relentlessness of the climbs; the first is 4miles of up without a break. The big hurdle is sucking it up as the speedster bicyclists literally do laps up and down the hill I'm struggling with. I met one woman that asked, "how many miles y'do a day?" I'm not sure the jury is in on that yet, but looking at skyline drive stretched before me I replied, "30". After applauding she told me she could do it in one day, that she does up to 160miles in a day. You know, I believe her... But she probably wouldn't bike away with a picture of every elevation sign. Also, the mama bear and 3 cubs were adorable, in my face
and definitely able to chase me down. That intimacy, and resulting fear, the speedster can never know.

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3 states 1 day

After spending the night just outside Harper's Ferry I headed out for Front Royal and the start of Skyline Drive. I started the day in MD, bike through WV, and ended in VA, looking south toward the Shenandoah. All the talk about skyline got me good and scared, so rather than dive right in I spent the night in the cheapest motel and ate some comfort chinese food. After the fifty mile ride, getting to sleep should've been easy, but with my unease and boobtube access, it wasn't hard to put off sleep and the morning.

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Historic Hagerstown it's Happening

After Gettysburg I visited historic hagerstown, childhood home to SleepyG, Greg-funk. Got in a little earlier than expected so I stopped in at the visitor center and met all the great people that work there. Who knew Hagerstown had such a big story to tell? Spent time with Mike Mittel of Hub City Sports... I was worried about a slipping chain ring, but Mike subdued my anxieties with some good advice and pleanty of good will. That night Karen, Steve and Pat entertained; good talk, nice bed, HUGE burger. 3lbs of beef divided 4 ways, with all the best fixin's. Delicious-Madness. Awoke early, thought to get a move on. Hung around a bit anyway.

No one can figure out my camera phone, including me. I have so many pictures of my own finger. This shot came about when I was asked to duck to fit in the shot; neither of us thought to point the camera up.

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The C & O

The chesapeake and ohio canal national historic park is part of a bike path connecting DC to Pittsburgh. Since I'm heading south and west, there isn't really any part of it that helps me out. That said, I figued since I was passing it I may as well check it out. Heading south from Hagerstown, I linked up with the path in Williamsport. After riding roads it was a great change of pace. Laid back and flat! It follows the old tow path for the canal, used by mule teams to pull barges. Finally I got to meet some other bikers.

Jeff- a middle aged self employed advertiser on his annual trip from pitt to dc. Real nice and full of career advice.
Kelly- a self proclaimed "journeyman, a bike hobo with class" also middle aged, but full of that wingnut passion, shinning eyes and ocassional rage. He was on a quest to find some black snake (I may have spotted it after we parted) and despised being plugged in. For dinner he made delicious steak and lentils, which he produced magically from his pack.

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Been out of service for

Been out of service for a couple days along and C & O and all around historic hagerstown. Updates to come.

A guilty pleasure.

At greg's childhood home I got to indulge one of my guilty pleasures. Here are my top three, can you guess which is the one?
* eat an entire box of cookies or doughnuts (bike touring is good pretext for needing the calories)
* drink a cold beer while taking a hot shower (in general I'm opposed to refrigeration and boilers)
* watch Michael J Fox shine, howl, and do hand stands on moving vehicles (um, everyone knows that a movie called "Teen Wolf" has to be terrible).

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Battle fought in the dark

After a slow paced day of touring the gettysburg battle fields I retire to my tent... Only to find I've been beat by a large bumble bee (the kind everyone say doesn't sting, but I can say first hand they do). Possibilities that crossed my mind:
running from the tent waving my arms wildly and screeming explicatives
recruiting help from the neighboring boy scouts and feigning a severe allergy
abandoning the tent for the night, week, my life, whatever necessary
requesting to borrow the friendly canadians' car to steam roll the tent and its fearsome contents

ultimately, he decided he didn't like me either... But how can i be sure he was alone?

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