Day 14 - Sunday, May 24

Start - Council, VA

End - Elkhorn City, KY

Miles (on the route) - 32.5

Miles (total) - 33.8

Avg Spd - 10.6

Max Spd - 33.5

Total Ride Time - 3:11

I decided to ride another day with Jed and Sean and take an easier day, about thirty miles to Elkhorn City. Jed has been having trouble popping spokes and getting flats on his back wheel, probably due to too much weight. He's not riding a touring bike and has his full load on the back wheel, obviously less than ideal and becoming a problem for him. The two of them started out the day replacing a spoke and trueing the wheel. While we got packed and ready to roll out a family reunion was amassing, and an older gentleman approached us to talk. What he said, none of us will ever know. I had a previous encounter with this "mounain speak" several years back on a day trip through South Carolina with Jr. It was a rambling roll of jive that lets understand about 1 out of every 10 words. So there I was, smiling and talking and probably not appropriately responding to anything he was saying, and him doing much of the same. It was a pleasant exchange though all the same.

The territory was definitely changing. I was now in small sparse mountain "towns," scattered collection of trailers and homes amidst the tress and mountainsides. Occasionally you pass a gas station or country store but that is about the only communal spot. At one country store and old beat up truck pulled in and a lady came out that had me a bit shocked. I don't mean to be condescending but I'm not sure how else to put it. Old worn clothes, and a weathered and worked look that tells stories of a harder lifestyle. It's shocking, enlightening, to be seeing these parts. Things are definitely different in these parts.

The ride to Elkhorn City had more of the usual cimbs, and more of the now regular occurences of dogs relentlessly chasing your speeding bike down the road. Some of these things are definitely on a mission and it's getting a bit scary.

The descent into Elkhorn City was vicious. I've been taking my time, watching my braking, and cautiously approaching the winding tight turns and plunges. But one turn surprised me and suddenly had me going downhill and rapidly gaining speed without a break in sight. This is what I've been trying to avoid. Eventually the downhill did let up and I was able to break on a slight incline at the bottom. I avoided disaster on this one, but Jed popped another tube and was down to his last one. Into Kentucky we go!

We rolled into Elkhorn City and found an officer who directed us to camp by the river in the center of town. They were wrapping up a civil war reenactment there and we found some campsites already set up for us. Another mountain town, there were just as many people travelling the roads by four wheelers, golf carts, and dirt bikes as cars. We met another biker, Drew from D.C. and before that Philadelphia, who had been stranded there for a few days with the same wheel problems as Jed. He joined us for some dinner at the cafe and we all made camp together by the river. We were all set on getting a case of beer and enjoying the early evening until we found out we were in a dry town. I just don't understand it, a town without beer...

It was a great evening all the same, sitting around the campfire, sharing stories, and listening to the river flowing by.