Sup homies,
We woke up this morning to wet, rain-filled tents, my fried cell phone, and a wet pizza box with a few remaining slices from the night before. One of us inparticular was tempted to eat a slice, but we urged him not to. He didn't. After a week of strong east coast riding Maj and I thought we were invincible...oh, hey Appalachian Mountains. We had some serious climbs today. And we're both feeling it. The scenery was gorgeous - Places to stop, limited. Hills, long.
We stopped in Mt. Storm, WV for lunch and, after pulling a tab from the "Concealed Firearms Class" flier, went in to what was labeled as a pizza joint. It didn't look like they'd made hot food in that place for years. Upon asking where we could get food around there we were greeted with a "well, there's only one restaurant in town, but I'm not sure it's open." It was. We entered the windowless warehouse and consumed a feast of down home southern barbecue. Everyone looks at us like we've lost our minds when we explain to them we're riding our bikes from Brooklyn to San Diego. Maybe we have.
As far as the mountains are concerned...the climbs couldn't be much more difficult for our bodies at this point. The descents however, compensate for all the hard work we do getting up the mountains. Our descent down cheat mountain was the most fun either Maj or I have ever had on a bike. Tightly wrapped turns and forest lined roads led us down the 3 mile decline. "It was like riding a roller coaster," is how Maj explained it. Adrenaline was running on high for a while after our final downhill and it was a great way to end the ride.
Appalachian culture is quite the change from Brooklyn. Everybody says hello to us when we're sitting outside a gas station drinking gatorade, taking a break. I know we stick out like a sore thumb, but the sincerity of their hospitality gets me every time. I like being out here. It's awfully peaceful. We're camping again tonight, and hopefully the rain will hold off. We promise there will be a webisode posted soon. Our editor has the footage now and is beginning to work through it. That's when the content gets exciting, and you'll really be able to see what we've been up to!
Cheers,
Dan
Distance Biked: 50 miles
Distance Biked to Date: 454 miles
It is great to follow you