Riding Day 8 - June 5th, 2019
Start: Skyland Lodge
End: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles: 44.7
Feet climbing per mile: 109
Record of today's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/51835140
With climbing of just 109 feet per mile, and with long descents breaking up the climbs, today’s 45-mile ride felt easy compared to yesterday’s 31-mile ride (with climbing of 137 feet per mile). During a five-mile descent there was a mild rain whose intensity was increased by my high speed. I found myself singing John Lennon’s “Rain”. All the lyrics perfectly expressed my attitude about the rain as well as the sun.
Soon after I arrived at Loft Mountain Campground I met a hiker whose trail name is “Ironman”. He told me he never participated in an Ironman but that he had competed in some triathlons. He also told me about the importance of using bear boxes to store food, and let me use the one associated with his tent site. I had chosen an RV site rather than a tent site in order to avoid taking my bike down a rugged path. RV sites do not have bear boxes because food can be safely stored in an RV. This is the first night I'm camping on this trip.
I was expecting to take a shower, but the only showers were about a half mile from my campsite. To buy my dinner I rode my bike with just the handlebar bag about a mile and a half downhill to the Loft Mountain Wayside and then a mile and a half uphill to return with my food to my campsite. The steering is rather difficult with that arrangement.
End: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles: 44.7
Feet climbing per mile: 109
Record of today's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/51835140
With climbing of just 109 feet per mile, and with long descents breaking up the climbs, today’s 45-mile ride felt easy compared to yesterday’s 31-mile ride (with climbing of 137 feet per mile). During a five-mile descent there was a mild rain whose intensity was increased by my high speed. I found myself singing John Lennon’s “Rain”. All the lyrics perfectly expressed my attitude about the rain as well as the sun.
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| My campsite at Loft Mountain |
Soon after I arrived at Loft Mountain Campground I met a hiker whose trail name is “Ironman”. He told me he never participated in an Ironman but that he had competed in some triathlons. He also told me about the importance of using bear boxes to store food, and let me use the one associated with his tent site. I had chosen an RV site rather than a tent site in order to avoid taking my bike down a rugged path. RV sites do not have bear boxes because food can be safely stored in an RV. This is the first night I'm camping on this trip.
I was expecting to take a shower, but the only showers were about a half mile from my campsite. To buy my dinner I rode my bike with just the handlebar bag about a mile and a half downhill to the Loft Mountain Wayside and then a mile and a half uphill to return with my food to my campsite. The steering is rather difficult with that arrangement.
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The spreadsheet at All my routes includes information about the earliest possible day I would arrive at each of my destinations. Throughout my ride I will update the spreadsheet to reflect any deviations between my plans and what actually happens, as well as any changes to my plans. |
Link to all my routes: Big Loop
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