Day 82: September 25, 2024 - Cherokee, NC, to Waynesville, NC
End: Waynesville, NC
Miles: 15.1
Feet climbing per mile: 245
Record of the day's ride: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/224641890
My first task of the day was to take to the post office the heavy-duty sleeping bag liner that had been replaced by the sleeping bag Bob and Anita brought me. On my walk back from the post office I saw a wild turkey.
After riding a little more than a mile I entered the Blue Ridge Parkway and began a climb of ten miles.
I was soon welcomed by one of the area’s residents (an elk). When I saw his rear end sticking out to the road I stopped and he looked directly at me. I spoke to him kindly and then he went back to eating. I walked slowly away before taking a few pictures and then continuing my ride.
As I was climbing another cyclist on an unloaded bike came racing down, yelling “You got this!” as he went by. I responded “I hope so. I’m going to New York City.”.
I decided to use the same climbing strategy that had been successful on Hoosier Pass: Ride as slowly as possible and stop occasionally to let my heart and breathing slow down. With this strategy I was able to complete the 10-mile climb without walking.
I went through two or three tunnels, all of them rather short.
The rain was coming.
First there was drizzle, then light rain, then a downpour. Maybe twice I found shelter to the side of the road under a tree. When I took shelter in the final tunnel I encountered I removed my windbreaker and short-sleeve shirt which was totally soaked (I hadn’t put on the windbreaker as soon as the rain started), dried myself with my micro-fiber towel which I got from my waterproof trunk bag, and put on my long-sleeve wool shirt which I also got from my trunk bag. I put my windbreaker back on after wiping its inside with the towel. My hands were cold as I resumed my ride and began a descent of three miles.
The other side of the barrier below said ROAD CLOSED. This was an indication of serious trouble.
I continued past the barrier, eventually coming to a barrier with the ROAD CLOSED sign now facing toward me. There were a few vehicles parked nearby. A man sitting in his jeep told me the Parkway was closed because of severe weather due to Hurricane Helene. I told Craig I was headed to a motel in Waynesville and he showed me how I could get there without taking the Parkway. When he said it involved roads with plenty of traffic and no shoulder, I asked him whether he would drive me there and he immediately said he would. I removed the front wheel, the handlebar bag, and the trunk bag, and then we slipped my bike into the back seat. After a short drive (shown in grey on the map below) we arrived at the Best Western.
The rain continued without interruption. I attempted to obtain dinner from a restaurant through a delivery service but was unable to do so. My dinner consisted of popcorn and cookies I got when I arrived at the hotel, along with a chocolate bar, a small bag of Fritos, and a small bag of pretzels.
In the morning, before starting my ride, I retested the tube that had dropped from 70 psi to 40 psi and to 30 psi and now saw a small bubble of air escaping from the edge of the patch I had applied in Chattanooga. After dinner I applied a patch centered on the location of the bubble, installed the tube in my front tire, and inflated it to 70 psi. If the pressure stays near 70 then I will know that the repair is successful.
Follow my progress on this map. Click VIEW ALL and then pinch the map to see my progress from the start in Portland.
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