Trip report - day 3
Day 3 - June 1st
I was dreaming that I was lost in the forest. Woke up and found myself in a tent.
I got up, and stumbled off to the lodge up the hill from the camping site, for some coffee, and to get quarters for the shower. In the process, I hiked a 100 yard section of the Appalachian Trail. Go me. After caffeinating and quartering, I took a quick and not-very-warm shower. $1.00 for 5 minutes of water, and a minute of that to get the temperature right. Oh well, better than nothing.
After the shower, I finished packing up, and broke down the tent. Onward down the road. I finished up the run down Skyline Drive, and started on down the Blue Ridge Parkway after a quick gas/food/drink stop. About a mile or so into the Blue Ridge Parkway, I passed a couple on matching touring bicycles, equipped with full front and rear panniers, backpacks, handlebar bags, and tail bags. I wonder if they made it all the way down the Parkway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a wonderful road. Two lanes, no shoulders, but plenty of pulloffs and overlooks where the slower folks can pull over to let faster folks through. And as you climb up into the mountains, the air gets cooler, and the views become breathtaking. The Blue Ridge Parkway website makes a huge deal about the 45 MPH speed limit, and enforcement, but I think I only ever saw one Park Police vehicle on the whole ride down, and he was at one of the campsites.
I made it about 140 or so miles down the Blue Ridge before I decided to stop again for the night. This campsite wasn't quite as popular or nice as the one on Skyline Drive, but it was quieter and cheaper. I had been dodging in and out of clouds the whole day, and it looked as though it had rained at the campsite. So I found the driest spot I could, put down the tarp and the tent, and hoped for good weather. Nothing more than a little bit of drizzle overnight, thank goodness. But due to lack of planning on my part, dinner ended up being some beef jerky and a couple of Balance Bars. Blech. Another night of cuddling up with my luggage in the pup tent.
Today's mileage: 230 miles or so.
Total mileage: 760 miles.
States so far: 5
I was dreaming that I was lost in the forest. Woke up and found myself in a tent.
I got up, and stumbled off to the lodge up the hill from the camping site, for some coffee, and to get quarters for the shower. In the process, I hiked a 100 yard section of the Appalachian Trail. Go me. After caffeinating and quartering, I took a quick and not-very-warm shower. $1.00 for 5 minutes of water, and a minute of that to get the temperature right. Oh well, better than nothing.
After the shower, I finished packing up, and broke down the tent. Onward down the road. I finished up the run down Skyline Drive, and started on down the Blue Ridge Parkway after a quick gas/food/drink stop. About a mile or so into the Blue Ridge Parkway, I passed a couple on matching touring bicycles, equipped with full front and rear panniers, backpacks, handlebar bags, and tail bags. I wonder if they made it all the way down the Parkway.
The Blue Ridge Parkway is a wonderful road. Two lanes, no shoulders, but plenty of pulloffs and overlooks where the slower folks can pull over to let faster folks through. And as you climb up into the mountains, the air gets cooler, and the views become breathtaking. The Blue Ridge Parkway website makes a huge deal about the 45 MPH speed limit, and enforcement, but I think I only ever saw one Park Police vehicle on the whole ride down, and he was at one of the campsites.
I made it about 140 or so miles down the Blue Ridge before I decided to stop again for the night. This campsite wasn't quite as popular or nice as the one on Skyline Drive, but it was quieter and cheaper. I had been dodging in and out of clouds the whole day, and it looked as though it had rained at the campsite. So I found the driest spot I could, put down the tarp and the tent, and hoped for good weather. Nothing more than a little bit of drizzle overnight, thank goodness. But due to lack of planning on my part, dinner ended up being some beef jerky and a couple of Balance Bars. Blech. Another night of cuddling up with my luggage in the pup tent.
Today's mileage: 230 miles or so.
Total mileage: 760 miles.
States so far: 5