Cycling the Underground Railroad--Part 1

DAY 19: MOUSETAIL LANDING TO (ALMOST) WAVERLY, TN

I AM in the hills of Tennessee!

Over 40 miles today on backwoods, backcountry roads.  Not a single gas station, convenience store or eatery the entire way.

This was probably my second hardest day of cycling so far.  Had to cross six steep ridges.  The inclines on some were so great I had to push my loaded bike a ways to get over the top.  I'm sure you can identify the "hills" from this profile:

What was psychologically difficult was that I could see ahead each mountain I'd have to cross.

ANOTHER ridge to cross.

But as much as I am complaining about the hills, western Tennessee and the area around the Tennessee River is very eye catching. with contrasts between the woodlands, farms and pastureland. 

A relatively flat "holler" among the hills.

And then there is (literally in this case) the local color.  Somebody is making the best of their trailer life!

Welcome to Mojito Island! (Kind of like Wastin' Away in Margaritaville.)

I saw my first armadillo sighting (poor guy) today.  I've seen these creatures riding through Texas, but was surprised to see one this far north.

This WAS an armadillo.

As long as I'm on my soapbox, I was very frustrated and somewhat anxious today due to the lack of road signs.   There were a lot of twists and turns, and not one street or road had a sign!  This meant everytime I came to an intersection, I had to check Google maps to ascertain if it was the correct road.  This also slowed down my progress.  At least I had access to GPS (most of the time).  A wrong turn could cost me miles and, more consequential, elevation. 

Again, part of this ride is to learn about and try to identify with (at a very basic level) what it might have been like for slaves seeking freedom.  If I was having difficulty navigating with maps, an odometer and electronics, how awful it would be to try to navigate this terrain with virtually no assistance! And what courage it took to even attempt an escape!

About 10 miles from my destination I heard a disturbing, yet unfortunately somewhat familiar sound from my rear wheel.   The rough roads, the weight and the miles were just too much for one of my spokes.   I had brought along spare parts and tools enough to fix it, and I knew I should before more damage was done.  At this point in the afternoon, the sky is becoming dark with an incoming storm.  I laid my bike down and was just about to start the repair,  when a man stopped and asked if I was ok or needed help.  At first,  I turned his offer down, wanting to be as self sufficient as possible.  But when I found out he was going right through my destination, how the weather was closing in, and how utterly exhausted I was, I took Ricky up on his offer.  He was getting off work as a timber cutter (he also raises 65 beef catte) and was gracious to offer.

I had a rest day scheduled at my next destination, but given that this storm will be hanging around tomorrow,  and that my bike and my body need some attention, the rest day has been moved to tomorrow. 

By the way, Ricky was telling me that the weather experts are saying this is the second wettest March on record, and depending on how much water drops from the sky today and tomorrow, it could be the wettest March ever.  (I sure know how to pick 'em, don't I?!)

Today's Mileage: 42.5

Total Distance to date:  719.1 miles