Cycling the Underground Railroad--Part 1
DAY 22: DOVER, TENNESSEE TO GRAND RIVERS, KENTUCKY
I know, another weather report. But this may be noteworthy. Wind chill was 22 degrees when I woke up ready to ride this morning. Kent (the other Shelley Brother) texted me to inform me that it was colder where I was in Tennessee than it was in Ontario, Canada! Even with all four of my layers of clothing on, no way was I going to risk being turned into frozen cycling statue. But by 11am, everything had inched its way above freezing, and I braved the cold (which, for those of you who know me, is highly uncharacteristic).
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| A great slice of land between the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. |
Most of the day I was cycling The Trace through Land Between the Lakes (or LBL, as it's called by the locals).
A "trace" is what the early pioneers in this area called the natural trails. I biked part of the Natchez Trace in Mississippi. "The Trace" here is a shortened version of "The Bison Trace." Originally this route was made by bison and elk (more on that later), then used by Native Americans, then "improved" by the settlers so thr could take wagons on it, and eventually got paved. It follows the natural topography, so there's LOTS of hills! (I ended up doing almost 3,300 feet of climbing today. But never over 300 feet at one time!)
This beautiful area used to be called the Land Between the Rivers, as the Tennesse River was on the west side of this strip of land, and the Cumberland River on the east side. Toward the middle of the 20th Century, the Tennessee River was dammed up for flood control and electricity production, creating Kentucky Lake. Later, the Cumberland River was impounded, creating Lake Barkley, at the same elevation as Kentucky Lake, so that a canal could easily connect the two an expedite water transportation. Hence now it is the Land Between the Lakes.
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| Looking West from the Barkley Canal at the Tennessee River (Lake Kentucky). |
Toward the end of today's ride, I crossed over this canal. To the west (my left) I could see the Tennessee River (photo above). To the east (my right) I could view the Cumberland River (photo below), all as I sat atop the bridge over the canal connecting the two. It was very cool!
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| Looking east from the Canal to the Cumberland River (Lake Barkley). |
The U.S. Forest Service has done an outstanding job with this area! American Bison and elk were both native here. Over the years, the Forest Service has reintroduced them into the area. I didn't see any elk, but I did see a herd of bison!
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| Bison were native to this area, but were all hunted out in the 19th century. |
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| Bison have now been reintroduced into the area. I saw this herd (from a distance). |
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| A clear creek running through the Homeplace 1850's working farm. |
An 1850's living, working farm (The Homeplace) has been recreated along the Trace, complete with folks dressed in period costumes. I didn't have a lot of time to spend there due to my late start, but what I saw was interesting. The creek that runs by The Homeplace, unlike most of the muddy streams I've seen so far, was crystal clear!
Just shy of the halfway mark of today's trek I crossed into Kentucky, the fourth of this trip. I have two more states to go. (Can you guess which ones they are?)
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| Entering State #4! |
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| Historical Marker recognizing Andrew Jackson Smith, an emancipated slave who was awarded the Medal of Honor for heroics in the Civil War. |
And finally, sometimes it pays off to stop and read the historical markers. This part of the Trace is dedicated to Andrew Jackson Smith, a slave who learned that upon being freed by the Emancipation Proclamation, he was allowed to enlist and fight for the Union Army. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest miltary honor, for his valor at the Battle of Honey Hill on November 30, 1864. He was from this county, and died here in 1934.
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| Andrew Jackson Smith, about 1864. |
Today's Mileage; 52.2
Total Distance to date: 777 miles
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