Day 33: Christianburg to Buchanan, VA

Today’s distance goal was influenced by our desire to get as close to Natural Bridge as we could and still have suitable camping opportunities.  That translated to a ride of 65 miles.

I enjoyed a pleasant start to the ride, mostly downhill.  After 11 miles, I unexpectedly caught up with Matthew. Blocking our route was a road barrier, flashing lights, and a sign saying that there was an all-day bridge closure on the road at Mill Creek.

Without expressly saying it to each other, Matthew and I realized that the only detour involved significant climbing.  We had already planned for a relatively challenging ride.  Perhaps the construction crew would let us pass through? Or perhaps we could cross the creek with our bicycles?

A construction crew riding a large truck came towards us from the direction of the closed bridge. One of the workers clearly stated that neither the bridge nor the creek were passable, even by bicyclists.

Matthew and I exchanged one of those “it is what it is” glances.  Because we didn’t have cell coverage, we relied on the Adventure Cycling Map to generally plot our detour, even though the non-route information is less specific. After getting conflicting information from a passing motorist, we guessed on one particular turn hoping that the road wasn’t a dead end. Our guess was correct and we ended up reconnecting with the route using a gravel road with very steep downhill portions.

Once we returned to the planned route, the ride became pleasant again as the terrain followed the course of rivers and streams or adjacent railroad tracks.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the terrain. The second one shows that hills that we had to climb up to detour around the closed bridge:

Because of the detour, Matthew and I rode together more than usual today.  We came across this horse, who seemed a bit skittish upon our arrival.  Matthew produced an apple and proceeded to become the horse’s best friend. The Bristol Biker is a horse whisperer as well!

Within 10 miles of Buchanan, I ran across another bridge closing. Matthew was well ahead of me by now and he alerted me that the construction crew had allowed him to walk his bike across the partially completed new bridge.  I followed suite with an expression of deep appreciation for the workers.

Here’s a shot of the bridge after I crossed it (the main concrete beams were in place but there were large gaps since the decking had not been installed):

We ended up riding 78 miles.  With the rest day, my legs handled the unexpected challenge with relative ease.

Matthew arrived in Buchanan before I did. On the advice of a local resident, Matthew suggested that we camp at the Fairgrounds.  It was a beautiful site situated on the bank of the James River. We had access to water and power.

Here are pictures of the James River and adjacent fairgrounds:

We enjoyed dinner at Burger King (the only open restaurant in town). In anticipation of another challenging day tomorrow, we also stocked up on snacks at the adjacent gas station shop.

During the night, we discovered that the beautiful site had a few serious downfalls.  Across the river (hidden in the trees) was a railroad line. Throughout the night, the echoes of passing trains and train horns were a distraction. The trains came every 3-4 hours like clockwork.

And there was a tower bell that rung every hour on the hour. 

The locals likely were used to these distractions. But for two exhausted cyclists, they contributed to a restless night! At the first train horn of the night, which was very amplified by the characteristics of the river basin, I heard Matthew exclaim, “Bloody Hell.” It sounded like we were sleeping right next to the tracks.  I was too exhausted to care and somehow managed to get enough sleep to attack the next day’s challenge.

Day 34: Buchanan to Love, VA

During the previous evening, Matthew and I confirmed our intention to make a detour to visit Natural Bridge.  We also make the joint decision to tackle Mount Vesuvius, known as the most challenging climb in the entire TransAmerica Trail.

We enjoyed a marvelous ride to Natural Bridge.  I had visited the site several times as a child and once with my wife and sons.  Once surveyed by George Washington and owned by Thomas Jefferson, it’s one of the most iconic natural sites in Virginia. Thomas Jefferson described it as, “The most sublime of Nature’s works.”

Here’s an unspoiled and spoiled shot (the latter courtesy of Matthew Moran):

Please note that I am not wearing my typical biking garb. Because of the upcoming climb, and the fact that it was a hot day, I settled on a tee-shirt and padded biking shorts.  It was a wise decision!

After a lengthy visit to Natural Bridge, Matthew and I proceeded to the town of Vesuvius along a moderate incline. We passed though the town of Lexington, VA, another very picturesque location with lots of history and interesting shops (for a future visit, perhaps).

Here’s a picture of what I began to approach: Vesuvius is off to the right:

As I approached Vesuvius, I planned to stop at a local store to replenish my water before starting the steep climb. I interpreted the map to mean that I would be biking through the town. But, I quickly found that I was approaching the base of Mount Vesuvius.

Imagine my anxiety in not having sufficient water to support me climbing up the most challenging slope in 4,200 miles! As I pondered turning back to find the town (which Matthew later told me required a deviation from the route), I saw a snow cone stand in the yard of a private citizen.  I counted my blessings as I rode up to the stand and rested my bike against a tree. 

A man emerged from the adjacent house and opened up the stand just for me.  His name was Jimmy. He was from New Orleans and was a Marine Corps veteran. 

I enjoyed a large and very delicious New Orleans shaved ice with cherry syrup as Jimmy and I talked.  He sat me in a very comfortable chair in back of the stand. After half an hour or so, Jimmy filled my water bottles with cool water and shared words of encouragement as I started up the mountain. 

Having previously analyzed the specifics of this particular challenge, I knew how many thousands of feet I needed to climb to conquer the mountain.  I broke the challenge into executable segments, wherein I sprinted up the extreme slopes until my heart was pounding or I was out of breath (these were often concurrent experiences). I would stop to catch my breath and let my heartbeat settle, and then repeat. Even though some of the slopes appeared impossible, I never once considered walking the bike. I did stop and wave by the very few cars that passed. And fortunately, most of the climb was shaded by the forest so I never became overheated.

Before I knew it (after almost two hours of climbing), I could see the sunshine breaking through near the top of the summit. I had conquered the biggest challenge of this half of the journey. Here was the sign that signaled the end of this specific ordeal:

When I got to the Blue Ridge Parkway, I caught up with Matthew as we marveled at the vistas (these pictures don’t adequately capture the views):

When we arrived in Love, VA, we initially began setting up camp at a local church, hoping someone would come by so that we could verify our intentions. We were attracted to the site because it didn’t require a substantial detour from the route.

A man named Keith came by to inform us that the church discouraged camping, but that he owned the adjacent resort and we could camp there for a fee. After some discussion, and in consideration (mainly by me) that the church contained a cemetery on the property, we decided to take Keith up on his offer.  He’s the owner of Royal Oaks Resort in Love, VA. 

The site included access to a shower and restroom (in one of his cabins), water, power, a fire pit, and even WiFi.  Keith sweetened his offer by saying that he would open up his deli so that we could order sandwiches for dinner.

Matthew and I set up camp in Keith’s more suitable location. We enjoyed some delicious Italian subs. And even made a fire from wood we collected from around the site.

There were no trains and no church bells. That night, exhausted by the climb up Mount Vesuvius and surrounded by peace and quiet, I enjoyed the most restful night of sleep during this half of the trip.  For the most part, it would be all downhill from here!

Day 35: Love to Palmyra, VA

Matthew and I agreed that we could sleep in today since Mount Vesuvius was behind us and since there were no serious climbs left. We enjoyed camp coffee and made another fire to ward off the morning gnats.  For breakfast, I enjoyed (ok, I tolerated) my last freeze-dried meal of the trip.

After securing camp, we bicycled 62 miles to Palmyra. 

The trip included more phenomenal vistas from the Blue Ridge Parkway:

We stopped in Charlottesville for lunch near the University of Virginia campus.  Along the way, we passed vineyards previously owned by George Washington and James Monroe.

We also biked through Nelson County, VA, where some of my ancestors on my father’s side lived as farmers.  As a child during a few summers, my parents sent me to live with my great Aunt Gertrude, on her farm in Nelson County just a stone’s throw away from the Blue Ridge Parkway. These times provided great adventures for me and my dog, Bernie.  I fondly recall a few of our family reunions during earlier days at that farm with Aunt Gertie and Uncle Sam. This sign triggered recall of some of those fond memories:

As I got closer to Palmyra, I called Cindy from the Palmyra United Methodist Church to arrange to stay at the church.  She referred me to Pastor George, who met us when we arrived at the church. 

Pastor George rolled out the red carpet for us, allowing us to stay in their classroom facility.  We enjoyed kitchen access, including a Keurig coffee maker.  At the Pastor’s suggestion, we hurried off to the grocery store deli before they closed to order dinner. I appreciate Pastor George, Cindy, and the PUMC family for their exceptional kindness.  Here’s a picture of me rolling the bike into the classroom complex:

I enjoyed another very restful night, particularly since I felt more fatigued today likely due to a delayed reaction from the Mount Vesuvius climb.

Day 36: Palmyra to Ashland, VA

Today’s goal was 74 miles since Matthew and I decided to try to hit the remaining distance between Palmyra and Yorktown hard so that we didn’t have significant distances remaining our last two days.  A forecast of thunderstorms over the coming weekend entered into our planning.

“it’s all downhill from here” wasn’t quite the right mindset for the final days of the trip. Matthew and I were surprised by some of the hills and a few extreme slopes we encountered. But my legs remained strong and I found myself powering up the hills with relative ease as compared to earlier in this 1/2 of the journey.

As we approached Lake Anna, I surmised that Matthew would stop for a swim given his penchant to jump into lakes and rivers.  Sure enough, he paused for a dip.  I pressed on. Matthew later informed me that the water was unusually warm, as we later found out that the north end of the lake is the “hot” side of cooling water used by the adjacent nuclear power plant.

On my way to Ashland, I also passed the Scotchtown Patrick Henry Home National Historic Landmark.

For once, I beat Matthew to our destination. We planned on primitive camping (no services) behind Olde Town Cycles in Ashland, VA.  I arrived at the shop an hour before closing and was offered a hot shower and power by the owner, Dan.  

When Matthew arrived, we set up camp behind the store.  We ate at a local sports bar and enjoyed a relatively quiet evening, save a few passing trains and the croaking of bullfrogs from a nearby creek.

Day 37: Ashland to Chickahominy Riverfront Park in Williamsburg, VA

Today’s goal was about 50 miles to Charles City, VA, but we ended up biking 68 miles to locate camping facilities.

After biking through Mechanicsville, we ended up on the Virginia Capital Trail.  This is a most bike friendly trail shared by hikers and bikers.  When we arrived at Charles City, we missed the fact that their boat ramp permits camping by cyclists.  So we decided to extend the journey to Chickahominy Riverfront Park.  This is a fee-based county facility that includes hot showers and a pool.

Once we arrived and set up camp, Matthew decided to bike the estimated 5 miles to the local store.  The journey was more distant than described by the car-loving locals but he returned with a good bottle of wine, Italian subs, and jalapeno potato chips as our last meal together. 

We built a fire and enjoyed a very quiet evening.  I appreciate Matthew for his friendship, expertise, and encouraging support.  We’ve built a very special relationship over the past five weeks that promises to extend well beyond this endeavor.

As I approached my tent for the evening, I noticed a large water turtle laying eggs within yards of my tent.  Earlier that evening, we noticed another large turtle crossing through our campsite.  Matthew and I chose to leave this creature alone but we wondered whether we had put our tents over a turtle nest.

Day 38 and Final: Williamsburg to Yorktown, VA

Matthew and I decided that we could take our time this morning since our final destination for the TransAmerica Trail was only 31 miles away. While it rained a bit overnight, we awoke to relatively dry camping gear.

On the previous evening after I turned in, Matthew had befriended a family camping in an adjacent lot with a camper.  This morning, Susan came over and offered to cook breakfast for us.  We accepted her and her family’s gracious offer.  We enjoyed a family breakfast with Mike, Susan, and their daughter, Chris. I appreciate them for their generosity, and for punctuating the kindness that I’ve experienced from great Americans throughout this journey.

At about 10 am, we headed out to Yorktown. Matthew was gracious enough to allow me to keep up with him on this trip so that we could finish together.  At Jamestown, VA, we transferred to the Colonial Parkway. We took time to stop at the many historical markers along the way. 

At the end of the parkway, we experienced a moment of confusion with the map directions.  We checked GoogleMaps, which indicated (wrongly so) that the Yorktown Victory Monument was just over a mile away straight ahead.

We headed up the hill where, when I cleared the crest, I became jubilant upon seeing my family just a short distance away.  Matthew and I were greeted by the warm embrace of my wife and three sons, and our dear and longstanding friends, Joe and Heather, who drove an hour to join the celebration.

Here’s a few of the celebratory pictures:

 The final thrust for home!

 Me & Bristol Biker in Celebratory Hoist!

 Me, Joe, Heather, and Daisy Mae

  The Brown’s and the Bristol Biker

We enjoyed a celebratory lunch with Joe and Heather and dinner with Matthew Moran.  Matthew chose the dinner location at the Yorktown Pub.  This historic location is steeped in history and includes many Coast Guard artifacts on display.

This mission is complete!  In future posts, I’ll express some words of appreciation, offer a few reflections from the trip, and publish the long-overdue list of critical equipment.  Meanwhile, I plan to rest and begin to work on the next bucket list item: to vastly improve my golf game!

Thanks for sharing this very special journey with me.  You interest, support, and prayers mattered!