Home to Table Rock SP
Miles: 46.7
Aver MPH: 9.9
Biking time: 6:05:50
Total Time: 7:15
Top speed: 36.5 mph
Camp cost: $22.00
We started out at 9:45 Friday morning. The bike felt sluggish and clumsy with the 85 or so pounds draped all over it. As we rode down Batesville road I as seriously wondering if we could pull this load to Table Rock. We made a quick stop to drop off some embroidery work at a shop on our way that Susan does work for. Unfortunately that little bit of weight loss didn�t help much. As we rode along the pull of the trailer slowly became familiar again and we soon tuned into bike. We also started noticing all the folks noticing us. As we waited for a light to change we looked over to see an truck driver leaning out the passenger window of his eighteen-wheeler taking our picture!
We hit our first big climb right outside Cleveland and I was really feeling the grade. Susan, on the other hand, kept telling me that she was feeling great and that it wasn�t as bad as she had expected. I hate it when she does that, because now I have to pedal harder and tell her these are the easy ones. The hard ones are still ahead. These weren�t easy but I did know that the toughest climb was still ahead at the Cesar�s Head turn off.
It wasn�t long before we hit it and it was hard. We made it about 2/3�s of the way and had to stop for a rest. Luckily starting on hill was something we had practice while training for this trip. After a few minutes rest we were on our way and quickly reeled it in. We rode on and before long we pulled into Aunt Sue�s. By now I was beat.
As we ate our lunch Susan continued to go on and on about how much easier it was than she had expected. It looked to me she could have the decency too at least acted tired. So it was with a fake grin on my face that I saddled back up to reel in the last 3 hills before the park. We finally wobbled into the camp around 4:00. By now I didn�t care what she thought and I collapsed on the picnic table and didn�t move for twenty minutes. Let her set up the tent.
We broke one record from my previous trip that day though. We did not get rained on! The forecast was for scatter rain showers the next day, but today we were dry!
Tablerock to Hartwell
Miles: 53.1
Aver MPH: 55
Biking time:
Total Time:
Top speed:
Camp cost: $22.00
The day before I had struggled with leg cramps and they bothered me through the night as well. I kept thinking about that, and the strengthening rain. At 8:30 Rod and Cheryl came riding up to our camp in what was now a pouring rain. It was then I made a proposal.
I suggested we catch a ride with them to West Union, about 35 miles down the road. We could eat a breakfast there and then ride on to camp. They could ride as much as they wanted to and we would continue on. As we stood in the pouring rain it wasn�t a hard sell. The only problem was when we got to West Union it was still raining. After eating a fast food breakfast, our good friends then carried us the rest of the way to Hartwell State Park. We found a site and unloaded our stuff from their truck. About then the rain stopped. I have to admit, that with my sore legs, this was one time I was glad to have gotten rained out.
We were boiling some water for our pasta and chicken dinner. It called for 1 � cups of water and a � cup of milk. We had powdered milk for such an occasion and had mixed some up and poured it in. As we waited for it to come to a boil we sat at the table talking. As we sat there I pondered the thought of whether powdered milk would boil over as quickly as regular milk did. I had barely voice that notion when the top of our little pot popped off and a volcanic eruption of white froth came flowing out and onto the picnic table. There it rapidly flowed through the slots in the table and onto my left leg. It is amazing how quickly you can jump out from under a picnic table and start doing an Indian rain dance when you leg is covered with scalding milk! It was also about this time that the theme for this trip began to emerge.
On the way up to Table Rock my favorite riding shorts had broken a seam holding the padding in. This gave me a big saddle blister. As we were riding into the park, the intercom system we use to talk to each other, Tandem Talk, quit working. One of the headsets malfunctioned. At first I was thankful because I could no longer hear Susan singing She�ll Be Coming Around Mountain When She Comes, but it was also a pain to have to yell everything to each other. And that morning we had awoken to rain. This trip was becoming the trip of a thousands cuts, metaphorically speaking I hoped.
Hartwell to Calhoun Falls
Total miles: 108
Miles: 53.80
Aver MPH: 11.0
Biking time: 4:51.56
Total Time: 7:30:
Top speed: 31.0
Camp cost: $48.00
As we were riding into town a car passed us and pulled over. This makes me a little nervous as I watched the guy climb out of his car. As we got closer he asked if could take our picture. We do make an unusual sight going down the road. A big, bright orange tandem pulling a trailer stacked higher than the Beverly Hill Billy�s car, and looking a lot like a couple of homeless people on the move. We pedaled along and shortly we had covered the 38 miles to Iva.
We stopped at the local Hardee�s for lunch. While eating a group of local ladies came over to ask about our trip. This became the norm everywhere we went. They also always approached Susan. They tended to avoid me like the plague. Why is that I wonder?
As we were leaving town my plan was to stop at the library to send and check email. We found the library easy enough, but it was closed. On Sunday afternoon the library was closed. Slice.
Today�s ride was a two parter. The ride to Iva was nice and gentle rolling hills. The ride from Iva to Calhoun Falls was a much hiller ride. Lucky for us it was only about 16 miles. As we were riding to the State Park I remember the Latimer Inn. They catered to fisherman and it was a dry place to stay when I traveled through there 5 years ago. It is only a mile or so from the park so when I saw it I pulled in. This was the only time Susan said she would prefer to camp. As it turned out it was Ok, and we had the whole place to ourselves. The Innkeeper was an old hippy and we all hit it off well.
I knew there was a restaurant down the road and our new friend called to make sure they were open. Of course they were not. He called the only other one in town and they too where closed. He then offered to fix us something but we had planned to cook that night so we just prepared our supper ourselves.
After eating we were watching TV and my glasses lens fell out. A screw about a nano-inch long had fallen out and the lens just popped out. Popped out. And the screw was totally lost. Another nick and it was beginning to look like we were going to make those thousand cuts. Luckily I had a back-up pair.
