Charlottsville, VA to Lexington, VA
Yet another superb day for cycling! I was super-psyched for the climb today that I hardly slept last night and the Blue Ridge Parkway did not disappoint.
I rolled into Lexington at 2.45pm, an incredible early finish. Once I was over the pass, I simply flew down the mountain and pushed hard for the remaining 18 miles on flat terrain. I even thought about pushing on to the next town, another 30km or so but I decided to spend more time chilling at the hotel. My legs deserve it after today's exploits!
The day started in the best possible fashion: waffles with maple syrup for breakfast!I left the hotel at 7.15am and made good time to Afton, located at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I spent a few minutes checking out the facilities of the well-known (at least she is known to cyclists) Cookie Lady but it was all quiet and all the doors were locked so I pushed on. The Afton hill was pretty mean! However, the grades on the BRP are easier so I could keep an eye on the scenery of this celebrated All American road. The ascent to the highest point of 3300 feet was hard but not as tough as I expected. The air was incredibly fresh despite the high temperatures and I felt in superb shape. Once I began to climb my muscles warmed up nicely and the pedal strokes action was smooth and steady. And yet my legs felt heavy last night, I think adrenaline takes care of tiredness and I think the cool air helped and the fantastic views left and right made the effort so worthwhile. I had been reading so much about the BRP that it was simply incredible to be able to ride my bicycle on it. Just a few passing cars and several riders roared by on the way up. By the way, not a clever generalization but interesting nonetheless: all motorcycle riders here are pretty fat, have tattoos and mustaches. The girls aren't that skinny either and they all wear leather pants.
In the 27 miles on the BRP I gained an elevation of 5000 ft (1524mt). I stopped several times to take pictures as the many overlooks provided awesome views of Virginia. Just when I thought that this State had fantastic countryside and farmlands, I can see now that mountains are also a special feature of Virginia, a state so rich in its diversity. I stopped at the top of the highway and asked one of the bikers to take my picture with Western Virginia in the background. I was completely soaked in sweat and the cool breeze made me feel really cold. I was therefore anxious to get back on the pedals. After 27 miles of climbing, I left the BRP and began the short, terrifying descent to Vesuvius. The grades were ridiculously steep as the road drops about 1500 feet over 3 miles. I think the descent was more energy-consuming than the climb, with a windy steep road and several hairpin curves. At one point coming down the mountain I hit the speed of 63kph and I thought I was going to come off the road and start flying through the trees. After that I just held the handlebar so tight that my hands were sore and numb. I stopped once on the descent to let the brakes cool down for fear of them melting. I touched the rim with my finger and it was so hot I almost got burnt!!
The quick descent led to Vesuvius which is a dead town, with a solitary train track and a tiny train station. The only store in town was closed and I was itching to get liquids in me. In fact, I had one problem with restocking on water today. As I planned to stock on water according to the stops outlined in the map (and I always plan this very carefully), the two stores from the BRP to Lexington that were supposed to be open were both closed. I ran out of water on the top of the mountain so I had to push from the top of the BRP to the end, a 25 miles strecht, without water. By the time I got to Lexington I was so thirsty, I had no voice and my throat was so dry that I lunged at the first grocery store! I gulped down two liters of water before I could even pay for them. The lady at the counter offered me lemonade, I must have looked miserable!
I am now resting happily thinking about the wonderful views of the BRP. I hope you enjoy the pics I selected for today's report.
My ride began at the foot of the Appalachians
Locals showing magnanimity
Here we go!
Elevation..
Resting on the way up
Views from the top
Stunning views from BRP
I made it!
Highest point
The beginning of a very effortful descent
:-[
ReplyDeleteBRAVO LUIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIn Barbados we are living vicariously through your reports - how amazing and brave you are;God speed - YMG sent me the blog, Good luck.
ReplyDeleteBlue Ridge Parkway!!!! So envious Luigi! Go go go!!!! =D
ReplyDeleteGood for you Lui!! While you are climbing mountains, I'm battling a 4yr old desperate for lip gloss and nail polish!! Great to see you again in one of the pics. Looking nice and toned ;) The ride down sounded like my personal nightmare. The brakes on my first car failed me coming down a precarious hill in T&T once...a close call to say the least.
ReplyDeleteWaffles and syrup dont sound like much...did you have like 10 of them and a ton of fruit too or what? Patrick sends his regards and encouragement for you to keep going. Go Lui Go!!
Hi Luigi! I think it’s going to be very difficult coming back to work, waking up each morning knowing that you will be sitting in an office in front of a computer, dreaming about your journey. Having said that, I believe we may just be living vicariously through your daily adventures. As you are surfing down the steepest hills with only just the slightest efforts on your breaks, we, the reader, hold our breath, praying for a positive outcome. Although we know that you are OK, obviously, your exhilarating literature keeps us wondering. Keep yourself hydrated at all times and keep the electrolytes flowing through your system. GOOD LUCK ON YOUR NEXT STAGE! Maria
ReplyDeleteBella LUIGI come già altri ti hanno scritto sai trasmettere le tue emozioni al blog e uno non vede l'ora che arrivi per leggere le tue miglia attraverso i pedali. Vorrei sapere cosa pensi e come ti concentri quando la salita si fa dura ma capisco che sono troppe le cose che ti passano per la mente per raccontarle tutte. Rubo un saluto agli inglesi perchè mi piace troppo GOOD LUCK Micio
ReplyDeleteDear Luigi
ReplyDeleteVERY GOOD!!! I am very proud of you!!! You are doing very well! I am very happy that you decided to stop even if your arrival was earlier than forecast! This shows your responsibility! Sometimes even if you can think to have still energy, it is better to rest and save that energy for the day after!
But…..there is always a “but”
FIRST - What did I tell you on August 4??
Number 2) Bring with you a lot of water….especially if the weather is very hot. And what did you do?? You had problem with the restocking of water!!!! This should NEVER happen!!! Especially when you will go in the desert or in areas where there are few villages and it could be difficult to restock water….it can be very dangerous to remain without water!! Dehydration it is not an option!!! Then it is better to have a bottle more in your rucksack than run the risk to remain without water!!
SECOND – Monday (kidding) I told you not to exceed the speed limit….and Tuesday you really exceed the speed limit flying down the hill at 63 kph!!! Please don’t do it!!!!
Waiting anxiously your report of today!! I wish you a lot of fun!!! Your Coach
Mi estimado ciclista, me pregunto que paisajes estas viendo en estos momentos. Las fotos están preciosas! Me alegro que hasta el momento tengas dias preciosos donde la naturaleza te envuleve con su esplendor.
ReplyDeleteCariños!
Palabra del día: A Volar! :P
Hey Lu! The first picture of the day brought me some worrydom! I was beginning to think "well, what kind of journey did he embark on that has turned his bike into rusting metal, paint chips, no paddings for the handle bars and a ravaged bike seat..and is that a pink backpack barely hanging by the wheels and it is only day 3?" After scrolling further down and seeing the rest of the pics, I had a good rip roaring laugh, because it confirmed that my mind was truely having a moment. Great pics by the way. Anyhoot,I can only hope you take back your bike to DC in better condition than that.:)
ReplyDeleteI am glad that the climb did not wear you down. You seem even more motivated and enthusiastic...and on that note,I hope it is another winner for you tomorrow.
Dale que dale campeon!
ReplyDelete