The hostel was quite cold last night. And my knees were aching from yesterday’s hill fest. I didn’t sleep well.
At 8 I walked the block to the Damascus Diner where I ate dinner last night. I ordered “The Hogg” and I felt like one after eating it.
Before leaving town I stopped at a bike shop to use their floor pump. Next I headed along rolling country roads to Meadowview. It was a net gain of 100 feet of elevation over 15 miles.
The next 5.7 miles are a descent of about 500 feet to the town of Hayters (rhymes with highters) Gap.
Shortly after the town came the 3-mile, wooded climb to the eponymous gap at 3,000 feet. Fortunately, no trucks are allowed on this road so it is relatively safe despite numerous switchbacks.
I made the first mile without much difficulty. I could tell the grade was increasing with each switchback. I decided to climb 1/3rd to 1/2 mile then rest. This worked well for a mile. I stopped to rest and put both feet on the ground. When I went to start pedaling again, I couldn’t get enough momentum to keep from toppling over.
So I started walking. I soon discovered that pedaling bike up a grade at 3.2 mph is much harder than pushing it bike up at 2.9 mph. So I walked the last mile to the top.
The descent was equally steep, so much so that I stopped twice to let my rims cool.
I stopped for the day at a United Methodist Church bike hostel at Elk Garden, 33.5 miles for the day.
I’m accompanied by Peter from Los Angeles who is traveling light and arrived from Troutdale.
Tomorrow’s destination is the lodge at Breaks Interstate Park. Their restaurant closes at 4 and doesn’t reopen until Tuesday so I need to get up and ride. It’s about 50 miles with some short, steep hills.
Miles today: 33.5
Tour miles: 703
A Few Spokes Shy of a Wheel 
Corey and I took a layover day here. On the second day Corey mentioned that it would be great if the koreans showed up and fed us again. Around 3pm we flagged them down and they fed us and the Korean veteran who was the POC for the church. I fixed a loose stem on one of their bikes. I was amazed they made it that far without crashing because it was not tight at all on the steerer tube.
Sadly Peter from LA had no apparent cooking skills.
I’m amazed you’re already in the 700 mile range. Alas, it has been 14 days. Time flies.
The Hog looks like the kind of breakfast I’d eat in the UK. With the addition of black pudding. 🤤🤤
Wait til you see today’s buffet. Total oink