Tag: Natchez Trace

Natchez Trace Tour – Final Thoughts

It’s been over a week since I competed my van-assisted tour of the Natchez Trace with the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA). I’ve had time to reflect on things. Here are some thoughts.

Tour Administration

I signed up for a tour that began in Nashville, a 10-hour drive from home. Day 1 of the tour was supposed to involve a 9-hour shuttle ride from Nashville to Natchez. Apparently previous participants found this unappealing. (I can’t argue with that.) A week or so after I committed and paid for the tour, I was notified that the tour would begin in Jackson, Mississippi, a 15-hour drive away. It would still involve a shuttle from the end in Nashville back to Jackson. I was notified that if I wanted to return to Jackson at the end of the ride, I would have to cough up an additional $75 for a seat on the shuttle. Finally, the itinerary was changed to include a 90-mile day. These changes gave me the impression that the entire operation was amateurish.

Participants were also advised that it would be wise to bring a light-weight road bike instead of a heavy touring bike. The Mule, which I long ago altered with easier gearing for touring, has carried me on 8 loaded tours over 10,000 miles. The Mule was not amused.

Fortunately, once I was on-site, the mishigas stopped and the tour itself was well-run.

After the tour, I received an email with a link to a feedback survey from the tour organizers at Adventure Cycling. Like most people, I have filled out dozens of on-line surveys without incident. This survey was a Microsoft product that failed to accept my login information. Try as I might, I couldn’t crack the secret of launching the survey. I have never encountered survey software this lame before. I ended up sending an email with some feedback to Adventure Cycling instead.

Operational Aspects

The tour co-leaders were Jeff and Beth Ann, both of whom are very experienced. The experience showed. There was a system to every aspect of the tour. The whole thing went off like clockwork with only a couple of glitches that were easily resolved.

Shopping for and cooking dinner, breakfast, and lunch was the responsibility of the riders, organized into groups of two or three people each day. It was obvious that the idea of rushing through a long ride to shop for food so that the rest of the riders could eat before dark was unappealing. We all knew this cooking and shopping arrangement was part of the tour but the reality of it just didn’t sink in until the second 70+ mile day. Remarkably, each group had a creative chef and support crew. Vegetarian options were provided which is quite a trick when cooking outdoors for 15 people. Also, Jeff taught us how to make coffee using a French press. Suffice it to say, bicycle tourists drink the stuff by the gallon and it was very good.

On the second day we were confronted with a situation near Jackson. Traffic is quite heavy in this area. Trail users are normally required to use a side path but the path was under construction. The tour leaders offered a shuttle ride past the problem area and we all accepted the lift. Safety first.

The 90-mile day began with a long, steep-ish climb from our lakeside campground back to the Trace. Some of the riders were already tired from three long days. It became clear that most of the riders wanted nothing to do with the either the distance or the climb and requested a “push”, a shuttle ride 20 or so miles into the route. The tour leaders met this request without drama. (It’s a serious pain to load and unload the bikes onto the roof of the van so the leaders’ cooperation was not without significant effort.) I decided to ride the whole 90 miles. Jeff had told us of a stone wall (a man’s tribute to a relative who walked the Trail of Tears) that was a must see along the route. There was no wayfaring information on the Trace so we would have missed this otherwise. It was beyond cool. Unfortunately, with 90 miles to cover in a day, I felt I couldn’t stay at the wall more than a few minutes. (As it was I was the last person to finish for the day.)

Tour Lowlights

Sleep: For some reason I struggle to sleep on bike tours. Camping, hotels, Warmshowers…it doesn’t matter. I don’t think I had more than 4 continuous hours of sleep on any night during the tour. When I arrived home, I slept like a log for 3 straight nights.

My Back: Whenever I was off the bike, I had back pain, caused by my lumbar spinal stenosis. Lugging things to and from the trailer, hefting my bike up to Jeff on the roof of the van, not consistently doing my therapy exercises, poor sleep, and driving 15 hours to the start all contributed to an incessant dull ache in my lower back whenever I was on my feet. (I had no such pain while riding, however.) Once home, I switched to riding Big Nellie, my Tour Easy recumbent, for a week and got back on my therapy routine. It feels much better now but I am still thinking of getting a referral to a surgeon.

The Fixed Itinerary: I didn’t think about this when I signed up but normally I draft an itinerary for all my tours. Each day’s ending point is determined by the availability of a place to sleep. If I am feeling spunky, I ride farther (I’ve done more than 100 miles in a day several times). If I’m dragging, I take a short day or an off day. On an organized tour, you pretty much are locked into an itinerary. Not much of a lowlight, but I wanted to mention it anyway.

Waiting: It takes quite a long time to cook and clean up dinner for 15. It’s nice to have company but the waiting can get irritating. It’s worth noting that the leaders’ organization helped keep this under control.

Truck Sewer: The drive to and from Jackson was especially stressful on I-40 in Tennessee. The truck traffic was incredibly heavy. From time to time the trucks would clog both lanes and traffic would go from 70 to 0 without warning. Ugh.

Tour Highlights

Weather: Days began in the 40s with temperatures rising above 55 degrees within an hour or so. It rained for a grand total of 15 minutes. Once. Humidity was low until the last day. Darn near perfect

Bugs: Except for a spider bite on the first or second day, I saw virtually no evidence of bugs. This sucks for the frogs and birds but it was pretty amazing for bike riders and campers.

The Road: The Natchez Trace does not allow commercial truck traffic. The pavement reflects this. It was smooth nearly the entire way. There were occasional expansion joints but these were the exception. There was very little wild life. Road kill was minimal (but the armadillo was pretty cool).

Windsor Ruins: Windsor Ruins is about ten miles off the Trace. The road surface was rougher and the terrain was hillier. It was worth the extra effort.

Wichapi Stone Wall: This thing was amazing. I could have spent well over an hour there. It’s only a few hundred yards off the Trace. A must see.

Cypress Swamp: We rode through a cypress swamp on the third day. There’s a boardwalk but you can also see the swamp from the road. Spooky. (No, we didn’t see any gators.)

Scenery: Leaving Jackson on Day 3 we rode by a 50-square-mile acre reservoir. Other than this and the cypress swamp, the Trace passes through woods and small farm fields for the entire route. With mostly very light traffic (except near Jackson and Tupelo), no turns, no stop signs, and no traffic lights, the Trace is hard to beat for losing yourself. (If you want to you can park your bike and take a walk along the Old Trace footpath. Just the thing for the tired cyclist.)

Showers: Getting into the vibe of a long bicycle tour typically includes a few days in a row without showers at night. Not that I find this appealing. We had showers on all but one night. Well played ACA!

Leadership on the Ground: Jeff and Beth Ann were both very experienced tour leaders but they had never led a tour together . They complemented each other like Astaire and Rogers. Jeff is the chill-est human on the planet. Beth Ann is a bit more frenetic. They were organized, knowledgeable, helpful, and utterly professional.

The Riders: I’m an introvert and find that self-supported solo touring is my preferred way to ride. It’s remarkable that I can only think of one unpleasant bike tourist I have dealt with in all my time on the road. Even so, putting 13 people together on a tour is pushing your luck. Fortunately, our Natchez Trace group of 13 riders was remarkably harmonious. And old. Eight of the 13 riders were between the ages of 69 and 74. And fit. Dang, some of these old folks can move! And pretty good at cooking. And intellectually diverse: we had, among other things: a doctor, lawyer, bank examiner, economist, professor of environmental science, farmer, and eagle expert. We heard funny stories about life on a submarine (don’t press the red button) and the full contact ballroom dancing.

Food: One of my biggest problems on a bike tour is eating well. Peanut butter on tortillas is my go to. I have been known to inhale a Pop Tart or four for breakfast. One big advantage of this tour is that the food was pretty darn good.

Three More States: I added 3 states (Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee) to my list of states biked in. I’m now up to 41. If I had thought about it, I easily could have driven to Louisiana and Arkansas. Oh well.

Natchez Trace Tour: Day 9 – Get Back

Last night the tour group went out for Greek food and ice cream to celebrate our adventure. Sadly we had to pass on the Loveless Cafe which is something of a legendary place hereabouts. The biscuits are to die for, so they say.

In the morning we had hotel breakfast (lame), made ourselves lunches, and loaded the bikes one last time on top of the van for the drive back south to Jackson. Josh and Denise stayed behind to continue their vacation separately. There were handshakes and hugs.

The remaining 13 of us piled into the van and seven hours later were back in Ridgeland where we started. Rolf, Mark, and John-the-Fastest headed home. Beth Ann took the van and trailer to DC. More hugs and handshakes. Mike, Greg, Melissa, David, Jeff, Heather, Virginia, and I stayed behind and had dinner at a pizza place. After that Greg and Melissa headed off to another hotel. More hugs and handshakes.

The 15 of us were a remarkably harmonious group. No drama. Just some bitching and moaning from some old guy from Mount Vernon, Virginia.

Tomorrow those that remain will hit the road.

———

I neglected to mention a few things about the tour in previous posts.

Bugs: There were nearly no bugs on this tour. Normally you get mosquitoes in your tent if you forget to zip it closed. Not one got in my tent.

Coal rolling: A few of us were coal rolled (deliberately spewing black exhaust) by a pick up truck driver.

Old and on the way: Of the 13 riders, six were at least 70 years old. Two more (both John’s) were 69. We kept up with the five youngsters just fine.

The F Word: Each day featured 14 riders, one of whom was either Jeff or Beth Ann riding sweep. This works out to more than 6,800 rider-miles. We had one flat. Jeff was gracious to take the hit for the team.

Tour Leader Jackpot: I did not hear one cross word, not the slightest complaint, about our tour leaders, Beth Ann and Jeff. They worked their butts off for us and even arranged for near perfect weather, including a much appreciated tailwind on the last day.

I’ll do one more post-mortem post about the tour later this week. Hopefully, I then can transfer an edited version as a journal on Cycleblaze.com.

Natchez Trace Tour: Day 8 – Summertown to Nashville

The lawn where we camped at Chris and Rob’s home is lush. It made for perfect tent sleeping. Not that I slept well but still…

Having access to our hosts’ kitchen menace could have loaded baked potatoes for dinner (I was stuffed) and co-leader Jeff’s amazing scrambled eggs (cooked slowly with buttermilk).

Rob arranged for the local police to help us get back to the Trace (we were four miles away) safely. I left a bit early and missed the escort. What a cool thing for the police to do.

Just before the Trace we stopped at the Meriwether Lewis National Monument . He was either killed or committed suicide. in any event, the monument is his grave.

Here lies “the dust” of Meriwether Lewis

Back on the Trace the riding conditions were once again nearly perfect. Temperatures in the low 60s with sunny skies and a gentle tailwind.

About ten miles we encountered a 400+ foot climb of a mile or so. It was granny-worthy; I pedaled up the beast at a steady 4.2 mph. It was a big effort but would have been brutal with a fully loaded touring rig.

A wee waterfall in a creek

The landscape we passed through is mixed forest. There was little understory perhaps because this is the early Spring. The trees in this area are a few weeks from fully leafing. This allowed the building tailwinds (and sunlight) to push us along.

A view from an overlook

Until we took a rest break at 26 miles I was feeling surprisingly strong (thanks, no doubt, to the tailwinds) once underway again I felt sluggish. Maybe the 200+ feet of climbing in the next four miles had something to do with that.

By the time we stopped at 46 miles I was pretty pooped. I ate all my munchies to no avail. I headed out for the final push with Greg who was riding in an upright position on a heavy hybrid bike.

We plodded along accordion-style. I’d get way ahead on downhills. He’d close the resulting gap on the uphills.

The terrain seemed to have an infinite number of rolling hills. Finally at 60 miles they came to an end and we were treated to a 3-mile, 300-foot descent.

The Mule Abides near the Northern Terminus

We’re turned off the Trace a mile or so before the northern terminus to head to our hotel. The tradition is to have a celebratory meal at the Loveless Cafe but it was too soon after lunch. Greg used his GPS map to guide us through the streets outside Nashville to our hotel, the Hotel Avery.

I found out at the desk that the tour included a shared room. I had booked a single room separately. The hotel manager was super helpful in getting the conflict resolved.

Tonight we’re going out to dinner at a Greek restaurant nearby. I fear I’m going to fall asleep in my souvlaki.

I am knackered. According to Virginia, one of the riders, Bike Tour Midnight is 8 p.m.

Tomorrow we shuttle seven hours back to Ridgeland near Jackson.

Miles today: 67.5 Tour miles: 490.5

Natchez Trace Tour: Day Six – Tupelo area RV park to Tishimingo State Park

I neglected to mention that the second half of yesterday’s ride included light rain and 3/4 headwinds. The combination made the last 30 miles quite chilly but my rain jacket worked its wonders and I was comfy.

Today began with team Denise, Dave, and me serving breakfast and laying out lunch food. The real work was getting up early and cleaning things up. The food prep sounds trivial but we were serving 15.

After another night of next to no sleep, I was determined to ride slowly. I had plenty of company. Most of us were feeling the hurt after back-to-back long days.

It was quite chilly (40s) when we woke and only gradually warmed to 60 degrees. And yesterday afternoon’s headwind was back.

Pedal, pedal. Try to stay awake.

I did not go to Elvis’s birthplace in Tupelo. It would have added 22 miles to the day.

Overlook #1

There were three overlooks. I was in a bike trance and missed the turn for #2. Suck it up, dear reader.

Denise and Josh at Overlook #3
Melissa’s cool recumbent
Pharr Mounds
Awesome lichens
Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway

Today’s ride also featured more hills, albeit gradual ones, than previous days. We are entering the Appalachian foothills of Tennessee. Tomorrow’s ride will be similar but 90 miles. It will be a 3-state ride. (Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee.

We are lucky; the weatherman is forecasting a big tailwind.

Thank you, Jesus.

Miles today: 55. Tour miles: 333

Natchez Trace Tour: Day 4 – Ridgefield to French Camp

Last night the group had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. I ate most of my burrito, rice, and refried beans. The food was meh but I would have eaten an uncooked sombrero I was so hungry. The cold Corona was refreshing.

After dinner we had our nightly logistics meeting. It’s helpful for routing changes, interesting sites, and the location of water and restrooms.

My hotel room had a TV that would turn on automatically. The front desk clerk tried mightily to fix it. Ultimately, I reached behind the TV and pulled the power cord. No TV. No problem.

After hotel breakfast we gathered in the parking lot where we made sandwiches and grabbed snacks for the ride. (There are no commercial services on the Trace.) I made two PB&Js and grabbed two Nutty Butter bars. The latter being my new go-to food for instant energy.

After 3 miles we re-joined the Trace for the next 79 1/2 miles. The total elevation gain for all 83.5 miles was just shy of 1,600 feet, less than 20 feet per mile. It just can’t get any more level than that.

And the weather, including a light tailwind, was perfect.

There wasn’t much in the way of wildlife today. Three downy egrets, a couple of ospreys, and one sunbathing turtle. No gators

The first 20 or so miles was along a 50 square mile reservoir.

Miles and miles of views of this reservoir

inadvertently gave a distress signal to Beth Ann in the passing Adventure Cycling van. She pulled over at the next turn out. As it happened, she was right next to some stairs leading to a walkway into a cypress swamp. So cool!

Cypress swamp. Spooky. No gators.
Halfway point rest stop with the van and trailer
Hills? Really? Not quite yet.

There were numerous turn outs for signs describing various activities of white settlers, Choctaw Indians, French settlers, and Grant’s Army of the Tennessee: Stuff happened near here. It didn’t last long. There’s not much to see.

The signs get old after a while.

We passed Kosciusko. I didn’t go to the cultural center. All I know is that Oprah Winfrey was born there.

The last twenty miles were something of a grind. Even paradise can get boring. Most of the group was cruising along at 15 mph, give or take.

We are at a place called French Camp, spread out among multiple buildings. I’m sharing one house with two other riders. There are two proper beds and a sofa bed. I decided to sleep on the sofa. NBD.

Tonight’s dinner was chicken fajitas, cooked by three group members. Tomorrow my group of three (Denise, David, and me) cook dinner. It will be a 70 mile day with headwinds so the logistics of food shopping are going to be challenging.

We make lunch at 7:30 am and eat breakfast st 8. Bike touring life can be like that.

Miles today: 83.5 Tour miles: 205

Natchez Trace Tour Day 2: Natchez to Rocky Springs Campground (April 8)

After a hotel breakfast we loaded our non-biking gear into the van, gathered our lunch and snacks , and pedaled a mile and a half though Natchez to the start of the Trace.

It was chilly and I wore multiple layers. I was overdressed and stopped three times in the first two hours to de-layer.

The road surface on the Natchez Trace Highway is perfect. The terrain went from level to gentle up- and down-slopes.

After 13 miles we left the Trace for a mile to check out Emerald Mound, the second largest Indian mound in the country dating from 1300 to 1600. It features two tiers and is enormous.

The lower portion and right half of Emerald Mound

Back on the Trace we cruised along for another 20 miles. There we left the Trace to check out Windsor Ruins. These columns are what remains of a massive plantation house that burned to the ground in 1890 when a party guest dropped a lit cigarette.

Windsor Ruins
In Port Gibson, we briefly rode on Highway 61, the famous Blues Highway

This side trip was hillier and bumpier than the main route. We were ducking wind until the descent into Port Gibson where we raided a small grocery store (that was once a Piggly Wiggly).

After snacks and drinks we continued on for another 17 miles to Rocky Springs campground. We were expecting pit toilets but were happy to see actual restrooms (with no showers and no potable water).

We’ve been stopping at nearly every historical sign, most of which seem to describe Grant’s grind toward nearby Vicksburg.

Dinner was a feast cooked by Jeff and Beth Ann our tour leaders. No complaints from my tummy.

I neglected to mention The Mule hit 79,000 miles recently.

The Mule Abides

Miles today: 73.5 Tour miles: 86.5

Come On Baby, Drive South

My training taper is done. I did 53 miles on Monday then 20, 30, 28, and 30. The last 30 miler was today. I slept not a wink last night and wondered if I was a little insane for riding to Friday Coffee Club. It was unbelievably 70+ degrees when I stepped outside to start the ride. There were a couple of minutes of light rain about halfway to DC but otherwise the conditions could not have been better.

The ride home featured a mild tailwind which was just what my groggy head needed. I had a shower and a snack then hit the sofa for a much needed two-hour snooze. (Tonight I am taking Gabapentin to make sure I am rested tomorrow.)

We were instructed to bring only two bags for the organizers to transport. I was also told that I could not leave my pannier on my bike for the shuttle on Monday from Jackson to Natchez. There was no way I could pack the pannier in either of my two bags. Then I got an idea…

After some of my tours, I shipped my bike home using a bike shop at my destination and Bike Flights, a shipping service. My gear had to either get checked at the airport or go on a train. The easiest way to do this and minimize baggage charges was to buy a cheap duffle bag at the destination city and put all my on-bike stuff in it.

When I started packing for this trip, I could only find one duffle bag. I am certain that I have at least four, one from each tour to the west coast and another from my trip to Key West. After some groping around in a closet, I found another duffle. In about ten minutes I had re-organized my luggage. Duffel number one contains my off-bike gear. Duffel number two contains camping gear and my pannier. When we get to Natchez, I will put my rain gear, a third bottle (insulated), and a few small items in the pannier. There are three nights when we stay indoors, so I won’t need to open the camping duffel which will simplify things. I have a third small duffel that contains clothing for the trip home. It will stay in my car.

The Day One shuttle from Jackson to Natchez involves putting our bikes on the roof of the van and putting our luggage in a trailer. The other day, one of the trip leaders said we should bring a small backpack for this two-hour drive and for riding around Natchez. Um, what happened to the two-bag rule? Yeah, well..

I am not bringing a back pack. My handlebar bag, cane, water bottle and helmet won’t fit so I’ll likely use a tall kitchen garbage bag instead.

After re-jiggering my baggage, I put everything but my off-bike bag in the car and attached the trunk rack. In the morning I’ll put my small toiletry and medicine bags in the remaining duffel, drop the Mule on the rack, and take off for points south. The drive will take 15 hours so I am planning on staying in Chattanooga (9 hours away) or Birmingham, 11 hours away. I gain an hour on the way so I can easily make Jackson on Sunday in time for check in.

As for weather conditions for the ride, it looks like we are in luck. There is likely to be some flooding of the Mississippi when we get to Natchez but the tour heads northeast, away from the river. Prevailing winds will be out of the south for five of the seven days including the two hardest days at the end of the ride. No rain is forecast for the entire week. We will deal with cold temperatures (40s) on our first couple of days of riding, after that temperatures will rise from mid-50s to mid-80s. That’s about as good as it gets!

13 hours to lift off….

Prepping for Spring and Beyond

Carpal Tunnel Recovery Update

The recovery from carpal tunnel surgery is going splendidly. Immediately after the surgery my hand was so weak that I was restricted to lifting anything heavier than a paperback book. Yesterday, 23 days from the surgery, I easily lifted The Tank and, later, The Mule onto my bike rack. The next milestone will be when I can comfortably do a bird dog pose during my daily stretching routine. My guess is that will happen next week.

I no longer have any stitches or steri strips on my incision site. I keep it covered with an oversized band-aid to be on the safe side.

Bike Physicals

As I alluded to above, I took The Tank to Beth at Bikes at Vienna for its annual physical and picked up The Mule. Beth spec’ed Wolf Tooth cushy handlebar tape for The Mule. It seems a bit like overkill but I suspect that I won’t feel that way once I get the bike out on the road. Once I try this tape out, I’ll decide what kind of tape to put on The Tank.

I had Beth install a Paul Mini-moto v-brake on the front wheel of the Mule. I had installed one on the back a couple of years ago and love it. Mini-motos brake better (I can even skid) and are much easier to adjust. Moreover, they disengage much more easily when changing tires. No more knocking the brake pads out of alignment for me.

Natchez Trace

Having signed up for a one-week, van-supported tour of the Natchez Trace Parkway I did a little research on what I am up against.

Adventure Cycling rates this as Level 4 out of 5 for difficulty. I think the rating reflects the fact that there are three days between 72 and 82 miles. They will certainly be a challenge but most of the route isn’t very hilly. Judging from some Strava metrics I have seen, the rides around my neighborhood have about 30 feet of elevation gain per mile. That’s less than all but two days on the tour.

I also checked how this compares to my ride up the Maine coast in 2022. Google Maps says that from Wells to Bar Harbor is 220 miles and 8,200 feet of elevation gain, 37 feet per mile. I handled this without much trouble. And it’s much less than the 45 feet per mile between Lexington and Damascus Virginia that I did last summer. I did both those rides unsupported. It’ll be nice not to have 35 pounds of stuff on my bike for this tour.

StartFinishMilesElevation Gain in FeetFeet Per Day
Day 1NatchezRock Springs611,33222
Day 2Rock SpringsRidgeland4891219
Day 3RidgelandFrench Camp821,45018
Day 4French CampShannon701,60023
Day 5ShannonTishomingo541,20022
Day 6TishomingoHohenwald792,90037
Day 7HohenwaldNashville622,18535
Total45611,57925

I have several friends who have ridden or driven the Trace and they all say it’s pretty and pretty easy.

I also will be taking one or two days off before the tour to drive to Nashville so I’ll have fresh legs. The tour starts April 7 which gives me a little over six weeks of time to prepare my aging carcass for the effort.

Hurry Spring!

Some Ride/Hike Ideas for 2016

About a year ago I was admonished by a friend for sounding wishy washy regarding my 2015 vacation plans. “Stop planning. All we have is today” was her way of saying don’t plan, DO!  Irony alert: in January 2014 she told me of her plans to obtain certification to teach in DC schools and to open a business. She followed through on none of it, eventually leaving town. Even so, she had a point.

I suck at advance planning. Somehow I managed to do a bike tour, a non-bike trip around the world, nearly a dozen day hikes, half a dozen bicycling events, and take in a bunch of Nationals games. So with that in mind I began thinking about things to do in 2016.

I anticipate one non-biking vacation (to Sweden and thereabouts) to visit my daughter.  (A return to Thailand in the dry season would be nice but I can’t face the 18 hours of flying right now. Maybe 2017.) That will leave plenty of vacation time. So here are some ideas I am tossing around in my head.

Hiking: there are still many, many hikes to do in the Shenandoah National Park. Also, I have barely scratched the surface of hiking in nearby Maryland and Pennsylvania along the Appalachian Trail. One possibility is to gear up and do some overnights. I have never done this and it would be an interesting extension of my day hikes (not to mention save on driving home after a day’s worth of hiking).

Biking Events: WABA swears that it’s going to offer a century ride this year.  If it works into my schedule, I’ll definitely do it. Then there are the usual events: Vasa, Cider, 50 States, Backroads, and Great Pumpkin. I’ve done all of these several times, but the Backroads course was moved to West Virginia this year. I was in Australia and missed it. I can’t wait to do the new version. Two more that I keep threatening to do are RAGBRAI and the Five Boro Ride in New York City. Both of them are cattle drives. Both offer logistical challenges. Some of what follows are a lot easier to do.

Bike Trails: There are all kinds of cool trails around here that I haven’t ridden. Here’s a list of Virginia trails:

  • The Virginia Capital Trail goes between Williamsburg and Richmond. This could be a fun 2-day deal or a long single day ride.
  • High Bridge State Park down near Farmville and Appomattox looks really cool with a long, high bridge.
  • The Virginia Creeper Trail is a bit of a drive from DC. It’s only 34 miles but could be a beast of an out and back ride.
  • The New River Trail is a 57-mile trail that looks really promising with 30 trestles and bridges and two tunnels. This is a two-day ride with camping I think.

In Pennsylvania the Pine Creek Rail Trail runs 63 miles through the Grand Canyon of the East. Looks like a good overnight camping round trip to me.

Bike Tours: Right now I have eight possibilities on my list. All in the Eastern U.S.

  • Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway: This is a monster tour, 578 miles from Front Royal, Virginia to Cherokee, North Carolina. How the hell I’d get back is anybody’s guess. It’s also super hilly so I figure I’d be lucky to average 45 miles per day, 13  days of riding. This could be beyond my physical abilities. (Never stopped me before.)
  • The Natchez Trace: This 444 mile road is truck free. Tack on another 90 miles or so and the route would go from Nashville to New Orleans. Logistics on this one is a bit pricey (two bike flights). Bike Friday to the rescue?
  • Figure 8 in Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York: Adventure Cycling has two routes that form a figure 8. One loops around Lake Champlain, the other does a lap of the Adirondack Park. This one would be logistically pretty easy as I have family in the Albany area where the Adirondack route begins. The total distance exceeds 700 miles. The riding in Vermont and upstate New York is incredibly nice. Also weather up yonder is pretty much perfect for cycling in June – August.
  • La Route Verte: There are over 5,000 kilometers of marked bike routes in Quebec. The possibilities are endless. Then there is the interesting prospect of conversing in my horrid, mostly forgotten high school French. The idea of cycling to Quebec City, which I have never seen, or around Montreal is pretty intriguing. Getting there is a bit of a haul, but c’est la vie.
  • A New Kind of Rail Trail – North: Amtrak now has roll on bike service on the East Coast. Theoretically (relying on Amtrak is always an iffy proposition) I could take my bike on a trail and ride to Brunswick Maine, then ride up to Acadia National Park and ride all or part way home.
  • A New Kind of Rail Trail – South: Alternatively, I could take the train to Florida, ride to Key West, ferry to Tampa and ride across the state to Amtrak in Miami. Or just ride home.
  • Around Lake Michigan: This one starts in Monroeville, Indiana, one of the most bike touring friendly small towns in the US. It heads north through lower Michigan into the Upper Peninsula. Then across to Wisconsin and returns by crossing Lake Michigan on a ferry.  It’s 1,100 miles. Logistics would be simplified by using my in-laws house in north central IN as an alternative starting point.

In the increasingly likely (yet still somewhat improbable) possibility that I retire there is this:

  • The Trans Am/Western Express/Northern Tier Cross Country Ride: There remains a faint possibility that I might retire this year. If so, adios, amigos! I don’t know which route I’d take but the possibilities are numerous. The Trans Am is the classic route from Yorktown to the Oregon coast through Yellowstone. The Western Express shortens the Trans Am by taking a b-line across Utah and Nevada for California. The Northern Tier goes close to the US-Canada border.

Once I find out when the WABA Century and the Sweden trip will happen, I’ll pick two of the tours and as many events and hikes as my aging bones can handle.