To Rocky Knob - Up The Parkways - CycleBlaze

May 18, 2013

To Rocky Knob

The fog creeps in

We shared breakfast this morning with Tim, a biker from Vermont we briefly hooked up with yesterday.  He stayed at the same motel as we did last night, and over breakfast he picked our brains for routing and lodging ideas.  I penciled out a map for him of the rather complicated route I'd planned for us to get back up to the Parkway - it goes through a series of minor roads and avoids either of the obvious highway choices, and looked like the quietest and most pleasant option.  He set off before us saying we'd probably catch up with him down the road on some slope - he was riding with a monstrous load by our standards, carrying weight that probably equalled the two of ours put together.

About an hour later, in spite of having the route mapped out on our GPS, we still managed to get turned around.  It made me anxious for Tim, and a bit mad at myself for having suggested this route to him in the first place.  I envisioned running into him later in the day, finding him frustrated and tired after stumbling around and lost, armed only with my pencil sketch.

At least the morning was dry - the storm had passed on in the night, leaving behind grey, cool skies; and, once we hit the Parkway, a dense fog.  In planning for this trip we heard of the possibility of fog and the importance of bringing suitable lighting.  We heard correctly and were glad we'd come well equipped.  We needed our lights today; and if you come, you probably will too.

The fog had its own beauty - it was a serene delight to cycle along the parkway as it continuously emerged before our eyes.  Eventually the fog lifted and left us with a cool and pleasant ride.  About midafternoon we caught up with Tim parked by the road at Mabry Mill, one of the most scenic spots of the parkway.  I was relieved to hear that my route had worked well for him, and let sheepish that he navigated it better than we had.

The day ended as it began, in the fog; and soon after we pulled in for the evening at Woodberry Inn, it began to rain.

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The parkway was eerie, traffic-free and beautiful
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Bikes at rest
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Mabry Mill
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Rachael, Tim, and his Comotion tank
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Foggy at the start, foggy at the end
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Today's ride: 66 miles (106 km)
Total: 127 miles (204 km)

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