We said goodbye to Allen today and left Warm Springs, Virginia wearing full rain gear. The sky looked very threatening today but it was not raining when we left. If we completed our goal today of 250 miles, we would end up in Marion, Virginia.
Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts have been our favorite so far and recently New Jersey beat out New York but every day since has been a real contender for the crown. We have been continually amazed at the fast forests and huge areas of farmland in Virginia and West Virginia. The roads we travel are varied. They range from small back highways that are just large enough to have lines painted down the middle to roads that used to be there years earlier, but now are almost completely reclaimed by the forest!
There was a road here once. Now it's just a game trail but still passable. Here's a quick video of this trail:
The draw of this abandoned field was too great. Who needs a road?
The rain was on and off all day. We were prepared so it didn't really bother us and it made for some really neat contrast between the downpour and the sunshine.
This is the view from our lunch stop! We were inside for this one and our bikes got a little cleaner.
Then it would clear for a while.
After we would break out of the forest, there was farmland forever.
These are Hay Rollups. Made with real hay. Cows love em.
We saw these two old cars. The green one is a Nash. Very cool- and it's for sale ($4400)!
It's Alive! The forests of Virginia and West Virginia are alive. OK - we've all see wildlife but this has really impressed us as something different. After spending some time here, you realize that there is life everywhere. Here's our encounters from the last two days:
1. Ground Hog: This guy was lumbering along the edge of the road and finally disappeared into the bushes as I pulled up.
2. Owl: Saw the same owl three times because it would fly ahead and land near the road ahead of us. 3. Hawks: Flushed out three big hawks from the trees near the road.
4. Deer: These are everywhere. We have seen as many fawns as adults. Hank must be wearing some sort of pheromone because he has almost gotten run into twice! The first time it missed his front wheel by only a few feet. The next time it jumped off the bank and almost T-boned him but it turned at the last second and ran along side him for a bit before turning back to the forest.
5. Fox: There was the group of pups the other day, and today there was just a single pup that I chased down the road a bit.
6. Black Bear: We feel so lucky to have seen two black bear! The first time was amazing: It jumped down off the bank on our right and with two big leaps, cleared the road and down a 15 foot almost vertical cliff on the left. We saw him briefly on the forest floor below before he was gone. I had no idea that a bear could move that fast. He looked like a dear but his big feet were throwing up dirt as he pushed off. Wow.
I tried to get pictures but I'm just not fast enough. This fawn was supposed to be following his mom and sibling but his curiosity got the best of him and he stopped to check us out.
We pulled into Marion, Virginia at 7:30 pm after being on the road for 12 hours. Exhausted but feeling good about the day.
Tomorrow we head south-west through Tennessee and North Carolina. We stop for the night in Hot Springs, North Carolina.
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