Day 54

 

58 Mile
We all woke up early. We didn't get on the road very early though. This was disappointing. I really wanted to get some miles in. The coast was so close. And I was losing my fear of mountains. My confidence was building.
When we finally set out. We stopped at the first town we came upon. There was a quilt and fabric fair of some kind. I explored a bit while the others were getting supplies. We all ate. More time passed. It was after noon when we were ready to go again. We stocked up on water. Shops and stops would be far between.
We encountered some big hills, and wind. The wind was actually terrible. The hills we were riding were forested and surrounded a large reservoir. It reminded me a bit of the Kinzua Reservoir. Even though the ride against the wind was terrible, I took it in stride. I wasn't letting it break me. I was accustomed to a slow pace. Although, one instance in my day's ride included having to pedal downhill to not lose momentum. The wind was stronger than the momentum gravity was giving me. I had to help gravity get me down the hill. It was work. I did catch a slight tail wind at one point. I relished it. I met up with the rest of the crew. The wind seemed to have broken their spirits. It was decided we should find a campsite. We talked to a few climbers and they suggested a National Forestry Service campsite a few miles up the road. We found it and split the cost. It was an amazing view over the water. Oh... And water...
Lily and I went swimming. It may or may not have doubled as bathing. Lily and I talked about our goals to get to the coast. The guys wanted to follow the ACA maps. Lily and I wanted to cut out the extra roads and head straight towards the mountains. We decided we would split off and meet the guys in a day or so.
After swimming we all cooked our dinners. I finally ran out of cooking fuel. But my food was delicious. Lily shared some of hers with me.
The sun was setting shortly after I laid down in my tent. I opened the fly and let the warm glow fill my tent.