Day 1: Baltimore, MD to Reston,VA
I left Baltimore around 12:30-1 pm. I arrived home after singing for a church service to find that my dog, Dodge, had chewed through all of the garbage I had set aside to take out after the service. This was a PERFECT way to start the trip! I was not in a very good mood, but I blew it off and hopped on my bike. The journey began!
Getting out of the city is always the challenge, and Baltimore was no exception. Even with directions, it always seems to be a jumbled mess. Roads don't hit roads they're supposed to, some are closed for construction, etc. But, eventually, I got out. I had do go through some sketchy neighborhoods, but that was expected.
I got further and further away, and it got prettier and prettier. I went by some forest/parks, down a winding hillside road that went along a creek--it reminded me of being home already :) I definitely walked a hill or two (some were just too steep for me and all my gear). Eventually I had to stop for a break. I stopped at the top of a hill in an area between Ilchester and Columbia. I had to keep checking the online basic google map versus my directions because some of the stuff I wrote down didn't seem right to me (plus, I didn't have a navigation app on my phone--for some reason we couldn't get it activated for the trip).
I started off again, and somehow missed my first road of the trip. No big deal, I guess. I had regular maps, my phone, and an atlas, so I could definitely make it up and find my way to Reston. To top it off, about 20 miles out of town the maps I had made for the first day went MIA--waaaaaaah waaaaaaaaaah. So, I made it to Laurel for a late lunch/early dinner, and then redid my directions for the afternoon.
Eventually I made it down to the DC area. And, like any city, the roads are funky because they're based around monuments, water, etc., so they don't necessary hit where they say they will according to the map. I had to stop a little before dusk and ask a gentleman who was walking his dogs where the path was that led to the Key Bridge (so I could cross the Potomac River and get to VA)--he was very kind and a cyclist himself. I ended up doing my first little bit of night cycling then--along the river, on a paved path. It was so peaceful and energizing.
I finally crossed the bridge, after having to backtrack up a steep hill to get on M Street. Once across the river, I realized I was really screwed without the maps I had made for the day, so I called the host family I was going to stay with for the night and asked them for a suggested route. They said because it was already dark and the route I was hoping to take was curvy, moonlit and had very little shoulder that I should just stay put and they'd come get me. I was about 15 miles away from my destination for the night, and after losing my maps and having to redo my route I didn't see it as such a big failure.
My host family was very sweet and welcoming. We talked the whole way to their house, they made me a burger at 10 pm and breakfast in the morning, and helped me get on my way/look over my maps before I left. Let's just say that day two wasn't much better... if not worse :) But, it was all part of the adventure.
Lesson Learned: Don't keep you laminated (or any) maps in your backpack's netted bottle holder--they'll fall out.
Day 2: Reston, VA to Wolf Gap, WV [Revised: Reston to Front Royal, VA]
I knew, because of how off track I had gotten on day 1, that I would more than likely not get to Wolf Gap by the end of the day. I didn't realize how long re-routing and second guessing yourself would take :D Oh well, I was going to give it my best shot. And, I probably would've come pretty darn close IF I hadn't made a huge & stupid error early in the morning.
I left my host family's house around 8 am, and went on my way. When I got to the first main road that I had to take, my directions said "Go South for about 3.5 miles...." Since the road didn't have north/south arrows, I grabbed my handy-dandy little compass just to check, and then went off in the direction that it said was "south". BAD IDEA. I should've just trusted my common sense! I know my cardinal directions very well--it's hard to get me turned around--but I was just plain stupid that morning (I think it was because my host family was getting really anxious, and in turn it made me anxious and discombobulated). So, after about FIVE miles and not seeing the road I was supposed to, going around and around on this little side streets, etc., I was getting really frustrated. I broke out the phone a few times and still couldn't figure it out. Then it dawned on me--it was about 10-10:30 in the morning, I was facing in the direction I had come from and the sun was on my left.... I was facing south. I just stood there for a second and let it sink in; I grabbed my compass and held it up as I faced south, and low & behold, it said I was facing "north". DAMMMMMMMMIIIIIIIITTTTTT!
So, after wasting a few hours that morning, I hopped on my bike, again, and headed off in the RIGHT direction. All I could do was laugh at myself. I kept on thinking, "Once my dad hears about this I'll NEVER live it down. It's like the time I went 'sand duning' in my car and got stuck." When I sat down for lunch, on the road that I was supposed to get to 3 hours earlier, I got out my maps and decided that I would get to Front Royal, VA, which was about 20-30 miles short of my original destination. No biggie! I'd still get a good 70-80 miles in for the day, backtracking included.
I made it to Front Royal around 8 or 8:30 pm. There were a few enormous hills that I had to walk, but I got there! The last hill is just before the town--and then it's a plunging downhill sweep into the town's center. I went to the first motel I saw, got a room, walked across the street to a local burger joint (which has DAMN GOOD burgers!), and then off to sleep.
Lesson Learned: Don't trust your CHEAP ASS compass that is part of a compass, thermometer, magnifying glass & whistle combo. It WILL lead you in the wrong direction, guaranteed.
Day 3: Wolf Gap, WV to Elkins, WV [Revised: Front Royal to Jerome, VA]
Front Royal is only about 25 miles from the border to WV. I figured I'd be to the border just after lunch time (because of the hills & whatnot). Then, I was planning on following my directions for the rest of the way home, hoping to make up for lost time once I got to the west side of WV/Ohio--Ohio is flat, so I was sure that it'd be a piece of cake after the Appalachians! Since I hadn't made any camping reservations for WV, where I slept each night wasn't a concern or problem.
Yet again, without fail, VA back roads threw me off, big time. It should've taken four hours TOPS for me to make it over the border, but that wasn't the case. I ended up skirting the border because of the extremely poorly marked (and gravel) roads. Many of the signs do not line up with the road they are supposed to represent; they roads meet at a four-way stop, but the signs go diagonal to both of them--which is which?! Also, to make it harder, many roads have multiple names or they change names as they curve around hills, mts, go over creeks, etc., and the maps that I had made didn't always have the multiple names. I had most of them, but then sometimes I didn't and had to wing it.
I made it to the Wolf Gap area in a in an insanely slow amount of time, and it was only downhill from there. For some reason, SR (state road) in VA equates to GRAVEL. And, being in the mountains, it's a pain in the ass. My first challenge was a hill on a road called "Mine Mountain Lane." It was a deviation off of Boyer Road, which is a side road after the eastern part of the George Washington Nat'l Forest--that place is BEAUTIFUL. I would highly recommend going there if you get the chance. I wove through Elizabeth Furnace (a lot of the town names have Furnace in them for some reason). Getting back to Mine Mountain Lane. I was only supposed to be on it for a little bit, then I was, according to my map, supposed to hop on another road and meet up with it again near the end of it... this never happened because the other road wasn't there. And this road, Mine Mountain, was HELL. Uphill, at about a 14-20 grade, and GRAVEL. If you've ever tried to go on gravel, especially while being weighted down with gear and going uphill, you know it's pretty difficult if not impossible with tires that are in between road and off-road. So, I walked this road for the most part. I'm assuming it was about 3 miles, and it was ALL uphill. Absolute anger was evident at first, but it faded and eventually I just told myself that this was what it was about: the adventure, challenge and stories I'd have to tell when I got home. When I reached the top, at Mt. Tower [road], I took a break and a picture. I had walked up a friggin mt w/all my gear! Challenge #xxx accomplished! I was pretty proud. Granted I wasn't on the right road, but I did it. Now, I could enjoy the ride down--which was INSANE! It was switchbacks on gravel :D I had to keep my brakes on the entire time. It was fun, and beautiful, but a little nerve-wracking. At the bottom was Woodstock, VA. I stopped for lunch/dinner, and then was on my way again. I knew I wasn't going to make it to Elkins, WV by any means, so I checked my maps and saw that there were a few campgrounds over the border that were on the way there, so I planned to stop at one of them instead.
The road I had to take after I got to Wolf Gap (I switched over to the next day's directions so that I could stay on my planned route--I could forgo stopping @ Wolf Gap), was quite the challenge. It wasn't nearly as bad as Mine Mountain Lane, but it was uphill and gravel too. Then, there was a fork in the road... and it wasn't on my map per se. I was tired and somewhat frustrated, so I said, "Well, I have to go NW, so I'm going this way. Woops. Mistake #xxx. If I had gone right, which took me up (more uphill and on gravel) to the top of the mt and essentially into WV, I would've been GOLDEN. But, I went left, the easy way, which was down and NW (rather than due N, then west). This proved to be another pain in my ass. I went down this hill, keeping an eye out for the next road I was supposed to turn on--but, again, it never showed itself (because I went the wrong way on an unpaved, uphill SR when it forked & was unmarked----grrrrr).
After a bit I just gave up, as far as caring where I was heading, as long as it was NW I was ok with it. At about 6:30, though, and I realized that I somehow didn't get into WV, I was starting to worry. So, I stopped at a church, in an area where apparently there aren't any towns, and asked a nice old couple where I was. The man was extremely nice, but his Virginia accent and a very roundabout way talking made this conversation take 20 minutes instead of two. I asked them if it'd be alright if I camped behind the church (it was getting late & I was frustrated--not to mention tired and I could see a possible rain shower coming). They said sure, but then re-thought and said they'd call their friend, Louise, to see if it was ok if I camped in her yard instead. Louise said it was ok, but she is very private, and apparently had someone really scare her a few years back, so no one is really allowed in her house other than people she already knew. No biggie, I had everything I needed. I had to charge my phone, though, and the outlets at the church pavilion (about 100 yards from where I was staying) weren't turned on. So, the older couple said they'd take me home for dinner and I could charge my phone while I ate--this is an example of the generosity that many country folk, in whichever state, exhibit; I'm so thankful for this.
They made me bacon & eggs, watermelon, and we chit chatted for a couple hours til my phone was charged. They told me that I should go back the way I had come, Jerome Rd, all the way to Conicville, then hop on hwy 42 South to Harrisonburg, then cut over west to WV. The hills/mts are much worse in the north, apparently, and they suggested going this way because it was paved and less hilly. The way I had intended to go, according to them, was difficult even in a vehicle, plus there were black bears. When I told them that I had walked up Mine Mountain Lane, their eyes got huge! They said that it's closed during the winter, and few people even drive up it (I had seen maybe 5-7 cars for the few hours I was on it). They had a chuckle about that.
I had already set up my tent and everything, so they dropped me off in Louise's yard, and I was ready for sleep! To my dismay, I didn't realize how chilly it was going to get. I'm from WI, so 50 degrees isn't weird by any means, but when it's coupled with humidity it can be downright bone-chilling! I had on long pants, long socks, an extra pair of shorts, a t-shirt, a long sleeve shirt, and a t-shirt wrapped around my head (as a "hat"). At some time in the morning, I realized that these things, along with my fleece blanket and sleeping mat, simply weren't enough. Luckily, I had one of those Emergency, metallic blankets in my first aid kit! I'm pretty sure that thing was the only thing that kept me from getting hypothermia that night! Even with it and my fleece blanket I would get a chill every now and then... Adventure #xxx.
Day 4: Elkins, WV to Glenville, WV [Revised: Jerome, VA to Petersburg, WV--RE-revised: Charlottesville]
The next morning I got off to a late start. My alarm, for whatever reason, didn't go off. I felt really shakey and off that morning, which I attributed to terrible, frozen sleep. I ate a PowerBar and hit the road. I went the way they told me, to a T. I got to Conicville, got on the hwy, and headed south! Yay! One step closer to WV.
Then, my knee. I was about 15 miles away from where I had started. and my knee didn't hurt, but I started to feel a little pinch in it. It wasn't bad at all, but I definitely noticed that it was just starting to hurt. No biggie, one or two days and I'd be in flat Ohio. So, I kept going. 5 more miles til Timberville, which is where I was going to have a late breakfast/early lunch. By this time, my knee was actually getting pretty sore, but I figured the rest from my lunch would take care of it, plus, I could put my brace on when I stopped. But, as I sat there for lunch it was really evident that I couldn't do much more. Just SITTING hurt. It was throbbing and I kept on getting surges of pain that would take my breath away--not a good sign. It was the same pain(s) that I had felt when I hurt it a month ago.
I sat there, in the cafe, very angry at myself, my knee, etc. I had only gone 4 days and I had to stop?! I'm relatively young, healthy, and driven--this shouldn't be happening!!!! I after going through the throws of anger, I sat back and told myself, "You need your knee for the rest of your life. Keeping your pride intact is not worth having to have knee surgery and rehab..." So, I swallowed what was left of my pride and called my sister--she works with a computer all day, so I figured it'd be easier for her to check on the Greyhound schedule than me.
My knee was in such cruddy shape that I couldn't even bike to the next [big] town, 20 miles away, to hop in a cab which would take me to Charlottesville, VA & to the Greyhound. I had to take a cab to take me there. When I arrived, I went directly to the UPS store so I could ship my bike back to Baltimore before the store closed. I knew that you could take your bike on Greyhound, but that's only if it is wrapped up in special crap blah blah blah, and I didn't want to have to take it with me to WI just to ship it to Baltimore... or so I thought.
I got back fromt he UPS store and was on my way to dinner when my sister called me. I had given her my CC# to purchase my Greyhound ticket. She sounded like she was hesitant.
She said, "You'll never guess where your bus goes."
I said, "At this point, probably back through some small ass hick town that I've already been through."
She was silent. "Worse." Nervous, sympathetic laughter. "Baltimore."
"I already shipped my shit, for $360 to BALTIMORE!"
"It's not 7 yet. Can't you go to the UPS store & tell them to cancel it?"
"No! They're closed--it's 7:30 out here--we're an hour ahead of you guys!"
This is where I just sat on the bed and had angry tears running down my face for a bit. But, as she always does, my sister found a way to make me laugh--reminding me that this is just another memory to add to my bank and story to tell, which is what this trip was all about. It didn't make my depleting wallet feel any better though!
Day 5-6: Greyhound from Charlottesville, VA to WI Dells [Madison], WI
Well, I had my first taxi ride on this trip, so it's only befitting that I had my first Greyhound ride too, right? Let's just say that was an experience! It wouldn't have been so bad, but my knee was killing me, and having to be cramped up and not able to stretch my leg was horrible. That was the worst, but another bad part was dealing with some of the people (or not dealing, depends on how you look at it). On a bus betweens Charlottesville and Pittsburgh, there was a group, a Repulican ex-marine from WV (who was missing--well, not missing--but had severly degraded his front 4 teeth), an obese Australian 20-something boy, and a NYer from Jamaica; they were talking religion and politics for a good hour or two. Let's just say the VA Real Estate magazine I had grabbed for my sister was the only thing that kept me from taking my laminated maps out and slitting their throats.
In Pittsburgh, a cute little 20 year guy, Gavin, and I started talking. We ended up watching a lot of goofy videos on his phone and using each other as snuggle buddies til Chicago. That made me feel a little better. UNTIL I looked at my ankles! Even back in Pittsburgh my ankles were starting to swell. By Chicago, I had no ankles-->kankles and blocks for feet were all that I could see. It was so freaky! I have never had that much swelling and water retention in my feet. While waiting for my bus in Chicago, apparently they had oversold and had to call a 2nd bus. We were running 45 minutes behind, but our AMAZING driver got us to Madison on time!
I was supposed to get off the bus in WI Dells, WI, but because there was a stop in Madison and my sister was there for a Dr. appointment, I got off early! My feet hurt, my knee hurt, my stomach needed food, and I was so sick of being on a bus (for 26 hours at this point), that I said "SCREW YOU!" and got off.
So, now I'm home. Injured knee recovering, slowly. I've already got some donations from friends, friends of the family & family, some of which I'm told that don't even leave a tip when the go out to eat; so, I'm thankful. I think of this as an extra week to practice my music so that it's that much better for my audience :) I want to make them proud, and I'm sure I will. Now I just have to decorate my donation bin, finish program notes, practice singing, and heal. Then, it's back to Baltimore to start planning next year's trip.
Here's to the generosity of the wonderful people in this great country--it's because of you I made it.
Thank you.
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