Self-propelled roller coaster

This section of the TransAm through Appalachia is described as a “self-propelled rollercoaster”. It’s just up-down-up-down-up-down all day. The gradients are much steeper than out west too. It’s been much more challenging climbing than in the Rockies.

When we looked at the elevation profile for today before we set out, I declared we had three notable climbs followed by a “little baby climb.” WELL by the time we got to the little baby climb, my legs were dead. No more leg muscles. Couldn’t do it. I had to walk part of the baby climb. I also walked part of the third climb too. You win this round, Kentucky.

Yesterday Randy was telling us stories of other cyclists he has hosted in the past. One cyclist was climbing a very steep hill in Kentucky and a driver pulled up next to him and said “get some sense!” I thought about that a lot while climbing today. I just haven’t got any sense.

The other notable part of today’s ride was the dogs. So many dogs. All the time. It’s mentally and physically exhausting having to treat every house we pass like a potential threat. Any time we ride through residential areas I’m constantly alert. I see houses coming ahead and I get in the perfect gear for the terrain and go as fast as I can.

The WORST is when the dog is behind a fence, and I relax a little, but then SIKE the dog is right on me. One dog was behind a fence above me and slid under then fence and down the embankment onto the road to come after me. The angle of attack for this dog was literally from the sky above me. What on earth. I was going downhill real fast at the time but this dog was insanely fast and it kept up with me. I couldn’t believe it.

Highlights

• I am currently clean, dry, warm, well-fed, and not presently in danger of being mauled by a dog.
• I think we saw an elk today! We saw an insanely large animal right next to the road. I thought it was like an antlerless moose. Mike thought it was a really big deer and informed me that I don’t know what a moose looks like, because they are REALLY big. This evening I looked up if Kentucky has moose (they don’t) but they do have elk! The most of any state east of the Mississippi. So then I looked at photos of “antlerless elk” and they looked like what we saw! Like a really big deer but with longer hair on the neck.
• the house we’re staying at has a hose, so we were able to clean off our bikes and bags. After riding in the rain for a couple days (without fenders) everything was filthy. The house also has a washing machine so we washed basically all our clothes, which were also filthy.
• We passed a working coal mine, which was just neat to see, and then saw a train hauling coal.

Lowlights

• we saw a dead dog in the road this morning, and then this afternoon almost witnessed a dog getting struck by a car while it chased us.

Julie’s food

• Breakfast: oatmeal
• First Snack: Clif bar
• Lunch: peanut butter sandwich, apple
• Second Snack: Clif bar
• Dinner: hummus and bread; “corndogs”; broccoli; breakfast scramble with tofu, potatoes, onion, snausage, spinach, and “feta”; Oreos

Stats

• Total distance: 57.66 miles
• Elevation gain: 4,897 feet
• Weather: overcast, high of 63 degrees Fahrenheit