16-04-05      Day 9       Crossing The AT

Biking the TransAm 2016
2 Wheels, 6 Months, 1 Adventure!!!!

I hoped I awoke early enough to watch Lee glaze his pottery. Rebecca was in the kitchen and handed me a cup of coffee as I ran to the pottery barn. Lee was half done so I asked question after question about the different glazes… Who Knew? Felspar, Iron, Wood Ash..  lots of complicated processes just to make a ceramic mug… Like firing the kiln for a week and letting it cool for a week.. Amazing…. Another great experience.

When we returned from the barn we enjoyed a big bowl of cheese grits and bacon….   Yummy…   Thank You Rebecca and Lee, Bike Angels…

I shoved off at 9:00 am and was in for another day of ups and downs. Buchanan was a cute town with it’s very own Pharmacy / Grill combo. Real home town…. I ate some of the food in my bag and enjoyed  an hour break.. Troutville was tiny and Daleville I missed. The bike route bypassed it I guess.

t was 4:00 pm and I had 16 miles left to Catawba. By the time I got to the last 4 miles my legs were wore out. I had to stop and rest as I pedaled up the last hills.

I checked out the Catawba Community center for a possible place to camp. There was a meeting going on and I noticed a lot of AT license plates. I walked into a Roanoke Appalachian Trail Club Maintainers Meeting… I actually knew Michael from Woods Hole Hostel and Theresa and Homer, who I met in 2011, while they were maintaining the trail. They offered me some pizza, how could I resist?..

They gave me well wishes and off they went..  I set up my tent and off to sleep.

Catawba Community Center             Lexington to Catawba Va. 62.5 Miles

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