Days 6-12

Well guys, I'm still alive and pushing South. It's been a while since I've had a chance to update so I've got a lot of catching up to do. I'm currently in Waynesboro, Virginia considering my route options.

Day 6
I was about 62 miles to Cumberland, Maryland, where I had a warm place to stay for night, so I got an early start and started cruising. I passed through some really nice small towns along the trail. The first forty miles were uphill and the last twenty were downhill into Cumberland. At the peak was the Eastern Continental Divide where all water East of that point goes to the Atlantic Ocean and West goes to the Gulf of Mexico. As I started

my descent it started to rain and continued for most of the twenty miles. There were a few long tunnels that I took some breaks in, but the warm house and shower kept me going. The shower felt great. Had dinner, and walked around the town with my host. Turned out to be a nice little town.

Day 7
Got a late start today. After taking a look around my hosts small farm and looking at maps trying to

plan my route, I was on my way South. Biked up and down some of the steepest mountains yet, which was pretty brutal. Biked until the sun started to set. I saw a nice looking farm, so walked down the driveway and asked if I could pitch a tent in their back yard. They said sure and ended up serving me dinner and being a very nice couple.

Day 8
The farmers wife gave me a few apples for the

road and I was off for the Blue Ridge Mountain Range. I made it to the foot of the mountain before dark and stopped at a coffee shop to recharge my electronics(and myself). Sadly, they didn't have wifi though. I biked a couple miles up the mountain and camped out.

Day 9
The first hundred miles of the mountain range are through Shenendoah National Park and since the

government shutdown was in effect, it was closed. A ranger pointed me towards an alternative route through George Washington State Park which turned out to be pretty beautiful as well. It went through the valley, but then I had to climb a mountain for about an hour to get out of it. I turned the last corner at the top to an AMAZING view that made it completely worth it. On my way down the other side of the mountain I was plagued with tire issues again. I took me about two hours to sort it

all out, and luckily the nearest town had a bike shop to get some much needed gear. Camped out behind a flea market tonight. Luckily I didn't get fleas.

Day 10
Didn't sleep very well, but woke up to this great sunrise over the mountains. Feeling kind of lazy today. It rained off and on most of the morning, and I was feeling kind of lazy so took a pretty long

break. I got word that the government shutdown was over and the mountain was back open, so I grabbed some food and coffee in town and headed up the mountain. The coffee did the trick and I ended up climbing over 2,400ft to camp out atop Loft Mountain at an elevation of 3,340ft.

Day 11
Well, sleeping on top of a mountain officially sucks. It was incredibly windy all night and

freezing cold in the morning. The campground had showers which again felt great! It's amazing how good a warm shower feels sometimes! I biked up and down through the mountains for about 30 miles to The Rockfish Gap, where Skyline Drive meets Blue Ridge Parkway. This Gap is where Waynesboro is located. I decided after 11 days of riding I needed a rest day, so I got a hotel room and am taking a day off.

Day 12
Today is my rest day. Man, day 12, it feels like I've been gone for way longer than twelve days! Taking it easy today before heading back up into the mountains.