He wanted to eat my leg...

... but changed his mind.

This dog quickly became my best friend after a quarter mile uphill pursuit. I stopped to rest and he came tentatively up to me. He was wagging his tail. Not long after we sat down, a nearly identical dog appeared.
The second dog was a little harder to win over... seeming more suspicious of my bicycle.


We ultimately enjoyed a friendly moment together watching the sun set on a ridge between kanawha and lincoln county.


Sixty Blissful Miles...

Macho Man

Today I replaced the ballcock and works in Ruths toilet.

Pensive anticipation

I'm starting to get a little nervous about my trip. I'm scheduled for a flight out of Yaeger airport on the 29th. I have a reservation at the Days Inn at Sea World (cheapest in San Diego) same day. I've got my bike box ready for packing. I'll be installing a new cassette, chain, tires and tubes this weekend. I'll road test super clean and super tune everything before packing it up.

All this anticipation and my natural predilection for guilt feelings have me in a neurotic state.

Too bad, Nancy-Boy!

Went for a 40 miler last evening - it was actually cool. The sensation of cold seems so foreign after the last two months.

I'll try to write something more stimulating tomorrow...

Gear, Stuff and approx Weight

Clothes: 2 long sox, 1 short sox, 3 underware, 3 tshirts, 2 bike shorts, 1 reg shorts, 1 sweatshirt, 1 turtleneck, 1 long underware bottom, 1 sweat pants, 1 hoodie, 1 casual long pants, 1 peters jacket, 1 nylon rain suit, 1 stocking hat, 1 pr cloth gloves

-> 15 lb

 

Hardware / Tools: 2 tubes, 1 tire, toolkit, tire repair, kevlar spoke, camp knife and knuckles

-> 5 lb

 

Camping/ Shelter: Sleeping bag, thermal mat, 1 man tent, backpack

-> 11 lb

 

Cooking: EtOH stove, ethanol, mess kit, matches, lighter, all purpose soap

-> 5lb

 

Food and water: Dry goods, 1 or 2 canned items, misc power bar and average 1 gal water / fluids (try to have enough for 1 full day and night - 2 full days when known to be in sparse territory)

->15lb

 

Hygeine and 1st Aid: Wipes, soap, towel, 1 roll TP (all purpose paper/ wipes), toothpaste/ toothbrush, comb, betadine sol and oint, 4X4s, conform, tape, 15 blade, pickup, iris, needle holder, nylon suture

-> 2-3lb

 

Worldly Items:  camera, iPaq/Phone, SD disks, solar charger, maps, wallet

-> 2-3lb

 

Total -> approx 55-60lb

 

 

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Guestimated Costs

Bicycle $1299.00
Panniers 0.00 front, rear and handlebar pack from 1985
Sleeping Bag 80.00
Thermal Pad 25.00
Tent (1man) 0.00 from 1990's
ETOH stove 15.00
front rack 20.00
front and rear lights 25.00
camera 150.00
solar charger 30.00
bike shorts (2pr) 40.00
clothes / shoes 0.00 what i have
tools 0.00 ditto
road expenses 1500.00 20.00/day X 60d + 300.00 misc
flight out 195.00
hotel at start 100.00
???? ?
_________________________________________
total $ 3479.00

.... let's round things out to $3500.00.
Now that this unpleasantness is addressed let's stick w/ funner topics...
to come: camping and road gear, shipping and packing bike and gear to start point...

Biking and floating

Labor day... Biked approx five miles up the lower falls portion of coal river and launched my kayak and paddled back. It was a great recovery day.
Check out the beast head on the drift wood... Quite majestic, eh?

Pitch black

Yesterday, I rode 102 mi from procious wv to strange creek and back. I felt pretty good. It was mild, less stinkin' hot than it has been...
I felt pretty good, but it got dark about two hours before I was finished. I was in clay ... And had to traverse elkherst rd along the elk river to get back to the truck. It was pitch black and humid. My glasses kept fogging. I couldn't see more than 10-15yds ahead of me. I ran off the road only once...
I got back to the truck at10:30.
... A great ride...