Saturday, August 21, 2010

Day 2: Grayson, KY to Cave Run Lake State Park



Day 2 – Grayson, KY to Cave Run Lake State Park
Monday morning I was off by 8:00 AM. My legs felt good and my bike was
performing admirably. The route I picked took me a little South then due West through
Elliot County on back roads and finally to Rowan County where there is a state park at a lake with a campground. I made it to Elliotville, about halfway, by noon and ate pizza from a gas station. The old guys sitting around the dining area were excited to talk. I engaged in more than one conversation in which most of what I heard was nearly indecipherable. I relied on intonation and intuition to garner the general nature of what was being said, how I should respond and when I should ride away on my bike, which turned out to be when I was asked who I voted for in the last election. I turned left about a mile down the road and about an hour and a half later I was once again in Elliotville. The distance I had covered was grueling. My heart broke a little, I just kept pedaling until I got to a Dairy Queen in Morehead. I ate an inappropriate amount of food and slept under a tree on the college campus there. It wasn’t restful and when I woke up it was hot. I finished the last 15 miles under distress but still in time to catch a late evening soak in the lake after about a 70 mile day. The park ranger who sold me the campsite was very friendly.

Day 1

Day 1 – Rush, KY to Grayson, KY

It was Sunday, and 90 something degrees until late afternoon when I left from the farm. A little apprehensive and already quite sweaty, I traveled about 25 miles over a couple of ridges to visit family friends in Grayson. The route took me through Boyd, Lawrence and Carter counties. I set up my camping gear and stayed overnight next to their pool. My hosts Marty and Tersa’s enthusiasm for the concept of riding a bike across Kentucky helped to alleviate my concern for whether or not this was all a good idea. They also provided helpful guidance as to what could be expected on the first full day leg of my journey, approximately 50-60 miles heading West through Elliot and Rowan County. In one word: “Hills”….