MAY 22 (THURS)  50 miles   10.1 mph  (3-34 mph)  4 hrs 50 min biking time

Rained last night-bikes NOT happy!!  Left at 7:00-5 min later Whit is gone.  Nice country rd w/creek-no traffic for 1st hr.  Narrow 2 lane rd w/no shoulder (as are most rds we bike on)  Will say that cars & trucks are very considerate to bikers.  10:30 arrive in Covington (small town see at least 15 different kind of churches).  Suppose to spend night here-too early so we eat breakfast at local diner & go on.  Head up hill-lots of logging trucks coming down. Whit goes ahead-we pull over to visit Humpback Bridge-meet nice family & prisoners too.  Whit comes back & finds us because he couldn’t get through.  Shaun (prison guard) shows them some back rds to take.  (Prisoners all say hello as they continue to clean park.  Nice day, very little traffic-now going through Washington National Forest.  Slow going-continual, gradual uphill-start to feel shaky-tell leader I need to stop. Eat crackers-feel a little better.  Enter WVA-take picture-wave to couple on their porch.  Finally-a downhill-3 more miles-Armand stopped ahead.  Big sign-NO BIKES on INTERSTATE!!!  Turn our bikes around & go back UP the hill to last house we passed.  Couple tells us we missed the rd-at least another 11 m to town.  I’m ready to pass out-JEAN feels sorry for me.  Tells us she will take us into town in her truck.  She’s a retired school teacher-lived in same house for 40 yrs. Gives us a tour of the town including driving us past the guard to show us GREENBRIAR (famous resort & golf course) also the owner is constructing practice field for New Orlean Saints.  Takes us back to beginning of town–Whitney is sitting out in front of store.  Not many motels in town-stay at Village Inn-eat at Mason Jar.  Have trouble connecting to internet to write blog.  Tomorrow-easy day on trail-1% grade.