MAY 23 (FRI)  61 MILES  8.9 MPH 7 HRS OF BIKE TIME!! (7:00-5:00 PM)

Left at 7:00-Whit stops for coffee-I pick up chocolate milk & muffin.  Get on BREENBRIER RIVER TRAIL.  Tree covered, beautiful yellow, purple & white wildflowers, butterflies galore-follows river w/1% grade-perfect temperature.  Whit is gone-we are too slow.  All is great for the 1st 10 miles-then paradise turns SOUR.  Still gorgeous but trail is crushed stone-can only go 7-10 mph-stop for lunch.  Go down to river-Have my own rock-do not want to share muffin-the other rock person is eating NUTS.  Trail is pristine-no litter-benches about every 5 m-clean outhouses are also along trail.  We see no one for 40 m-try to bike 5 m before making another stop.  Dream about being back on mt rd w/18 wheelers-much easier than this.  Finally get to Marlington around 5:00-exhausted-Whit got here 4 hrs ago-bet he doesn’t stop for pictures.  Staying at Old Clark Inn–big house turned into inn.  Walk to restaurant down the street-sit on balcony overlooking river & watch the ducks.  Have the biggest baked potato I have ever seen-loaded w/chili, mushrooms, cheese, onions, broccoli. Change plans-bike 25 m on trail to Cass, ride train & come back here.

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.