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May 18 2018
Day 0... thinking through the best ways to memorialize this trip. A break in the action. A reset and recentering in life. Some time out of mind to enjoy some things I like. A meditation on my own terms. A gift from someone who loves me.
Tonight, the packing begins. \240No time like the last minute 🤠
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May 19 2018
Security line, EWR. It’s been raining every day in NJ for the past week. Today is a soaker. Couldn’t have picked a better time to be getting ghost from here. Cellular internet not working well. Weather-related? \240Who knows. Just picked up the book “Sapiens” to read on the trip.
Security line was brutal. Almost missed my flight! \240Flight uneventful and here’s the view coming in for landing:
Montford neighborhood, near where I stayed:
Musically inclined
Burial Beer Co.... best so far
Wicked Weed
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May 21 2018
Ride Day 1: Met up with the group and shuttled to the town of Marshall. Mostly older people but some decent riders. Surprisingly, I am one of the strongest. \240Let’s see how well I can break it down:
Guides: Cooper Mittelhauser (Columbia, MO) & Grace Heimsness (MN)
Tom Puskar - 61 year-old airplane mechanic from Pittsburgh. One of the strongest riders, spins big gears and takes descents fast. Rambles a bit, nice guy. We paired up on rides a lot
Lyon Gleisch - MD, MedPace; Cincinatti.. My odd roommate. Also a strong rider but adamant about riding a hybrid in large gears. A bit clingy. Hiker
Keil & Jing Brewer - young couple from San Jose, engineer and consultant. Rode with Keil quite a bit, pushed each other on the Mt Mitchell climb
David Hatten - Aussie dentist
Al & Victoria - couple from Miami
Al & Kim - couple from Tucson
Grant & Barb - Florida/Cleveland. Grant was an “old triathlete” and retired cop. Loveable Cro-Mag
Jim & Christine - from VA. Aka “Doctor Hops/Cousin Jimmy”. Overweight Air Force slob with massive appetite for IPAs. The Chris Farley/Mo Loew of the crew
Curt - Anderson Cooper doppelgänger guy
Day 2: Leicester Loop and Elk Mountain. Easy rollers to a pretty strenuous mountain climb. Great views and lush surroundings. I almost ran into a black bear and her cubs! \240Now evading my annoying roommate and roaming the beer district once more...
Lots and lots of arts and crafts around here
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May 23 2018
Biggest day of the week yesterday... up to the summit of Mt Mitchell and back down:
Ride started with a series of switchbacks up through neighborhoods. Everything is lush and green throughout the entire region.
The ride towards Mt Mitchell was a steady, hard climb:
The last 5 miles were brutal, but glad I pulled through.
On the way back down, there was rain for the first 5 steep miles. I almost bailed, glad I didn’t. There were a few climbs but at least a 10 mile straight pedaling descent. I need to get better at dealing with downhill speed.
It rained some more towards the very end of the ride. I met up w my man Adam for dinner afterwards. Still the coolest cat around 🐈
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May 24 2018
I’m not doing so hot with this journal thing. Last two days have been great, however. Rode 50ish miles yesterday to Sierra Nevada Brewing, then on to Oskar Blues. Took the brewery tour, learned that OB owns Cigar City. Had a few too many w old cop Grant, got lost on our way back to the cabins and crashed in the woods 🤣.
Sierra Nevada; Mills River, NC
Oskar Blues; Brevard, NC
Stayed at Pilot Cove:
Our guides brought breakfast to our cabin 😂
Today we rode about the same distance through surrounding farms and countryside. Mostly rollers with one monster climb in the middle. Ate lunch at Magpie. At this point we’ve rode 250 miles and climbed 18,000 feet. One more ride tomorrow:
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May 26 2018
Our guides, Cooper and Grace, threw us a farewell party on the last night of the trip:
...
Our tour ended yesterday with a final 30 mile ride around the countryside. Relatively flat and perfect for keeping up a solid 17 - 20mph pace. All told, we rode 300 miles and climbed 22,000 feet this week. Tops my list of cycling achievements. Definitely eager to do another trip with Trek in the future!
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