When I got to Booneville, the valleys started to open up a bit, to the point where you could work the ground with a tractor instead of a hoe. I am so glad to be out of eastern Kentucky. The poverty and trash everywhere was quite depressing, and the hills were endless. As I've progressed westward, the land has become rolling and I've spent a lot more time up on ridgelines than in valleys. There have still been a few tough climbs and a lot of short steep hills, but the climbs are not endless gutbusters and you can get up a little momentum and stand and climb over a lot of the short steep ones. It's still pretty hard days though. We only average about 11 miles per hour and there has been a good head wind for the last two days.
I camped behind a fire station in Berea on Friday night where I met a fellow traveler from Western Canada named Ian. He's a little younger than me (55) and a strong rider. We have ridden together the last two days and tonight we are in a volunteer fire department in White Mills, Ky. This is great accommodations with shower and kitchen. Also my friend Malcolm is here. He took the Mammoth Cave option and met his dad there and arrived at the fire station just before us. So the three of us will ride together for a few days or longer I hope.
I feel like I'm getting a little stronger and I'm past the worst hills, so barring something unforseen, I should be okay for a while.
So now I'm going into the kitchen to heat up a couple of cans of Beanie Weanies for dinner, and then to bed.
Malcolm and Ian
