Day 2: West Virginia to Maryland

Sunrise start to beat the heat for 33 miles and some short steep climbs in the river bottom near the Potomac.  I had planned 66 miles, but that was long before the present heat wave.  

I heard they teach stuff about self awareness in some leadership courses.  It was heading to 96 degrees today, and I have the choice to acknowledge that I just don't tolerate heat as well as I used to, or pretend I do and end up hurting myself.

So I looked at the forecast for the next week and decided after talking with Marcie to take a pause to avoid the heat and resume in 9 days, in Vermont, back on schedule but without poaching myself like an egg.

Today was a beautiful, short ride.  Some pics:

Pre-sunrise, tall corn, and a cool layer of low clouds hugging the side of one of the Allegheny ridge lines 

More goats for Marcie.  Just have to put them on the trailer.

It has seen better days.

Quaint one lane bridge "in the early morning rain."

The beautiful Potomac River valley.

Day 1: Virginia into West Virginia.

22 miles from Winchester, VA after church and lunch with the fam.... to Chez Reiser, the West Virginia mountain home of my sister Lori and her husband Bill.  88 degree temps and an early climb made this a long enough first day.  

Marcie, Brady, Jenna, and granddaughter Reagan drove from Front Royal to meet us for dinner.  Vicky Reiser returned from WVU, and Alex Reiser visited from Annapolis with a couple other midshipmen for an added surprise.

Pictures show the rural mountain beauty of Wesr Virginia.  In fact, I've heard it said that it's "almost heaven."

Thanking the Lord for a safe day.

PACKED AND READY

The mode of transportation is chosen and ready.  I named this recumbent bicycle Rex, "for no particular reason."  Marcie saw it loaded out like this and dubbed it, instead, "THE BLUE BEAST."  And so it is.  Over the next few days, I'm pretty sure The Blue Beast will tame me.  

Tomorrow is day one.  See you on the next post.