Ughhhh day

One of the Blacksburg kids climbing

So while we didn't have any trouble at the pavilion outside of Hindman's UMC, we also didn't get any sleep. And lacking sleep is never a good thing to have before launching into a 50 mile day with two multi-peak mountains and one other large hill. Especially when the first multi-peak is on a heavily-trafficed road in pretty humid conditions. The morning of the 27th was pretty enough (backroads near creeks all the way to that major road with rolling hills and light rain), but we needed more food than we had in our systems and were struggling by mid-afternoon. If there is one thing that I have picked up through college, it has been getting good at controlling my mind (i.e. convincing myself into continuing to study, finishing the 200 fly, or getting over the next hill). My dad has not had to deal with that, however. And after he realized that he had misread the map and that we did have to go 20 more miles and 2 more mountains before sleeping, he was not an agreeable person in the least. When he went critical, I sent him on toward the campground we were headed toward, and it took me a good 10 minutes (with an attempted call to sister Caci) to get myself back in a biking mood. I'm guessing it was just the lack of sleep and food that got him, but I was none too happy with the results. It rained on and off the entire day, and we got pretty soaked (more so since our sweat wouldn't evaporate - eww). There were lots of loose dogs and lots of coal trucks, and while it was a nice ride (other than the 7 hilly miles on the crowded road, it was still a mentally-tough day for my dad. When we got to the campsite (which was quite lovely) by the flood-control Buckhorn Dam, I ended up picking the site, setting up the tent and clothesline, showering, and cooking while teh dadzorz spazed down. I talked to various members of my family as well as good friends to calm myself; by that point, my dad and I were ok to resume normal human functioning. We got excellent sleep that night and plenty of food, which helped immensely.

Dad before

Dad after