Biking Across the U.S (hopefully)
Leesburg - Hancock 85
Last night, before nonmurderous Ed and I were going to turn in, this guy lugging a trailer behind a mountain bike screamed into the campsite. Being the nice dude I am, I went over to talk to him, and he proceeded to drop the F bomb countless times. I like the F bomb as much as the next person, but after every other is a little much. I turn in early to be woken by sweary mcswearerson at 3:30 in the morning banging the outhouse door open and closed... and talking/laughing with some other guy who walked up to the campsite at some point. At one point they were talking about the race war down in Mississippi.... and I really didn't want to stick around to find out which end he was on. The early day meant riding with less humidity, so I crushed the first couple handful of miles. And by crushed I mean at a relatively ok pace. The Chesapeake and Ohio towpath is slowly killing my bike with its huge mud puddles and loose gravel. It'll be a miracle if I make it to Cumberland where it turns 'nice'. First town I got to was Harpers Ferry, where John Brown got got trying lead an armed insurrection against slavery. Then hopped off the trail for 15ish miles to follow the historic 'Civil War Heritage Trail'... which was pretty perfect because I haven't read a single historical plaque I've passed by. First, I hate reading, and second, if I read everyone I'd be dismounting waaay too often. So this trail forced me to go by Antietam, the bloodiest battle America saw during the civil war - but a decisive Union victory leading to Lincoln's emancipation proclamation. I totally just Wikipediad that. My brother was a total civil war nerd growing up... but I never really cared, so instead I just walked around the battlefield and looked at the cannons. I felt like the $5 museum charge was too steep for just a bunch of reading. Heard some talk of a storm coming Sunday or Monday... so kept moving so I could be a days ride from Cumberland before this trail becomes a mess. Found a campsite and got in my tent/threw in ear plugs because I was the only camper there, and the woods can be a touch unnerving at night.
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AuthorHey I'm Alex Soper, a dude living in Durham, NC. Shoot me an email if you want [email protected] ArchivesCategories |