3,600 miles to cross the country by bicycle, and we avoided injury and illness. We didn't realize how great a feat this was until our third mile on the back roads of Loretto, Kentucky. The perfect combination of a downhill grade, sharp turn, gravel and dogs on the chase led to a scary spill and emergency room visit. We were reminded of a few tips for coping with dogs while riding, but, more importantly, we were reminded of the necessity of safety gear.
Always...
Wear a helmet.
Wear gloves.
Wear glasses (plastic, NOT glass).
Carry identification AND insurance information.
Bring a cell phone.
Ride with a buddy and/or tell someone your travel plans.
These few things made a dangerous situation much more manageable. For those who need a little more convincing... How's a shiner and some killer road rash?
Our longest stop on our current route was Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine. We had heard great things about the park - from the fall colors to wildlife and things to do. It's essentially a playground for outdoor enthusiasts. It could easily take weeks to explore everything on the island, so we narrowed our list (and adapted to the very wet weather) to a few excursions:
Bar Island (which gives Bar Harbor its name) is only revealed at low tide, revealing tidal ecosystems for a few hours. It seemed to be just as exciting for the gulls as we watched them pick up a shellfish snack and drop it from the sky to crack open a meal. We had to keep our eyes on the tide though, since it is possible to become stranded across the water from Bar Harbor if you're not careful!
Thunder Hole is a popular tourist spot, giving crowds of visitors a chance to catch the sight and sound of thunderous waves crashing as the tide comes in. Despite our timing, the extremely calm ocean decided not to put on a show for us, though we're told that you can expect to get soaked during rough seas.
Sand Beach is the only beach of sand in Acadia, resulting from the cove's effect on the waves and what they carry inland. On a warmer day, we might have considered swimming. Instead, we walked across the beach to a trail head for a great hike.
The trail took us over rocks, through evergreen woods and past beautiful overlooks of the beach and cove. We moved up into the clouds of mist and rain before heading back down to the beach.
We tried to make the most of our only full day of sunshine.
We started our morning on a tandem kayak exploring Long Pond, which flows between two mountains that were beginning to spark with brightly colored leaves. Our 4-mile paddle included an eagle sighting, as well as loon calls and a bird we've yet to identify!
For the second half of our sunny day, we hopped on our bikes (which had been spending far too much time under a tarp, safe from the rain) and headed for the famous Carriage Trails.
Thanks to John D. Rockefeller, these roads of finely crushed stone are wide enough for a carriage, but are only open to pedestrian and cyclist traffic. They span and loop large sections of the island, and even climb a few mountains. We climbed Day Mountain to give our legs a bit of a stretch. As great as the trails are, however, a good bit of rain can make for slow going on road tires.
Of course, we couldn't leave Acadia without summitting Cadillac Mountain - the highest elevation on the Atlantic, with arguably the best views of the park. So, we did it twice! Unsure how long we'd have sunlight, we drove up to the summit of Cadillac to get some photos from the different vantage points, and were able to get a glimpse of Bar Harbor from the top, including the submerged Bar Island.
The next day, we hiked the North Ridge Trail through the rain, which turned the trail into a stream...
and the climb to the summit into a magical walk through the clouds.
On our way down from Cadillac, we hiked the Gorge Trail, which had become a roaring creek instead of a rocky path.
It was challenging, and should not be attempted by novice hikers (especially during or after heavy rainfall), but it is a rewarding hike through beautiful forests.
We highly recommend Acadia National Park to anyone seeking unique scenery and outdoor fun... as long as you don't mind getting a little wet!
Looks like we won't be riding the Southern Maryland Century after all...
"As most are aware, several roads incorporated into the various routes have sustained significant damage, flooding, or experienced mudslides. The forecast for the weekend still includes the potential for additional rain and thunderstorms and the possibility of further damage to saturated road foundations. Thank you for understanding. Safety for all participants is and will remain paramount." (Oxon Hill Bicycle and Trail Club)
More information about the Southern Maryland Century/Indian Head 100 can be found on the ride's website.
A friendly reminder to please stay safe and alert on the road!
(Photo taken at Allens Fresh Run, Route 234/Budds Creek Road)
For our most recent ride, we wanted to explore roads on the other side of the Patuxent River in Calvert County, Maryland.
The main drag, Route 4, is a designated bike route with a nice, wide shoulder. Since the straight shot can get a little boring, we jogged onto a few back roads, following part of the Star-Spangled Banner Byway. The byway roads were fairly narrow, winding and even had a few steep climbs. It's a scenic ride, but without the presence of a shoulder, not recommended for novice riders, especially when traffic becomes heavier. We stopped at the Benedict Bridge, which looked a little too narrow to be bicycle-friendly.
So, we enjoyed the view of the river, snapped a few photos and made our way back south.
We opted for a slightly different route back, taking advantage of the dedicated bicycle lanes in Prince Frederick. As we neared the river again, our attention was drawn to the skies as the Blue Angels rehearsed some of their acrobatic maneuvers for the weekend's Air Expo at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.
This 50-mile route was our longest ride since stopping at the Atlantic. After a few days off the bikes, one of us already felt the strain. With our century ride only 2 weeks away, it's time to get back into training mode!
Our most recent ride taught us a few things about knowing your limits, improvisation and the consequences of making a wrong turn (especially when on a bicycle). We had high hopes for our longest ride yet, and planned a roughly 60-mile out-and-back from the D.C. suburbs to Annapolis on a beautiful spring day, hoping to visit Annapolis' annual Spring Fling.
Our route was a compilation and slight modification of Bike Washington's "Greenbelt to Bay" route and a similar route from our book, "25 Bicycle Tours in Maryland." We began by revisiting the WB&A Trail (see previous post), and then wove our way through greater Bowie. The most scenic views were found on the rolling hills of Governor Bridge Road as we passed quiet farmland on a low-traffic country road.
Our serene ride came to an abrupt halt, however, as we zipped past "High Water" caution signs to find that the Patuxent River had overflowed. Severe weather from the previous night resulted in Governor Bridge road being covered in about two feet of rapid, muddy water. A soggy car being hauled out by a tow truck ahead of us dashed any hopes of "just going for it."
After taking advantage of the snack break, we were offered a ride across the river in a Good Samaritan's truck. We didn't even hesitate to throw our bikes in the bed and hop on.
As fun as our little trip was, we didn't really take the time to think about how we would get back across the river for our return home. "We'll just take another road back." Right. It's not always so easy when you're traveling by bicycle...
Looking Back at Governor Bridge
When we reached Annapolis, we dropped by Capital Bicycle in hopes of getting some advice for a bike-savvy route home. While there were no maps to be found, and the staff had no tips for a different route back across the Patuxent, they were kind enough to let us investigate Google Maps for a better option.
Our new route home took us over steeper hills with smaller (and often no) shoulders. It was longer, with more twists and turns, and the sun was getting closer to setting. We knew we were in a pinch. To top if off, one of our riders had developed an injury and needed to adopt a slower pace. We divvied up cell phones, copied down the new route and decided that two riders would hurry home and return with a car.
Later, now down to two cyclists, we found ourselves at a high-traffic intersection with a very small shoulder. As we stopped to reconsider, two cyclists came behind us and we were able to conference about the road ahead. Both were familiar with the local roads and the dangers of the route we were now hoping to take. We explained our situation and the cyclists offered to modify their route in order to escort us back to a safer road home. "Safety in numbers" was their motto, and we agreed.
Back on safer roads, closing in on home, we were feeling the burn of nearing the end of our longest ride ever. Then we heard the phone ring. When we parted ways with our third rider, we'd forgotten one important piece... the keys!!!
We coached our third cyclist home along the safer route via text messages, and we hit a local convenience store for whatever snacks we could find. We waited. We contemplated calling a cab for our third rider and racked our brains for numbers of local friends with vehicles. Just as dusk drew near, our last rider pulled up, equally exhausted. We were so thankful to have all returned home safely. There were a few lessons for each of us in this day's ride.
For our most recent weekend ride, we decided to follow the Mt. Vernon Bike Trail. This is a great ride for anyone who is a little nervous about riding alongside motor vehicles, as the majority of the route is on paved trails. The few times that you do need to access roads, you're in low-traffic areas for very short time periods. Be aware, however, that the trail can be somewhat narrow (for a two-way trail), and the rolling hills around Mt. Vernon can help you really pick up speed. Cyclists should be well informed of trail etiquette, including:
Pedestrians always have the right-of-way.
Be sure to use an audible signal when passing another cyclist or pedestrian (i.e. "On your left!" or the use of a bell).
Double-check for on-coming traffic before passing.
Utilize clear, predictable and timely hand signals.
When riding to a popular tourist spot, we learned that it's important to do your research about bicycle access before your leave. Mt. Vernon, for example, does not permit bicycles past the parking lot. We were able to sneak a photo outside of the ticket lines:
If you're thinking of making the trip to Mt. Vernon by bike, here are a few things to consider:
The entire route is along the water - Consider bringing or wearing another layer to account for the breeze.
While most of the route is relatively flat, the homestretch toward Mt. Vernon is pretty hilly - Get those quads (and gear shifters) ready!
The route cuts through Old Town Alexandria, which could be a great place to stop for a stretch, bite to eat, or some window-shopping (you're on a bike, after all!).
Bring a camera! You'll get some great views of everything from crossing the Potomac to descending on D.C.'s monuments.
