A Beautiful Ride

We are currently spending some time in Asheville for our second session of build days. It has been a nice break for our bodies. And it came at a pretty opportune time because I'm not sure how much more my body could take! The last few days have been the hardest we will probably have all summer. On Wednesday, we climbed 6100 feet to complete a very difficult 80 mile ride. However, it was also one of the most beautiful rides I will probably have. We spent 65 of the 80 miles riding on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

The climbs were challenging, but the views were totally worth it. It was great to watch the mountains change from the foggy valleys of the morning, to the hot and muggy late morning, and finally to the cooler afternoon, when we reached our highest elevation. What was particularly cool, was recognizing some of the land features, rivers, and points of interest from my time with Outward Bound last summer. We saw Table Rock, crossed over Wilson Creek, and even biked up most of Mt. Mitchell!

It took us hours to climb up the mountains, but just minutes to soar down them. It was incredible to feel the turns and the speed. After averaging a whopping 4 or 5 mph going up hills, it was great to feel the thrill of several minutes of downhill. On most of the downhill sections, I fluctuated between 25 and 35 mph for stretches of 2 to 12 miles. It was exhilarating for sure. The only part that was a bit scary was this long construction zone where there were too many pot holes to even yell out to those behind you. You basically went in and hoped for the best!

The build days have been relaxed, and I learned how to put in windows with Joe and Daniel.

But my internet time is running out so have to go! Love you all, and will upload photos as soon as I get to a computer capable of it!