I wake to a white shrouded morning. I spent yesterday evening in and out of the tent depending on the back and forth weather. My entertainment was Killer Angels by Michael Shaara. A historically based fiction/nonfiction on the battle of Gettysburg. What made it non fiction was of course the battle, strategies and the people. The fiction side came in from the storytelling of the actual involved soldiers and generals. A great read to say the least.
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| Rainfly works perfectly as a stand alone shelter. |
I geared up, a trail hiker passed but didn't want to talk as he nodded and proceeded on his path. I packed up, some vista viewers giving me goofy looks and I smile a genuine grin.
The BRP is a wonderful piece of art work carving along the ridges, little to no traffic for the majority, and no big rigs. Take it as slow as you want and I did just that.
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| Yep, the fog was thick... |
The day was on and off with clear Sky, on to a bit of rain and back to Sun and loads of fog, thick fog. So thick it was a nuisance but I carried up. There were places where the BRP was being worked on so I traversed the the valley below where the weather was relatively clear with no fog. I would venture on and off taking no prescribed route along the valley seeing where this would go and that would go. I'd pass other cyclists but I really had the place to myself being a Monday afternoon.
I'd stop with intentions of burning daylight, cruise through a town but rarely did I stop. Stopping in towns means spending cash and I had to watch my pennies. If I did stop in towns it was to chill in a park or sit on a bench. The towns are beautiful little villages nestled in the Appalachians with abundance of green. Mostly I preferred the National Forests where I could find a spot to myself and kick back, hang in the woods or walk a trail, eat some food from the boxes and most importantly do nothing other than 'be'. This is a wonderful area and I've rode it many times, bring back in my minds eye previous travels and I feel complete.
It was approaching late evening, and being off the BRP my options of sleeping at a vista, rest stop or pull off was out of the question. Looking at my paper NC map, Stone Mountain State Park was nearby and it looked to be my option. The ride to the park was relatively out of the way but my approach is just that. I found the 2 lane road climbing towards the park and that's when I see the gate with a 'closed after Sunset' sign. This isn't good, last thing I need is to guerilla squat behind a gate that will most likely be closed and locked. Then I noticed the living quarters for the ranger or supervisor, definitely a no go and I head back down the hill. I keep an eye out for spots in the woods off the road where Bike and I could disappear into but nothing and it's getting dark.
I hit Traphill Rd which takes me in the town by the same name, and check for any cemeteries, schools or somewhere else I may tuck in for the night but everything is in town and I don't need a townie cop waking me up, citing me for vagrancy and kick me out of town, I definitely don't need that.
Heading out of town I see a church that looks promising and I pull off the road and scope it out, it is now dark and I don't need to be riding these country roads. The church is perfect but they have a heck of a huge sign that torches up the night and of course I need to be low key. I decide against it and get back on the road just when I pass a road tucked in a field off the right just 50 yards from the church.
I pull over, let the few present cars and trucks pass, I turn off my lights, get some momentum, kill the motor and Bike and I coast a hundred yards down the farm road. Now this does look promising. I get off Bike and remove my helmet and do nothing for 5 minutes but listen and observe. Dogs barking, the rustling grass, and occasional automobile and nothing else.
The tall grass is a shield from the sides to obscure my place. I walked back towards the main road stealth like and look towards Bike. Pitch black. So far so good. That's when I walk the farm road to see if there's a house back there. I hike 200 yards or so when I come to a clearing, damn a structure. Is it a house? I close my eyes ridiculously tight for a few moments to get even more adjusted to the dark. I still can't tell. I quietly creep forward and I hear different dogs bark well behind the building. I get even closer when I realize it is just a barn. Whew, this is my bed for the night!
I go back to Bike and push her around where she's facing the main road at get her off the road as much as possible. Man the Stars are out tonight, this shall be good. I crack open 2 tall boys I purchased earlier and kick back on my blanket also off the road not wanting to be ran over by anyone that may happen to get on the road. But I think I'm safe, the only people to come down here is the farmer and I they're not cutting the fields yet.
My situation is simple, blanket on the ground, I'll sleep in my leather and depart before Sunrise. I monitor the Stars watching me, listen to the locals hotrod the road perpendicular to me and rile the dogs, watch the lights of the passer-bys on the main road and I roll over for the close of another day.
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