June 4 Crossing America

White Hall – Vesuvius, distance 48 miles.
The Jones’ certainly have to be one of the kindest and generous folks I ever met.  They delivered us back to their daughter’s home where our freshly laundered clothes awaited us.  Then we went back down the road to the meeting house where, yep the Jones’ had prepared pancakes, bacon, yogurt, gobs of blueberries, strawberries and bananas, orange juice and hot coffee.  Yah!  I’m getting to eat real food and plenty of it.  Thank you Molly and Joe!

Right out the door we had to climb a pretty good grade.  Yes, I got to enjoy my huge breakfast a second time.   I had planned on riding the S-Works but since the shifting sucks I rode the Spirit which turned out to be a great choice.  Just in the first 20 miles we climbed over 1,800 feet to arrive at one of the Trans-Am routes legends June Curry “The Cookie Lady”.  Back in 1976 when the ride from California to Yorktown was organized and bike riders began crossing America June was one of them.  She was also one of the organizers and since the route went right by her home she decided to open her home to anyone riding the Trans-Am.

Cookie Lady June Cooper

For over 30 years June provided home baked cookies to all riders, in addition to a place to stay over-night and even provided food for those who needed it and all at NO COST.   As the years passed and more and more riders learned of the “Cookie Lady” some riders would even leave food.  Probably the real reason was to lighten the load on their bike, donations are accepted to help keep the place up but not demanded.  Though June is no longer able to bake cookies her home is still open to any rider.  The walls are filled with messages, cards of appreciation, all sorts of memorabilia jersey’s, caps, hats, pins, newspaper clippings and even a couple bicycles adorn every room.  I could have stayed at the “Cookie Ladies” place all day reading but alias there is a great deal of hard hill climbing to do yet today.

Cookie Lady's home

Water Breakat Cookie Lady place

Day 4 highest elevation, climbed 2,300' in just over 10 miles

Whew!  Am I crazy, why do I want to ride across America?  Today was a bit of self-inflicted torture.  We climbed more hills then I’ve ever imaged possible for one day.  We climbed 4,969 feet in approximately  43 miles.  My average speed for this distance was a measly 7.3 mile per hour.  Did I Feel like quitting yes but would I?  NO WAY!

Mt. Vesuvius, my reward for getting my ass kicked by hills all day, the final 4 ½ miles were all downhill.  I love downhill riding as much as I hate climbing them.  Any idea how fast an over-weight person of my stature can go on a bicycle?   Pretty fast but how fast I don’t yet know, my record so far was in Iowa on a RAGBRAI ride a couple years ago at 52 mph.  Today on Mt. Vesuvius would I be able to beat my record.  Pepper our leader did it last year and clocked over 38 mph due to the sharp twists and blind curves.  I made a video of my ride down, my highest speed clocked was 42.1 mph.  Pepper was right there were some pretty hairy curves to negotiate but what a ride baby!  I passed two other riders, one of ours Chet, on the whiz-bang ride.  I dare say, “Simply Invigorating old man”!   Oh yea, my daily average speed at the end of the 48 miles jumped to 8.3 mph.  I gained a whole mile an hour average in the distance of 4 ½ miles.  Now that’s living.  I love this adventure.

Our overnight accommodations in Vesuvius, a wide spot in the road, left much to be desired.  We camped behind Gertie’s Country Store.  Gertie and her granddaughters Tammy and Mary helped run a small café inside the store which served a pretty good burger and BBQ sandwiches.  I did get Tammy to fix me a ham and cheese sandwich for my breakfast tomorrow morning as it was going to be Sunday and Gertie’s isn’t open on the sabath.  For showers Tammy allowed us to hose down with her garden hose in her driveway.  To complete this wonderful day it rained most of the night.  No matter I’m still high from my ride down Mt. Vesuvius.

Centerfold for Old Guys Publication

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