Hiking (General) 1:30:00 [2] 1.2 mi (1:15:00 / mi) +110m 58:23 / mi
slept:8.25 (injured)
Near Hightown, VA. Peggy, Max and I went for a walk around a farm. We were at times treking across grassy pasture and along cow/sheep paths. Our initial destination was a wild apple tree. We scared several cows getting to it but made up for it by giving them apples they could not reach. Max seemed enthusiastic so we started to go higher to other cows and sheep. The slopes were steep so I carried Max up the steepest parts when he asked for it. He hiked the rest by himself. The views were excellent so we stopped along the way a lot to take pictures and explore the oddities. The single and loosely grouped trees were great to get to walk around. Old things that had been sitting up overlooking the valley for who knows how long, they were covered in brilliant orange leaves and set against green and brown grasses. We came across a very old rusted out Ford that looked like it died as it tried to make an incredible climb up the steep hill. There was a grove of chestnut and maple trees that was fun too. Lastly, there were the skeletal remains of a sheep. We learned later that it had been killed by a coyote. As we walked and saw the hills change from many different angles, Peggy and I imagined what an orienteering map of this steep area might look like. There were interesting ribs to the mountain which had teardrop shaped spurs and sometimes knolls. It was all on too big a scale (and too steep) for serious orienteering unless doing it at night.
Bicycling (Road) 1:38:32 [3] 23.89 mi (4:07 / mi) +700m 3:47 / mi
Highland County, VA. From Rte. 637, to Rte. 640, to Rte. 642 (Blue Grass), to Rte. 220, Rte. 629, to Rte. 250, to Monterey, to Rte. 637. After the 28F morning had warmed to a respectable upper 40's F, I went for a very nice bicycle ride. My only problem was having forgotten to have taken my cycling shoes for the weekend! I rode with my trail running shoes which were about as stiff as the mud they usually are used for. On Speedplay pedals (small 2" circular contraptions), they weren't much good at all. I had to take it easy on the tighter curves at high speeds so that my feet wouldn't slip off. Of course they were near useless for climbing too but somehow I got through things. I suppose it was the stupendous natural beauty of the valleys that made it all feel alright.
Going to the town of Blue Grass, it was generally downhill with a +1,000 ft. vertical loss but into the wind for about 8 miles. It's a valley where they are planning for wind power generation so the winds were steady and forcefull. Going up Rte. 220 was better than I thought it'd be. I figured it would be busy but it was very quiet as I climbed. I couldn't recognize anything from my 800 mile/8-day solo adventure back in 1998 but I was going the other direction on a somewhat foggy morning back then. Coming off the main road onto Rte. 629, I hit upon one of those great bicycling places that few ever come across. A gradually climbing road first started climbing along a stream valley but quickly changed. The valley narrowed but there was more pasture land and the same great autumn color. I struggled with the climbs at times, saving a lot of gears for psychological advantage but moved steadily. I planned on turning on Rte. 631, Rich Hills Rd., but the only turn I'd seen was unmarked, steep and appeared like it would dead end. My contingency came into effect with me hitting Rte. 250. Unfortunately it entailed climbing an extra mountain that I hadn't planned on doing.
When I got to Monterey, I took a little break, eating the apple that I'd picked just before starting the ride. I'd originally planned to go back around the mountain on the SW side but unsure of the distance and already 70 minutes into what I told Peggy would be a 90 minute ride, I opted to climb over the mountain on Rte. 250. It was about a 1,000 foot climb in 3 miles. Once again my lack of having cycling shoes was noticed. Though I'd driven over the road the previous day, I anticipated the top of the climb several bends before actually reaching it. A motorcycle with side car had passed me well before the top. Perhaps they stopped but on the way down the very S-curvey road, I gained on them an nearly caught them before having to turn off. I'd finished the ride in just a bit over the time that I'd intended to take but I'd done a different route than planned with two unplanned mountain climbs. Cycling only gets better than this when one does it more often and is in better shape. FUN!