Sunday was another good day. It was cloudy most of the day but rain was not in the forecast. It felt cool even when the sun did shine as I rode through the Virginia and West Virginia mountains and under the shade of trees along much of the way. Mountain riding is why I chose this route and I wasn't disappointed. Traffic was very light as I dipped and wove through turns reminiscent of last year's ride in the Smokies. I especially like the ones that force me down into 2nd gear. There were many photos I would like to have taken as I ran through consecutive lefts and rights, then left again.
At one point I crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway and I just had to make a short detour to ride a few miles of it. It has a lot of great scenic views as it follows much of the ridge line. I also rode through the George Washington National Forest and the Monongahela National Forest.
I made over 200 miles to Fairmont, WV where I stopped to watch the final game of this year's World Cup. Dark clouds were then looming, so I covered up my luggage with plastic before going inside. During the game a thunderstorm broke loose. When it let up for a while I decided to spend the night right here in Fairmont, next door to the Appleby's where I watched the game.
It rained throughout the night and Monday's forecast calls for more thunderstorms. I'm located right at an entrance to Interstate 79 and it looks like the forecast is clearer to the north. So I think I will abandon my quest to ride US 250 and take the interstate north instead. It will be safer because I can ride at a constant speed and the curves will be gentler. Hopefully it will also get me away from the rain.
I'm praying for another good day. Thanks for reading.
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