Mary woke us up early around 5:30 this morning and surprised us with an amazing breakfast that consisted of omelets, bagels, and cappuccino. After carrying all of our bikes and gear downstairs from her apartment we headed out of Parkersburg on 50 and began a series of serious climbs over the many ridges of the Appalachian mountains. The grueling process of climbing a mountain is every time followed by the tremendous feeling of cresting the top and rolling down the other side. After about 40 miles we found our turnoff at highway 18 where we decided to take a short break and eat some snacks. When we left 50 we left the large highways behind and headed down the narrow country roads that John Denver has made so famous. The Appalachians were incredibly beautiful, as the mountains and hills completely surrounded us. At one point while resting at the top of a large hill we met some West Virginia road crew members who were mowing the side of the highway. Like a perfectly scripted movie they were spot on with what one would stereotypically expect from the people of west Virginia. One of the men told us we would never make it to Buckhannon today while lighting up his cigarette, but amidst the discussion we learned that he was a huge Penn State fan. He also offered us his opinionated analysis of Penn State football and the career of Joe Paterno. Soon after we broke for lunch along the side of the road, and discovered a sleeping skunk right below our dangling feet. We quietly downed our food and headed on our way to Buckhannon, where we were excited to see Ian and Brittany a couple that we had met in Colorado and who had invited us to their home. We finally arrived at their house after a grueling last mountain climb and were welcomed with incredibly hospitality and a never-ending supply of sweet tea. Ian works as a petroleum geologist to find gas sources and guide the drilling process, we were all amazed to listen to the incredible description of the technology that goes into our nations energy sources. Ian grilled us some amazing chicken and Brittany had prepared macaroni and fruit salad as well as corn on the cob. The food was amazing for sure but we enjoyed relaxing with them even more, we had the opportunity to play corn hole and tour Ian’s new barn. Their two dogs Brownie and Joey also provided lots of entertainment, especially for Steve enjoyed throwing the ball as hard as he could. It was so neat to share photo from our respective trips and reflect on meeting them in Ridgeway, Colorado a few weeks earlier. By the end of the night we went to bed with full stomachs, tired legs , and invitations to return on August 6th for Ian’s annual pig roast.
90 Miles
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