We have successfully crossed over the most challenging part of Virginia! We are still in the foothills of the Appalachians, but we have completed the most daunting part of the trip, for me at least. Today was another early day in attempt to beat the upcoming heat. We saw more of the same beautiful scenery as yesterday. After a few miles, we came across Vesuvius. It was just as steep and scary as I had anticipated, however, we took it easy and took multiple rest breaks. Not because we were physically tired, but because our brakes needed a break from constant use. I was warned that Vesuvius was notorious for causing brake issues/exploding tires from overheating from overuse on descent. We stopped for a brake break only a half mile in. I went to touch my brakes just to see if the rumors were true, and burned my finger it was so hot! Not my smartest idea. We had to stop any time it was safe to let the brakes/tire rims cool. But we made it down without crashing or any issues! Sheena had the bright idea of trying to get a top speed when descending Vesuvius, however, because I was ahead of her, I kept her in check. And probably saved her life.
We had lunch in a beautiful spot by a river and relaxed. When we set back out we hit a few more steep and long climbs, coupled by long and steep descends. Sheena was so worn out she thought that horses said, “baa”. We arrived to Lexington, our overnight destination, around 1:30, right when the sun was the most intense. But we were done and had the whole afternoon to explore the city. We did laundry and went to a couple coffee shops. We got stuck in the laundromat due to an intense thunderstorm rolling though causing flash flooding. A river formed in the street taking a picnic table with it. But after a few minutes the clouds gave way to sunshine. We’re staying at a church. Even though it was a short ride today, we are all still extremely exhausted from yesterday’s ride.
Sheena’s corner: I thought we were done with hills 😩
Total miles: 39.86
miles Avg MPH: 11.1
MPH Max MPH: 36.5
MPH Time on bike: 3 hours 34 min
Emilie Bikes and Hikes 