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Bikes not Bombs
Updates from the road

 Starting out in Portsmouth Ohio

 Day one

Portsmouth Ohio to Catlettsburg Kentucky 38 miles

We started the day out with our morning circle at Horse shoe mound in Portsmouth Ohio, thinking about and sharing stories of Art Gish and John Toren and all the relatives who have gone on before us. Riding along the Ohio River

The day is humid but overcast so at least the sun is not beating down on us. We crossed the Ohio river into Kentucky and spent most of the day following the river. We made it to our overnight around three in the afternoon covering 38 miles today. It was a good day we managed to stay together as a group for most of the day.

We will update this page as we can.

 

Day two

Catlettsburg Kentucky to Louisa Kentucky 30 miles

Last night was fantastic Karen has taken care of our group twice now and has done a fantastic job hot meals and beds to sleep in! So I want to say a special thanks to her.

Group outside a coal power plant

The morning was overcast and cool no humidity today. The coal truck traffic has incressed quite a bit and we found out why when we past a large coal fired power plant. The edge of the road has gotten wider now and we can ride side by side that made the day fly by after lunch we had only 12 miles left. Jon and Jacob fix the bike chainAlso today we had our first two side of the road repairs Jon with his chain and Delza with a flat tire all worked out just fine.

Tonight we are staying at the First United Methodist Church hosted by the new minister here Donna anDelza fixing a flatd we are also going to be joined by friends from Columbus Ohio Ash, Series and their two children. Sorry for no pictures today I have taken some but I am using the public library computer and can't download them maybe tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Day three

Louisa Kentucky to Mt Tabor Monastery  58 miles

Donna, Series, Ash and childres

Today is a big day and we had a wonderful night we were hosted by Pastor Donna and had a really nice dinner with some of the congregation from the church we are also having dinner with a representative from OVEC (Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition).

Series Ridding

Today is overcast and we are going to start and finish with mountains and nothing but rolling hill in between. Ash and Series are going to take turns riding with us today. It is very humid today and windy not great combinations when ridding. We ended the day the same way we did yesterday with Delza getting a flat tire but we are getting pretty good at changing them.

Delza changing his tire

Day four

 Mt Tabor Monastery to Seco KY  48 miles

 

Today we are heading down on the back roads to a little town called Seco which stands for south eastern coal company an old coal minning town. We and are a little unsure were we are going but we all have decided to take the chance and get off the main road. It is really a nice day and not a lot of traffic on these roads. We stoped around 11:30 for lunch in this really small town called Boyde but it had a really nice general store to stop at. 

After lunch we started on the more vertical part of the trip and Delza and I started having problems with our diabetes. This has been going on for a couple of days now but came to a head today it got so bad that Jon and Jacob had to ride on and ask the overnight host to pick us up. When everyone got to Seco it was decided that Delza and I would stop here and go home. It was a very difficult desision to make but the right one.

We enjoyed our last night together with our overnight host Charlie and Vanessa listening to music and enjoying great conversation. In the morning Delza and I said goodbye and stayed with Charlie and Vanessa untile out ride came and picked us up it was a very quite day. Good luck guys

Jon BlickenstaffJon and JacobJacob

 

Day 5
 Seco to Wiley’s Last Resort 13 miles

 

It was with a touch of sadness that we set out today because we had to say goodbye to Jim and Delza.  They both had to leave the ride because diabetes played havoc with their blood sugar. 

Wilies Last ResortSo Jacob and I set out for a relatively short day but one we knew would be strenuous.  We are heading to Wiley’s Last Resort on top of Pine Mountain.  It’s only 13 miles, but the last four miles involve a 1500 foot climb.  We were able to get there in about two hours which was nice because then we had the entire rest of the day to rest, the closest thing we have to a rest day on the whole ride.  We finished off the day with a reunion of friends we met on the Nuclear Free Future walk in February: Sharman and Jeff Chapman-Crane, Charlie and Vanessa who we stayed within Seco, Jim Webb owner of Wiley’s, and new friends David and Grace.

 

 

Day 6
Wiley’s to Harlan 45 miles

Pine Mountain

We had intended to ride along the top of Pine Mtn. on Little Shepherd’s Trail, the route taken by the walk, and then down the mountain to Cumberland, but Jeff and Sharman invited us to visit them in Eolia, straight down 119.  So Jacob and I get to coast down the back side of Pine Mtn.  What a blast.  We had a pleasant visit with Jeff and Sharman and got to see their art gallery.  Jeff’s sculpture, The Agony of Gaia, is an amazing depiction of mountain top removal.  Then we headed on down 119 the rest of the way to Harlan, fighting coal trucks the whole way.  Getting to see Marjorie Grieshop and her family over dinner was another special treat.

 

 

Day 7
 Harlan to Harrogate 44 miles

 

Except for a couple of flats, extremely hot weather tempered by a cool spring, rain, lightning, 40 mile an hour wind gusts, a ride through the Cumberland Gap tunnel in a pick-up, nothing much happened today but another pleasant reunion with Eric Dolittle and his family.

 

 Jacob Blickenov

Day 8
 Harrogate to Oak Ridge 72 miles

 

Our longest day.  We are exhausted but happy we made it.