Back roads

I slept until 6:30 today which for me is kind of late. Damp gear was the price i had to pay for sleeping over a creek on such a foggy night. I loaded up and went back to the same pavilion where I hid from the rain yesterday. It was a clear morning. I spread my down sleeping bag and everything else out in the sun to dry. The pavilions had electricity so I plugged in my battery pack that I usually charge with my bike wheel. Every night I charge my phone, bike computer and rear bike lights if I have been riding on the road. I use a good sized portable power bank that I usually charge all day when I’m riding. Its 20000 mAh. I need to ride about 40 miles a day to replace the amount of electricity i use. Its always nice to top off the power bank without having to pedal. So while the gear was drying and things charging, I made some coffee caught up on my blog and did some maintenance on my bike.

I didn’t get on the road until after 11. It was a relaxing morning. I needed to resupply but after looking at a map decided to wait until tomorrow. Ill pass a grocery store and even a Wal-Mart. The next 20 miles or so were all on roads and through farms. The hills seemed bad today but I was probably just tired. It was hot and humid. I regretted my late start and missed riding in the coolness of early morning.

Storm clouds were building up to the west of me. I was hoping they would pass but they did not. It started raining so hard I had to stop. Water was running off my helmet and over my glasses so I could not see. As I stood there in the torrential downpour an old pick up truck came to a stop and the driver motioned me in. Even though I could not get any wetter I jumped in the cab. The driver, a thin old man sat hunched over the steering wheel. A much worn greasy International tractor hat was perched at an odd angle on his head. I knew without asking he was a farmer. I assumed he had been out checking his fields. After I was inside the cab he asked, think it might rain? I replied I wasn’t sure but with the way the clouds were building up I thought there was a good chance. Not good for biking is it? No I said, but probably good for your crops. He said yes, it had been pretty dry.. We both were quiet after that for a while. It was a comfortable silence though. You can come back to the house if you want Marge will fix you something to eat, he offered. I declined. He was going in the direction I had come from and I was already soaked. Also I didn’t know how far away he lived. We sat there about a half hour until the rain stopped. Then I was on my way once more.

The sun came back out and caused steam to rise from the asphalt. It was hot. Cornfields on each side of me blocked whatever breeze there may have been. Down a long tree lined lane was a fire and rescue training facility and by the road they had placed a cooler of bottled water for cyclist. Equally appreciated were the large Norway Spruce trees and the circle of damp shade they provided. After 1 bottle of Gatorade and 2 bottles of water I rolled on.

I made camp along a cornfield and an edge of a woods. There was a creek to filter water from and I was well concield from any passerby on the road. It was early for a stealth camp, only 5pm but it looked like more rain was coming and I was tired. I don’t think more then 3 cars had gone by in the past hour anyway. I hung my hammock, filtered water and boiled the rest of my rice with a beef bullion cube for dinner.

I was fighting to stay awake by 8 pm. The quiet rustle of corn stalks in the gentle evening breeze provided a background of white noise. After dozeing off 3 times on the same page of the book I am reading I gave up and allowed sleep to prevail.