It took a couple of days of thawing to get around to writing this update. Tuesday started out great with a ride up through Shenandoah National Park. Continuing the fine tradition of the Blue Ridge parkway only with the leaves being a bit earlier in spring, a 35 mph speed limit and a fresh blustery wind (foreshadowing….).
I dropped off the parkway and decided to make for Morgantown for no other reason than Jen thought it would a good place to see and it afforded me the chance to ride through the backroads of West Virginia. I let the GPS guide me on a setting for the “shortest” route rather than the more usual “fastest” which usually means mostly freeway.
Turned out to be a long afternoon. It got progressively colder, I later found out to 41 F or 5 C, with a strong wind. The roads degraded steadily as I moved west until the surface was worse than gravel in many places, broken loose pavement and deep, rim bending, potholes. When I finally got to Morgantown, it was closed, as in no room at any hotel. After some searching and phone help from Jen, we found a place in Uniontown, PA which is 35 miles north. I was very happy to see that hotel!
Yesterday, I woke up to snow on the bike. After letting the day get a bit warmer I launched myself on a freeway ride to Charleston, WV. A forgettable and very cold day.
Days like these happen on any long trip and it wasn’t like it was dangerous or anything, only arduous. Sadly, I have a colored view of West Virginia. I will have to give it another try on a warm day and see if it can change my mind.