Barking Dogs and Coal Trucks. 67 mi, 4700 feet

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Today was a long and hilly day. There were four separate climbs of about 8-12%. Each was a couple of miles to the top. The first one reminded me of those ski jumps they use for the freestyle skiiers. Starts out gradual and ramps up near vertical toward the top.

The top of that hill was about 20’ wide before it plunged back towards the hollow at the bottom,

In each Hollow there is a settlement with a lot of barking dogs. Fortunately none of them were that threatening, although it is unsettling each time one chases you down the road. It is hard to try and out run them with 80 lbs of gear.

Then there are the Coal Trucks. The drivers must be in the same fraternity as the logging truck drivers.

The complexion of Kentucky is far different than that of Virginia. The hills are very steep with valleys so small that there are usually less than 20 homes in each hollow.

( The exception is the far western part of Virginia which is like Kentucky. I’m not sure of this but it seems in Virginia thay call the small valleys “licks” and in Kentucky “hollows”.)

The generalization is that Kentucky folks are more clannish. After seeing the geography here, it is easy to understand why. Before automobiles it would have been very difficult to leave your hollow. The early settlers must have faced a daunting task to climb up and over these hills!

I’m not sure where “Larry the Cable Guy” is from but the residents in this part of Kentucky sound like him.

We are so far in the sticks here that if you blink you just missed the only quick stop on the road and have to wait another 15 miles to find another. Hotels and Motels don’t exist..

Tonight I’m in a Baptist Hostel with four other riders. It is actually kind of fun listening to their stories.

There is a couple on a tandem tricycle. Bob had a stroke twelve years ago riding his bicycle during a Century ride.
They told his wife Susan he would never walk again,
Now Bob and Susan are riding across the America!

I am humbled! He is a hero in my book!

See you tomorrow.

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Photos

Settlement in a hollow
Very often these settlements were at the bottom of a steep hill that diverged off the main highway.

Comments

[Bernie Tipton]

Rain
Hi Bob, We normally get less than 4" of rain in May at the lake. We are almost at 10" with 2 days to go. Other parts of VA are at 12 to 14" or more. You just picked the wrong year.

[Pilotbob]

Wrong year!
It is amazing that the only dry days were with Bruce! He must have been my lucky charm! I’m still enjoying the experience though. It will make for good stories some day. Thanks again for the hospitality. Bob