DAY SIXTEEN: Louisa, KY

June 17, 2007
Hurricane, WV to Louisa, KY
64 miles
by Chris Gombeski

Today promised a new state border, and it didn't disappoint, though it did keep us waiting for a long while. After an early start in Hurricane, WV, we made it through the heat into Kentucky and put another 64 miles behind us.

Colin and I held down the fort as Sweep for the day, and our morning was relatively uneventful. Among the highlights I'd include our passing a sign that promised goats, cows, and lawn mowers for sale outside one home. We saw few other riders until we crested a steep hill that we were warned to take slow. Ben was waiting with Miriam halfway down. She had skidded off the road on a real sharp turn. The van wasn't in the immediate vicinity, so a family that lived nearby put Ben and Miriam in their truck and drove them down a little ways until Andy met up with them and took Miriam to the hospital.

Lunch wasn't far off, at Beech Fork State Park. We made it there by about 11:30, and the rest of the pack was well ahead of us. Afterwards, we coasted up a few more hills with nary a border in sight. Luckily, we did come across some nice folks who were willing to let five people crazy enough to bike across the country dip themselves in their pool to escape the 90-degree heat. With the cool water clinging to us, we were able to make it to mile 63 and across the bridge connecting West Virginia and Kentucky (and snapped photos at both the Welcome to WV and Welcome to Kentucky signs for good measure).

In all, it was a momentous day that made 64 miles feel like a short jaunt, where not a single rider had the misfortune to get a flat tire (our first such occurrence), and where short roadside breaks weren't just used to grab a swig of water but also to call home on Father's Day.

Now on to Kentucky.