Greenville, SC to Cashiers, NC - May 23

I woke up bright and early to leave Goose and Kelsey's house before 7am. I wanted to hustle out so I could beat all of the congestion due to the US Cycling Championships on Monday. One thing that I realized early on in this bike trip is that Google Maps hasn't quite mastered it's cycling routes. I tried to check them out to make sure they were alright, but the directions were still a bit confusing. A few wrong turns were taken in Greenville and I was wondering if the entire trip would be a logistical nightmare. After cruising through a few extremely low-income neighborhoods in Greenville and figuring out the confusing directions I made it out to the country.

It was nice to see huge hay bail bundles and rolling fields in the foothills. Cruising along, saying hello to all of the horses and cows that I passed, I looked ahead of myself at some daunting hills that were quickly encroaching. Even before I started the massive climb up the Appalachians, I had to stop a few times within the first couple of hours to chow down on a granola bar and a gob of peanut butter...mmm, I love peanut butter. It was in the mid-90s on Monday and I was chugging water like a Chinese Popcorn Tree. The legs started to feel tight and I realized that stretch sessions would become essential every couple of hours. It felt amazing to be outside, soaking up the sun, and really having no idea where I was going. My directions were fastened onto the frame of my bike in a compact clear toiletries bag, but none of the back roads I was taking were familiar.

I arrived at Lake Keowee around 10am and I realized that sunscreen was going to be an essential part of this trip for my white, pasty Irish skin. Bull Frog brand, SPF 36 Quik Gel is awesome! It dries instantly and doesn't have a funky smell. Even though I kept lathering it on during the 3 day trip to Tennessee, I now have a pretty sweet fingerless glove tan and a nice harsh line from where my cycling shorts stop on my thigh. Just before I started the massive climb up the mountain I started to get a bit tired because of the heat. Then I passed about 35 churches in the span of 1 or 2 miles with incredibly encouraging things written on their church signs. You know, the cheesy quotes that people always make fun of. Well, they hit home a lot more when you are about to pass out from heat exhaustion and realize that you still have many more thousands of feet to climb in about 30 miles.

At about 11 am I started to climb. I figured I would be in Cashiers by noon. False! I probably should have checked out a topographic map for this part of the ride because for the last 20 miles of the trip, from 130 North, or Whitewater Falls Rd, up South Carolina 107 N to Cashiers, NC it was a straight up hill climb. Now, it was not that the climb was anything steeper than I have done before, it was just that it lasted for 20 straight miles and I had already done 45 miles on my first day of the trip...oh yeah, and it was about 95 degrees outside with no breeze. Also, quick interjection...whoever in Greenville does not think Paris Mountain is a real mountain is a fool. The gradient of Altamont Rd is as steep in certain parts as anything I encountered in the Appalachians. The only difference is that it's only about a 4-5 mile climb up Paris Mountain, as opposed to 20. Anyway, back to the mountain on SC 107 North. I started getting brutally fatigued when I hit the North Carolina border. Yes! It was such a feeling of accomplishment. The first state line I have ever crossed on a bike. A few minutes after the state line I stopped to slab about a pound of peanut butter on a bagel. I put the peanut butter jar down on the guard rail when I screamed WHOA! I jumped back and realized an enormous rat snake was on the guard rail staring me down. After about 1.5 seconds I regained composure and wrangled that sucker! He was pretty friendly and he didn't even musk on me. It was cool because I was praying to have some close encounters with wildlife along the trip. Thanks God! I gave little Rashan the Rat Snake a kiss and sent him on his way.

The snake pumped me up and I knew I was getting close, but I couldn't take it. The slope up the hill was blowing my mind and my loaded up bike probably weighed 70 lbs. Right when I thought I was going to die from heat exhaustion I laid down on the side of the road and killed my water. Oh crap, now what?! I rode up the hill about half a mile and heard a beautiful noise coming up...it was a waterfall right along the road! Thanks God! I took out my handy dandy Katadhin Hiker Pro water filter and got some fresh H20. Then I jumped under the waterfall and tried to turn myself into an ice cube before I had to quickly defrost in the scorching heat and humidity. I got back on my bike. Then I fell over in the middle of the road. A man stopped to ask if I was ok. I am stubborn, so I said yes. Inside I wanted so badly to ask for a 5 mile ride up to Cashiers, but I knew I had it in me to finish. Eventually I made it to the little mountain resort town. I passed a few golf courses, a country club, and numerous gated communities. I took a left down a gravel road and made it to my first destination; Summit Charter School. I was there to suprise an 8th grade class that I taught a few weeks back at Barrier Island. At this point I had no idea how I was going to speak to anybody. Considering the heat and the hills, this ride was more physically demanding than anything I have ever done in my life. I just wanted to drink a gallon of water, eat everything fast food, and pull a Rumplestiltskin.

More to come on how this day turned into one of the coolest days ever!