Epilogue

It's now Saturday morning; I haven't touched my bike since we left Wild Dunes resort Thursday morning. My body is recovering nicely; mentally the energy level is returning although I'm enjoying the downtime in Durham, NC. I do plan to ride Sunday with Derek, my son in law, as he prepares for his first half ironman.

I returned to work yesterday by taking a short drive to Albemarle, NC to visit one of our manufacturing facilities we recently acquired. It was great to get back into that "saddle" once again; I'm really looking forward to the challenges my new position will bring as we continue to fight the continued slowdown in the housing economy.

I still cannot believe the trip is over. Although many of the days have become a blur it seems like only yesterday I was standing in the Pacific Ocean. I've seen so many great vistas, met a truly inspirational group of cyclists, and succeeded in meeting a great personal challenge that I can truly endorse Trek's slogan used in the brochure for this trip, "A trip and challenge of a lifetime."

Year's ago I read a book by Jim Collins, From Good to Great, where I learned about BHAG's - Big Hairy Audacious Goals. Since then I've always tried to keep one in front of me. For now, this trip was undoubtedly my finest BHAG. I'm not sure what will come next, but there will be another, and another.

If you're of the inclination to tackle an adventure such as this, all I can say is Just Do It, for every ounce of energy you will expend, the payback will be bountiful.

I'm glad I did this blog as it will help me relive each individual day, since as I wrote earlier some of the days are a blur. To those of you that kept up with me via this media, I hope you enjoyed it as well. To those that wrote comments and or sent them to me via Marcy, thank you for your kind words and support.

Lastly, a final heartfelt thanks to Marcy for supporting me throughout this adventure including all of the time I spent in training leading up to September 14th. Without that love and support, this would not have been successful.

Dedication


I'm dedicating this ride in memory of my father, Walter Casp, who instilled in me my work ethic - Don't be afraid of a little hard work!

And

In honor of my mother, Millie Casp, who has battled Breast, Kidney, Lung, and Bone Cancers over the past nine years. She is a survivor! If my mom can handle that, I certainly can do a little thing like ride my bike across the USA!

3,310 miles in 39 days; been there done that!

Frank arriving at our Last roadside picnic lunch.

The bikes are resting at the Wild Dunes Resort!

On the beach with Marcy

Stick, RG, and Sparky

Mark, Archie and Matt

The successful adventurers with our guides,
Stephanie and Dave

Just like in the TdF!

Happy cyclists

Relaxing at Poe's Tavern, 7 more miles to go!

A loaded freighter coming into port

USS Yorktown

Sparky, Stick, and RG on the Ravenel Bridge

Mission Accomplished!

From Pacific to Atlantic, just me, my bike and 8 other intrepid cyclists who have become good friends. We did it! Today, shortly after 4 pm the entire group rode onto the grounds of our destination hotel along with our two guides bypassing the parking lot and heading straight for the concrete pathway to the boardwalk that eventually led to the Atlantic Ocean.

The day started in Orangeburg, SC with temperatures in the mid 40's; an improvement over the past several days, but cold nonetheless. Since we started a little over 200' above sea level, there was not much to do today except pedal. What rollers we had were minimal so our foursome, Matt (aka Sparky), Archie (aka RG), Stephanie (one of the Trek Guides) and myself did the paceline routine all the way to Charleston.

The roads were quiet until we reached US 17 just southeast of Charleston. Once on this road the traffic increased to a level we did not see the entire ride. Most of the commercial traffic were either trucks returning containers to the port of Charleston or log hauling trucks taking logs to a nearby saw mill. Coupled with the cars and pick-ups the intensity of the traffic made pacelining difficult but we managed.

Once we crossed the draw bridge into downtown Charleston, the traffic quieted and the riding became more relaxed even though we still had better than 15 miles before reaching the ocean. We took a short ride down one of the historic streets of Charleston before heading to the Ravenel Bridge. This bridge was built only a few years ago, I think 2005; the brings spans 2.7 miles across the main harbor area. A separate bike path and running/jogging lane built next to the vehicle lanes made the ride easy and the views spectacular.

Once across the bridge we had eleven miles to the Wild Dunes Resort. We stopped at Poe's Tavern, the regrouping point for everyone. The Colorado trio got there first, followed by Ricky-Bobby, and then our foursome. Dave, the other guide joined us there on his bike after parking the van at the hotel. Now, we just needed Frank (Bones) to arrive.

Frank was incredible this trip. He was undoubtedly the weakest ride in terms of cycling ability and strength. He started every day at least 30 minutes if not more before the rest of us and he finished last nearly every day. Despite those limitations, he rode EVERY mile, one of only four riders to do so out of nine. And he is a flat lander from Florida; made me proud that one of us from Florida matched Ricky Bobby and two of the Colorado trio.

Once Frank got to the turn before the Tavern, we were waiting for him to get started on the final seven miles. When we reached the gate of the resort we regrouped once again for the final 0.1 miles to the beach. The ride along the sidewalk was probably one of the sternest bike handling tests I ever faced. At one point my front wheel left the concrete for the sand just before the final turn towards the boardwalk. Fortunately, I kept my balance, righted my wheel and made two hairpin turns.

Six spouses made the trip east to greet us at the boardwalk. Most of us rode all of the way to the ocean, stopping just short of the water to take off our cycling shoes. Once there the hugs and kisses started. Cameras were quite busy recording all sorts of celebratory nonsense. The smiles, cheers, and slaps on the back seemed endless. We were in the Atlantic. 39 days ago, we stood in the Pacific.

One excellent adventure!

Nearing the end or 123 miles to Orangeburg!

Good News and Not so good news:

The riding was good today in every respect except one, it took too long - nearly 8 hours in the saddle!

Another cold morning gave way to beautiful sunshine in the SC hills so that by noon time all the extra layers of warmth were discarded for another day. It's a good thing I brought my cold weather gear for this trip. I actually thought I would need it in Colorado, where I didn't; The chill in eastern Tennessee, western NC and SC came as a surprise.

The forecast is for gorgeous weather for our ride into Charleston and on to the Ocean!

IF there was a highlight for me today, it was getting my last massage as today wore on me. Matt, one of our riding trio had food poisoning in Asheville so he didn't ride yesterday or the first half of today's ride. He left from lunch (mile 59) before Archie and I reached the feed zone, leaving Archie and I to continue our ride sharing lead duties. It is much more work when you only have two in a group rather than three or four.

No pictures today as there were no pictorial highlights to capture along the way. The ride was either through tall Southern Yellow Pine forest or farmland. The odor was quite distinct when we passed many of the farms. I guess farms in SC are not as large as the ones in Oklahoma so the barns, etc are closer to the road. The scenery was nice; the roads were better than most. For most of the ride we had very little traffic until we closed in on Orangeburg.

Tomorrow we have 110 miles to the Ocean, the rollers are nearly finished as the route sheet calls for 1,200' of climbing; we had over 5,000' today just on rollers. Too many rollers. I'm looking forward to the flat land tomorrow as my legs are tired.

Today's key stats:
122.7 miles
7:51:56 in the saddle for a 15.9 avg mph
2,775 kcals burned over the final 6.5 hours (too cold for the SRM again!)
No flats
5,099' of climbing, all from rollers!

We're 203' above sea level; not much more to go!

Tracey, my CTS Coach, came to the hotel to see me off this morning

The group is envious of my fan support these past few days!

At the top of Hickory Nut Gap; 2,880' just outside of Chimney Rock / Lake Lure

The descent to chimney Rock Village was an awesome ride!

Chimney Rock

The Broad River on its way towards Lake Lure

Another bitter cold start, 36 degrees when we left at 7:45 am. It took almost to 10:00 am before it warmed up enough for me to no longer see my breath! Prior to departing, my Carmichael coach joined me for coffee as I ate my typical "quick" breakfast - Banana, OJ, fruit, waffle, bacon and a Bagel.

After a quick ride through town we turned on to the Blue Ridge Parkway once again, heading North for 4 miles then we turned south for the day. We had one last significant climb to tend to prior to departing the Appalachians for the rolling hills of South Carolina - the climb to the Eastern Continental Divide at Hickory Nut Gap. The descent took us to Chimney Rock and Lake Lure; the scenery and landscape was just beautiful. The Broad river which made its path along our roadway was filled with large boulders and rocks.

The rest of the way to Union, SC made for comfortable cycling. The rollers steady lost their degree of incline as we dropped all the way to 570'. We crossed the state line on a country road that was apparently so rural South Carolina didn't posted a sign welcoming us to their state.

All in all, today was a great ride. I handled the cold with proper clothing; the cycling was fun, especially on the long descent into Chimney Rock.

Today's key stats:
103.5 miles
6:35 in the saddle for a 15.5 avg mph
6,020' of climbing elevation
Matt sat the day out due to food poisoning!
2,170 kcals burned during the last 4.5 hours (my SRM didn't record data for the first two hours today - too cold for the electronics! This happened on Saturday and Sunday also.)
No flats today.

Tomorrow: 123 miles to Orangeburg - lots of rollers coming before we hit Low Country.

From Brrr! to Asheville in 66 miles

On the Blue Ridge Parkway, just short of the top today

A history lesson

And the view; just spectacular!

More Smoky Mountains in the Autumn

A view of the colorful hills from Maggie Valley

This was one frigid morning - 30 degrees when we pulled out of the hotel in Cherokee. We decided to leave early to beat the traffic and get to Asheville earlier in the afternoon for a nice long relaxation period, besides it wasn't going to warm up much in one hour.

The air was crisp, no fog, and very light traffic on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We got on the BRP at its southern most end outside of Cherokee heading fro Asheville. Today we would have one big climb up to 5,206'. The climb took 10.4 miles; the descent 6.5! Needless to say the climb was at a tough grade, the descent was significantly steeper. We passed through 5 short tunnels on this climb. The absence of fog and traffic made this climb much more enjoyable thanks to the views.

I took time at one of the mid point stops on the way up to take in the view - the colors were awesome. At this point I was fourth up the hill, however my photo break dropped me to 7th. It was worth it!

On the way down signs posted warnings to trucks alerting them to a 9% grade. I'm not sure which is harder, climbing a grade like that of descending one. You work your legs on the uphill; on the downhill its your upperbody and focus that gets the strain. This descent seemed never ending and it was bitter cold to boot. My arms and legs were shaking as I gentle applied the brakes sporadically on this long downhill. The cold wind didn't help as keeping focus on the road ahead and control of the bike kept the muscles tense.

At the bottom of the hill was Maggie Valley, a nice picturesque setting that has become popular with Floridians moving north. From here we had 40 miles of cycling left to reach Asheville. First however was a stop into the van to thaw out. I wore several layers on the uphill; I added one more, my trust GoreTex jacket for the downhill. My toes needed thawing, the rest of me just needed warmth. After a cup of hot chocolate, banana, and Mojo bar I put enough calories in my core to generate some heat.

Now that we were on relatively flat land, pedaling helped to warm the body along with the bright sunshine. The remainder of the ride went well.

Today's key stats:
66 miles
6,339' of climbing
3,723 kcals burned
nearly 5 hours in the saddle; 13.7 mph

Tomorrow, South Carolina!

Conquering the Smokies into North Carolina

The last stretches of Tennessee as I head into the Smoky Mountains

Looking down the road back towards Townsend, TN

Autumn in the Smoky Mountains

Descending from Newfound Gap to Cherokee, NC

Lunch in Cherokee, with Frank "Bones" from Jupiter, FL

Pam and John Hunt joined us

Pam, Mark and John in Cherokee

We got to sleep in today; breakfast wasn't served until 7:30. Breakfast was 1.7 miles down the road this morning as the Lodge we slept at didn't serve breakfast. With the restaurant opening at 7:30 and sunrise at 7:43, the group didn't depart the lodge until 7:40.

The rains were gone but the moisture was definitely in the air. After a breakfast of Blueberry pancakes, country cured ham and OJ, I headed out with Matt, Archie and Stephanie as we headed for the Great Smoky Mountain National Forest only 1.8 miles further down the road. Once there the first climb started immediately.

The climb ran along the Little River for 13.5 miles up to 2,310' from 1,080' provided extraordinary scenery but also many cars and pick-up trucks. The leaf peepers we out in force at 8:45 in the morning. Fortunately commercial vehicles are not permitted on this national forest's roads. This climb was a nice gradual warm-up for what would come next. For the first 4 miles I rode on 39x17 then 39x19 for 8 miles and the last mile and a half was a combination of 39x19, and x21 as the grade topped out at 6%. The first climb today took just under one hour.

After a short downhill, the real work started. Thirteen miles to the top, Newfound Gap and the TN NC border. We started at 1,452' by turning onto US 441 South (I thought I was heading home!). Our group split towards the end of the first climb as Matt fell off of the pace early. Archie was next to lag behind. I followed Stephanie up the mountain as she stay ahead of me by 20-80 yards as we climbed. Once we got up to 2,500' or so the moisture turned to fog, getting thicker as we climbed further up the mountain. The grade also turned steeper settling in at 8% with some sections reaching 9 or 10%. It didn't take long for me to settle into my granny gear - 39x27.

After 1 hour 37 minutes I reached the top not before passing through three tunnels while riding alongside hundreds if not thousands of leaf peepers. The fog was dense; at 4,000' I broke through the fog layer which would make the last 5 or so miles infinitely easier. Not to happen as the second fog layer rolled in at 4,600-4,700'. The last tunnel came at 12 miles in the climb. Near the top I was passed by a caravan of corvettes.

At we neared the top I was passed by Greg and Ricky-Bobby who finished 1-2 on the climb. I was fourth to the top. Grateful Dave and Gary came in shortly after I parked my bike against the van. Everyone climbed into the van to warm up as it was only 39 degrees on the top of this hill, at 5,080'.

Ricky-Bobby, Stephanie and the Colordao Trio headed down the mountain first. I left after changing into some dry socks and adding another layer, my Gore Tex rain jacket. The descent, like always, made the climb worthwhile. After a few miles, the fog was not only gone but the sun was shining brightly through the trees. I rode for miles without hitting the brakes; the ride was awesome.

On the way down, about halfway to Cherokee, I noticed my friend Pam Hunt taking my picture. She and her husband John took time on their vacation near Lake Lure to try to find me in the mountains. Based on the limited route knowledge and timeframes I could give them earlier this week, it worked! As I speed by them at nearly 40 mph I recognized them at the last moment. Luckily they got back in their car and drove further down the mountain. On a long straightaway I noticed Pam once again on he side of the road. This time I was able to slow and stop. We shared hugs and had a nice conversation. While talking with them the Trek Travel van came by so I told them to follow the van as we were heading to lunch. We reconvened at a local restaurant in a few miles.

After lunch we still had 3 miles to the Hampton Inn which I arrived at 2:30. Time to relax, wash clothes, work on the blog and watch some football. On Saturdays I wear my Ga Tech cycling jersey; they won again this week beating Clemson 21-17.

For dinner we opted to go to Granny's Kitchen for a buffet of home cooking based on the recommendation of the hostess at the Hampton Inn; we were scheduled for another pizza dinner. Good decision! Besides the usual salad bar and selection of veggies, the buffet included chicken noodle soup, fried chicken and hand carved beef tenderloin, all of which found my plate. Pumpkin pie for dessert as the waitress claimed everything was made on site. All was delicious, even the fried chicken! It's been a long time since I've eaten fried chicken.

We left the hotel for dinner at 6:00 pm and the temp was in the high 40's. Tomorrow morning will chill the bones as the temperature at sunrise, 7:44 am will barely break freezing - 33 degrees! I will put more layers on tomorrow that I used today to stay warm.

One bummer today, the cold weather caused my SRM not to function properly by missing my power output nearly all morning. I sure would like to have known what kind of watts I generated going up those climbs. The entire ride took me 4:03:23 over 55.7 miles for a 13.7 mph average.

Great Smoky Mountains here I come!

Fall in full swing at our Lodge in Townsend!

The Valley View Lodge

Ozone, TN; note the trestle train bridge across the road.

My hometown, in PA!

The Fort Loudoun Dam
site of our lunch today

The one lane bridge just outside of Townsend.

The Smoky Mountains off in the distance.

After completing yet another century, I find myself at the base of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Getting here was quite the ride today!

We started in a misting rain, slight fog, and cold temps (at least for this Floridian). high today was 59 degrees. The roads finally started to dry out after 20 miles, but by mile 45 we road back into the rain as a shower fell on us over the next 15 miles. By lunch at mile 62, I was drenched and chilled. Along the way the landscape was tremendous; the Cumberland Plateau is filled with beautiful lakes. Riding along these lakes and seeing the color in the trees is such a wonderous change from the brown plains of Oklahoma and the dull desert of California.

One scenic highlight today was coming across a road named after the community I grew up in in western Pennsylvania, Hopewell Twp. Then there was the town of Ozone, a small town with a waterfall aptly named, Ozone Falls.

We had lunch outside of the town of Lenoir City on the banks of the Fort Loudoun Lake and Dam, part of the TVA water management system. Lunch was another outstanding array of fruit, salad, and rice dish, veggies, chips, cold cuts and cookies. After lunch, a change to drier clothes we set out for Townsend only 40 miles away.

Today's ride had a five page route sheet; in other words, lots of turns. Some of the roads were so far removed from the beaten path that when we were on them we had them all to ourselves - no vehicle traffic. That was good too, as they were narrow, leaf covered, and very serpentine. The best part of the ride came as we closed in on our destination; we road along the Little River for nearly ten miles. The river must be a treasure for fly fisherman as it was shallow, filled with rocks, had rapids and still pools. Along the river were all sorts of lodges, cabins, trailers, and houses that surely bustle with activity in the summer season. At the end of our ride along the river we crossed over a one lane bridge that had to be the narrowest of many one lane bridges we came across on this adventure.

We also crossed into the Eastern Time Zone (I'm getting closer to home!) today. As a result we lost one more hour. Getting to our lodge a few minutes before 5:00 pm, made for a busy evening. Today was my massage day, but since dinner was at 6:00 I visited Tara at 7:15.

Tomorrow the ride is only 54 mile! A short day, filled with two climbs, each 13 miles long, will not start until after 8:30, a welcome change from our 7:30 starts. I get to sleep in as breakfast isn't available until 7:30.

Today's key stats:
102.8 miles
6:33 in the saddle
3,030 kcals burned
40 mph top speed
6,134' of climbing
15.9 average speed
no flats today in our group, not sure about the Colorado trio.