Day Six (41.7 miles, 212.4 total): Big Hill

RING! RING! RING! Alarm is off and Ella wants out of the tent! Its a beautiful morning and there is a terrific sunrise. The sun is bathing the clouds in its rays, creating the illusion of fire across the sky.

I pack up the tent and organize my gear back on to the bike. Finally Ella and I leave the campground to head for Harrodsburg, KY. A few miles of pedaling in, I stop at a gas station to pick up breakfast and more water. It looks like it might rain today so I check the weather reports while eating a banana and a pop tart.

While I'm indulging myself, an older woman comes up and asks if I was riding the TransAm route. She got very excited and went to get her husband. He was an avid blog reader and cyclist who wanted to do a similar adventure to my own. Darrel and Loretta Byer from Michigan. Loretta gave Ella a  cookie, who promptly took it and hid it away in her basket. After a few more words about cycling, Loretta, who was raised in South Africa, gives me a beautiful little wire lizard she made. I was very grateful and glad I made some new friends this morning.

So off I went into the grey morning, pedaling to avoid non existent rain. The landscape had completely morphed from run down trailers in the mountains to HUGE neatly kept farm houses and perfect lawns. The barns had to be the best part of my ride. They sat on these massive hills, silent and unmoving. There was a certain solitude about them, that made them truly beautiful to look at. It was almost spooky in a way, sending shivers down your spine. You, the looming barn, empty fields, and a car-less road. So on I pedaled.

The rolling hills seemed to only roll up! Reach the crest of one incline then a short, flat break, and on to the next hill! On and on, hill after hill, but it was alright, I loved the scenery around me. I would stop every once in awhile for a picture or two of a barn or a landscape. After awhile I come to a highway intersection and cross to stop at the gas station. Ella is excited to leave the basket and run around for a bit! The people at the gas station ask all about her as she jumps through the grass. I walk inside and grab a Gatorade. While back outside, an older gentleman informs me that Harrodsburg is over twenty miles away still! With a Gatorade and a happy Ella, I head up the highway.

Now I hit the fun part. HEAD WINDS!!!!! The entire ride I had an insane amount of head winds. It felt like I was being tugged back with a rope even when I tried bombing down hills! And hills that I should have been able to fly up, became almost impossible to pedal. The flat straight aways were not much better. It was almost like trudging through sand the entire way. Eventually I saw the signs for Big Hill. I knew that once I reached this town, it wouldn't be much farther to my destination.

Well, I now know why its called Big Hill! It sits on top of a mountain! Not a Hill! The whole ride was up. I took a few breaks every once in awhile so I wouldn't wear myself out. At last, the top is in sight! Sweet, Sweet victory! And there is only one way down the mountain of course! The most beautiful part of Kentucky I had ever seen was along that road. It was two miles of downhill, through a massive cut out in the mountain. You could see all around you for miles and miles. The coloration in the stone cuts were phenomenal. Hues of orange, brown, red, tan, and green swirled around me as I glided down Big Hill. It was a rush, speeding down the Kentucky landscape for two straight miles. The rest of the ride paled in comparison.

I road through a few more small towns and they were pretty interesting. A lot of these quaint little neighborhoods looked like something out of a fifties family television show. All that was missing were the classic cars. A few more smalls hills, and a lot of headwind still sat in my path. I saw a sign that said Harrodsburg 4 Miles. Yes! I can do that! Those last four miles took me an hour to complete. An hour. 4 miles. But at last, I made it!

It seemed to be graduation night for the high school and the whole town seemed pretty busy. I called my mom and we found a hotel not far from the main little downtown. I finally get checked in and find some food to chow down on. I turn the AC on full blast and wait for the snow flakes. Here i am, sitting by the blizzard machine, playing with the hyper little fur ball Ella. Another day is complete and tomorrow and new adventure begins. Hope you enjoy my journey and continue to read about our daily adventures!  If you are reading and keeping up with our journey, please be sure to leave us comments. We love to hear your feedback and encouraging words!