Thursday, November 1, 2007

Ten Days and Counting

This is the Natchez Trace, and in ten days yours truly is going to get a much closer view. On November 11, I will embark on a 444-mile bicycle journey down this beautiful stretch of highway. My brave companions will be none other than Nathe Hendricks, David Jones, and Dallis Ketchum.

Every year the Natchez Trace attracts bicycle-enthusiasts from around the country, so we thought we would give this nearby attraction a whirl. We will begin in Nashville on Sunday afternoon, and after 5.5 days of riding (Lord willing) we will meet our respective wives in Natchez on Friday.

We chose this time of year so that we could see the fall colors at their peek, but with nature's autumn shades comes nature's testy weather. Last week in Memphis, it rained Monday through Friday. Tonight the temperature drops into the 30s. Won't it be nice at the end of each day of riding to check into our hotel for a warm shower and a cushy bed? Wrong. Our young and adventurous selves have decided it would be best if we camped the whole way. Needless to say, we are praying that the unpleasant weather be held to a minimum.

Besides the weather, the primary challenge is to maintain the physical exertion necessary to grind out an average of 80 miles each day...all while having a week's worth of cycling and camping gear strapped to our bikes.

More details to come...

No comments: