DAY 4...

Woke up around 10am on Monday to a cold gray day. As we were packing up the bikes it started to lightly rain, not a good sign. We hung out at the camp a little while in hopes the rain would clear up and to do some work on the bikes. We ate some reheated pancakes and discussed the route with Brent, the owner of the camp. The weather was a real problem, the entire country was covered in greens, yellows and red. We learned there was a tiny window of clear weather to the northeast towards Baltimore, but we had to hurry. The rain was coming down pretty hard now, but we knew it would eventually clear up. We mounted up and headed to Boone for some lunch, via the back roads.

The roads were incredible, winding through woods, leaves changing. Crossing rivers, small hand crafted cabins with rusted steel corrugated roofs. The rain let up a bit. I noticed I was riding alone! Where the hell is Peter??? I double backed about 15min, no sign. No signal on my phone. I waited on the side of the road for another 10 minutes. We both know to meet in Boone, I decided to move forward. The GPS took me deeper into the backwoods, through the mountains. I was on a road called "Jake's Mountain Pass" going uphill. The pavement disappeared, turning into a tight winding path with potholes filled with muddy water, wet with slippery leaves and large loose stone. Then there was the fog. The higher I climbed the foggier it became. It got pretty bad. Peter and I were joking days before about secret meth labs and toothless mountain people with sharp objects.... all of this started to cross my mind. I started to feel like I was putting myself into a bad situation. I stopped to take some pictures, this made me feel better. I kept climbing, the road becoming worse. I was big muddy mess, my goggles fogging up the entire time. Then the GPS loses its signal.... I kept going forward, 1st gear, slow and steady. Trying my best not to have the bike slip out from under me and over the sides. The road I was on was now a 3ft wide path!

Another 20 minutes of this pass through the fog. Out of nowhere I come to an intersection! Solid road, a GPS signal! I was in Boone! I guess I went over the mountain rather than around it. The road to the main street was still pretty thick with fog. I got a text from Peter saying he was at the bagel shop. I was only 10 minutes away.

It took 2 cups of hot chocolate and bagel with whitefish salad to calm my nerves.... Peter had gotten there 20m minutes earlier. He explained he thought his tires were low and pulled over to check out his bike. I was long gone. We discussed the route and weather. The rain wasn't letting up. We headed out, continuing northeast, figuring we would leave it up to the GPS where we stayed the night.

We rode for hours, cold and wet. The fog was really bad on the highway, visibility was about 20ft. We left our signals on and rode at a steady 30mph until it finally cleared up, seemed like we were driving in the foulness forever. We stopped at a gas station, I changed into dryer clothes. Peter and I stopped for a quick snapshot, it was FREEZING. After a few sips from my flask for warmth (which would become empty by the end of the night) we made it to Roanoke Virginia.