November 21, 2010

11/19 Elkhorn City

11/19 Fine day, from Hindman to Elkhorn City, 63miles


Watch Alarm rang gently like a whisper of birds of forests in Kentucky, I woke up 3:30a.m. Today I must decided to go Elkhorn City or Haysi. The distance to Haysi is 15miles far than Elkhorn City.  
I decided. I am an early decision maker. If I could contact with a lodge in Haysi on the way to Elkhorn City, we will go to Haysi, and could not contact with, to Elkhorn City. In Hindman we were helped by kind people. But this was miracle, and my phone was unfortunately out of network, so I thought I should avoid the risk of staying nowhere at midnight/ early morning, (it was frosty, contented with fog, chilly) 


This morning, I ate a special breakfast. I am a "sticking a rib's breakfast eater".(I do not know whether this "words" exist or not.) : 3 beef, 2 crumberry, vegetable salada, sweet potato, 3 bread, macaroni cheese, chocolate cake, walnut pie, crumberry cream, many apples. These breakfast were gifts that Rebecca and some kind ladies took for me yesterday celebration night...
With gratiture to them I ate breakfast. Thank you so much Hindman.

I started biking 6;10a.m.with bamboo bike2. The condition of Bamboo bike2 was tyo good, no flat tire, light waight, strong, neat, beautiful, stiff, and front carrier was also good which Nick repaired for us in Berea, KY.  It was still dark around, I saw fog. We passed a bridge in Hindman, passed SR160, Pippa passes, and a few mountains..

A feeling for the Appalachian 3rd day; 
It was fun ride for us! Today was the 3rd day since we have entered in the Appalachians, we were enjoying biking tyo much. There were exciting curvy uphill/downhill which I could not meet with in Rocky.Mt. and beautiful scenery surrounded by many colorful trees, and we could hear various songs of birds, I could feel something move in the forests. Fantastic, Appalachian!



At the pizza and burger shop on US23/119 near Lookout, I took rest and some foods. And I lent phone in the shop and I called to a lodge and police emergency in Haysi, but there ware no reply from lodge in Haysi. Though I asked police emergency whether I could stay in Haysi tonight, their reply was not clear for me. I decided to stay in Elkhorn City tonight.  
I arrived Elkhorn City around 1:00p.m, coming up near the city, many coal trucks appeared.  In a post office in city I talked to the 2 staffs and a lady. One of the Staff said to me with laughing, "you were the last person this year! " and she showed me the direction to a lodge, "OK, stop light, you turn right, cross the bridge, on the left." Many people said to me so with laughing. I felt the wheel of fortune. It may snow in the north area in Dec and very chilly, but I will not stop this journey. I do never run for myself, I run for bamboo, bamboo business in Japan, Japanese society and I am supported/ helped by many people. I can hear their voice, feel great power from them. I am never running by myself, I am running with many people and bamboo bike2.


Cross the big bridge in city, we arrived at a lodge. After checking in a lodge, I wrote some sentences for blog and went to the the library in town. I checked e-mail, and posted articles up on blog. I stayed at liberary till 5:30p.m. After that, I dropped by a restaurant at the corner of main street because I felt hungry much. I ate much. : 6 shrimps, 1 French salada, 1 fried steak with gravy, 2 cups of unsweat tea. When back to a lodge, I enjoyed watching a basket ball game and weather news on TV for some time.

The condition of my right achilles tendon has been tyo bad. I must take measures somewhat to this pain. I thought...thought...What I could do now was..

1.adjust the height of saddle (lower the height) 
2.taping (fix achilles tendon with some tapes)
3.?? (I will think while riding..)

I lowered the height of saddle, by 0.4inch. I will fix right achilles tendon tomorrow morning with tape which I received at hospital in Marion IL.
Outside was very quiet, sometimes the train carrying coal whistled with a big voice, after that silence came again. I remembered the camp night in Cassoday, KS at the middle of Oct.
The train here in Elkhorn city was carrying coal. At that night (Middle of Oct) , what did those trains which I met in Cassoday, KS carry? For a few minutes I was thinking about that, and the life of neightbors live in Cassoday and remembered that night in Kansas. Tomorrow we will enter Virginia. I am looking forwrd to what Virginia is. The stars were shining. Outside was very quiet.


Takashi 2010/11/19 @Elkhorn City, KY

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