This morning, I slowly got my act together, packed up my bike. Called Adam to ask him what to look at regarding the squeak on my bike from dropping it down the driveway yesterday – we talked it through, and it seemed like I should be ok to head home.
Right as I was about to leave, my hostess, Penny, wandered out of the house. We chatted for a few. She pointed it out from where we stood in the drive, and then told me that Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia at 4783’ elevation, was just 15 minutes away. So, I decided to take a go at finding it.
On my way up, I had my first “Oh, S**T!!” moment when I underestimated a curve, had taken it too fast, and almost slid off the road. I loved all the twisty turnies as we wended our way up to the top.
I always find it interesting how quickly outdoorsy people are to gravitate to one another, share their worlds. As I pulled up to overlook to the sweeping expanse of Georgia below, a young guy was taking in the view from the picnic bench. He apologized if he’d frightened me. Lol – I must have been concentrating so hard after my near disaster, that I hadn’t even remembered that a little white car had flashed on by me. It was him. Nice kid, trying to figure out how to have a freer kind or lifestyle. He told me his situation, I told him my thoughts and experiences with living a more location independent lifestyle. We parted 40 minutes later fast and ephemeral friends.
I headed on. It was time to get serious about getting down the road. I lucked out and got the gorgeous, sunny day that my weather app had predicted – lol, even a broken clock is right twice a day!!
On a 250, it takes a while to get most anywhere! It felt like a wild ride back to Chattanooga for some reason, probably just because the trip had stretched me, and I was fatigued. I dropped Viv again coming out of a parking lot. Damn! I pulled it together and kept going.
My backside was killing me, so I decided to stop for a very late lunch at the Peruvian place I’d missed on my way out. Renewed by my favorite cup of coffee anywhere and handmade empanadas – it just hit the perfect spot!
It had been such an incredible weekend, and was just riding such a high, that both Vivie and I were wound. My Sweet Girl ‘n Me – 3 days, 2 nights, 320 miles, low of 38 degrees, riding in the rain, riding in the dark, riding while fried. We’ve tackled so many things together. Each day and each ride has challenged us and pushed us to continuously grow in new ways. We’ve come such a long way, Baby, in just 2 short months of being together, that as we tooled back into our neighborhood, I knew neither of us was ready to go home quite yet – it was our last ride for the year.
So, I steered a path up our favorite route. We rode up on the mountain and out our Ridge Road. We sat in our favorite park, taking in the city below and mountains beyond, until the light faded down over the distant and familiar outlines of Signal and Lookout Mountains to the west.
It’s only happened once before, but then I somehow managed to dump Viv twice this weekend, once in the mud, once in a parking lot – we’re both feeling the bumps and bruises of a brief, yet brilliant season together!! Tomorrow I’ll give her a bath, fill up her tank, and reluctantly tuck her under her covers for a long winters nap… my Vivie Girl deserves a break!!
Smarter-Not-Harder U 