Pactour Day 24 "We're Tired"

Good thing no hunters around today.  A peeing Turkey is probably an easy target.

Last major milestone.  Eastern Continental Divide in the Appalachian mountains.  Screaming downhill here we come!!  Sorry about the sweat on the lens, it was 90 degrees by 10am.

JW celebrating a city limit sign victory.  Look at the photo closely, Jaime.

Crewmember/masseuse Jon Jahant did some asphalt surfing today.  Not right to show that he got both butt cheeks too.  He crashed on a quick left turn (followed by a quick right turn.)  We were well behind Jon.  Will skidded his back tire on the quick right turn and we thought he had crashed, but didn't.  Once he saw Jon he really was thankful for his good luck.  The Turk was nowhere near Jon, so we can't pin that one on her...

Turk Celebrating the Virginia Sign - Our last State!!!  Cool thing about this photo is the "Trucks on Cheese" sign in the background (a coveted cyclist sign meaning the work is done and the fun is about to begin.)  Also prolly can't make it out but the Harrisonburg 21 mile is also in the background (our overnight destination.)

Recall there is always something to do on PacTour.  Well, here Lon, Jim, and Buster have a free minute and decide to overhaul the Motel trailer's rear brakes...

But that didn't get in the way of the 7pm ice cream social, a special treat the crew put out tonight.  We hadn't eaten yet, so we had ice cream _before_ dinner.  See, Pactour gets better each and every day.

Tonight we had dinner at Waffle House.  It's crazy to think we have to ride our bikes over 3000 miles just to eat at Waffle House.   If only we had one in San Antonio.  But it was worth it...

Especially as we found out that Lon and Susan prefer Waffle House also!!!  Obviously it's the right place to eat.  Very Nice!!!!

Quick note tonight.  We're all tired for some reason.  Jim actually said he felt tired for the first time on the trip.  At dinner we discussed the end of tour coming and JW said he was looking forward to not being tired for the first time in 24 days.  Will said he was looking forward to "sleeping anytime I want, at least for 2 weeks until school starts."  Terri cries each night telling Jim how tired she is - "that's normal Honey, that's PacTour." Our dinner time conversations are so funny as everyone is half a sleep and totally giddy.  Nonsensical stuff.  Great stuff.

Today the climbing began in earnest right from the gun.  We climbed 4000 feet by the first rest stop at mile 40 today over 3 mountain passes.  Each climb was about 7-9% for 3-4 miles at around 7 mph, then followed by a similar descent.  We did do another off the beaten path 20+ miler rolling thru beautiful eastern West Va farmland (where Jahant crashed and Will tried to.)  

By the second rest stop at mile 55 now up to 6500 feet of climbing over 2 more similar 3-4 mile climbs and descents Will and the Turk were cooked.  They talked about taking a "bump" to lunch which was 21 miles away, but there was actually only a 1 mile climb from there then 8 miles of descending then only a small climb from there so they soldiered on.

At lunch (mile 75)  Turk and Will helped clean up after we'd eaten and planned to take the Lunch van all the way to the hotel.  JW and Jim took off (the next rest stop was 8 miles away at the top of a 4 mile 10% climb preceded by 3 miles of 3% false flat) and JW wanted to ride hard.  So the boys hit it hard and passed 6 riders to the rest stop, the last whom had left lunch when they arrived - ie around 15 minutes head start.  JW was pretty stoked about the pace, Jim looked a bit tired.  

The lunch truck had passed JW and Jim about 1.5 miles from the top of the climb and when JW and Jim got to the rest stop to refill water bottles, the Turk and Will were on their bikes, ready to ride the 21 miles down to Harrisonburg with them.

One interesting delay back into town.  As we get close to the finishing motel, the boys generally start to goof around.  You know, riding up and down sidewalks and little goofy things.  Turk always cackles "This is when accidents happen, when you're close to being done.  You 2 are going to get hurt."  Jim always replies "C'mon, let'em have some fun."  Well today Turk and Jim were riding in the street Will and JW goofing around on the sidewalk.  Will started to say something and we heard, "What the..." and then crash, Will wrecks into a yard.  There was all this TV cable cable hanging down from a telephone pole and Will wasn't paying attention and hooked it with his handlebar.  No injuries to bike or rider.  Turk's response - cackling laughter and "that was the funniest thing I ever saw."  Jim "See that's what happens when you 2 start jacking around.  Somebody gets hurt."

Very good day.

When we arrived at the hotel Buster's fork had arrive, which Jim proceeded to drop out of the box onto the parking lot so it now has a small scratch on it for Buster to remember Jim by.  Great thanx to Matt and all at B-H getting the fork to Buster overnight (recall Buster had broken his steerer tube 2 days ago riding with the Slauson's.  Turk didn't ride that day, so we can't pin that on her.)  Heck his name is Buster, of course he broke his fork.

2 days to go.  1 hard (tomorrow) then 1 easy.

See you all in SA soon.

The Slauson Family.