Day 9 - Rincon, GA to Hampton, SC - 56 miles, 990 feet ascent
Corrections/Addendums to yesterday’s entry:
We had our third flat of the trip. Murphy’s law for cyclists demands that all flats affect the rear wheel because it is more difficult to remove. If you ever have a flat on the front tire, proceed to your nearest mini-mart and purchase a lottery ticket.
Yesterday’s entry incorrectly stated we would conclude today’s ride in Santee. This was erroneous as we have arrived in Hampton, SC for the night. Apologies to anyone keeping track at home.
Look at the sign, we're in the wrong place
Move out boys and let's get ready to race
~ Bachman-Turner Overdrive, “Roll On Down The Highway”
Greetings from South Carolina. Our morning started with an uncharacteristic breakfast at Waffle House which later required a good 90 minutes of riding to adequately diffuse that gut bomb. The two heavy meals at dinner and breakfast threw us off our A-game for the morning.
We officially arrived in our third state of this trek to Annapolis. After slogging our way across coastal Georgia for the last few days, crossing the Savannah River proved anti-climactic. We did not expect a red carpet or the Clemson cheerleading squad on the Carolina side of the river, but we at least expected a sign welcoming travelers to Palmetto State. Instead, nothing but crickets.
If this is a story of heroes and villains, then the weather played the role of malevolent villain pitting us against winds gusting up to 25 MPH. More unrelenting headwinds turned the awesomeness of yesterday’s Windless Wednesday into today’s South Carolina slug fest. Jackets were optional at the gloomy start of today’s ride. Storms rolling through the region on Wednesday night portended cooler temps topping out in the mid-70s. The sun finally made a guest appearance in the final 40 minutes into Hampton.
Chuck Geyer took a stationary spill trying to clip out of his pedals resulting in an elbow injury. He is banged up with more than a little wounded pride. Every cyclist who has ever worn cleated shoes has been there. We should know more in a few hours after he receives treatment at urgent care.
While we are aware of border crossings between states, nature is blissfully ignorant. Is it our imagination when things suddenly seem vastly different on the other side? The Spanish most has all but vanished replaced with long vines hanging from still taller trees. Our first impression of South Carolina was a straight road atop a levee surrounded on both sides by swamp. The sandy marshes are no longer. If we did not know that South Carolina had great beaches and a rich history we might think its two major industries were cotton and sod. Who knew this was lumber country?
Ten days of riding has honed some vital skills on the road, some useful, some less so. We can estimate distances to a tenth of a mile, at least on the straight roads. We can also thread a very tight needle between the shoulder’s edge and the ever-present rumble strips. Often the gap between rumble strips and the edge of the road is less than 18 inches. A quick note about rumble strips: yes, they are useful for keeping Billy Bob from drifting out of the lane in his souped-up blue Mustang and they probably help prolong the life of many guardrails, but these are an often-unavoidable pain for cyclists riding bicycles with narrow tires and no suspension systems.
Today’s ride brings us to a grand total of 481.54 miles and 7,399 feet of ascent. Tomorrow we proceed to Santee (for real this time) 71.5 miles to the northeast on the shore of Lake Marion. The National Weather Service expects a 30 percent chance of showers, mainly from noon to 1600 and mostly cloudy skies with a high near 72. Northeast wind 11 to 13 MPH, with gusts as high as 25 MPH--in other words, just like today. Whatever the weather, we mustn’t be afraid of the wind. Life on the road is great, bring on tomorrow! Underway, shift colors! Go Navy!