After a good night's rest and after the next morning's blogging about day 2, I am finally ready to get packed up, get my bike and go for Day 3. I'm still moving slowly however and although I've eaten the free breakfast of oatmeal and a bowl of cereal at the hotel, I don't feel my energy level is up yet. As the time quickly passes to checkout time, I hurriedly stop my blogging and run to the room to grab my things and vacate. A quick shower does the trick and now I am feeling somewhat energized or at least resolved to finish this last day. Packed up and ready, I take one last look around the room to make sure I have gotten everything. Check. I walk carefully walk down the stairs (I am a little sore with stiff muscles) and to the hotel desk. The clerk and I walk to the storage door. As the clerk unlocks the door for me to get my bike, I look around and ask,"Where is my helmet?" The clerk looks confused as he says "You must have it," and I say, "No, I remember leaving it with the bike." He continues to tell me to look around; if I put it in with my bike it would be there as no one else has a key, only him. This goes back and forth as I say I left it there and he says I didn't. I then say " I can look in my room but I'm sure I left it with the bike." I go back to the room to look for the helmet and of course it is nowhere to be found. I come back down and tell him and he starts to tell me I must have gone out again or left it somewhere before I got there. I reply "I wouldn't ride my bike without my helmet and I've been in the hotel the whole time." He seems mostly unconcerned and defending his position that if the helmet is gone, somehow it is my fault and has nothing to do with him. As I think of the repercussions of this latest development and TRY not to go ballistic and all cra cra, my phone rings and it's Shea at NA. wanting to know if I'm on the trail yet. To which I loudly reply. No I'm not on the trail yet. Someone at this hotel has stolen my helmet and now I am going to have to make an additional trip to Walmart to buy another one before I can get back on the trail. At this point I am practically screaming so he wishes me luck as he hurriedly hangs up.
I very curtly ask the clerk where Walmart is and as he attempted to make further accusations about my having lost the helmet that I rode in on my head with and remembered having in the lobby and putting on my bike, I flail my arm to the side and say "That's enough. There's nothing more to say." And with that, I pushed my bike through the open door and rode unhelmeted, another 1/2 mile or to Walmart. As I ride down the road to the busy four lane highway, I feel the heat of the sun on my back as well as the heat of anger on my face. I push the crossing button, wait for the light to change and doggedly cross the four lanes, get off my bike and walk the bike up the steep parking lot to Walmart. I am already hot, sweaty and upset when I come to the Walmart door and realize that I have to take my bike in...no way I'm gonna leave it outside to get stolen too! As I push my bike inside the store, I make my way over to Customer Service where I explain that I have to get a helmet and ask to leave the bike against the wall and out of the way while I do. The nice clerk said that I could leave the bike and I hurried through the store to Sporting Goods. There I compared the two adult helmets they had and chose one. I also grabbed a gel seat cover for extra seat padding. From there, I hurried back to the front and had just paid for my purchase when I heard over the loudspeaker,.."Will the person who left the ladies bike in Customer Service please return immediately." Great I thought. Now what? I asked the cashier to cut the black plastic ties off the helmet, but she had no scissors so she directed me to Customer Service. OK, I ...was going there next anyway.
When I arrived, at CS, there were people waiting in line so now I am having to wait to get the plastic cut from my helmet. Some new woman who wasn't there before took one disapproving look at me before saying "Is that your bike? You can't leave it here. You need to take it outside." I assured her that I wanted nothing more than to take my bike and leave this place, but first I needed for someone to cut the black plastic straps off my "just bought helmet" so I could get my bike and leave. She seemed at first to disapprove of this request, but allowed me time for the cashier to cut off the black plastic tabs. " It's a safety issue she said matter of factly...the bike could fall on someone and hurt them." I looked around at the several carts overflowing with merchandise they had sitting around and made the comment," Yeah, and I suppose all this overflowing merchandise in these carts never presents a problem." Don't know if she heard me or not, but with that I plopped my new helmet on my head, fastened the chin straps, turned my bike around, and strode out of "Customer Disservice" and out of the store. Yes, at this point, just for shock effect, I had thought about hopping on the bike and riding the short distance from there to outside the door, but thought better of it, (I really didn't want to encounter the Rockmart PoPo.) From here, it was again slow going as once more I rode through the Walmart parking lot, looking out for oncoming cars. I rode down the hill and recrossed the four lane highway, back up the access road that ran beside the highway and past the evil hotel. Up another hill, I rode (and pushed the bike) through the Ingles parking lot,
As I exited the parking lot, I stayed on the left side of the highway and was nearly hit by a police car that was turning in. Oh great...here we go...probably the same cop from the day before...when I was riding down the sidewalk. I continued to ride on the left side of the road as there was much traffic going both ways and I didn't want to chance crossing it. Plus there wasn't much of a shoulder on the other side for me to ride on. Looking back, I saw no police coming my way so I continued on. At some point, at the top of the hill as traffic slowed down, I crossed to the other side and coasted down the hill I had laboriously peddled up the day before. I had to ride right past the store with the bench that I had rested on the day before... my last stop before the Econo Lodge Hotel. Since by this time, the clerk from the hotel had me questioning if I had left the helmet somewhere, I decided to stop and confirm that no helmet was there. I slowed the bike and looked at the bench...no helmet. I even went in the store and explained all to the shopkeeper and she confirmed that no helmet was there when she came in early that morning. Well, I didn't think so...but it was good to have that confirmation and to tell one more person about my "stolen helmet incident." I hopped back on my bike and rode on. As I coasted and peddled downhill over bumps on the road, I became again aware of the pain in my seat area and the heaviness of my backpack.
The first day, I had considered riding to the post office at Hiram, buying a shipping box and sending part of the contents of my pack back home. I decided against it due to the energy and extra time it would have taken and had regretted not getting rid of the extra weight. I also had considered leaving things at one of the hotels and picking it up on the return trip. Glad I didn't do that in Rockmart!! Anyway, now the pack was really weighing me down. I continued riding down Piedmont Street, making a right on Elm Street, crossing the street, and making a left onto Marble Street, this time going the correct way down the one way street. I paused briefly to make a photo of the this part of downtown.
I quickly rode the few more blocks, crossed the railroad tracks and made a left and sharp right to continue along the Silver Comet Trail back just past the 37.22 mile marker. From here I rode through Seaborn Jones Memorial Park (in the middle of the Historical downtown Rockmart area) along the Euharlee Creek. This is a beautiful, inviting, and well kept area. And as I rode along this day, I listened to the gurgling and splashing of the creek; and I heard children singing as I rounded a curve and crossed under a bridge. Across the creek in a pavilion there was a large gathering of children and adults, with more people now parking on the other side of the trail and walking up to the trail as I ride by and/or crossing behind and in front of me. I assumed it must be some school outing or function that they were attending. I passed under a green arched metal overhand whose purpose seemed to be to protect riders from falling debris from the overhead railroad bridge it was connected to. A bright yellow sign warned of the 7' 6" CLEARANCE.
I rode under yet another bridge and mile marker 37.68 announced this section as Rockmart Riverwalk. Riding up to another bridge, underneath and around the curve, I saw the famed brown metal bridge with graceful metal arches that bore the now faded red sign with white letters bearing the words The Silver Comet Trail. I gleefully rode across this bridge, knowing it was one of the SCT icons. This next area left behind the pretty park and gurgling stream traveled to the side and back of the park where to the right and through the woods, my attention was drawn to the loud squealing, whirring, and banging sound of a train rolling along a railroad track not too far from the trail. I stopped and watched for awhile as this train with its different colored cars made its way down the track and snapped of couple of photos before continuing on.
From here, I peddled up a small hill...and found the trail and myself in a cemetery at mile marker 38.02. Now this I wasn't expecting...I didn't remember reading about a cemetery in any of the literature I had read. But it seemed very 'a propo for this autumn, Halloween time of year. Undaunted by the Halloween factor, I took this opportunity to rest in peace, (no pun intended, ok. yes it was) for awhile. A lone jogger ran by from my previous direction and a woman walked up from the other direction. After they passed and I saw no one else approaching, I thought...this is my chance, my opportunity...now I can ditch some of the stuff out of this heavy backpack. I quickly grabbed one of the plastic grocery bags I had in the backpack and begin filling it with clean clothes, dirty clothes, a pair of flip flops, a bottle of aspirin, allergy meds, and other non-essential items. The new bag grew heavier as my backpack grew lighter. I kept my tire repair kit, which was a little weighty, but hey what ya gonna do? I also kept the remainder of food...my mostly depleted bag of apples and walnuts and my other bag of mini carrots and leftover pizza from the night before along with the two peanut butter cracker packs and chocolate. I neatly tied the top of the bag and searched for a good place, hidden from view to place the bag. After looking around and checking a couple of areas, I found the perfect place behind an Oak tree with poison ivy close to it and behind some scruffy underbrush. Perfect...I can reach right in to grab it later this evening when my team picks me up, it is hidden from view, and I know exactly where it is...mission accomplished.
Now with a lighter backpack and a sense of accomplishment, I continued peddling on past the back of houses in a neighborhood beside a black chain link fence. At mile marker 38.32, I saw a beautiful sight, a diamond yellow road sign with a bike on a black triangle that designated downhill grade. Another Control your speed yellow rectangle sign was underneath.
I had gotten off my bike to make a photo of the sign and now I was shouting....YAHOO...what I had been praying for...control my speed was the last thing I was thinking as I jumped on my bike and barreled down the hill...whee...this is what bike riding is suppose to be about. Down, down, down I rode as the wind from my speed whipped across my face and body. I'm sure I applied the brakes at some time but only regretfully. The need for speed was too great to be bothered with slowing down. Luckily I arrived at the bottom of the hill in one piece and discovered that I was now surrounded by ball fields at the Nathan Dean Sports Complex. This is Rockmart's premier park and it seemed to go on forever. The park includes four softball fields, one Little League field, a Midget football field, walking trail, four pavilions, and a children's play area. There were also several buildings and tennis courts.
As I ride through this sunny location, I am aware of how hot it is getting. It is suppose to get up to 78 degrees today and it feels like that and more. I stop and make some photos of the area and ride ahead to the Boardwalk at mile 38.80. I stop here also and make photos; next, I hop on my bike and ride quickly across the grayish, and worn wooden boardwalk. The boards make loud kaboom kaboom kaboom noises as I cross over them.
Once on the other side, I peddle on a mostly shady trail, flanked on the right by a grassy field and on the left by trees. I am able to coast some until I come to the next part of the trail which is preceded by another yellow diamond shaped sign which this time depicts a bike going uphill. I attempt to ride, but quickly get off and push my bike up this steep hill.
Once at the top, the trail curves sharply to the left and begins the approximately 2.5 mile journey alongside Highway 278 at mile marker 39.59. I ride for a ways and pass a couple riding my direction on bikes. I acknowledge them and ask how far it is to Cedartown, to which the woman looks confused and says she doesn't know since they only went out for a short bike ride. Yes, I have to admit it, finally cyclists I could feel a little superior to. Because not only was my destination Cedartown, I had already ridden 39 + miles to get to this spot. I smiled sweetly at them and wished them well. The last mile marker I had passed was 39.59. I peddled on along Highway 278 hearing the swish and drone of vehicles as they sped by. Lots of blue sky with the white, fluffy marshmallow clouds again today. There are trees and forests on my left and grass and highway on my right.
Suddenly, at mile marker 39.73, I approach one of the yellow diamond signs with the black bike and downgrade symbol. Below is a yellow rectangular sign that says Tunnel..wheeee....more wind, speed, and coasting. I peddle quickly and descend rapidly. As I approach the tunnel at a high rate of speed, I notice that it has a concrete middle section that divides the tunnel is half, Now the sun is in my eyes, I'm traveling fast and can't really see the tunnel well. As I get closer, the tunnel and I are now in a shady section and still I can't see well because of my sunglasses. With no time to take my sunglasses off and needing to keep control of the bike, I slam on the handlebar brakes and slow enough to get through the tunnel without hitting the walls but not now I'm not traveling fast enough to climb the hill on the other side of the tunnel. I slowly come to a stop and again walk my bike up the hill.
This part of the trail becomes more of an uphill grade and I make several rest stops along it. I am now at marker 40.28. During one endless climbing session, I decided to sit on the trail (since there are no seats or picnic tables here), eat some pizza and apples and rest up before continuing. I also took this time to text Shea at NA "How long does trail run along 278? It's hot. 78 degrees out here. Can you tell where next bathroom is?"
After eating and getting no response from text, I called Shea. Bad news...no water or bathrooms until Don Williams Trailhead and then only bathrooms, no water. At this point, my water is running out, I'm told I can cross the four lane highway with the tall grass in the median and probably get water at the Dollar Store. I take one look at the cars, trucks, and motorcycles speeding over the highway and opt out. I will just make do with my 1/2 bottle of water and apple slices. Shea tells me to call back and he will find other sources of water but I will probably have to cross the highway; and we hang up. Mile Marker 41...I try to make the most of this daunting part of the trail by taking photos as I walk/ride the bike. The swoosh swoosh of the passing vehicles on the trail continues and I distract myself from the uphill grade by taking photos of Goldenrod, Asters, Daisies, Queen Ann's Lace, and any other Flora/Fauna around. . .
Mile marker 42.01 announces via another yellow diamond sign ..Boardwalk. A yellow rectangle sign below it states...Slippery when wet. The grayish-brown wooden boardwalk curves to the right and leaving it, I come face to face with the sign at mile 42.10 which states...Remote Area, Next 10 miles. Water? Cell phone? Sunscreen? Along with the Emergency 911 sign posted underneath. Taking note of the sign I decide that I have 3 out of 4 of the above listed items, but it is unfortunate that water is the one I don't really have enough of.,. but I still have apple slices and a whole apple and it will just have to be good enough.
Now the SCT winds through countryside leaving the 278 behind, it curves to the left and travels under shade of overhanging trees and along open areas of fields. Just before making a curve to the right, I see a house to my left and a bench and hear the crowing of roosters. I stop and rest on the bench as I listen to the roosters and enjoy the beautiful countryside. I sit here for some time cooling off and resting up for more of the trail. A lone cyclist rides past me coming from the direction I will be heading and quickly moves on the trail and out of sight.
After eating some more apples and walnuts and peanut butter crackers, it's time to go. I hop on my bike, round the curve and ride through a shady tall forest.
The shadows are becoming longer as the day is passing by. I arrive at mile 43.08 quickly due to deliberate peddling. This sign indicates mileage to Camp Comet 2.2, Cedartown 8.2, and Alabama State Line 19.
The trail comes to a road where I must turn left, go uphill slightly, and cross a railroad track before the trail begins again on the right side of the road. I look for traffic and trains and cross over quickly. Now the trail curves to the right and crosses a stream via a brown metal bridge. It snakes its way through lush, green fields and bucolic scenery. For a long way, off to the left I see a barn with red roof, silos, and other red roofed buildings. Brown hay rolls sit in the green fields and red colored older farm equipment can be seen next to the buildings. I stop along the way to make photos. One building appears to be a red roofed covered bridge which spans a beautiful cloud and sky reflecting stream. I feel like I am in a beautiful bucolic painting of an old farm place.
As I peddle on past the farm and farther west, I pass a picnic table and some type of memorial on my right. I need to hurry so this time I don't take photos. Now to the left and right of the trail are brown fences and along one fence to the left and chained and locked to the fence, is a all white painted bicycle with a navy and white bandanna around the frame next to the handlebar. A black sign attached to it has yellow lettering which reads-Paul McGee RIP. This brings many questions to mind as I wonder who this is and what happened to him. I later learned that he was a cyclist, a 41 year old man who died of natural causes while biking on the Silver Comet Trail in this area that is called Fish Creek. The memorial I had seen a few miles back at the picnic table was for him also. The SCT abruptly came to a stop at a road and it is necessary to cross the road, turn to the right, and cross a railroad track to get to the next part of the trail. 
I am now at mile marker 44.01 and the trail makes a long straight line past more brown fences on my right and grass and stands of trees on my left. It is flat and more sky and clouds are the focal point along this section. I come to Hendrix Road, cross over and arrive at Don Williams Trailhead. There is parking, a porta potty, and camping. I quickly ride on as it is getting late, but not before taking a photo of the Don Williams sign and sending it to Shea at NA.
I am at mile marker 44.8 and I am getting closer to Cedartown. I just might make it before dark! As I ride along, there is now a section to the right that leads onto a grayish brown wooden pier like structure over a small swamp-like lake. The azure and cloud filled sky along with the reds, golds, yellows, and oranges of nearby trees reflect perfectly and beautifully in the water below and around this structure. I quickly snap photos of it and and as I do, I hear the groaning and what sounds like the stalling of an airplane overhead. Immersed in the beauty of my surroundings, I take some time to process this information and actually look up. However, when I do, I don't see a plane, instead I see tiny black dots against a white cloud. As I struggle to see these dots against a sun rimmed cloud, they finally come into focus and I see tiny parachutes with people attached to them. I watch for awhile as they turn and sail slowly down down down. I watch until I can see them no more and then I head up the trail again. Across the way is an icon for camping and I assume this is Camp Comet. Ahead is another yellow diamond sign with an image of deer at mile 45.12. On a bench I pause for awhile and take a photo of the brightly colored trees.
Soon the trail abruptly ends on a road and I am being told to share the road by signs. I pass a house or two on the left before coming to another street, where I turn left and then cross this street to continue on the SCT on the other side. Before crossing, I hear goats bleating and see more than half a dozen brown, tan, and white goats and and a white horse in the short grass and dirt yard across from the trail. At mile 45.85, I reach Grady Road at elevation 904 feet.
Again there is no water.or bathrooms here, but it marks where after I cross the street, I will begin to walk the bike up the large infamous Surprise Hill. The hill deserves its name. I stop...walk...push... stop...walk...push, etc up and up this hill. A young man passes me during one of my stops. He's pushing his bike up the hill too. On and on up and up this hill goes. An older man slowly rides up the hill while I am stopped and looking at a sign. "You've got stronger muscles than me." I called out as he passed. He yelled back, " The first time I walked my bike, but I took vengeance and determined to ride up it." That's cool, I thought. Don't know if I could ever muster up that much vengeance. I turned and riding up the hill this time was another older man. This one had a little extra stomach. He was huffing and puffing, but steadily he rode by and disappeared up the hill. Meanwhile I determined to walk and push the bike faster and was doing so as another older man appeared coming down the hill. " Not much farther," he yelled. "Thank goodness" I yelled back. The walk...push... up, like much of the trail was slow, hot, and painful. Now my shoulders, which before had gotten a rest from the heavy backpack, were letting me know that pushing this bike uphill was giving them a work out. I hear the now familiar drone and stall of a plane and again look up to see parachutists, small in the distance and black against the blue sky. Again I watch for awhile and wonder about where the parachutists drop is.
Mile marker 46.13 proclaims Cedartown Depot 5.2, Joe Anderson Bridge 1.0, and Alabama State Line 15.4. Elevation here is 958 feet. I am making slow but steady progress up Surprise Hill located on Mount Trashmore. Again I take note of the flowers along the trail. Daisies and purple Asters... and snap a photo.
The Grady Road Landfill rises to my left and beyond the silver chain link fence that partitions the trail off from it. Finally I reach the top and pause a moment. The view ahead is beautiful as was the view behind. The mile marker is 46.73 and elevation is now 1015.
There is a small light brown wooden cross with the carved name of Kelly Chapman 1947 and 2010 to the left of the trail. I ponder who this could be for a moment and then jump on my bike and ride down Surprise Hill.
Surprise!! Surprise Hill has many other hills beyond it, and like a roller coaster ride, I go down one and up another, down one and up still another. Since I am making good time, I linger for awhile on a bench to the left of the trail and gaze to my right through rusty barbed wire fence at the sunny fields, multi-color trees, forests, and blue mountains in the background. Noting the time and the setting sun, I hop back on my bike and ride down yet another hill. Mile marker 48.48 at elevation 912 is what I pass next.
A little beyond here, the sun is shining its golden rays on the trees and illuminating them with its light. They glow as I ride by. The trail curves to the left and then to the right through this glowing forest. Even the yellow lines on the the Silver Comet Trail are now glowing in this ethereal light. Faster and faster I peddle. The grade is mostly downhill now. I pass under double concrete bridges, which I assume carries Highway 278 overhead. I feel my phone vibrate, pull it out of my pocket and see that a friend is calling, I answer with one hand while riding the bike saying, "Can't talk now, on the trail. I'll call you back." Still riding, I deftly place the phone back into my pocket, a newly learned skill from taking photos while riding.
While losing elevation, I come to mile marker 49.31 at 810' elevation. Now although still on the trail, there are houses and signs that say there are driveways caution. Passing by one of these houses, a dog
came running down the driveway barking and onto the trail. Quickly the owner was right behind the dog and called him and he ran back.
A little further down the trail, I wasn't so lucky... This time I saw a large black dog and two smaller dogs. one white and one tan dog and they were all looking my way and barking. I heard a woman calling them, but they didn't move toward her. Instead they started coming toward me. As I looked at this woman for help I noticed she had a large toddler on her hip and now I see three more small dogs coming my way. At this point it was a full scale attack. Dogs were in front, to my left, to my right, and behind. Acting like wolves, I was being surrounded by these cunning little creatures. My first instinct was to peddle fast and get past them, which I attempted to do. Unfortunately. they were faster than me and soon some of the smaller dogs were running in front of me while the other small dogs were getting dangerously close to my feet. Thinking I had enough speed, I raised my feet as now dogs were nipping at them. This worked for awhile, but soon I began slowing down. Not having enough speed, I wasn't about to stop which require putting both feet down on the ground with the dogs. Instead I put my feet back on the pedals. It was at this point that I felt it...the weight of a mouth around my right foot and I felt my shoestring being pulled and untied. "Lady you need to get these dogs." I yelled. Pure fear was coursing through me now. These little suckers mean business and I was their target for the day. I peddled fast and furiously with the dogs still close by and chasing. Thankfully a downhill section of trail was coming up and I rode quickly down it. I quickly turned right onto a road ahead, peddled up a small hill that loomed ahead, and quickly crossed a railroad crossing in order to resume the SCT to the left of the road.
Now with heart pumping wildly and adrenaline surging, I stopped and called my friend back to tell her about the attack. We talked for awhile as I calmed down. A few minutes passed and again I heard the dogs barking. My friend too could hear them over the phone. I had now come to a bridge at mile 49.70 and elevation had decreased to 795'. "Must be another cyclist." I said as the barks got louder. I thought I saw someone on a bike, but when I looked again I didn't see a bike, but I did see the dog that bit my foot! "Oh no, I told my friend, he's here." "Who?" she asked. "The dog. He's come all the way down the hill and across the street and now he's looking at me. I gotta go." With that I hung up the phone and began making tracks across the rusty brown bridge.
The trail went up a hill and I found I had traveled almost a mile and I was at mile marker 49.79 and 832' elevation.Wanting to get to the Cedartown Depot before dark and knowing my team was already there, I pushed forward and reached the 50.14 mile marker which showed Cedartown Depot 1.2, Martin Trailhead 2.8, and Alabama State Line 11.4. Elevation here was 786'.
My team called; they were already at the Cedartown Depot. I told them I was only 1.2 miles away and would arrive shortly. I rode mostly downhill, making good time through more woods and into the city of Cedartown.
Here I peddled past the housing project, past a railroad crossing where three young boys asked if I was lost. "No, I'm just riding on the Silver Comet Trail." I said. "It goes that way." one of the boys said, and pointed across the street and to the right. I thanked them and quickly continued through the outskirts of town. Past a couple of businesses, it was clear I was getting close now. The trail continued down beside the road and turned to the right where it traveled behind houses then made a left turn onto a brown, rusty metal bridge. I crossed the bridge and rode past the backs of houses.
I looked and in the distance, I saw my team on the trail by the building that must be the Depot. A sign above the building read Cedartown, GA. Woo hoo!
Tired, hungry, and with some sore muscles, I had made it the 51+ miles from Smyrna to Cedartown! As the sun set, we made photos at the Depot, loaded the bike onto the bike rack on the car, and talked of the trip. My Team congratulated me and I thanked them for all their help to make my dream of riding the Silver Comet Trail come true. I drank all of the ice water that my Team had brought for me.
Next, we headed to Rockmart to the cemetery to pick up my bag of things I had left. Shea drove quickly to the cemetery and once there, I lunged out of the car and retrieved my plastic bag of belongings. A quick check of the bag revealed everything was still there. We decided on a Celebration Dinner there in Rockmart since we were all hungry. We attempted to find Frankie's Restaurant as I had read that it was a popular place for riders of the Silver Comet Trail to eat and to sign the wall. There were pictures and positive comments on one of the sites I had visited on the Web. Unfortunately, we learned that it had closed earlier this year, in March. A fact confirmed by our driving by and seeing a vacant building. We next decided on eating at Knucklehead Restaurant. The restaurant has a motorcycle motif with several bikes placed around the rooms on wooden floors. The menu consisted of appetizers, wings, salads, dishes from the grill, classics, and sandwiches and sides. I got the All Star Sloppy Joe sandwich with asparagus side and My Team, Shea and Sarah got the Big Daddy Cheeseburger with mac and cheese, and the Classic Burger with fries.
It was wonderful to be with my family enjoying this meal and it felt great to be off the trail and with people again. However, I was already thinking about going back another time and riding to the Alabama Line and westward on the Ladiga Trail to Anniston. We all ordered dessert. I got the Brownie with vanilla ice cream, Sarah got a pecan pie and Shea got a banana pudding. Yummy...We shared bites of dessert and soon left Knuckleheads for the trip to the parking lot and for me to retrieve my car. Once at my car, Shea quickly transferred both bike and rack to my car for my return journey to my house. We hugged and got into our separate cars and I followed behind their car for a ways until at I 285, they turned north to go up I 75 home and I continued on I 285 to go home.
On my ride home, I thought of my ride on the Silver Comet Trail and all it engendered. I remembered while I was riding how I thought about the pioneers and how in some small way, this was how they must have felt venturing into the unknown. The anticipation and wonder of seeing new and different sights along with the desire and drive to push forward.
My hardships on the SCT were nothing like the ones the pioneers encountered, but in some ways I know they were similar. Hardships like being thirsty and having a limited amount of water, being hot and tired and just wanting to rest. I'm glad I rode on the Silver Comet Trail. Otherwise I would have never seen the beautiful sights, pushed my body beyond its comfort zone, and felt a sense of freedom and accomplishment that I otherwise would not have felt. I encourage each person reading this, if there is something in life you are putting off doing. Don't put it off. Make a plan and go out and do it. Dream your dreams and follow your heart...you'll be glad you did. Until the next journey, this is the Happy Trails Traveler signing off.
Nice! I hope to be able to ride the entire Trail sometime.
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