[Terrytaylor] Hazard to Vergie Ky

[Terry Taylor]

Stats 59.9 miles
6.74 average mph 
3353of up
I left Hazard late and just couldn't get motivated to push. I wanted to get to Lookout as they have a cyclists only place to stay showers inside all the good stuff. Of course there were hills but what slowed me down was the bad condition of the roads. 
They had really bad road surface when it didn't actually fall off the side. Going downhill was almost as slow as uphill. One stretch of pavement was just like rumble strips all the way across the road 
Often the latest or top layer of pavement would be gone in sections and I would drop to the previous  pavement and then bump out of it over and over. 
There is always an active creek running beside the road sometimes 20 feet or so below the road level the side of the road is always about to fall into the creek. They put in I beams and guard rail low to try to hold the road. There are signs frequently that say High Water so they must get flooded and the erosion is a major problem. 
I was just behind a hard rain. The roads were running water and water falling from the trees. Coming down one hill I came upon a  Chevie PU
He had been coming up the hill after a sharp left hand turn. He lost control and the truck made a hard right and jumped a small ditch. It smacked right into a tree that just stood there rooted not having time to get out of the way. Two guys were out of the truck a do didn't stop. Remember I said I was going downhill. The back end of the truck was still in the traffic lane. 
A little I am stopped by look like firemen. Anyway another accident  it had just happened and the guy told me the couldn't move the car until a highway patrolman comes to see it first. So no traffic goes through until he comes as the car is blocking the road. I told him I really don't take up much room and he should let me go. He radioed the guy on the other end that he was letting a bicycle through. I rode past the car it was sitting on the road upside down. I was glad I didn't have to wait.  I wanted to make it to Lookout but when I got to Fergie it was getting dark and foggy and I still had 15 miles to go. Fergie was an intersection with a convience store gas station. I asked the employee in the store if I could set up my tent in the small grass area there. He said that it would better to hide somewhere not set up out in the open. I found a hiding place behind the  Kerosene Tank. It was a croncrete slab with a fence at the back with a creek 15 feet below. I set up the tent it should be secured with tent pegs but not on the concrete. The guy in the store thought that was a perfect place to set up and I should sleep with my gun close by. They lose at eleven but leave their in house radio system on all night with outside speakers. How ever I had lots of noise to cover the radio. I was next to three AC units that were running all the time at least two of them. 
Sleeping on concrete with a one inch air mattress is not recommended I can assure you  I survived the night and I didn't need a gun. 
Terry T






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