Stage 6 Report: Hound Dog Highway

Thursday, June 1, 2017
Start: Russellville, AL
Finish: Oxford, MS
Bike Mileage: 105.0
Cumulative Bike Mileage: 599.5 miles

We're on schedule! It is truly a team effort each stage to rotate taking supportive leads and "pulling" at the front as the other can "draft" behind to take advantage of the wind blocking slip stream as keeping a sharp state of awareness for hazards in our path - be they dangerous objects in the road or road shoulder (if it exists), roadkill sightings, wildlife spotting, or dog chasers. Today, our stage ride lived up to its name (originally intended to honor Elvis, born in Tupalo, MS and known for his version of "Ain't nothing but a hound dog." Insert pit bull or any sundry of other breeds or mixed mitts with fierce jowls seeking a little human flesh and you might have the picture of most of today's ride highlights. At any moment we were in adrenaline-seeking mode as we encountered dozens of moments when either a single fierce beast, or a small possy, decides to make a run for us. For others only the chain around its collar saved us from a gladiatorial charge. Were we to be less fortunate and be on a greater uphill grade in the road we might not have been able to outrun most of these encounters with man's "best friend." Yet, we continued, each successive chase requiring yet another adrenaline ejection from our own mammalian glands. Whose adrenal would win? Whose legs, albeit outnumbered two for every one, would not relinquish the challenge first? And so it went down country lanes and even more traveled roads through small towns, outskirts, and rural paths. For us, it is all about the journey; for the canine it is all about the chase. Each performing its job according to its natural state, I suppose. After the thirtieth or fortieth chase (lost count) the rhythm of the day was seared into our long-term memory passages starting with the hippocampus and streaking neuronal pathways through our limbic system of emotions and senses - the scent of danger, full alertness, survival of the fittest... In Greek Mythology the hippocampus is a sea horse with two forefeet and a body ending in a tail (imagine that - a stretch but we have two forefeet and the dog has a tail). To the Zen master, you might say man and canine were enjoined today, forefeet and tail, the chaser and the chasee, and thank goodness, neither worse off than yesterday. We got the day's memory stored, the dogs got their wishes fulfilled. After all, in these parts, it is rare to meet up with another cyclist for hundreds of miles.

Speaking of which...
We started the day just outside of Russellville, AL putting in at the junction of Rt524 and Rt24; heading west through quiet picturesque low rolling farm land. At about mile 18 we encountered one of our closest canine encounters just after a picturesque photo op at a sunlit wind-waving wheat field (reminder to eat my Wheaties more often, a small river crossing, a bend in the road, a nasty mutt in the road, pedal to the metal, and then came upon a young woman off in the distance (not a mirage we discovered a few minutes later) on a mountain bike; pleasantries and curiosities exchanged, the young lady was equally shocked to encounter other cyclists. We hadn't seen one in hundreds of miles. After needing to reroute do to an unexpected dirt road (for us, dirt roads are largely off limits on our thin-tired vulnerable racing bikes) we joined Joselyn, fellow cyclist on a re-route to the town of Red Bay, AL; main employer-headquarters of Tiffin motor homes (custom class A RV's; www.Tiffinmotorhomes.com). Company was founded in 1941 in Red Bay by Alex Tiffin as a building supply company; website says his inspiring statement was, "if you don't treat people fairly, you can't look them in the eye") - a proper restatement of the Golden Rule - and his son Bob subsequently broadened the business to custom motor coach manufacturing bringing hundreds of jobs to Red Bay. Jocelyn, with her newlywed Mike (see photo from their wedding) are both high level amateur mountain bike racers from FL who travel all over the US for races; they were in town overseeing the production of their Tiffin motor coach that they will use as a second home on their mountain bike race travels. We cycled into town with Jocelyn and enjoyed lunch together at the restaurant, Mason Jar (good sandwiches, friendly waiters) with Jocelyn and husband Mike. Always a pleasure to encounter kind folks everywhere and from anywhere.

We continued onward from Red Bay, turned right onto 4th St/Rt 366 and dashed for the Mississippi state line, reached at mi28.6 (see sign) a few miles up the road from Red Bay.

Two states now completed in only five and a half days - GA and AL - only twelve more to go.

We took Rt366 into Golden, turned north onto Rt25 through Belmont, reached Dennis, then headed west on Rt366 to enter the Natchez Trace Scenic Parkway heading southwest. Gorgeous stretch of road that stretches from the Nashville, TN area south to end at Tupalo, MS (Elvis Presley's birthplace). We stayed on the parkway, stopped at the lookout for Indian Mounds (see photo) and exited about 25mi south onto Rt371, then west on Rt370, turned south/west on country road 2578 (the dog chases continued..) which brought us to Guntown, AL; at mile56, we met up with Pat (driver) for Mexican lunch at Los Toros Restaurant (tasty burrito!), nice clean authentic place, do recommend) if passing through the area.

Given time and road dangers, we piled in the van and headed 22mi along Rt348 to another put-in location at the town of New Albany; wheels on ground again we continued to cycle along Rt30 (more dogs, one of them pushing 30mph for about a 100yd dash!) - are these pit bull mixes or cheetah mixes?- crossed through Etta and onward to Oxford, MS arriving towards nightfall. Admired some of the beautiful mansions along Lamar Blvd and elsewhere in this small college town oasis, home of the University of Mississippi. Incorrect Google mapping frustrated us to find our way to the hotel; at mi105 we stopped, called Pat to rescue us, and found our way a few mi down to our hotel at the Quality Inn on Jackson Ave.

We were greeted warmly by the nice front desk staff who, having heard of our Blaze fundraising journey, provided us with very kind Southern hospitality goody bags (personal hygiene supplies, fruit and water, Thank you ladies!). We quickly showered and went for a pub dinner back in the center of town at The Blind Pig Pub (good chow, very tasty hearty salad!). Avoided any alcohol - doesn't usually agree with me when training for ironman triathlons or biking long distances. Others can handle it but my body just can't. Back to hotel for sink cleaning of usual bike clothes/gear and needed rest. Tomorrow-MS River crossing!

Stage 6: Bikeoo

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Stage 6 Indexes:

Weather: (6) Hot, humid conditions all day

Terrain: (8)
Mostly flat and rollers, occasional good climb or descent

Scenic: (7.5)
First 26mi into Red Bay were very picturesque (despite the dog-infested concerns). Natchez Trace Parkway was exceptionally nice and no tractor trailers are allowed; very scenic byway.

Wildlife and Roadkill:
W-Pit Bulls, one-eyed Jack mutts, heron, egrets, ducks (along Natchez Trace at scenic watering holes, pristine marshlands)
R-lots of opossum and raccoons, skunks, large snakes, squirrels, colorful feathered songbirds, turtles, rabbits, and one dog

Endurance: (9.0)
Didn't get my late day surge. Can't expect it every day. Really energy-sapping humidity in afternoon.

Bike report:
M-no issues
D-Pat will pick up the crank threaded bolt I need to secure my left pedal at a bike shop in Oxford tomorrow. We'll head out early; he'll deliver to us at the lunch break

Injury Report:
M-abrasions are healing well; daily Type I Diabetes blood sugar/insulin a constant vigilance and challenge
D-cluster of insect bites to R shin area are stable; butt chaffing is stable (careful attention continues)

Still Having Fun: (10)
Onward to cross the MS River into Arkansas tomorrow. I heard the dogs there have razors on their backs!

Photos

My bike has a Velcro attached small speaker on the aero bars; great for listening to music periodically on Spotify App Cell phone goes on the bike case. Odometer just below speaker.