Category Archives: American Trail Race 2019

A daily account of participating in the American Trail Race 2019. All the trials and limited triumphs of traversing America by Mountain bike. An adventure that starts in North Carolina and ended with dashed hopes of concluding in Oregon.

Day 3 – Kenansville NC to Anderson Creek (80 miles)

June 3

Realize I’m not painting the rosiest of pictures of being out here with my previous two entries. Friends have contacted me regarding the state I’m projecting. As one friend even put it, am I having buyers remorse? I can honestly say it’s great to be out here riding and seeing the countryside. What’s proving to be extremely difficult is what I left behind to be out here, loved ones, friends and the general overall comfort of being home.

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Day 4 – Anderson Creek to Candor, NC (63 miles)

June 5

Poking my head out of the tent this morning the sky was looking like rain. After a quick breakfast and breaking down camp, I hit the road about 8:00. 

The last 10 miles yesterday gave me the first taste of hills. Today’s section of the route provided more of the same, gradually getting bigger and longer as the day went on. Thinking rain might be part of my day I stopped at subway about 10 miles in to charge some things and write yesterday blog post and just kinda take it easy. 

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Day 9 & 10 – Lenoir, NC to Pisgah National Forest to Collettesville, NC (28 + 20 miles)

June 9th

Third straight day of rain and not just a little rain. It’s coming down hard. Not so eager to get on the road this morning. Had a good night stay and day off in Lenoir. Marcia, who worked the front desk at the hotel I stayed at last night was a pleasure to talk with. Telling me she had a medical condition and she is just in awe of people like me that take on physical challenges like this. Because she can’t

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Day 11 – Collettsville, NC to Spruce Pine NC (36 miles)

June 11th

Woke this morning to the same beautiful partly cloudy skies that I went to bed with. So nice to not see rain after dealing with it for days. Also feeing just slight nausea so that’s improving too. Camping close to town I went to the only store to pick up breakfast. Sitting outside eating what I could piece together as a passable breakfast, This big dog, a chocolate Lab, was doing his ‘best sad’ face to get a bite or two from me. 

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