A Monologue with the Æther

I leave early after a pleasant holiday in Fairy Stone. I make a detour to Stuart, VA; I think I was looking for either a post office, convenience store or both. However, what I remember most about this day is the ride from Stuart to the top of a ridge. I remember it a 6 miles of mostly 9% grade. I remember it as the most grueling climb I’ve ever endured in the saddle of a bicycle. I remember shortly after reaching the top there was a tourist trap/market sort of place where I bought some very tasty homemade apple cider. Oh yeah, and I remember that it started raining about the time I passed under the Blue Ridge Parkway and kept raining hard until sometime after I reached Hillsville, VA. Needless to say I chose the comfort of a motel room over camping this night.