Day 15 – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

July 5
Hindman, KY to Buckhorn, KY
58 miles

Our second day in Kentucky started off great with a huge breakfast with multiple varieties of fruit and a just-born litter of kittens to ooh and awe over. The first 10 miles of cycling were on peaceful country roads. Then we made an unfortunate wrong turn that cost us 10 extra miles, 2 long uphill climbs, and 1-1/2 hour wasted hours. The route quickly went downhill (not literally, unfortunately) from there. After we retraced out steps and got back on route, the next 8 miles was on a hilly 4-lane highway with cars speeding by. Although the shoulder was mercifully wide, half of it was taken up by a rumble strip and the other half was strewn with rocks and debris. We gritted our teeth , breathed the prevalent coal dust and got through it. Exiting the road, we thought: “That wasn’t so bad”, and stopped at a Walmart (akin to civilization) to seek out lunch. This is where the day started to really head south. Cars driven by impatient drivers were streaming into the massive parking lot. As we rode up to the store entrance, we came upon the aftermath of a fistfight, with blood spewing from a young man’s nose all over the ground. The next road (a 2-laner), that we expected to be better, was just as busy, hilly and rumbly. By the time we exited, we were both stressed. Then, as if on cue, it began to darken and rain. The shoulder all but disappeared, but the traffic persisted, as we entered another desperate section of unkept trailer-homes and widespread trash. The hills went on and on. It began to rain harder. The visibility worsened and our brakes became less and less effective on the downhills. Our moods continued to decline. We decided to shorten the day’s route by 18 miles and stop at Buckhorn rather than Booneville, which we eventually reached after what seemed like an interminable length of time. Just after we entered the campground, the rain stopped and the sun came out, and things were right again.