Day 61 - Davisville to Bridgeport WV

Tuesday April 23, Biked 82 miles. Total mileage by end of day: 3665.

Started cool then warmed quickly to 80s. Sunny most of the day.

After a short ride on some local roads, I made it to the North Bend Rail Trail. It goes almost 80 miles from near Parkersburg to near Clarksburg.

The trail is mostly grassy and all unpaved but is often relatively smooth.

It passes through lots of pretty forest.

Also along rivers and creeks.

And under multilane highways.

But it can get pretty muddy in spots and is half as fast or slower to ride than a paved road. I was not sure if I'd be able to ride it all the way and still beat the thunderstorms predicted late in the afternoon.

Here are a lot more pictures from along the this trail.

Alas I found a disposable plastic water bottle right in the trail. Please do not buy anymore water in plastic. You are paying 1000x more for a product that is inferior to what typically comes from your tap. Get a reusable water bottle instead and save our wildlife and kids.

More trail pictures.

Then I met Paul Elliot, Superintendent for the North Bend Rail Trail, and his crew of trail workers. Paul told me about some mud pits on the trail ahead and how to route around them. Thanks guys for helping create and maintain this fantastic trail!

Afterwards I encountered my first rail-trail tunnel.

It was very, very, very dark inside.

Nonetheless, I was able to ride through it thanks to my bike's lights as well as using my helmet visor to block off the bright spot of sunlight that was the end of the tunnel.

Once out of the tunnel, the trail continued along a cliffside.

Olivia and I found a trashcan in which to dispose of the plastic bottle.

Also found a bike stand in a trailside shelter so I could clean out some very sticky mud that got trapped between my rear wheel and fender in addition to expanding the clearance between these to reduce future mud jams.

The trail improved somewhat -- now more of a dirt road rather than grassy & muddy.

Courtney and Danielle were hiking toward one of the tunnels I had just passed through. Both are pursuing medical service careers. 

They took a picture of me on the trail too.

Soon I reached Cairo, WV.

This fellow helped improve a large segment of the trail which I was headed towards and also directed me to the one little dinner in Cairo.

At the diner I met Roger and Dinah. Roger and Dinah now bike from nearby Ellenboro. They have found that biking improves their energy levels. I couldn't agree more!

My waitress Heather fed me well. I had both a chef's salad and a couple of hotdogs smothered in their special sauce plus french fries and coleslaw. Roger and Dinah surprised my by paying for my meal when they left.

Outside the diner, Valerie Lane and Ken Adams, the leaders of the local North Bend Rails to Trails Foundation, were attracted by my bike and asked me about my trip.

Back on the trail, this next section was somewhat smoother and faster than the previous 25 miles of trails that I had ridden.

It has a number of somewhat shorter tunnels to pass through too.

Did not even need my lights for this one.

And this one was carved directly out of bedrock, no brick needed.

A bit further I caught up to Roger...

...and Dina and thanked them for buying me lunch.

Upon getting to Ellenborow, the dirt path passed over a paved road. Since the trail was too slow for me to get to Bridgeport before the thunderstorms were scheduled to start...

...I left the trail to hop on US Route 50. Thankfully it had wide smooth shoulders. I was able to go up its well graded hills at about the same speed that I was able to maintain on the level unpaved trail. Plus I could take advantage of the tailwind which was muted by the forest around the trail as well as descend the hills at 30+ mph.

This 4 lane divided highway still had lots of pretty scenery.

At a middle school I stopped at to get water, I met Butch...

...and Jan who both approved of my mission to save our oceans and kids.

A bit further I encountered new refinery that was under construction. Corporations are making billions from fracking but the residents are losing their ground water, threatened by pollution, and are poorly paid in comparison to the wealthy investors who are raping the land.

US 50 had cliffs too.

Getting closer to Clarksburg and Bridgeport as it gets cloudier.

Although the clouds were getting dark and threatening, I stopped at a Subway for dinner where I met Cody, an oil field worker, and Jackie, a full time mom.

Earl, who works at Subway, looked at my website and was moved by my mission so made  a donation to help our Oceans.

Here are some pictures of Clarksburg.

After a steep and hot hill climb, a fresh breeze and rain helped me cool down a bit before I arrived at my motel.

When I got to my motel in Bridgeport, Les, another customer, introduced himself as the Dad of Courtney and Danielle, the two hikers I had encountered earlier on the North Bend Rail Trail. He thought what I was doing was great! Thanks Les!