Day 9 - Finis

I feel like I've been beat like a rented mule, so I'll be doing the regular entry after some serious sleeping and resting and stuff. For now, suffice it to say I am home, the bags are unpacked, my pup is on the bed and sleep is imminent.

now edited to add the last day's ride...

Friday night was a late one, but I slept uninterrupted until about 7:40 Saturday morning. I hadn't unpacked very much, so reloading was pretty simple. Downstairs, Jim had cooked up a mess of french toast, and I got to have Ohio maple syrup with my breakfast that morning. The clouds were still hanging around, but the rain of the previous night had stopped. My bike and all of my riding gear were waiting for me over at the plant, and Jim gave me a ride back over there shortly after 9. Once there, it took a bit of effort to get back into everything, and get the bike situated. I'd gotten my directions on how to get to I-77 that morning, and Jim let me know where the one gas station on the way there was. I lubed the chain, checked the oil, circled around and headed out into the gray day with Jim wishing me a safe trip. I found the gas station at the intersection mentioned, and checked my tire pressure after filling the bike.

Two things which have amazed me on this trip are the fact that the bike appears to have used absolutely no oil, and the tires have not lost a pound from when I left my driveway the first day. That just doesn't seem right!

I pulled away from the gas station right around 10 a.m. facing my longest day of riding for the entire trip. It was 600 miles for me to get home, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to make it the entire way. Only way to find out was to try, though, and I put my best wheel forward. I didn't want to spend a lot of time stopping on Saturday, and figured I could get away with two fuel stops (needing to fill up once I got home), since I could go 200 miles on a tank. Pretty extreme, but possible. I did set a goal for a supper break to be at the Cracker Barrel in Jonesville, NC, across the street from the gas station where I'd first filled up and gotten grilled on my way out. I thought I could make it there by 5, and that would put me home before 9. My primary working number for the day was 10 hours to make it home.

The first glitch came when the rain started coming down in earnest about 125 miles from Solon. I knew I was running parallel to the vertical edge of a front passing through, and would be out of the worst of the rain for the trip. Jim had told me to be optimistic and pack the rain gear. Hmm. Jim's optimism got me a little wet :) I went through a few sprinkles here and there, but when it started coming down pretty good, I pulled over to layer up. And since I stopped, I went to the bathroom, got a drink, filled up the bike and put on my rain gear. The total stop time was probably 30 minutes, which was definitely not on my time table. Oh well.

Back on the road, the storm had pretty much passed on to the east of where I was, and of course, I saw no more rain beyond a sprinkle for the rest of the trip. Back on the highway, I made it out of Ohio before getting into the last bit of usage for my EZPass in West Virginia. I know I used at least $25 in tolls for this trip, because my account was automatically debited to bring the balance back up. As the roads went higher, the clouds came closer, and there was some fog along the way. Also, construction on a few bridges, but that was more of an inconvenience than anything major. I did find my ride along partner through the mountains...this time it was a Jaguar with Ohio plates. Started pacing with him several miles before Charleston, and went several miles along with him. Finally, at a rest area, both of us pulled off, but my stop was short...just fueling. I left within five minutes of stopping, never seeing the Jag leave the parking lot. This fuel stop was almost exactly halfway home for me, roughly 295 miles into the trip, and I was feeling pretty good. What made it even better, was around mile 320, we started descending out of the mountains, out of the clouds, out of the cold. I saw beautiful blue skies and felt like I was leaving polar land. There are two nice tunnels to go through on 77, and for a while, I found another road partner in a blue Silverado with Michigan State plates. Several dozen more miles passed, and now I was entering Virginia, with only another 60 some odd miles to hit the NC state line, and the Cracker Barrel 20 miles beyond that. Coming down from Fancy Gap, this time there wasn't heavy fog, like the trip north, but there were pretty heavy cross winds. Nothing too strong, but it did keep you on your toes.

I decided to fill up before heading to supper, and got my last tank across the street. When I went to leave the station, the bike wouldn't start. Same as before...not a whisper when I pressed the starter button. I got it off the center stand, rolled forward a few feet and put it in neutral. This time it fired right up. I think there might be something acting up with a safety switch somewhere. That'll give TJ something to look for :) I rode across the street to the Cracker Barrel and spent the next 10 minutes taking off layers and packing down the bike. It was warm in that sunshine. I hadn't been that warm in over a week and it was super nice. Another rider parked in the spot behind mine, and we walked in at the same time. His asked if I was on a trip, and I told him I was heading home, that I'd left Ohio that morning. He said, "That's an awful lot of miles for a little girl like you!" I'm not sure what standard he was using for the 'little girl' measurement, but I did agree with him it was a long trip. We parted ways inside, since I had to go to the restroom and blow my nose for the next few minutes. (Even as I'm typing this, three days after the fact, I'm still getting the last of the congestion out from that cold. Ugh.) I ordered my usual BLT, but was saddened by the lack of the bread & butter pickle slice on top. I guess they have to economize, too.

When I stopped, it was about 4:40, and after the fuel, the lightening of layers and eating supper, it was 5:30 when I got back on the road. Now the math was starting, to figure out how many more miles and hours before I got home. Charlotte is typically 90 minutes from my house, and I was close to 85 miles north of Charlotte at the Cracker Barrel. When I-77 passed over I-40 at Statesville, there were several hot air balloons floating around in the soon to be sunset, which was pretty cool. I passed over part of Lake Norman with the sun setting on my right, and when I finally came down to I-85, the afterglow of the sunset was just gorgeous. I thought it a rather nice way to be welcomed back home! Once the sun set, I started getting chilly, since I'd packed all my cold weather stuff up. I made it to the SC Welcome Center, about 35 miles south of Charlotte before I stopped to put on my heated vest and warmer gloves. And the bike wouldn't start again. Rolling forward didn't help this time, but putting it in neutral seemed the key. Back on the road, and I started counting off the landmarks that told me how close I was getting to home. The outlet stores and the giant peach in Gaffney. The interstate loop around Spartanburg. The exit for I-29 which will go through Greer. Pelham Road. I-385. I got off on the Woodruff Road exit so I could go home with a full tank of gas. Bike started right up after fueling, and I filtered back in to traffic to make my way across town.

The closer I got to home, the more unreal the whole trip seemed. When I left, it almost seemed impossible that I was going to get to Maine and back within 8 days. When I was coming home, it almost seemed impossible that I was coming home from actually having been to Maine and back in 8 days! I pulled into my driveway and parked beside my truck, reveling the sense of completion. I unhooked the clips on my luggage and hauled the saddlebags and tankbag in, walking through the back door at 8:39. The house was clean and waiting, just like I'd left it. I changed clothes quickly, went out and hopped in my truck, heading across town to see my mom and pick up my puppy dog. I got to her place around 9:10 and stayed until 10, enjoying just sitting still. Once 10 hit, though, I was ready to pack it in, and got Riles bundled up into my truck and drove back home. As for how I felt when I got back...see the first two sentences of today's entry :)

It's taken a few days of recuperation not to feel so drained. I'm still not 100%, but hope to be running near that in a few days. The weather's been a little icky here, so tomorrow will be my first day to ride to work since I've been back. And it will be 74 degrees out. Ahh.