Today’s Date: July 16, 2024

Today’s Start Point: Hardinsburg, Kentucky

Today’s End Point: Jeffersonville, Indiana

Today’s Miles: 67.82 Miles

Cumulative Miles: 3,483.27 Miles

When I awoke, I still had not recovered from yesterday. My legs felt like rubber and I could still taste the bear spray. My stomach was in knots and I had trouble eating, nothing sounded good. It was already humid even at this early hour. Tim Radcliff was his usual prompt self and standing by his Ducati at 5:30 am and ready to go. Today’s weather report contained both a heat index advisory and the promise of heavy rain. For this reason, I don’t think either of us was very optimistic that we would good to get near Louisville today.

To get back to the “official” Adventure Cycling route which we had left to get to Hardinsburg, Kentucky, we needed to go 25 miles northeast to Brandenburg, Kentucky, which sits on the Ohio River. Once in Brandenburg, we were back on the Adventure Cycling route which then crosses the Ohio River into Indiana, loops through the Ohio River valley to Jeffersonville, Indiana, which is just north across the river from Louisville.

As with yesterday, Tim either followed close behind me with his flashers on or would go ahead of me when his motorcycle began to overheat. Irvington, Kentucky is the town that is the halfway point to Brandenburg. Prior to getting to Irvington, I reached down to get a drink and realized I left my water bottles in the refrigerator at the motel, which is surprisingly the first time I have left something behind on this trip (Les will not believe that). Well, poor Tim to the rescue again. He motorcycled back to the motel to get the bottles (everyone can cheer Tim now).

While he was gone, I proceeded ahead and the skies opened up and it started to pour down rain. It was coming down so hard that it was difficult for me to see, and if it was difficult for me, I started to wonder if the motor vehicles could see me (traffic was heavy and there was no shoulder).

After a mile or so of this, I came upon a strip mall with an ACE hardware located on the city limit of Irvington. I pulled off and waited for Tim to come back.

Unfortunately in the rain and since the strip mall sat far back from the road, Tim raced by trying to get the bottles to me. After the troubles of yesterday and the rainy and humid conditions so far today, I was ready to quit, not just for the day but the whole thing. Today is the two month anniversary of leaving Astoria, Oregon and I was done.

Eventually, through the miracle of modern technology, Tim and I connected and he raced back. When Tim arrived he found a dejected traveller. Tim, ever the cheerleader, looked at the weather and said we might have a short period where the rain would ease up and we could make it to Brandenburg. He reminded me that I have come a long way and we should just see how far we could make it today.

With Tim’s words of encouragement, I got back on the bike and started pedaling to Brandenburg. When we left the rain was light and it felt cooler and less humid.

Eventually we arrived in Brandenburg and the skies looked forbidding again. We talked it over and decided to try for the next habitable town on the other side of the Ohio River-Corydon, Indiana. We were using the baby steps approach, trying to make it to the next town and see what happens, each town being about 10 to 15 miles apart.

We descended and crossed over the bridge into Indiana. Unfortunately it is not a place to stop and take pictures but the view from the middle of the bridge was stunning, trees hugging the river on both sides.

Once in Indiana, we had to determine whether to take a busy highway that would be a relatively flat and straight shot to Corydon or take the Adventure Cycling less trafficked circuitous and hilly route. After yesterday, I would rather deal with trucks than hills, and we tried the straight shot. It turns out that it was a great decision since although cars and trucks were whizzing by, I had a wide shoulder with a rumble strip between me and the traffic. I can’t remember the last time I had a sustained section of road with a wide shoulder. Since my down period at the ACE Hardware parking lot and now, the weather had improved both as to rain, heat and humidity, I had a perfectly safe and relatively flat road, my legs felt better and I had a coach/cheerleader/nutritionist/SAG driver helping me along.

We got to Corydon and again joined the Adventure Cycling route as it crossed the Ohio River Valley towards Louisville. We decided to see if we could make it to New Albany, Indiana, which is near Louisville. The road was rolling, and I have to admit that I was feeling the repeated mini-climbs in my legs. The scenery, however, was beautiful. We wound through nicely manicured lawns with some stunning houses, with a multitude of horse farms. Due to the weather challenges today, I finally had a chance to lift my head and take in my surroundings.

We arrived at the town of Duncan, Indiana and stopped for lunch (McDonalds-I am starting to really hate hamburgers and chicken sandwiches). Duncan was not far from New Albany, so we thought since the weather was holding out and it looked like there was a big descent ahead, why not try for Jeffersonville, Indiana, which sits across the river from Louisville and is about ten miles east of New Albany. Jeffersonville was the hoped for but what we thought not truly attainable destination at the beginning of the day.

It was also time to figure out Tim’s exit strategy, because he would either ride through the remnants of the storm today or face the more serious predicted storm for tomorrow. We decided that when I was a few miles from my hotel (a real hotel that is professionally run), Tim would peel off and take the interstate north back to Chicago.

With our plans finalized, we hit the road together again for the last time and the promised descent was magnificent. I descended for what seemed like a couple of miles, Tim following behind me. What a difference a day makes in that I was not struggling from the heat, hills and bear spray like yesterday.

When we arrived at our agreed upon parting location, we stopped and said our goodbyes. I do not know where I would have been the last couple of days without the physical, mental and emotional support provided by Tim. To ride shotgun for me while on a hot motorcycle in miserable conditions (steaming temperatures, humid air, rain, a one star hotel, a Pizza Hut dinner, consoling a lost soul) is remarkable and I hope someday I will be able to repay him. Like all of my friends on this trip, I am truly humbled.

After Tim went north, I continued down onto a bikeway that ran along the river. It was well maintained and nicely landscaped offering nice views of Louisville. I was on the path for a few miles until it went right by my hotel, my home until Thursday morning. These two days will allow me to recharge from the last couple of days of effort as well as purchase some new bike shorts. The two pairs I brought along are currently not fit for man or beast, so I will have some shopping in my future.

Here’s to good friends!