(note: please scroll down all the way to see all pics)

Temp at departure: 50 degrees

It’s officially begun! At 8:07 CST, we pulled away from Jellico, TN, beginning, what we hope is a trip across the country, ending at Port Orford, OR.

Out of Jellico, we followed the highway we had arrived on the previous day. After four or five miles, we turned west onto a road that we would classify as a county road. In a few miles the road’s surface turned to gravel and we immediately began climbing a finger of the Appalachian
mountain range. The road surface was graded gravel and would remain so for the next hour.

Having rarely traveled east of Texas, the scenery was very different from what we were used to. At this time of year water abounds. The foliage is at its height and the trees, along with undergrowth, give the scenery an emerald color.

After several hours, we had crossed the mountain ridge and arrived in the town of Helenwood, TN. Being mid-morning we were hungry, so we stopped at a convenience store. While we were standing at the checkout, a couple of fellows that had been eyeing our bikes, and us, came over and one said, “Are y’all on doing that trail thing?”

I said that we were, then asked if he’d heard of it. He said that he had and seemed very interested and dumbfounded to find out that we weren’t stopping until Oregon if possible.

I paid for our snacks and we went outside to our bikes to eat them. Five minutes later the fellow came over to us and asked to look at our maps. We chit-chatted for a few more minutes and by the time he left we had given him the address to this web site. If you’re reading this, it was nice talking to you!

Later in the day we crossed the beautiful Obed River, south of Wartburg, TN. Very soon after we entered the Catoosa Wildlife Management Area. In this Area, the state has cleared a right-of-way for the road no less than 200 yards in width. It seemed excessive at first, but then realized that the width was for the animals. The ditches seemed to be a great place for grazing animals. The state had also cleared trees to make faux meadows at fairly regular intervals. We had never seen anything quite like it.

Next up down the road was the Ozone Falls Natural Area. Ozone, TN seemed to consist of one building that purported to house a tanning salon. But within one mile of the front door is a 120 foot waterfall. After a walk of approximately 1/4 mile, you arrive at the bottom, and the height is staggering. In the pictures below, Ron is standing at the bottom of the falls! (look for the tan spec)

Early in the day we noticed thunderheads building to the north. They seemed to chase us as we moved south. At 3:00 P.M. they caught us. After a fierce rain with a bit of hail and high wind, that lasted five minutes, we were riding in sunshine again. Our new gear held up very well for driving rain!

Not long after the rain, I (Ron) crossed a very small culvert on a gravel road. When I crossed it, it gave the bike a small bounce. All of a sudden I heard an unfamiliar noise. I looked back to see our new computer briefcase skidding down the road faster than I was moving. For a split second I was afraid it was going to pass me! The case finally ground to a halt. Not wanting to open it in the middle of the road, I put it back on the the luggage rack like it had been and took off. Turns out, the rain had made the case slick and it squirted out from under the bungee straps. I must say, seeing your computer sliding down the road is not a good feeling, but we’re updating the page with it, so Pelican Computer Cases must know what they’re doing.

Around 5:00 P.M. we arrived at the town of Sparta, TN. The high point of the town seems to be the Lester Flatt Memorial Museum. It’s too bad it’s Sunday, I’d really like to see how they fill an entire museum dedicated to Lester Flatt!

We’re not sure how far we will get tomorrow.

Feel free to email us if you want. Pictures are below. Click on a picture to see an enlargement.

See y’all down the trail.

Daily Mileage: 192.8

Money spent: $ 103.73

 Just before we left Jellico, TN

 

Ron's map setup

 The trail west of Jellico, TN

  

 Ozone Falls are 120 feet high. Ron is at the bottom of the falls. Ozone, TN is just off I-40 in eastern TN.

 Rolling hills near Sparta, TN

June 5