Day 2 alarm went off with Aerosmith blaring music from Dan's phone. I got up and headed to the kitchen and found that a kind soul had already brewed some coffee. I poured a cup and added chocolate milk to it as we had no milk.
I borrowed Jeff's NFS and lubed my chain as it had gotten progressively noisier over the course of day 1. I then finished getting dressed putting on the same gear as I had on the previous day. My jerseys had dried out and my gloves were also easier to put on. I again used chemical toe warmers to start the day. I filled my pockets with a banana, 2 packages of fig newtons, and some pop tarts. My phone was charged up to 97% and the Garmin had charged up over 80% (on a lipstick battery). We prepared to roll out. Dan Colvin graciously agreed to deliver the key to the lodge back to the rental office. When we rolled out, we waited for Dan to join us before heading up the road.
Today's big challenge is Tale of the Dragon. This climb started around mile 43 and featured 13 miles of climbing with 2 climbs over 1000 feet. We stopped at a store just before we started the climbing to fuel up. Our goal was to reach the store at Deal's Gap at around mile 54. My knees were still giving me trouble, but everything else felt good. In particular, I enjoyed the descent on the first climb. Michael was climbing a bit slower than the rest of us, but we all regrouped at the store at Deal's Gap. The store was bustling with motorcycle riders. I grabbed a soda and ate some food I brought with me.
Our next goal was the Wendy's back in Robbinsville. We had such a good experience there on day 1, that we aimed to visit there again. As the day was nice and I finally had on my short finger gloves, I remembered to take a few pictures of the mountains and the river.
The rest of the way to Wendy's was pretty easy. When I reached the control around 1PM, I took out my Park Tool and raised my saddle just a bit hoping to fix the problem with my knees. I had chatted with DanD and Jeff on the way to the control. Dan favored changing nothing but Jeff was advocating for a small, incremental change. At Wendy's, I ordered the same meal again from the day before. The employee that took our order was super nice and friendly. He even gave me a cup for a free drink.
Leaving Robbinsville, we were faced with a big climbs to get back to Lakes End Grill in Topton. Wayah Rd climb was 1621 feet over 8.72 miles. It was a steady peddle to get up and over and the control was about half way down the descent so we had to brake and turn into the parking lot. On this visit, we got a table inside the restaurant. We all ordered meals knowing that this was the last services we would see today. Michael was last to arrive and we all began to worry about his status. In the last 50 miles, we had climbs of 351, 1148, 1631, and 571. A section of this route also featured some gravel including the start of the 1631 climb. The next store was the final control for the day before the overnight and it would likely be closed when we arrived.
The 3 things that happened in this last push to the overnight were as follows. First, the big descent that was the reward for the first climb was amazing. I flew down this descent and was so glad to have a nice, clear path. Second, at the bottom of the big climb, we were faced with Michael getting separated from us. He assured us his light was charged and that he would be OK. Finally, the start of the big climb featured gravel and some of this climb pitched up over 12%. I felt my wheel slipping and worried that I would have a problem. I did make it through the gravel and back on to pavement. DanD and DanC were ahead and I stopped to adjust clothing and Jeff caught up with me. I mentioned to Jeff that I worried about Michael because of the steep climbing and the increasing darkness.
Another problem presented itself as I made my way towards the turn at US-64, I started feeling a vibration and hearing a humming noise coming from the front hub. The front hub is the Schmidt generator and powers the headlamp on V. I stopped to check it and could see no obvious problem. The light was working, but the noise was worrisome. The Dans and Jeff started the big descent on US-64 but I stopped again to turn off my lamp to stop the hub from generating power. I then turned on my battery light and began the descent. This descent was another one to enjoy. I only wish it were daylight so I could have had better visibility. All the same, I eventually caught and passed the Dans and about 2 miles further, I found Jeff waiting at the turn. We regrouped and chatted about the fact that we had made up some time and were on our way to the overnight.
A few miles later, a car pulled up and the window was down. The people inside the car informed us they had rescued Michael back in the Franklin area and brought him to Hiawassee. We were glad to hear he was OK but sad to learn of this outcome. To ride so far and not be able to finish. We all agonized over the what if scenarios. We later learned that the Garmin had failed. With no way to judge distance, it is difficult to navigate on unfamiliar roads.
We eventually rolled into the Marathon gas station and took pictures. It was just after 10PM.
When we reached the hotel (Holiday Inn Express). Dan and Dan checked in first. Each room received a bag of groceries that Dan C had dropped off on Wednesday. Dan D asked if Michael had checked in, but the clerk didn't seem to have any information. This left us more worried. When Jeff and I tried to check in, the clerk could not find the reservation. Jeff was beside himself as he had called the hotel many times to confirm. The only thing that had happened was that we moved the reservation from his name to my name on Wednesday. They could not find it under my name despite the fact that when I had spoken to them on the phone, they assured me all was good. Jeff asked if we could get a room anyway and the clerk said no, they were sold out due to a fishing tournament. As we stood there contemplating our fate, the clerk finally found the reservation under Newberry Jeff. The last name was reversed with the first name. Whew! They did still have my credit card on file and I was able to give them my expired ID I carry with me on the bike. We got our bag of groceries and headed up to the room.
In the room, we showered and took care of business. We set the alarm for 4:25 AM as the plan was to roll at 5:30.
Garmin data: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/7548293643
All photos from day 2 here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/LDJ1WqggE5trRvqo8
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