NCBob, IvaHawk, Sridhar and I rode the "renewal" Bunn Wash Caper on an unexpected Spring day in the midst of early Summer. Unlike the only time I had previously ridden this route, it was easy to tell the direction of the wind, which wind was bringing the Spring-like conditions to central NC from the Northeast. The cooling NE headwind was in our faces for the first 40-miles, and by the time we made the howeward turn onto Dunn Rd, the wind had transformed into an ENE tailwind, making the last 26-miles or so an easier, faster ride.
Early on, at the 9.6-mile mark in Hopkins, I had the idea to pay homage to a Nov-11-2011 group ride on the OakElmOak perm, or at least to the photo below:
 |
| I concluded that we could line up in a straight row and get a pic of all of us pretending to be serious. |
 |
| L to R: me, Sridhar, IvaHawk, Bob. |
The reason?
Sridhar, despite multiple denials, must be training for SOMETHING.
He kept dragging the pace up at every opportunity.
[I'm all for riding faster than I have been, but I'd rather look around and enjoy the sights, etc..]
We got to "The Farmer's Kitchen" in Bunn too late for breakfast, and
Had to settle for lunch food.
Good it was, but I think each of us would have preferred to have gotten a country breakfast.
[May have to start this route at 6 am next time to ensure arriving in time for breakfast.]
The several dogs that plagued this route in 2014 all seem to have disappeared.
The first several miles were a bit trafficky.
But probably the traffic was such that cyclists from metropolitan areas would think there was no traffic.
Fowler Rd and Pilot-Riley Rd seemed to be lined with many well-kept homesteads.
And that creates a nice feeling when cycling by.
Frazier Rd and W. Old Spring Hope Rd give a taste of the flat-flat terrain to the east.
Interrupted by the easy crossing of the Tar River.
After a natural break and refueling stop in Spring Hope, we hit Seven Paths Road,
Which wiggles about and is a mild roller-coaster,
And the first half or two-thirds of 7-Paths was quite nice, but
The last third or half was less interesting.
The eight miles of Dunn and Mort Harris roads and NC-39 are nothing special,
But that may be an illusion as one might be trying to hurry along to Bunn
For breakfast or lunch.
The 18 miles after the ONE HOUR lunch stop went by quickly.
Perhaps I was too stuffed with food to think otherwise.
The above is pretty lame, but it is my story for the day, and I'll be sticking to it.
Except to add this:
If Bob and I weren't on a quest to accomplish a NC-P-12-Explorer-Challenge,
We might not have endeavored to renew the Bunn Wash Caper.
And that would have been sad, because
The BWC is quite a pleasant ride.
Martin, Excellent summary as usual. I really enjoyed the route after we turned off Mitchell Mill Rd. Good scenery and little traffic. The last half was more like your typical Eastern N.C. landscape. I agree with Martin's thought on Farmer's Kitchen. I enjoyed riding with Sridhar for the first time. And, Bob is always great company. Good luck to him on his Wisconsin ride.
ReplyDelete