Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Ride: Day 3 Borden Springs, AL to Hiram, GA The Final Push

A much warmer night than the previous night, but after talking with my peeps at the National Weather Service where I work in Peachtree City, I knew rain was on its way, and with temperatures holding in the 40s, we definitely didn't want to be cold AND wet. The sun was out, but not for very long after we woke up, so we knew we had to get on the trail if we wanted to beat the rain. 

Funny thing about the heater. Last night, we got the heater back from Sandy and Amber in the RV before they went to bed. When we hooked up the heater in our tent, and the heater in Fabia's tent, the pull was too much for the generator, so we let Fabia use the heater...ie we were heater-less...again. Come to find out this morning, that right before Fabia went to sleep, she turned the heater off in her tent because it got too hot in her tent. The generator ran all night long, with no one using the power, I guess just to lull us to sleep with the engine running.  I think we were not meant to use a heater in our tent, HA!

We started a campfire shortly after getting up, had breakfast of pumpkin oatmeal and sausage...yum yum, sure did hit the spot. Oh yeah, and coffee...again a beverage and hand warmer. After breakfast we packed up all our stuff, sleeping bags, duffle bags, and the works. Then we were off on the trail. Thanks to our great support team...they took down our tents, pack everything up in the RV and headed toward Rockmart, not without saying good bye to Terry, the campground caretaker, who stopped by just shortly before we left.

The ride to Rockmart was pretty uneventful, although the hills between Cedartown and Rockmart were just as much killers as they were going the other way.  When we got closer to Rockmart, Dan was a little ways ahead of Josiah and me, and we saw him talking to another biker. This other biker had just ridden from Smyrna (approximately 50 miles) and was trying to get back. He apparently was on the road and was getting back on the Silver Comet...but headed the wrong direction. He thought he was headed back to Smyrna, but he was actually headed toward Alabama. Dan got him turned in the right direction and he was off. Along the way from the campground to Rockmart we did stop for some photos...

State Line looking toward the Silver Comet

Me

Dan

Me and Dan

Trail Names
Trail names are names given to you by other people. You cannot give yourself a name. So yesterday, as we were riding back from Anniston, Dan got the three of us got into an "attack" or "offensive" formation on the trail with himself being the point man. At that point he earned the trail name "Voltron." This was a name from a fictional character used in one of our pastor's messages. Today, Josiah and I got our trail names. I already had one, but was christened a new name. I was playing around with "attack" formation, "defense" formation. Dan said "you are being such a trekkie" which I was. He then re-christened me with "Enterprise." He was going to use Trek, but I ride a Fezzari, so that wouldn't work. Later down the trail Josiah got ahead of Dan and myself and then we saw him pull over. Josiah was saying that his jaw was locking. Right there he was christened "Lock Jaw." So there you have it, Voltron, Enterprise and Lock Jaw, what a combination!

We had a fantastic lunch at Rockmart. The support crew fed us deli meat with cheese, chips and fruit. This was the last we would see of our support crew on this trip. We owe so much to these people, they were an absolute blessing and such servants. I remember this morning wanting to pack up my Mizzou chair, and Amber said no, that she would do it, she said you are the rider. Wow, what a servants heart! 

Right before we left Rockmart to finish up the trail, which was another 24 miles, I called my wife to give her a time to meet us in Hiram...and that she would get 3 coffees for us. The clouds continued to thicken and about 2 miles from Hiram we started to feel a little drizzle, fortunately it never got any worse than that. We were all feeling the soreness of riding 54+ miles in 3 days, but not enough to keep Dan and Josiah from going off trail on some single track next to the Silver Comet. That didn't last long, but hey, at least they did it.

We pulled into the Hiram trail head, and about 30 seconds later so did my wife...with coffee! Woohoo!!!! Yes, we did it, we traveled over 160 miles in 3 days, putting in over 54 miles each day, camping in sub-freezing temperatures, riding in sub-freezing temperatures at times, and as much as I talked about how cold it was, I really enjoyed the trip and I can't wait to do another.  In fact, we talked about the next trip being a mountain bike ride, possibly Jake Mountain just outside of Dahlonega, GA in April 2015.

When I think about what we endured in the frigid weather, this doesn't even compare to what the refugees fleeing from Isis are going through. My heart goes out to them, and through this ride, Josiah told me that we were able to raise around $3000!!!! I applaud Josiah for seeing his dream go from a vision to reality!

Lock Jaw, Enterprise and Voltron at the Hiram, GA Trailhead

Stats for Day 3

Total Miles: 54.5

Total Riding Time: 4 hours 21 minutes 

Average Pace: 12.5 MPH 

Total Stats for the Ride

Total Miles: 163.1

Total Riding Time: 13 hours 18 minutes 

Average Pace: 12.2 MPH 

Route for Day 3...

Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Ride: Day 2 Borden Springs, AL to Anniston and back

A VERY cold start to our second day. Lauren said it was 25 degrees! Wait, isn't this the south??? When we went to bed the night before, we gave our heater to the ladies in the RV. Come to find out, the generator on the RV was too loud and they shut it off, therefore they did not use the heater. Hmmm....honestly, as long as we stayed in our sleeping bags, we were nice and toasty. I put my biking clothes in my bag with me when I went to bed last night and that helped keep them warm. The only problem was when one had to do the late night pee break. Now THAT was COLD!

We, the riders, woke up to a nice campfire...thank you support team! As we sat around the campfire, the ladies prepared pancakes and bacon for us, oh yes...and COFFEE, useful not only as a warm beverage, but also as a hand warmer. It was AMAZING!!!!

Sunrise over the ridge was beautiful, and we took full advantage of the scenery as we ate breakfast. Fabia gave us some toe warmers to put in our shoes and hand warmers to put in our gloves. This helped A LOT!!! Thanks Fabia!

Shortly after breakfast we were on our way on the Chief Ladiga Trail to Anniston, AL, which is the western terminus of the Chief Ladiga Trail. Like I said in my previous post, the Chief Ladiga Trail is all asphalt and rides through some very beautiful countryside between the campground and Jacksonville, AL. 

Me at Piedmont, AL

Dan at Piedmont, AL

Piedmont, AL

Josiah's sweet bike

Fortunately there are no big hills like the Silver Comet, it is mostly a 1% grade, but for some reason it seemed all up hill. I was sooo looking forward to the ride back thinking it was going to be downhill, but that was uphill as well, I don't get it!?!?! Click on this link if you want more information on the Chief Ladiga Trail. The trail cuts right through Jacksonville State University campus in Jacksonville, AL which was a nice looking campus. Dan was quick to point out that they played Ga Tech in a football game (Georgia Tech is Dan's team). The ride from Jacksonville to Anniston was not as scenic, more urban and a little more crowded on the trails.

Josiah at the Depot

Dan and myself at the Depot

It was just a few miles further and we were in northern Anniston at Woodland Park. This is where we had our lunch, thanks to our wonderful support team (you get the idea that I like these ladies, oh I very nearly forgot, James and his wife Tori were helping us out as well, sorry dude and dudette). They served us chicken salad, fruit, chips and water, oh yeah, and mint Oreo cookies.

James and Tori

Temperatures were suppose to be warmer than the previous day, which they were, but only by about 10 degrees which would put it in the 40s. But there was also wind, which may explain why it felt we were going up a so gentle slope for the last 26+ miles. Needless to say we sat in the sunshine, letting it heat us up before we headed back the same way.

On the way to lunch, right before we got to Anniston, we saw a BMX track in Weaver, AL. So after we left Anniston, we decided to stop at the BMX track and give it a lap or two. Dan took some video which I hope to get in another post very soon. It was fun, but it pales in comparison to the BMX track in Peachtree City.

We stopped at an old bridge that no longer existed, but support wall were still there and so we took advantage of some photo ops, plus a snack break.

Dan

The ride back to the campground was uneventful except for a crash, what???

Nah, just a set up, no riders were hurt during the staging of this accident, ha!

Seriously, I'm fine

By the time we got back to the campground, we were ready for the day to be over. Up to this point we had logged just about 108 miles and it was starting to take its toll. Because of the grade being so low, and with the head wind we endured, we pedaled just about every bit of the 108 miles. Last September my wife and I pedaled 193 miles on the Katy Trail in 4 days, and while we were sore, it really didn't affect us that much, but it was also about 40 degrees warmer. Riding 108 miles in constant cold took a larger toll than what I expected, and so when we saw the campground, with the campfire, we were very VERY happy. My right quad was starting to give me problems, a tightening. It wasn't a cramp, but a tightening of the muscle. It lasted a good part of the day. Josiah had similar problems and I think Dan was having problems elsewhere ;)  

Campground Right before Sunset

Whenever we started to feel a little cramping we would take a salt tablet. We also were taking ibuprofen to help with the pain. This all seems to help to a certain extent.

After a nice HOT shower, we settled down around the campfire, having an awesome dinner of Bratwurst, cooked by James, regular and sweet potatoes cooked by Dan, and baked onions cook by Josiah. Of course the support team prepped all the food...thanks again! The potatoes and onions were cooked in the campfire which made them that much better.

After dinner it was time for more story telling and 'scores, but it didn't last near as long as the night before.

I think the cold was getting to all of us, the support team included, because we were all in bed by 830 central time. This time we had the heater in the RV until the ladies went to bed, then we put it in our tent. Fabia had the other heater in her tent. Unfortunately the portable generator would not support the pull of electricity from both heaters, so we let Fabia use the heater. Again, the riders slept with out a heater...hmmm, I am sensing a trend here. Unfortunately we had to say goodbye to James and Tori as well as Lauren who all had to be back in Atlanta that evening.

Stats for Day 2:

Total Miles: 54.1(108.6 total)

Total Riding Time: 4 hours 23 minutes (8 hours 57 minutes total)

Average Pace: 12.3 MPH (12.4 MPH Overall Ride Average)

The Route...

Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Ride: Day 1 Hiram, GA to Borden Springs, AL

It is finally here, Rides for Redemption's "Ride for the Refugees." After months of planning, the day has finally arrived...on brisk winds and cold temperatures! Yes, I woke this morning at 25 degrees!

Looking at the forecast, I knew the temperatures were not going to get out of the 30s, PLUS we had a northwest winds gusting to 20 mph...a good head wind! This put wind chills in the teens. Now to those who live in the north, this probably sounds like a bunch of whining, and well, I guess it is, but I've been in the south for 20 years, and this is down right cold! I lived in North Dakota for 6 years, but 20 years of acclimating to the south...30s is cold!!! All this to say, this was the set up for the #ridefortherefugees. Josiah Haner got the vision to put together #ridesforredemption, an organization that uses people's passion for riding to help those around the world. Ride for the Refugees is the first ride for Rides for Redemption...here is a little info on this...

We have all seen glimpses of the terrible atrocities taking place in the middle east. The violent advance of the Islamic State armies in Iraq and Syria has left millions displaced with no more than the clothes on their backs. Aid workers in the various regions hosting refugees are in desperate need of funds to support the millions who have been driven from their homes.

The unfolding of these events is the very thing that brought Rides for Redemption into existence. And it is the very thing we will be riding for in our very first event; a 150 mile journey on the Silver Comet and Chief Ladiga trails. We are seeking sponsors to pledge any dollar amount per mile of our long journey. We are also seeking prayer from those who would commit to pray for Iraqi and 

Syrian refugees throughout certain time slots of our ride's duration.

We live in such a privileged and protected place here in the United States, and we have so much at our disposal to give for causes such as this. Please consider joining us to make positive difference in this tragic situation. Let's show true love and concern by reaching out a helping hand to these in such desperate need. Every gift matters, no matter how small.

To find out how you can contribute, send an email to rides4redemption@gmail.com. 

Thank you for your support!

Josiah

Josiah, Dan, and Landon arrived at my house around 830 AM-ish Friday morning, November 14. We got about an hour late start, but that was not a bad thing as this let the air warm up by at least 1 degree (yes, some sarcasm here).  We got to the Hiram, GA trailhead on the #silvercomettrail around 10 AM.

Trailhead at Hiram, GA

After saying a prayer and saying goodbye to Landon (a blessing for driving my truck back home, Thank You Landon!), we started pedaling just shortly after 10 AM. The Silver Comet Trail is a concret trail that goes from Smyna, GA westward to the Alabama border. Because we were wanting to do close to 50 miles per day, we opted to start at Hiram, GA. The Silver Comet is fairly flat, around a 1% grade, although it seemed like we were going up hill the entire time, but I think that was because of the strong head wind. Here are a few pictures along the route...

Josiah taking a picture of me taking a picture of Josiah taking a picture

Me

Dan

Have to admit the fall colors were beautiful and really made the journey even better. After about 24 miles we stopped in Rockmart for lunch. Our support crew, made up of Sandy (Josiah's mom), Lauren, Fabia, and Amber, an awesome group of women, went ahead of us, and by the time we got to Rockmart, they had the lunch table set up, the food ready to eat, they were amazing. However, with the wind blowing, the riders (myself, Dan and Josiah), decided to get out of the wind and eat in the RV. To give you an idea if what we were wearing to keep warm, here is what I was wearing...

bike shorts

leg warmers

2 pair of socks, wool

1 underarmor longsleeve shirt

2 long sleeve shirts

1 heavy jacket

1 Buff

1 head/mouth cover

helmet

2 pairs or riding gloves

While riding, I was sweating on the inside, but when we would stop, the cold air would slice through us and we would instantly get cold.

Back to our support team, they had chicken salad, chips, fruit and mint oreos (need the sugar for energy of course!). This support team also had our clothes for the next couple of days, camping equipment (yes, we were going to camp in this weather...not kidding!), food, and in general supplies for the trip. Without the support of these ladies, this would have been a difficult trip. It is cool to see how God uses the giftings in each person, brings them together, and forms a successful group to accomplish a mission, totally cool! 

Our Support Team and the Riders

We downed that and then soon we were back on the trail. The immediate next section of the Silver Comet Trail leaves the railway line and becomes quite hilly. In fact, the stretch from Rockmart to Cedartown is quite hilly and not along the railway line. The write up from the Silver Comet Trail Website even says you may have to get out and walk some of the hills. Fortunately we did not have to HAB (Hike A Bike), however we got close by putting it in "granny gear."  The views from this section were incredible, so incredible we forgot to take pictures (I know, right?) however a heads up, if you plan to do this in the summer, heed their advice and bring plenty of water as there are no watering stations between Cedartown and Rockmart.  Right before we got to Cedartown, we say a unicyclist taking a break on the side of the trail. I got to hand it to this guy, for someone to do this on a unicycle, kudos to ya!

When we got to Cedartown, the trail seemed a bit funky. What I mean by that is that instead of either being on a road, stand alone or rail line, it was part of a sidewalk in front of abandoned businesses, a bit weird and a bit sketchy to me, but it was well marked at least. The depot, where you must HAB (not because of hills but because of a sign that says "get off your bike and walk"), was kind of cool. 

From Cedartown to Borden Springs, AL was a beautiful section of trail. When we got to the Alabama/Georgia state line, there was a sign over the trail and on the ground, etched into what looked like marble or granite where the Welcome to Georgia and Welcome to Alabama signs. This is where the Silver Comet Trail ends, and the Chief Ladiga Trail Begins.

Josiah

Dan

Myself (left) and Dan (right)

Josiah (left) and Dan (right)

Looking Down the Chief Ladiga Trail

The #chiefladigatrail from the state line to Borden Springs was very beautiful. We were surrounded by hills, trees in their autumnness, and many creek crossings. While the Silver Comet Trail was all concrete (with wooden bridges), the Chief La diga Trail was asphalt (also with wooden bridges). From the state line to where we were camping, it was approximately 7 1/2 miles. By the time we got to the campground, we put in 54.5 miles of very cold, windy, yet picturesque riding.


The campground we stayed at was the Chief Ladiga Trail Campground. If you ever do the Silver Comet/Chief Ladiga Trail and want to camp, this is a great campground. It is a primitive campground with a great bath house, built only a couple of years ago. The campground and the bathhouse (heated!!!!) were both very clean. The setting is between two ridge lines with a small river/large creek running on the northern side of the campground.

Chief Ladiga Trail Campground 

What was so cool is that we we rode into the campground, the support team has our tents already set up! These gals are amazing! Not only that, they also were preparing chili and the trimmings for us, plus an amazing campfire!

After taking warm showers, we relaxed around the campfire, eating chili. Afterwards we told stories where one person would start the story with a phrase, and as we went around the group, each person would add another phrase. They were suppose to start off as scary ghost stories, but both stories ended up as a comedy. In the middle of story telling, James and Tori showed up (Josiah's brother and sister-in-law). Then as we were having 'smores, Terry, the caretaker of the campground, stopped by for a visit. He must've stayed for at least an hour. He told us the history of this campground and what they want to do with it. Eventually they want to get RV hook-ups for it. 

Because of the cold and windy evening (temps already near 30 by 8 PM), we were going through the firewood like crazy. There was a time around sunset where two of our people went foraging for firewood along the road. Then, as two more went out after dark, Terry told us about an area where the boy scouts had cut up a tree that had fallen. A couple of the group went with Terry to where this wood was and he hauled it back for us. This was an amazing man. If you can picture a true southerner, with an Alabama accent, deep husky voice, this was Terry. Before he left, Sandy asked if we could pray for him and he readily said yes. Come to find out he has had health problems and is still re-cooperating from them. 

'smore time

Around 930 PM we were ready for bed. Now I had brought two heaters with us, plus Landon (the guy who drove my truck home from Hiram) lent us his portable generator. The plan was to use these two ceramic heaters in the boy's tent and one in the girl's tent, and then let the RV use it's own heater. That was the plan :) However, we couldn't get the heater in the RV to work, so Dan suggested letting the ladies in the RV use our heater and we would to without a heater in our tent. We started the portable generator up for the ladies tent for their heater and then we were off to bed. Thus ends Day 1.

Stats for Day 1:

Total Miles: 54.5

Total Riding Time: 4 hours 30 minutes

Average Pace: 12.5 MPH

The Route...

Hiram, GA westward to Borden Springs, AL