Stage 4 - Separation Day

Day Four was Separation Day; it was not a day for boys. Headwinds, crosswinds, heat, the accumulation of miles without rest, and miles of rough “grey rock” roads made for a day to grind it out. Though it was not a day for boys, Team N2N is stocked with men, so they persevered for 86 grueling miles, bringing the end close enough to begin firming up plans for the victory lap around the Champs Elysee´ (well, okay, Natchez, but we may close our eyes and pretend). Ray Charles on a Bike [Stu] found a gash on his tire after today’s ride, but The Bike Rack/Indian Cycle’s goody bag included a fresh tire (thanks, guys), and MacGyver performed his second successful surgery of the week.

The reward at the end of the 86 miles was another feast, this time prepared by the Wolfe Creek hunting camp’s resident chef, Jan. Conrad [Tim] has remarked that he may be the first person to ride a bike 444 miles in 5 and a half days and gain weight. This team is well nourished.

Tomorrow (today by the time you will read this), the team travels through The Bold New City – or is it the Crossroads of the South? Whichever, the team spins through Jackson and Ridgeland tomorrow, heading into a familiar stretch of the Trace that served us well during our training sessions. When Ol’ Roy told us the Goose’s first stop Thursday was going to be River Bend, several team members’ ears perked up, for that was the destination for the very first team training session.

Ray Charles has selected the stop formerly known as the Craft Center as the venue for Roy to put another picnic together. We hope to see some sights for sore eyes (and thighs) during the noon hour at the Craft Center.

The weather man in Natchez does not sound as nice as the weather men in Tennessee, Alabama and North Mississippi were. He is making noise about storms on Friday, but he is not going to rain on our parade. We started this ride in rain, and it may just be fitting to end it that way, too. We’ll see. 289 miles down; 155 to go!