M2C Day 4

 Cycle North Carolina(CNC)

Mountains to Coast(M2C)

Day 4 Mebane to Henderson 63 miles, 2600’

Found some shade to sit  in camp while we listen to a local Ole Timey Blue Grass band. Rather relaxing and quite content surrounded by a bunch of friends we never knew. 

Our typical day begins when about 400 phones in surrounding tents all go off together at 5:30, mine included. It’s dark and the dew is heavy on the tent and drips through the tent’s inner mesh as I struggle to get up. I bought a coffee service months ago believing some barista shack would follow us around. This is the SE and not the PNW. The best part of waking up is literally Folgers! 

I stumble back through the encampment looking for our our Big Agnes hoping I find Rhonda in it and not the neighbor. Rhonda gets up and we start packing and getting ready. By 6:30 we wonder over to the breakfast tent. Each community sources out a local caterer to feed the masses. Of the 825 bikers and another couple hundred family members, about 1/2 purchased the food service. A bus or two of people shuttle each night to local motels. The rest fend for themselves getting a shuttle into town. 

After breakfast we start tearing down the wet tent. The heavy dew has saturated everything. We stuff the tent with the added water weight knowing it will only take a few minutes in camp that night to “dry” it out. 

The course opens at 7:30, but there are a few who sneak out early, hoping to make it to camp by the time the final SAG wagon sweeps the course at 4:30. 

Getting through town in fog and heavy rush hour car traffic is a trick and requires a lot of patience. In addition to the State Troops assigned to us for the week, local LE help at the busy intersections. It’s a bit nerve wracking. Not sure Idaho drivers would tolerate a line of 800 bikes staggering over an hour through town. 

Before we know it we have 10 miles under us and we are on county roads headed for our first aid station, prepared to serve us some southern hospitality with our sports drink, fruit and snack bars. There are three to four aid stations each day separated between 15-20 miles apart. After the first break the bikers have some separation between them and not so much of a nuisance to local traffic. The cars are super for the most part. Today one gal in a silver sedan wasn’t too happy and honked a few too many times and sped past some bikers as they were turning into an aid station. Just as I mentioned that she needed a visit from one of the troops, a moto with his blue lights cut his break short and chased her down. We never saw the stop but it would have been fun to be the back up officer and hear the excuses. 

We travel through the country side and through gorgeous communities whose names end in -boro, -borough or -ville. There is not a strong long “O” said and neither “L” has much mention. 

After the last aid station, with my new staple of pickles and a Coca Cola, my legs gain some extra energy and the smell of the barn is strong. 

Once in camp you quickly make a claim and stake out a tent site. Then it’s off to find your luggage left by the shuttle. The chairs are first out and then our shoes. We lay the tent pieces out to dry, and then get a spot in line at the shower truck. A semi truck has several stalls. The men’s line is usually longer accounting for the population demographics. 

So the shade is cool, the music soothing and the supper line has started to grow. Earlier our new friend Haresh stopped by. He went home today to celebrate his daughter’s birthday with family. He came back to camp to fetch his luggage and drop off some homemade vittles and cold drink. We hope he can return in a day or two. 

So, it’s time to see what’s on the spit, not that I’ve grown particular with my food or the company I keep. 

It’s dark at 7 and we will be in the tent and possibly asleep by 8. 5:30 comes early as does the 2-2:30am potty call. 

See y’all in the morning.