Wytheville VA to Troutdale VA

Friday morning we all packed up and got on the road.

We stopped at the Dutch Pantry and got some delicious food including gluten-free pasta for Linda and high quality deli sandwiches for Phil.  We also met fellow cross-country touring cyclist John there as well.  Melinda and Lisa were not far behind and stopped as well.

We stopped for a break at a Post Office along the route.  While we were there, we met four more fellow cross-country touring cyclists whom pulled over to say hi.  After Phil gave them each one of our cards, one of them replied “Oh, your the Surlybiketour” and mentioned that he had seen our cards along the way in the guest books that we signed (and left cards in).

Shortly before we arrived at our stop for the night at a Church Hostel, we got caught in a brief hail storm!  We pulled over for some cover and to call for directions under a building entrance awning.  We did not have any cellular signal and we were not sure which way to go, however, we did see a Church up on a hill down the road into town but off our route.  We biked toward it and saw a sign with an arrow pointing up a stone driveway that read “Hiker/Biker Hostel.”  When we arrived, John and a hiker were already there.

Shortly after we arrived a pickup truck with two men in it pulled up to the hostel.  The driver asked us if his passenger could stay for the night.  The passenger did not appear to be a hiker or a biker but we were not sure what to say and just nodded.  So the man whom did not speak much got out and claimed a bed in the room with the hiker.

Later on Melinda and Lisa arrived and they settled in the room with this man and the hiker as well not being fully aware of the situation.

Then the Pastor and his wife visited with their two dogs which Linda took a liking to.  The Pastor was made aware of the situation and looked inside the room and recognized the man.  He had stayed before and is presumed homeless although harmless.

Being that Melinda is a Psychology Professor and has her own practice she was successful in speaking with and learning about him.

Lastly, we saw a rainbow later in the evening.