Day 4: 181 miles

You move faster by bike than on foot. ;-) Matt's odomoter is keeping count for us.

After a stop by the visitor center for new maps, we're waiting out the high sun in Frederick's public library. Matt's downloading pictures onto his blog at the computer across from me.... We've had a memorable four days of bike touring so far.

We were biking Hwy 194 into the city, saw the turn off for Hwy 15 South (which leads to Point of Rocks), okay good so far, then all of a sudden, we're on the on-ramp onto a freeway! It was a vortex (Matt's word) sucking in a continuous stream of shiny cars, loud trucks, and debris with no way to backtrack. I looked up from navigating around tire pieces and gravel, and there's an empty, PARKED car taking up the WHOLE shoulder, MY shoulder, the only thing saving me from getting shredded by the onslaught of motors. I had a few seconds to debate my course of action (stop? left into traffic? right into grass?), to signal (futile, I'm sure, semi coming), to practically shut my eyes and hug the car while I slipped by. On the other side, I saw Matt stopped by the next off-ramp, and he looked like I felt, so we walked our bikes off the freeway in the grass. I was laughing now out of disbelief. I know Carl's biked Interstates, but after this 1/2 mile experience, I'm certain to avoid them.

Most of our bike trip hasn't been so crazy, although when you're around cars, there's always an added stress (not there when you hike). Yesterday, we biked under a beating sun through farm country on two-land roads. We showered at Codorus State Park in PA, then opted out of spray-on sunscreen since it was almost six, and continued on to stealth camp on the Mason-Dixon Line. This morning was a coast. We stopped at an inn/tavern for a hearty breakfast and later, to pick strawberries. My quads are starting to feel it.