17-05-16 Day 38

Berea, KY to Hazard, KY

Today was an interesting day as we decided very early this morning to err on the side of caution and self preservation. If you read our blog yesterday you know we were considering changes to our day based on dog attack reports. So, we rented a pickup truck, loaded our gear and bikes, then drove our designated route to our next destination. We felt a bit guilty not riding but we are comfortable with our decision.

During our short ride to pick up the truck we were approached by another bike rider who was on the Trans America Route headed west. As it turns out this young man, Patrick, was one of the individuals we heard about. Patrick was riding with Alex, who we met previously, when they encountered the 5 dogs on the route.  Unfortunately, Patrick was the bite cushion and now needs to complete the rabies shot regime. Fortunately, he has positive attitude and is continuing on his journey.

Talking to Patrick about our understanding of the dog conditions ahead
and our decision to drive by the high risk area.

After talking to Patrick for awhile we were joined by a local resident who offers his services as a bike mechanic to those passing through. Paul was very much familiar with the dog situation and wished dog owners were more responsible. Paul was delightful to talk to as well and had many stories to share regarding Trans America rides as well as the Race Across America  (RAM) riders who come through town each year.

A local mechanic, and fellow bicycle enthusiast, Paul, stopped to chat
and offered any assistance we needed. 

Then, in the afternoon as we were driving the Trans America course we encountered two riders resting along the road in the shade.  We pulled over to check their status, it was great talking to them and sharing stories. Good luck to Eric and Judy on the remainder of their journey.

Eric and Judy in a photo taken from their blog site at www.crazyguyonabike.com. I hope they don't mind as we failed to take a selfie with them today.