Day 6: Natchez Trace Self Contained Ride

Today was another day of wonderful weather that was simply ideal for cycling. I was up about 7:00am and on the Trace by 8:00am. Shortly after leaving Colbert Ferry, I crossed the Tennessee River. My photos do little justice to the wide expanse and grandeur of the river. As a cyclist, it is a simple matter to dismount and linger a few moments to absorb and enjoy a sight. I snapped more pictures and considered again what a great day it was to ride. If fact, any day you ride your bike is a great day.

Shortly after crossing the Alabama – Tennessee state boundary, I encountered two southbound cyclists on a truly marvelous adventure. Jay and Ginny were from Seattle, WA. They had started their odyssey in early September. An Amtrak train brought them eastward to Albany, NY. Car rides took them to Canada where they rode from Quebec down the north side of the St. Lawrence River to Montreal and again to Washington, DC where they rode the C&O Towpath northward, connected with the Great Allegheny Passage and rode that path to just south of Pittsburgh, PA. Another car ride took them to Nashville, where they started their southbound trek on the Natchez Trace. The ultimate destination on this fine October day was the city of angels (Los Angeles, CA) in time for Thanksgiving.

They were clearly serious and committed riders, but toted the most unconventional gear. . . buckets! Mounted on their seat post brackets, Jay pointed out that one should never leave home without one’s bucket. While on the bike, the buckets provided storage for their sleeping bags. Once stopped a bucket was a seat, a wash tub for clothes and body. Buckets propped up bikes when repairs were necessary. Jay and Ginny also pulled BOBs that included inflatable air mattresses. All the comforts of home!

We chatted some more, wished one another happy cycling and then pedaled away down the open road.

Not much further down the road I encountered J.D. Robb walking the Trace. John, a former Wall Street trader from Dallas, noted that he had walked the Appalachian Trail (Trail Name “Hell on Bad Wheels”) and now had a goal to become the first person to hike all 11 national scenic trails and to do so for the benefit of others who are in need. Visit his website TrekkingforaCause.com and click on the link “See all updates from BadWheels' Journal.” John completed his Trace trek about month after we met. With or without a bucket, amazing things are possible!

Mile 352: Stopped at McGlamery Stand to risk a climb up a fire tower noted in Wanner’s book. Wanner’s warning is “climb at your own risk.” My recommendation is don’t even attempt an accent. The wooden stairs are missing and a successful scaling of the metal apparatus has two chances…slim and none! I diverted my attention to wandering the recently decorated graveyard at the base of the tower.

Back on my bike, I pedaled on to Collinwood for lunch. Collinwood is one of the few towns immediately adjacent to the Trace.

Mile 345: I lingered in the Wayne County Visitor Center in Collinwood for quite some time. Betty, a volunteer there, took me on a delightful tour of the center. Swapping stories of adventure, Betty related how she and her husband had once built a boat and floated/motored down the Mississippi and in-land waterways. Included among the artifacts at the center is the poster for a 1960 Zachary Scott movie. The Turner Movie Classic website gives a synopsis of the film:

“In the 1830s, in the wilderness area between Natchez, Mississippi and Nashville, Tennessee known as The Natchez Trace, ruthless highwayman and slave trader John A. Morrow robs and kills travelers. When Morrow kills a plantation owner, the man's daughter Sue and her fiancé Russ conspire to stop him. By volunteering to become one of Morrow's band, Russ learns that Morrow plans to build an empire of thieves and become their dictator. Eventually Russ thwarts Morrow's plans and causes his downfall.” A thriller, I am sure.

Lunch was at Chad’s Family Restaurant. Re-supply was at the local Piggly Wiggly.

Mile 363: I stopped at the Sweetwater Branch historic site and engaged in a lengthy conversation with a Dallas-based gang of friends touring the Trace in their large RV. I asked if I could see the inside of the RV and was warmly welcomed. We chatted and idled time away without a care for time or distance. I asked, “How far do you travel each day?” The response was, “Sixty miles.” My retort, “Me too.” I further asked when they planned to be back in Dallas. "Whenever." Good answer.

Mile 375: The best part of my tour without question was my short departure from the Natchez Trace to ride a section of the actual old Natchez Trace. A small section, about 2.5miles, of the old Trace is sufficiently paved to support bike traffic. This short ride gave a real sense of what it must have been like to travel the Trace so long ago. Deep woods and the sounds of birds and other animals provided a sense of isolation. Could the original engineers who labored to open this road in the late 1700’s ever image that one day a carbon fiber bike carrying a spandex-clad rider would make use of their labor? Don’t miss this Trace adventure!

Encountered several long climbs this day that required looking for lower gears. All doable.

Mile 385: The ride to the camp sites at the National Park Service Meriwether Lewis campground was longer then I had anticipated (.4 miles). The campground is named for the Meriwether Lewis of “Lewis and Clark” fame. In October 1809, Lewis was found dead of a gunshot wound in what was then call Grinder Stand. A large monument in Pioneer Cemetery marks the spot of his grave. A replicate of Grinder Stand is located nearby.

I set up my tent among a sea of RVs and discovered the gang of four riders whom I had met earlier at Colbert Ferry. There was more lively conversation that evening; my last evening on the Trace.

Total Mileage 65 / Average 12.3