Mile 921. Skyline love.
“Get out of my wayyyyyy!!!!” As I blast down the hill, I shout at cars that dare to slow down in front of me.
Head tucked into my triathlon bike’s aerobars, I lean right into the hairpin turn. Then I lean left. Effortlessly, I shift my weight, becoming one with the smooth black road that S’s down the mountainside.
The wind whooshes around me. I feel free. I feel alive. I can’t stop smiling.
I love every bump, every turn, every climb of Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. This is my road. And everyone else is a guest on it.
This time - as an Appalachian Trail through-hiker – every bump, every turn and every climb of Skyline Drive trigger a nostalgic smile from this beautiful IRONMAN chapter that I have left behind five years ago due to back injury.
Several times a year, I would ride my bike from Front Royal to Waynesboro, spend the night, then ride back to Front Royal the next day - 220 miles and 20,000 feet of elevation gain in 2 days. During weekdays, I would ride shorter sections in an out-and-back. I rode Skyline Drive every chance I could to bake power into my cycling legs, giving myself a competitive edge as a world-class athlete in IRONMAN competitions.
As the Appalachian Trail meanders along “my” road, my brain is overcome with a flood of memories.
Like a tour guide, I point out all the milestones: This is the “Dangerous Curves” sign that cracks me up every time I see it. This is my original turnaround point in early years. This is the section where I ran hill repeats off the bike. This is the hill where I can exceed the electronic speed sensor. This is the hill where I almost missed the SAG driver because the fog was so thick. This is where I saw a black bear cross the road 100 feet in front of me. This is the section that I rode in a paceline for the first time. This is where Lisa, Libby, Tina, Alissa and I posed for a pic that now graces my favorite coffee mug. This is where they make the best soft serve ice cream cones. This is the section that always has traffic no matter what time of day. This is where the asshole driver tried to play chicken with me; and this is where I reported him to the police. This is my favorite view of the red barn down below. And and and and ….
Now the Appalachian Trail has brought back to life my passionate relationship with Skyline Drive. I admire this beautiful sanctuary from an entirely new perspective.
The lush green forest quiets each soft footstep to a whisper. Deer and wildlife are curious and friendly and eager. Each hill is gently graded to a reasonably challenging climb without being soul-crushing. The Trail is maintained flawlessly by a Trail Club who cares. Each view is the same – but different. And peaceful. And absorbs deeper into my soul.
Thanks to the Appalachian Trail, my love affair with Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park has deepened to a new level. Without a doubt, I will return many more times – long after I summit Katahdin.
