Route signs directed us into the park.	Good Old Number 12. I liked the availability of cabins because it reduced our breaking-camp chores on the days they were available. It never rained during the tour, but if it had, the little houses would have been a welcome gathering place for everyone.
A view of the registration area. Behind and to the left you can see the bike detailing guy's gazebo, and behind that is the mess hall - uh, I mean the cafeteria building.	Here is Bubbaville in its full spendor.

Driving days are hard work! We slept in until 9:00. The day was already sunny and warm. Spent most of the day riding around camp - the main campground had a loop of pavement - and  visiting with the other riders who were already there. There was a steady trickle of new arrivals all day. One of them was Ken, the third member of our group. After Ken arrived, we went to lunch  up the road at the marina, in the main part of the park. Following lunch we tried out the small local loop, starting near the park's main entrance and looping up the highway and back. It was pretty hilly; small but steep ones, requiring my lowest middle-ring gear on the climbs and topping out around 40 mph on the downhills. The fourth member of our group, Chuck, showed up in the afternoon.

Dinner was at the campground, provided by BRAT. Black beans and yellow rice, with chicken, sausage, cabbage, carrots, and fruit salad, and for dessert, strawberry shortcake. The cafeteria was a little bit warm, but everybody crammed in and nobody left hungry. After dinner was a ride meeting.

Fred Larimer with his Barcroft Virginia

Rider meeting after dinner.

This was the first riding day, and started with a ferry boat ride to Chattanooga. The plan was to load bikes in the hold, then go topside for breakfast. Scheduled debark was set for 7:30. Everyone lined up in time, but there was a minor problem - the boat couldn't hold all the bikes! We started stacking them into a waiting semi-trailer. With a line still snaking across the parking lot, my bike was one of the last to fit in the first trailer. They were going to bring up the baggage truck, too; but from what I heard I think they had to unload the bikes in Chattanooga and go back for the remainder - that meant at least two trips for the driver!

Of course, the captain didn't realize how much 300 cyclists can eat, nor did he allow for the inevitable results of feeding that many people breakfast and unlimited coffee! After opening a few more heads, everyone managed. The boat ride gave us some great views, and as a bonus we got to go through the lock at the 'bottom' of  Chickamauga Lake. The lock lowered us 50 feet to the Tennessee River.

After the boat ride, we were presented with two ride options: a short easy route or a longer harder route. We chose the harder route - 61 miles and two major climbs. Upon arrival in Chattanooga, we claimed our bikes and headed out. We crossed the river, following the far shore for a few miles, then headed up Suck Creek Road. I took the climb pretty well for me, but that didn't prevent lots of others from passing me up the 6 mile climb, which averaged about 8% grade. On the downhill I hit 49 mph twice. All too soon, we had a second climb, nearly a twin to the first, except it was 'only' 5 miles long. There was no immediate payback this time; just a lot of big rolling hills.

The payback finally came just before the town of Dunlap. Chris had gotten out in front of me during the climbs, but the downhill had lots of switchbacks, and my disc brakes allowed me to take them more aggressively. I repassed him about halfway down. Top speed was again 49 mph.

At Dunlap we found a Hardy's and had lunch before continuing on to the camp at Coke Ovens Park. Showers were a rude awakening - Due to Hurricane Katrina, our normal two large shower trucks had been usurped by FEMA, leaving us with a small, 7-stall trailer. Men and women had to share simultaneously, making for a long wait in line. By the time I got cleaned up, dinner was on. Tonight was pasta and meatballs, with salad. Dessert was strawberry shortcake.

After dinner, I rode back to town to pick up a few supplies. In spite of the unaccustomed hills today, I felt pretty good.

Lining up to put bikes on the trailer.	Reclaiming our bikes in Chattanooga. That's our ferry behind the cyclists.
A group of riders approaching the first rest stop, near the top of the first climb, on Suck Creek Road.	L-R: Ken, Chuck, and Chris in camp Sunday evening. In the foreground is Ken's Volae recumbent.

We were supposed to stay in camp until 8:00 this morning, so that we wouldn't arrive at Pikeville Elementary School too early. BRAT had donated helmets for every child in school. The guys wanted to leave early, so I missed breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits, with scrambled eggs. Chuck and Ken left even earlier, and I didn't see them until arriving at camp later.

Today must have been designated Dog Day. I counted no less than 25 dogs out in the road chasing cyclists, either me or someone directly in front of me. I even had to get off the bike to confront one of them. Several others almost got creamed by oncoming traffic. Being ahead of the patrolling motorcycle support meant no help from them. At Pikeville I told one of them about all the dogs and he promised to go back and watch. I hope the cyclists behind me had better luck!

The first 20 miles were rolling hills, with long shallow grades. Shortly after our stop in Pikeville, we got our major climb of the day, which included a stretch of 12% grade. There was no immediate payback. At around mile 40, I stopped at a gas station/convenience store for a break before continuing on the last few miles to our camp at Fall Creek Falls State Park. The truck was in the process of being unloaded. Chuck had arrived earlier and had claimed one of the bunk houses. It was next to a shower house, which was later designated as 'co-ed.'

Dinner was up the big hill, and back down to the lake, a buffet at the park's Inn. After dinner, I rode laps around the camp until I got the odometer up to 50 miles for the day.

After dark, park naturalist Stuart Carroll gave a presentation on astronomy.  With the Milky Way slowly showing itself, the presenter pointed out several constellations, stars, and nebulae.

Unpacking helmets at Pikeville Elementary.

The last mile or so before the Fall Creek Falls State Park. The featured rider is Gene.

Chuck and Ken left at 7:30 to do the 70 mile route. Chris and I hung around camp and futzed with our bikes until 10:30. Then we rode to the park's 'business district' of the park, then out on the 37 mile loop. Today was warm, humid, and for a change, mostly cloudy. There was one big downhill followed much later by a 4-mile climb. The rest stop in Spencer had just closed when I got there. I went into the town hall building and refilled my water and continued on. There were more easy rolling hills for the final 13 miles.

When  we got back, I went down to the swimming hole; a deep spot behind a dam on a spring-fed creek. Cold but refreshing! There were plenty of others there, mostly basking in the sun and/or warm.

Dinner was again the buffet at the Inn's restaurant.

Some of the rolling hills after passing through Spencer.

Here's the swimming hole. It was somewhat improved, with concrete around the edges and a diving board which nobody, including me, was brave enough to use! I got in a few times but the water was too cold for  me to stay in.

Short day today. We had a choice of a 40 mile ride or a 48 mile ride. Since it looked like the easier route, we took the 48 miler. I was a bit sore, and decided to ride with Ken and Fred today while Chris rode off with Chuck. There was a large downhill on our way back to Pikeville, then lots of rolling stuff. It was fairly large rolling stuff by my Michiganian standards, but no large ridges to go over.

After a rest stop at the Pikeville Fire Department, we continued on. The road got very rough, almost gravel in texture, and I had to slow down several times because the vibrations were affecting my vision. Then came the big climb. Luckily the road surface changed for the better near the top, which helped my speed. We had more miles of rolling hills before reaching Cumberland State Park. Flat camping space was at a premium, and Bubbaville had claimed about half of the prime stuff before any cyclists arrived. I managed a nice sunny spot (good for drying out my stuff) but most tents were pitched in the shade of the encroaching trees.

The facility had a beautiful swimming pool, which was unfortunately closed. But the locker rooms had nice shower facilities too, so we didn't have to deal with the undersized shower truck.

Dinner was a relatively short walk through the woods and over a pedestrian bridge to the park's restaurant, which served the same buffet for lunch or dinner; the only difference being the $2 difference in price. Lucky us, we got the same meal twice, and paid more for it the second time around! In the early evening, we broke out the bikes and gave a few test rides. I tried Ken's Volae and Chuck tried my Baron; and although he started out shakily, pretty soon he was happily doing circles around the camp's parking lot. Chuck has now decided he wants a lowracer for BRAT next year! The lights went out at 8:30, which was fine by me.