GART Day 3 - Overcoming Obstacles

Today had a smoother start than the first two. I slept better last night. Not good, but better than I have since arriving on the east coast. This is probably due to a combination of two factors; one, finally adjusting to the time change and two, having a healthy vegan meal for dinner last night. I should probably eat vegan food more often. I also think my skin looks better.

We were out of the hotel and all packed up a little behind schedule, but we were all in good spirits heading to the starting point for the day. Edwin was able to join us at the start for the first time this trip. We knew we were going to have a good day when we arrived in Sharpsburg, MD on the correct side of the Potomac River. Edwin is our good luck charm.

It was cold this morning, by far the coldest we’ve had since arriving. Staying warm is important for any adventure, especially if you can’t regulate your body temperature. Thankfully, Arc’teryx is a generous partner and our sponsor of the day. They’ve outfitted me and my team with the high-end gear we need.

We said goodbye to my Mom and Edwin and were on our way. The surface of the trail was wonderful as we started to ride. About two miles in we came across the first of what would be many obstacles today. Covering the trail was a large sycamore branch that had recently fallen, which seems only fitting since today was the first full day of fall. At first glance we were a bit intimidated, then Jimmy reminded us of Archimedes who said, “Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world.” Using Jimmy’s brain (#sciencematters) and Dr. B’s brawn we were able to move the branch out of the way within a few minutes and we were on our way.

A few miles further the quality of the trail surface began to change for the worse. There was more rough gravel and the trail started feeling like a washboard. We had been warned somewhere around this point we would need to leave the trail and be on the road for a while. We assumed (incorrectly) this was due to the deteriorating quality of the trail. We left the trail, and once on the road we saw a bright sign clearly stating there was a trail DETOUR, with an arrow pointing left. Well, thinking we knew better than the sign, we went right. Oops…

We were on the road for a little over a mile before returning to the trail. We were feeling pretty good about our navigating skills at this point. Before long we came across the second obstacle of the day. This time it wasn’t a fallen branch, but a fallen tree. This was going to be a much bigger challenge. Once again, we employed a large stick with lever/fulcrum action and brute force. This time we were helped by two other trail goers, Dan and Bob. Together we were able to move the tree out of the trail. We were once again on our way, obstacle number two behind us.

We would have missed this if we didn’t take a wrong turn.

After another mile and a half of absolutely beautiful trail we came across the big one, the obstacle that would send us back. We were at mile marker 88 and the trail was closed between here and mile marker 89. There was no way for us to get around this obstacle without a major retreat. Jimmy made a couple of suggestions of how we could possibly get around the obstacle. One of them was unconvincing and dangerous, the other was a felony. This was the obstacle the big DETOUR sign was trying to help us avoid. It turns out we should have gone left.

We backtracked three miles to the detour sign, and this time we followed directions. The detour was quite nice. For the most part we rode on quiet farm roads. At some point Dr. B yelled “car back.” I realized that was the first “car back” of the entire trip. Not bad for being nearly 100 miles into our ride. We followed the detour signs diligently and eventually landed back on the trail about a mile as the American Dipper flies from where Jimmy almost became a felon.

The trail here consisted of gravel and was rough. It was broken into two single tracks separated by high vegetation. One track for trail goers heading northwest, the other for travelers heading southeast. This is great for cyclists, but my chair is too wide to fit into either single track, so I am forced to have one side of my chair in the vegetation at all times. The biggest problem with this is that roots and rocks are hidden from my view and can abruptly change my direction. This is particularly unnerving when on one side of the trail is the Potomac River and the other is the C & O Canal. I am no longer a good swimmer and avoid large bodies of water.

At mile 40 we came across the most frustrating and difficult obstacle of the day. We were feeling good, feeling accomplished, ready to enjoy the last few miles of the day. We came to a Dam and stopped to enjoy the view. While resting happily watched an Osprey and a Bald Eagle. After a while we started moving again. What we hadn’t noticed while we were in awe of the dam and the birds was that there was a bridge waiting for us twenty feet away. The problem was there were two steps required to get on the bridge.

Dr. B looked concerned, I called for Jimmy and said “we have a problem.” I told Jimmy and Dr. B we can do this, we just have to figure out a way. Jimmy went off looking for whatever he could find to build a “ramp.” Jimmy managed to find a well covering, which was a large square piece of cement. He signaled for Dr. B to come help him carry it and we had the beginnings of a ramp. Jimmy found some bricks to help stabilize the cement slab, and Dr. B found some sticks and twigs that were useless.

If this was going to work, we would need more muscle than Jimmy and Dr. B could offer. Luckily there were some other cyclists (Ricardo, Becca, Grant, and Miriam) there and they were willing to help. I had been talking with them while Jimmy and Dr. B constructed the ramp. I told them we were riding from Washington DC to Ohio and I wasn’t going to let these two steps derail our adventure. Together they all either pushed or pulled to get me up the steps and onto the bridge. It wasn’t pretty, but I made it.

Something that really sticks out about this ordeal is that no one we spoke to during the preparation for this ride or since we began this ride mentioned these two steps. We have had many people tell us to “watch out for this”, “avoid that”, or “you won’t be able to get through that section.” No one mentioned the steps. Most people do not recognize what an obstacle for wheelchairs this truly is. I could not have gone past this point without help from others. These two steps would prevent someone in a chair from being able to ride the trail by themselves. These two steps prevent independence. It’s just two steps, but to me it’s a barrier.

Every obstacle provides the possibility for accomplishment. Thanks to my team and others within the trail community I was able to continue on with my journey. Today presented us with many obstacles, but together with my team we solved each of them and continued with our ride. I’m thankful and proud of what we accomplished today.

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