Coal Country to the Virginia state line.

Leaving out of berea took me through a few more hours of horse country. But I was into the Appalachian coal country of my roots by the time I reached hazard Kentucky. And got to change out my old rear tire for a new knobby Kenda I d bought in Lexington. It had been 70 degrees all day a little cold traveling at 35 with the mesh jacket that I ve been riding in. After hazard I traveled on some steep roads with even steeper drop offs and corners pot holed by coal trucks. The Kenda definitely will be more resistant to flats than the street tire that was worn to the belts but it's extra tread caused it to bottom out on the fender more often in the bumps and the harder compound had me locking the rear brake up more often. Even the coal trucks through this section seemed alright with a slow biker and there were some nice towns with artisan and craft juried galleries highlighting Appalachian art. After dark I sough shelter in a diner to wait out the shift change at a local mine which had unleashed a torrent of pickup trucks. I d been passing beside and over trout streams and past fish hatcheries all day which had me in the mind for a good mountain trought. I had to settle for catfish wig a side of halfrunner beans and a cornbread stuffing that turned out to be just cornbread. It was a good meal my first in ten hours. Upon leaving I piled on every stitch of clothing I owned it was down in the fifties. 4 more hours of pressing my luck in the curves I reached the Kentucky Virginia state line. And the breaks interstate park. A nice campground with some amazing natural features and a pavilion that as part of the crooked road music trail holds concerts nearly every night. I bedded down next to a little fie and woke at four shivering to add more wood. A lady the next morning told me it had been in the forties overnight.