Today was shorter than yesterday. The road out of Roaring Gap, NC went down the mountain immediately after town for almost 5 miles and dropped about 1300 feet (400 m). That was really a great ride! It was also almost halfway to Elkin.

At Elkin we took state road 67 toward Winston Salem. It was very hilly with deep valleys and hard upgrades. By the time we got to Winston Salem it felt like we had been up a mountain again. I suspect part of that was because we still had not recovered from yesterday's ride. However after we got in today there was time for showers and naps before dinner.

[Connie] I still have a saved up a message from 2 days ago, but y'all will have to wait. It's 11:28, I'm tired and this morning I came down with the cold that Jim Poore was trying to get last Saturday. Jonathan's wife Stacy had some packets of "E-mergen-C," a Vitamin C, several B's and other goodies. I took one last night, one this morning, and one this evening. This morning, there were grave doubts about whether or not I was going to take the standard cold advice of "plenty of fluids and rest," or try to mush on. After the vitamin drink, a cup of tea, and some relaxing visiting with Stacy and Lynne, who had spent the night with the boys in Roaring Gap, I felt pretty human and took off for Winston Salem. So here we are, and again tomorrow.