We have arrived in La Follette, TN

We were thrilled to cross in to TN :)

We had a theme today: mountains. 

Finally.

But first, before I mention the 98% humidity, the flat tires, the climbs, the fun, let me first thank Central Baptist Church of Corbin, KY for their hospitality and friendliness. Thank you so much for aiding us in our trip.

The morning started off well – we had a lovely breakfast prepared by Krystal and co, and Ryan led a devotional on Nehemiah, tying the raising of the wall around Jerusalem with work being done by the Fuller Center. We hit the road by 8:30, splitting a dense fog. I’m finally starting to appreciate the orange jerseys. 

It wasn’t long till the sun burned the fog away, and started in on us. About the same time, Mr Eric “Flat Tire” Schweinhart got his first of the day (number six of the trip). However, he wasn’t the only one. By the end of the day, almost half the team was reporting flats, myself included. 

Pedal Power

As the ride progressed, the landscape began to change from rolling hills to something a bit more mountainous. Kentucky eventually turned into Tennessee, and as we made our way through Jellico, the mountains set in for real. The next thirty miles turned out to be some of the most challenging of the trip, but was inarguably the most beautiful. Our route weaved us through densely wooded valleys, past rock outcroppings, and beside a roaring river that stayed perpetually by our side most of the way. Springs seemed to seep right out of the solid rock cliffs we rode under. The temperature dropped considerably in the shade, and the pavement was some of the best we’d encountered. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your viewpoint), we only had one major accent, perhaps two miles long. However, the descent was simply stunning. 

A river kept us company during part of the ride

Our intended route was 65 miles, and we entered La Follette, TN around mile 54. From there, we struck out east, headed for the enormous Norris Lake reservoir. It turned out to be almost completely downhill – a nice break from the previous mornings’ climbs. We pulled into our destination – Powell Valley Resort and Campground, around 3 PM. We held out just long enough to confirm we were in the right spot before we all leapt off the bikes and dove into the lake. It wasn’t the cleanest water, but it would’ve taken nothing less than an oil spill to keep us out. Lisa, Kyle, Eric, Michael, Krystal, Nick, and I swam out across the marina, shore to shore – about 150 yards in all. It felt good to work out the top half of my body, and to have my weight distributed everywhere instead of just my saddle and feet. 

Erika carrying her bike towards our cabins

After the swim, we moved our gear into two cabins which sat above the lakeshore. Supper was hotdogs roasted over an open fire (Nick and Kyle got it going). Activities that followed included philosophical conversations on music, swinging on swing sets, attempting to get Melissa to sing some music from her acapella group, and trying to find the most comfortable way to spend the night, sans air conditioning. Some people will be attempting a night out under the stars. I was in that group up until a few minutes ago, when I discovered that the dew has already soaked through my bedding. So I’m off to the cabin to try again. One thing’s for sure – that 11 mile descent this afternoon will be an 11 mile climb in the morning, and I’m going to need sleep for that…

Well, that concludes Monday, July 27th, twenty o’ nine. Please continue to pray for our safety and our ministry. Thank you so much for your continuing support.

written by: Thad Wontor

photos by: Esther Hyejin Chung