Day 32 - Sponsored by David Pruiett

Since it was still raining the previous night, and with very little to do, I tugged in early in anticipation of an early start in the morning. The rain was coming down hard for most of the night, but the tent held-up great without any leaks or wetspots. A cozy night in the rain sort of speak! I slept solid until 2:20 in the morning, when I was woken-up by some plopping and loud sniffing sounds. I now sat up straight in my sleeping bag, and listened attentively. Soon I realized that there was a bear romming around my tent within ten feet from me. My food was stowed safely in a metal container outside the tent, and there were no edibles on me, other than myself! Ha! After twenty minutes the bear turned away never to be heard from again. Ten minutes later I was again sound a sleep!

By noon the weather had dramatically improved and it was time to take my rain poncho back off. That evening I met Dave, after I got off the Parkway due to a threatening thunderstorm. Dave is the president of the local cycling club and when he saw me coming in town, trailer in tow, followed me to the parking lot, where I was about to get off for a bite to eat at a Chinese restaurant. We talked for awhile and decided to meet again later that night, for a wine tasting party at Divine Wine, a local wine store. We met again, and Dave brought me a snack-pack with cliff bars and electrolyte mixes, and some parts to fix my bike shoes, and then invited me to spent the night at his house. What a day! It doesn't get much better than that.