Damascus to Elk Garden/Rosedale

We left Damascus and started a good ride to a church in Elk Garden. We were apprehensive about it because the longest climb of the ride was supposed to happen at Hayters Gap. Joe took off up the mountain leaving the rest of us in the dust. Tyler and Jon kept a good pace in the rear and found the bus stuck 2 miles up the-that was Robin, I'll tell the strory from right chere. Welp, I usually stay behind to ensure the safety of less experienced riders, not because of physical limitations by any means. So I was enjoying a leisurely coast up the mountain when in the distance was Jon off the bike right next to an immobile freight train. Upon closer inspection I discovered it was Stan's bus, with the back lodged in the pavement causing the back wheels to be propped up, leaving the bus incapable of successful movement. Meanwhile JP had caught up with Tim, Robin, and Terence. Terence suggested that instead of cycling back down the mountain we should take the NY attitude an go on to Elk Garden. We arrived successfully and decided to not wait for Jon and Tyler to go to Rosedale to get lunch. We ate a service station where Tim was upset with the system that enabled the lunch lady to be completely incompetent. The rest of us agreed that the woman was probably just in a bad mood, not the fault of the system. Tim was livid about paying $6 for 2 biscuits and 3/4 cup of a large mashed potatoes, apparently the problem was that she would neither charge less for the unfilled cup, nor allow him to fill it up later. I would have been upset too if I had understood what the hell he was talking about. Alright back to what was important. Jon, Stan, and I were in a bind. For the second time on the trip the bus had gotten stuck but this time it was even worse. It was on the side of a mountain, on a road that the bus was not legally supposed to be on. Hmmmmm said we. We were very fortunate because we probably met half of the county that day for about 2/3 of every car that passed tried to help us or asked if we needed it. A fireman and drywaller tried to get us out with his truck and some chains. It moved it a couple inches but mostly bent the back of the bus' hitch. At one point there were at least 15 locals trying to help us, and a couple who was on vacation taking pictures because they thought it would be a good story to tell later. A very kind woman called the local wreckers since her brother-in-law worked for them. And it a split second everyone who had been helping was gone. So we waited, with rather jolly spirits I might add, for the tow truck, being entertained by naps and a wild dog and its adopted wild puppy that would just stare at us from a distance. While waiting two cops came from both directions of the mountain, uh oh. It turns out they were good friends who worked for different precinct who hadn't seen each other for quite sometime. So they made sure the tow truck was coming and then started to catch up on old times. They were also very kind and let us go by without a ticket. To make this short. The wreckers came and got the bus out. Stan, with the help of the wreckers , successfully traversed the mountainside and reached Elk Garden where we were staying for the night. We accepted their $550 fee as a donation towards our cause, so we were very thankful. So all in all that was real fun. To celebrate our glorious day we had a feast of egg fried rice, sweet taters, corn, baked beans, and Tang. MMMMmmmmm. good. Trumbo Out.

PS Hose Bathes stuhink.