Sunshine and Rain

October 23, 24, 25 & 26, 2019
Tupelo, MS to Witch Dance 29.1 miles
Witch Dance to French Camp, 55.7 miles
Rain Day at French Camp Academy
French Camp to Kosciusko, MS,  22.5 miles

 We have about 200 more miles to ride on this beautiful parkway.  The sun is shining in a bright blue sky, the temperature is perfect and the terrain has really flattened out.  Gone are the hills of Tennessee.  Middle Mississippi is pretty flat.  Life is good.

Witch Dance is a free biker-only campground and it is where we stay after leaving Tupelo.  We don't see any broomsticks leaning on trees so I don't think any witches are here now.  Legend has it that the local witches gathered here to dance at night.

It is hard to believe this all fits into our panniers!

Halfway point on the 444 mile parkway

It's such a nice day and we stop at all the points of interest along the route.  We pass Line Creek which was the traditional boundary between the Choctaw and Chickasaw.  We take a short walk on the old trace.

There was a lot of dew last night and the tent needs to dry out.  This lunch stop is a good time for that.  Tom enjoys the last of Mary Howard's brownies and I make some pretty yummy egg salad for us from the eggs we hard boiled back at the airbnb in Tupelo.

Julia's ride- Surley Long Haul Trucker

Relaxing at Witch Dance - I am reading a memoir of a woman who walked the entire trace solo.

Taking a walk on the Old Trace

Autumn arrives in Mississippi

On Friday afternoon we encountered a long distance cyclist heading north and he asked us where we were planning to stay and wait out the storm.  Storm?  We are just blissfully enjoying the sunny day.  While we are living in the moment, the seeds of a hurricane are forming in the gulf and rain is coming.  We decide to ride past our planned camping spot and get to French Camp where there is a bed and breakfast. 

There are no rooms available, but the owner lets us know about another property which sometimes allows guests.  It is on the French Camp Academy grounds and is actually a summer camp/ retreat center.  French Camp academy is a very interesting place and it takes some reading to figure out what it's all about.  Check this out if you are interested:  https://frenchcamp.org/  

We end up spending two nights - and waiting out one whole day of steady drenching rain.  Tom and I each finish the books we are carrying and download library e-books to read after that. We are able to cook on the deck of the big retreat center building where we are staying and there is a nice big porch with rocking chairs to sit and watch the rain.  Our little camp room is cozy and dry.  

There is a great cafe here - but it is closed for a few weeks.  Bummer!

Saturday morning the rain is even heavier than it was all day yesterday.  The radar indicates that if we leave at 1:00 pm the rain will be less, the high wind warning will expire, and the flash flood watch will be over too.  Yep. We will hang out here this morning and eat what's left of the food we are carrying.  If you can see this video, it really gives you a feel for the big lodge where we are sheltering.  It's not bad.

Saturday:

The red band is the NWS track for tropical storm Olga.  I sure am glad we aren't camping out!

Olga actually tracks right over French Camp Saturday morning

The rain doesn't seem to run off anywhere and flash flooding is a serious concern here.

One down, one to go.  Thanks, @Susan M for the yarn!

We left French Camp at 1:00pm and only had 25 miles to go to get to Kosciusko.  We rode in a light misty rain the whole way.  The ground is saturated and every little tiny creek is flowing fast.  The road is covered with debris from all the big pine trees.  The air is heavily scented with pine and rain.    We opt to stay indoors again.  It is too miserable outside for camping.

Below are the maps and profiles for the three days.  The profile scale exaggerates the hills.