Kosciusko to Canton, MS

Thursday, October 9, 2003
Distance Cycled: 56 miles
Total elevation gain: 305 feet
Our Total Flat Tires on trip to date: 1

Today our ride on the Natchez Trace Parkway was the flatness we have encountered. In 45 miles we climbed only 180 feet and never had a grade greater than 3%, a great day for a bicycle. We again stopped at every point of interest, along the Natchez Trace. Early in our ride we stopped to take pictures of the fall colors that are just beginning to show.

If you look closely you will see a number of black birds in the tops of the trees. These are Black Buzzards that were feeding on a dead deer until we disturbed them as we took a picture of the fall colors. Just a mile or so further on we saw what looked like wild turkeys feeding on the side of the Natchez Trace Parkway.

Just before we left the Trace Parkway we came to a Cypress Swamp. It was an old channel of the Pearl River and there were a number of Baldcypress trees in the remaining shallow water.

Shortly after we left the Cypress Swamp we left the Natchez Trace Parkway and headed east to Canton where we spent the night. We saw very few cars on the Trace today and we did not see any bicycles. After we left the Trace we passed several cotton fields where the cotton was either harvested or was about to be harvested. We had some drops of rain land on us today, but not enough to even call it a sprinkle. Tomorrow we will bicycle to Vicksburg, MS.