Cycle-CNY West 2018

Cycle-CNY West 2018

The crew! All Cycle-CNY members

Hi Folks. We have had a wet and rainy fall preventing many of us from riding close to home. Late September and into early October seven of us wandered west to enjoy ourselves in locations with less rain.

The majority flew out to Scottsdale Arizona. David and I drove my Dodge van west. We started on Tuesday September 25 finally out of town around noon. Our first night took us to a Kentucky rest area just south of Cincinnati Ohio. And no, David and I had separate beds.

David slept here.

Our next stop was the Blowing Springs RV Park in Bella Vista Arkansas very close to Bentonville AR. There were trails starting right from the campground. David and I rode about two hours before we had to get back on the road. The trails were excellent and we both want to return and spend several days riding.

Let's ride!

Our next stop was a rest area in New Mexico not far from Amarillo, Texas. The two rest areas we stayed in were awesome. Other than traffic noise from the highway the rest areas were quiet and the bathroom facilities were very clean. David and I averaged about 600 miles of driving per day. Driving time was between ten to twelve hours. If we do this again we plan to have five days of traveling instead of four.

David found us a trail system alongside the Rio Grande River in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There was not much elevation change but the twisty trails were challenging at the speeds were riding. Lots of dead end spurs off the main trail.

Along the Rio Grande

 David and I pushed on and arrived in Flagstaff Arizona around 8 pm Friday night. We drove 2,300 miles; no way would I have driven that far by myself in four days.

David and I camped out off of a fire road just outside of town. The stars were amazing. Both of us slept well in the cool air and 7,000 ft of elevation.

Saturday, we rode the Schultz Pass Loop https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/756111/schultz-pass-loop or pretty close to that loop. The climbing was difficult for me but David rode like a lion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJAsUHsmJAo

We were only going to ride two hours but Rahn called and said we should spend the night in Flagstaff instead driving down to Scottsdale. The rest of the crew was going to drive through Flagstaff tomorrow on our way to Cortez Colorado.

David and I took advantage of the extra day in Flagstaff by cleaning up and showering at the YMCA. Both of us highly recommend joining the Y if you ever plan a trip like this. You can go to almost any YMCA along the route for no extra cost.

Sunday morning September 30^th we met up with the rest of the crew and caravanned to a trail system called Phil’s World. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/621788/phils-world

Voted most fun trails on the trip

The trails here were probably the most fun of the entire trip. We did a short ride Sunday afternoon and then came back on Monday and rode them again. Two trails, Ribs and More Ribs we rode twice because they were so much fun. The trails were not that technical but could be ridden at speeds that caused butterflies in my stomach more than once. Only one injury that day.

There will be blood

Sunday night we stayed at Mesa Verde National Park and had dinner together. We had three campsites, one for my van, Rahn’s RV, and an SUV. The meals are all a blur as I ended up doing most of the cooking. I do remember making pancakes, eggs and bacon in the morning. That was a great meal.

Mark is supervising

Monday, we went back to Phil’s world and rode for about four hours. We came back to our camp to find a note from the rangers saying they confiscated a bin of food that was left unattended and that we could pick up the bin later that evening. Meanwhile, we had booked a tour of the cliff dwellings and had to move quickly to make the start time. That was one of the best guided tours I have ever attended.

Upon our return the Ranger delivered the bin of food and asked for the name of the scofflaw responsible for this misdeed. Six of us immediately identified Ernie Bayles as the culprit. When Ernie returned to the campsite he received an $80 ticket.

Sunglasses to protect his identity

Tuesday morning October 2^nd we headed west to Moab Utah and stayed outside of town near the Gemini Bridges Trail head. I stayed at camp while the rest of the crew went for a ride. There was a bit of rain and I enjoyed being warm and dry inside my van.

Wednesday, we rode Slick Rock Trail in Moab. The weather was perfect and the sky an unbelievable blue. Everyone rode very well. I had one fall because I didn’t lower my seat on a descent and had to bail. I saw Bill W ride up a hill near the end of the day that was so steep that I had difficulty walking. Ernie, Bill W, and Rahn were strong the entire time. I bonked at the end and David was suffering crank issues. As far as the most epic day of the trip, this was it.

Truly Epic

Thursday morning October 4^th, Rahn woke us up and said start packing because the rain will be here in 40 minutes. Everyone hopped to packing as we watched lightning and rainbows draw closer and closer. We left just as the rain started and headed west towards Hurricane Utah to camp at Little Creek Mesa.

Upon arrival we set up camp and did a short ride. Friday, we spent the entire day riding Little Creek Mesa. Bill E was a bit hesitant riding near the edge of the mesa since the drop in was several hundreds of feet below. And unfortunately we lost David W. Well we didn’t actually lose him. We left him behind because he broke his rear cassette powering up a climb. When the cassette broke he lost the ability to pedal and could not unclip. Luckily, there was a cactus plant to catch his fall. David use Trail Forks to navigate back to camp and arrived at camp less than a half hour after us.

Webster MD

That tickles Don

Saturday October 6^th, we drove into Hurricane to pick up a rental bike for David. He acquired an Ibis RipMo, an awesome bike. The bike shop suggested we ride Prospector and the Boy Scout trails since they would have the least amount of mud. Those trails were awesome in their own way, with more loose rocks and gravel than Little Creek Mesa. The sky was gray and rain threatened all day. We finished up and were heading back to camp just as the rain arrived. Another great day of riding in the books.

David's RipMo

Riding the red rock

Sunday morning October 7^th we woke up to significantly colder weather. The decision was made to ride Little Creek Mesa again after breakfast and then head back to Scottsdale. We dressed for cold weather but it didn’t take long to warm up and enjoy the ride.

Don't fall

I'm cold Mark!

On the way home we stopped at a place where there were some strange rock formations. Pretty weird.

Pretty weird

Monday morning was the last ride of the trip as a group. We rode at Brown’s Ranch Trail system near Rahn’s house. We had an awesome time despite several new members joining David in the Cactus Club. Ernie became a honorary member after Bill E threw cactus off his hand and it landed on Ernie’s leg.

17 Thanks Bill E

Hope you all enjoyed reading this. We had a fantastic time and hope we are all healthy enough to do another trip in 2019. Enjoy the end of 2018 and let’s see if the rain will stop long enough to have some dry trails before ski season.

Happy Trails

Treasure Mountain Weekend

Full face, just in case!

Last weekend, January 26 2018, Vanessa, Bob and I drove down to Treasure Mountain Lodge and Bike Park located in West Virginia and owned by Kent Baake.

• Here is a link:  https://treasuremountainwv.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/treasuremountainwv/

We were there because Bob (and encouraged to bring friends) was invited by Harlan Price, owner of Take Aim Cycling . Take Aim is a "driving school for bikes" and rather than me repeat what Harlan has already written check out:

• https://www.takeaimcycling.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TakeaimCycling/

And here is an article on Pinkbike about Harlan:

http://www.pinkbike.com/u/briceshirbach/blog/the-harlan-price-interview.html

Kent and Harlan have formed an alliance to turn Treasure Mountain into a mountain biking destination resort. The weekend was an open house event by invitation to folks that would enjoy riding the new trails.

We arrived just before 4pm on Friday. The lodge truly is on top (or very close to the top) of a mountain. Kent said the elevation was 3300 ft.

Is there a catapult in the cupula?

The lodge was huge and the jumps looked awesome. Kent met us as we pulled in and gave us a quick tour of the facilities. Since we were the first ones to arrive the bedroom closest to the bathroom seemed the best choice. We quickly dressed into our cycling garb and hit the trails. All I can say is the trails were fantastic. We wandered about and made our way to the ridge trail above the lodge. The grade and a few well placed rocks made the trail just technical enough that I had to put my foot down a few times. My second time through I did clean the entire section. We then rode Raspberry Trail  into the jumps and around the jumps at least 4 times before darkness arrived. Here is a video of Raspberry that I shot on Saturday:
https://youtu.be/RvFDgRy9uTY

We ate dinner in Franklin that night at the Korner Shop Cafe. They were serving surf and turf that night and the place was packed. The hotel restaurant down the street was closed so there wasn't much competition. When we arrived back at the lodge Kent finished the tour by showing us the garage bike shop area in the barn. Very cool. We then relaxed for the evening with Bob and I reading, Vanessa drawing, and Kent played his banjo.

I am pretty sure that the heat in the lodge is provided by the wood stove.

Heat is important

Saturday morning, folks started to arrive. Three of the first were Madison, Tim and Cam.

Cam says "Leave us alone!"

Cam is actually Tim's dog. Tim didn't sit around as much as Madison did. M & T are both engineers and very good cyclists. I know Tim competes in down hill events and I am pretty sure that Madison does too.

The core group of riders were Kent and his significant other Laurie. Tim and Madison, Harlan and his girlfriend Phoebe, Colin and Michael (cycling team mates of Kent's), Elizabeth and Lindsey, Bob, Vanessa and myself, Anne and her son Cameron and also Matt. And we can't forget Marco!
Here is a group photo:

The Open house gang

We spent the morning riding around the property. Riding the trails down and back up over a dozen times is tiring! Here are a few photos of folks having fun:

Happy Kent

Airborne Ranger

Send it Tim

After lunch we put most of the bikes on Kent's trailer and headed over to a trail near Seneca Rocks. The plan was to do 14 miles.

Only one bike belongs to me.

We arrived around 2:30 pm and started a long climb up a road to the trail head. Cameron's back started to seize so he and Ann rode back to the cars. Laurie stated that we were running out of daylight and perhaps 14 miles was a little optimistic. We all agreed that shorter was better. We opted for the 7 mile loop. The shortest way to the top was certainly not the easiest. I walked most of this section because of the grade and the rocks.

The view from the top was spectacular and the descent (for me -- not the others) was very difficult. My choice of shoes was poor. I had hard plastic bottoms that made walking on rocks almost impossible. Everyone else was having a great time as Harlan demonstrated various lines through some of the most difficult sections.

The final mile and a half were back in the loamy forest. Marco and I were ahead of the others and I had a great time trying to keep up and happy that I was riding instead of walking.

Saturday evening we ate pizza, told stories and celebrated Harlan's birthday.

After the dishes were done we spent some time in the hot tub telling more stories and enjoying the camaraderie of a very active day.

Sunday morning Bob, Vanessa and I packed up the van in the rain and headed back to Ithaca. On the way home we made plans for more adventures to come. Hope some you reading this will join us on the next event.

Home!

Best riding day of the trip

Arrived home Monday, January 15th. Total days away 18. Not bad for my first trip after retirement. My days in North Carolina were spent with Tammy and Rob Lathrop. I want to thank them again for their hospitality and company. Really was a great time with both of them.

Great smiles from an awesome couple.

I drove from NC to Damascus MD on Sunday. That was about a 9 hour drive with stops. I spent the evening with Jenny and Jenna Fitterer. We talked from 10:30 pm to 12:30 am and it felt like twenty minutes to me! Jenny and I had a cup of coffee together in the morning and she showed me her craft production facility. Very impressive.
The final drive was 5 hours from Damascus to Ithaca. Velocity above the speed limit is probable. Made the trip without incident despite the poor weather conditions.

Myriah came over with a lasagna that tasted delicious. Jacob, Zach, Myriah, Baxter, Juno and I hung out the first evening. Tuesday was spent unpacking and completing errands. Tuesday evening Alice treated me to a nice dinner at Antlers. Really was a trip back in time eating there. I felt like we were on a high school date. :)

Today, is more catch up and cleaning. I have a semi clean desk to work on and plan to clean up the rest of our basement man cave. This will take more than a few days.

Trip Report card

I've been contemplating how I did on this adventure and decided to give myself grades in various categories:

• Perseverance - A
• Attitude - B
• Social Interactions - A
• Introspection - C
• Safety - A
• Personal Hygiene - C
• Camping/Cooking skills - D
• Mountain Biking skills - C
• Route guidance - C
• Organization / Packing - D
• Videography - Incomplete (max grade D)
• Blogging - C

Perseverance

My trip was 18 days long in some serious cold. There were days that it was colder in the South than it was in Ithaca. If the weather was above 20 degrees I rode. It wasn't until I saw the forecast for this week that I decided to come home. 

Attitude 

Overall, I kept a positive attitude. I wish I had thought of hiking more than I did but I don't believe there was ever a day that I felt like giving up and heading home. The trip was enjoyable and most of the experiences very positive. Didn't give myself an A because I could have been more excited.

Social Interactions 

Met quite a few wonderful folks during my trip. Several are following me on Strava and also plan to come visit me in Ithaca. 

Introspection 

I really didn't do much conscious soul searching and I haven't really achieved "inner peace", so I don't have that going for me. I do feel better being home right now so I may have gained some measure of joie de vivre that I have been missing the last few months. My talks with Tammy were probably the closest I had to coming to terms with losing and missing Sandy. Tammy and I both agreed that Caroline and Sandy would rather we were happy and doing. Both women would not approve wallowing in grief and being unproductive. The losses are painful but remembering all the positive, and happy times is so important even if it makes us cry as I am doing now. Keep doing, that's my motto.

Safety 

Only two minor falls and no damage to vehicles. Calling that a win.

Personal Hygiene

On the really cold days in Chattanooga living and sleeping out of the truck, I didn't change my clothes as much as I should. I did use the YMCA two of the days so I guess I did ok.

Camping/Cooking skills

Never cooked outside because of the cold. Did great sleeping in the back seat of the truck even during single digit temperatures.

Mountain Biking skills

I didn't gain many skills as I was more interested in not getting hurt. Should have practiced wheelies and manuals more than I did. 

Route Guidance

I first gave myself a D but changed it to a C. The Garmin sucked for route guidance but that could have been me. I need to do more research on putting trails in the garmin. My phone did well except for Raccoon Mtn. So a C for turning around and retracing my route. Wanted to keep my A in safety!

Organization / Packing

The back of my truck was a mess. Near the end I couldn't find anything and just threw stuff willy nilly into containers! I brought too much with me and didn't have items sorted out like I should. I spent an extra day in the hotel just because I didn't want to repack the truck! I need to do a better job at packing. This will require more thought and research.

Videography 

My older laptop was acting up and I wasn't quite ready to move the editing program to my other laptop. I do have some footage and I plan to make a short film of the trip soon. The guys making a living from youtubing earn their money.

Blogging 

I can do better. Practice and more writing will help. Hope some of you enjoyed my rambling prose.

Keep the rubber side down.

Snow in Waynesville North Carolina

Saturday afternoon

I have missed a few days of writing. Thursday, January 11 was taken up with packing up the truck after a nice stay in the Candlewood Suites near Knoxville TN. Highly recommend the hotel for folks that like to get some laundry done and enjoy a room where you can cook your own food. I finished packing around 11 am just as the rain started.

My next stop was to visit Robert and Tammy Lathrop in Waynesville, NC. My 7 pm arrival  would coincide with Rob's estimate as to when he would be home from his job in SC. The drive was about two hours and I thought maybe I could find a place to ride if the weather cleared up. The scenery is incredible through the Smokey Mountains. I followed the Pigeon River and had plenty of places to stop if I wanted. The sun would poke out occasionally to the North but I would look South and see dark, dark clouds. So, I kept driving and thought it would be a good idea to drive past the Lathrop's house during the daylight.

Holy moley! I am glad I did. The house is located at 3500' and it is on a mile long private road through the development. Let me just say that New York would not allow houses on a road this steep and narrow and actually wouldn't allow the road to be built!

I texted Rob and asked him if his house was the one without a number or name on the mail box and on the road that had all the tow truck advertisements along the deep ditches on both sides of the road! Rob said that was his house. I drove to Asheville which is about 30 miles away expecting a sleepy little town the size of Binghamton or smaller. How wrong I was! According to the web there are only 89,000 people but there must be lots of smaller communities surrounding the 89k folks because the roads and interstates are extensive and crowded.

I went to the Liberty Bicycle Shop to get some information on what trails to ride after the rain stops (ha ha an optimist). Hunter suggested Bent Creek and Dupont. Time was now 3:30 pm, raining steady and traffic flow was increasing. I texted Rob and asked if he would get a hold of Tammy and see if I could arrive around 5:30. Affirmative. I drove slowly and safely back towards Waynesville and pulled into the Lathrop castle on top of the mountain. Tammy, Tucker and Emory met me as I walked towards the house. Emory is a beautiful Schnauzer and Tucker is a West Highland Terrier.  Both are very energetic 5 year olds that love to bark and be petted.

I had never met Robert or Tammy. I have talked to Robert for over 4 years playing iRacing. He knew I was traveling the South east and invited me to stay. Tammy and I bonded immediately (or maybe she is pretending). We shared our grief over the loss of Sandy and her daughter Caroline. Our stories were sometimes sad, detailed, funny, happy and always full of love and loss of two wonderful, intelligent, adventurous, beautiful women who left us before we were ready. Although my friendship started with Robert, I will cherish the open and healing conversations I had with Tammy. I count her as a friend.

Robert arrived home after 7 and Tammy served us a delicious dinner. We had a nice time but Rob had to get to bed because he had to get up at 4:30 am to go to work.
Friday morning I awoke around 7 am. Rob had already left for work and was hoping to be home a little after 2pm. Tammy and I had coffee together and continued our sharing from the previous evening. I left around 10 am and headed towards Bent Creek to scope out the mtn biking trails Hunter from Liberty Bicycle recommended. There was only a slight rain when I left the house. When I arrived at the trail head the rain was steady.

Hey, I have hiking boots! Why don't I walk the trails instead of ride in the mud? What a revelation!
And that is what I did!

When it rains -- hike!

I took my camera along and I have yet to down load the photos. Here is one from my phone.

The hike was great and exactly what I needed to be doing. Temperature was in the 60's.

I arrived back at the Lathrops around 5:30 pm. No word from Robert. Tammy and I chatted some more and waited. And waited. Rob eventually arrived home at 8:30 pm. We had another nice dinner. Rob and I stayed up until 2am talking. How he was able to stay awake that long was beyond me.

Saturday morning I woke up around 8 am. The temperature was 14 degrees and there was snow!

Saturday morning Jan 13, 2018

Hmm, what to do? Both Tammy and Rob were still sleeping and dirty dishes were in the sink. I channeled my inner Sandy and started doing dishes. The task was completed before the T&R team awoke. I started this post  after the dishes but stopped when the team awoke. We shared some coffee and came up with a plan for the day.

Driving was not recommended because the road is so steep and the unexpected snow. Tammy broke out the Instant Pot recipe book and decided that today was a good day for a pot roast. Rob wanted to install a TV in the kitchen for Tammy. This required running an ethernet cable from the cable box in the living room and using a HDMI splitter device and an ethernet to HDMI device that sends the cable signal over an ethernet cable and then back to HDMI for the TV in the kitchen.
Tammy was successful, Rob and I were not. The splitter had a bad port and we couldn't get it to work. We thought about a trip to Best Buy but they only had a $70 model when the splitter normally costs $25.

Dinner was excellent. Thank you Tammy. Best pot roast ever.

Had two helpings!

The rest of the evening was spent watching the Patriots. Rob said the only reason we are watching the game is because Tammy likes me. She is not a Patriot fan.

I did have a cuddler next to me.

Tuckered out.

It is now Sunday morning at 10:30 am and it is was 6 degrees out half an hour ago. We are now at 14 degrees. Time for me to head home. It is going to be cold most of the week so I might as well get some cross country skiing done back in Ithaca. Will keep you posted on my progress. Thanks for reading.

Riding in the Rain

Yesterday I woke up and had a lazy morning writing. enjoying my own coffee and breakfast supplies. My plan was to let the day warm up and ride around 1pm at one of Knoxville's urban trails, specifically the Baker Creek area after watching BKXC's video.

When I walked outside to my truck with the mtn bike the parking lot was very wet with some pretty big puddles. The forecast predicted a cloudy day and no rain. Bummer. I decided to visit the KBC bike shop to get some information on where to ride.

Myron, the owner said that the best place to mtn bike when it is wet is Loyston in Andersonville, a 50 minute drive from his shop.

Where to ride when wet.

 The route had me on some country back roads and very few speed limit signs.  I crested a hill and an oncoming driver flashed his head lights multiple times. Thanks! Dropped my speed to the 35-40 mph range and continued. Sure enough, two sheriff cars were parked in a church lot and when I passed they started to follow. One of the LEO's drove close behind me. I kept my speed steady and concentrated on staying on my side of the yellow line. My report must have come back clean when the officer typed in my plate number and he peeled off after a few miles. The second car stayed way back to see if he could catch me speeding. Five miles of smooth driving was enough and he left me alone.

The weather deteriorated nicely as the truck climbed up the mountain to the trails. The roads narrowed and twisted until I ended up in campground entrance. Jeff and Gail met me atn the entrance. They manage the camp ground and it was open for business. They pointed out the parking lot  for the trails and gave me a brochure. Might have to stay there sometime.

As I drove into the parking area the rain was pretty steady. Two guys were dressed for riding and I asked if they were getting ready to ride or if they were leaving. One of them said that they were trying to decide if they wanted to ride in the rain or just go back home. I said that if they rode could I tag along since this was my first visit.

That statement changed everything. Both were excited to introduce me to the trails despite the weather. Tyler and Zachary put on rain jackets as did I along with my fleece. A trail dog (black lab mix) named General rounded out our group.

My plan had been to get some GoPro footage but I was in a hurry and the weather sucked for filming. Off we went into the rain.

Observations about T&Z were pretty limited when we started. I was more concerned gear preparation. They were younger than me and their clothing was baggy enough that I could not discern body type. My assumption was they were a couple of stoners that had the day off and decided to go out in the woods for an easy ride.

The start of the trail was pretty flat and we stayed together. As the incline increased I realized that my effort level was well above the comfortable range, hovering just below max and I was falling behind! As they disappeared around a corner I figured that I would be able to get back to the car on my own because the park was not that big. A few minutes later I saw them stopped and waiting for me. "How old are you guys?" I asked. "We are both 26 and have been riding out here for 3 or 4 years. Pretty much all we do is mtn bike." Tyler said with a smile. "If you guys want to go ahead please do. There is no way I can keep up with you two." "Don't worry about it. This is just an easy ride for us today and besides you are keeping up much better than most of our friends that ride with us."

The rest of the ride was spent with me going as fast I could or dared. The trails were very clean despite the wet and as long as I stay right in the center of the path and away from the wet leaves all was good. These guys could jump! Both suggested that I ride Baker on Wednesday and practice the jumps there.

We had an awesome time riding and talking together. Both of these men have their act together and know how to ride bikes. It was cathartic to be with some young folks who were so enthusiastic about mtn biking and the future. Tyler plans to visit Maine this summer with his girl friend. I have his email and plan to hook him up with relatives in Maine.

That's all for now. Time to get ready to ride. The sky is blue and the temperatures are supposed to be in the 60's today. 

Rain and Rest day

Sunday I rode 16 miles at Raccoon Mountain in just over 4 hours. This was the most challenging ride of my entire trip.

Trail Map Raccoon Mtn

I arrived at the parking lot at the trail head for Live wire and Live wire 2 around 10 am and temperature was 21 degrees. According to the forecast the high was going to be 38 degrees. I took my time and didn't start riding until 11:30. I was dressed with my full cold weather riding gear:

• Cold weather mtn biking boots with Time cleats
• Neoprene socks
• Wool socks
• Padded mtn biking shorts liner
• Insulated riding bibs
• REI zippered turtle neck
• Patagonia silk turtle neck
• Insulated long sleeve riding jersey with hood
• EMS vest
• Patagonia fleece jacket
• Winter gloves
• Ear warmers
• Full camel back with tripod for gopro photos

Many poor choices today. The first was my choice of parking location (green dot with two P's). My goal was to ride the outside loop which includes the trails Live wire and Live wire 2. The parking lot is in the NE corner:

Live wire highlighted. LW2 is left of Parking with green dot.

I chose to follow the outside trail clockwise which was Live wire. I did not look at the elevation map or read the description. Even if I had I would have still chosen to climb so I could warm up quickly. Warm up I did as Ernie would rightly point out, "Why are you wearing so many clothes?" My answer would have been so I could ride slower and actually stop to take some photos and perhaps do some session-ing. The climb was much harder and longer than I expected after riding the other SORBA trails. These were real trails, not the groomed urban road trails of AEDC and Bauxite. There was even an ice flow that I had to skirt carefully.

Thirty minutes into the climb  I had to stop and take off my jacket, ear warmers and hood. I should have stopped at 20 minutes and removed the first layer as I had a light sheen of sweat that lasted the entire ride.

Cool zip lines, eh?

When I reached the top the view was very nice and I took my only photo of the ride. And I didn't see where the trail continued. I followed the gravel road and after a few miscues found the trail head. You would think that with trails downloaded  into Galileo  that I would have no trouble figuring out where I was.

I rode a little further and found the parking lot where everyone else starts; at the top! By this time I had ridden over an hour was a little chilled now that I was on flats and mostly downhill. I was getting a little worried about how long the ride was going to take. Even though there were  lots of cars I hadn't really seen any riders.

There trails were real mtn  bike trails, not the groomed sanitized stuff I'd been riding for the last week. I admit to walking some rock sections that I am sure I am able to clear.  I didn't want to risk injury while riding by myself. I was still a little cold and I was more interested in progress than photo ops.

Ok, now I am at the little green dot and I should take High Voltage. Unfortunately, I didn't remember that I should take High Voltage. I don't know how to put a route into my Garmin 1000 and I can't seem to scroll the map on the Garmin. Galileo doesn't show the name of the trails once downloaded into the phone. There was a sign at the intersection but for some reason I believe that I am on the inside loop which will not take me back to my truck. At this point I go in the direction I think I should be heading and my Garmin decides to unlatch from the handlebar mount. I used a foot of black electrical tape to secure the stupid device back to the mount. As I finish a bunch of riders approach and I ask for some guidance.

I didn't remember the name of the trail I parked near and wasn't able to convey that I wanted to do the outside loop. Directions came fast and furious and by the time they left I was way confused and now had been in the woods for over two hours and had only ridden 7.5 miles. Not good.

As Rahn will tell you I am direction-ally challenged and if given the opportunity will usually choose the wrong way. What to do? I chose to ride what I had already ridden backwards! Safety first right?

Safety first.

My goals changed and now instead of a complete loop the task was to ride at least 15 miles and record 4 hours on the Garmin. The flag on the picture above is the location of the truck. The red to the left of the flag is part of Live Wire 2 trail I rode until I knew I would have 15 miles total. It was the toughest section of the entire ride and I was toast!

When I finished the ride I started my truck, turned the heated seats on high and just sat there for about 10 minutes before I was warm enough to undress and pack up.

Once back in Chattanooga I ate dinner a the Urban Stack. The burger and sweet  potato fries combined with two O'Douls was perfect. I parked my truck, made my bed and watched some  GOT before passing out to wake up to rain.

Had my usual breakfast at the Mean Mug and then off to the YMCA for a shower and a place to write this blog. It is now noon o'clock and I am heading to Knoxville. The rain should end tonight and I hope to ride some trails tomorrow. Tonight, I am staying at the Candlewood Suites (same chain that Sandy and I stayed in Amherst, NY). Looking forward to laundry and a real bed.

Thanks for reading.

End of a good day

The Bauxite trails were just a bit harder than AEDC but still incredibly smooth and tame. There was one minor rocky section I didn't clear on the first attempt because my shifting messed up and I was afraid that the chain had slipped into the spokes behind the cassette. That would be bad.

A little while later I was stopped at an intersection when two guys came riding up. I asked if I could ride with them and they said sure. I followed and we went down hill and had no trouble keeping up. Then the rolling hills arrived and I noticed I was sweating. Then I noticed I was breathing a little harder, then the first guy started to pull away from the second guy. We came to a slightly steeper uphill that started on a tight switchback. The second guy, Anthony missed a gear and let me by. I worked hard to catch the first guy and closed the distance to a few bike lengths as we  crested the top. Trevor (I think is his name) stopped to wait for Anthony. "Man, I said you are the Chattanooga choo-choo going up that hill." He smiled and said, "Naw, I wasn't pushing that hard. You are 40 years old right?" as he laughed. "Sorry, I am 63. It was a little harder for me." By that time I had over 10 miles in and the pace had wore me out a little so I headed back to the truck.

Back at the truck the temperature was 32 degrees so I made myself a PB and banana sandwich and ate two clementines in the beautiful sunshine and relatively warm weather. Changing clothes was a top priority as I was soaked. It is amazing how quickly sweat evaporates in cold weather. I had to put on my other coat and hat to get warm again.

From there I found the downtown Chattanooga YMCA and got myself admitted for free since I am a member of the Y in Ithaca. The facilities were very nice and I enjoyed the shower immensely. After the shower, I watched a bit of the KC vs Titans game. No joy for the Titans in the first half.

Bought dinner at Publix, fried chicken of course and now I am in my truck writing to you guys in my back seat which is also my bed. Hopefully, it won't be as cold as last night.

My intention with this blog was to be a journal of my feelings. My day is full of so many new things that require immediate attention that my introspection level is minimal. Simple things, like thinking about where I am going to shower, packing and unpacking my car, riding on unfamiliar trails, and the cold are more important to me than how I feel.

How do I feel? Not as sad. I am still lonely, yet I have no trouble meeting people and talking to them. Dinner last night with Aaron was so relaxing and enjoyable. He had some great stories and listened to my experiences concerning Sandy, my Dad, Zach and Ed. He accepted them without undo pity (ex Army special forces) and shared some of his losses in his life. If you read this Aaron -- thank you.

Still wish I was with someone on this journey but for some reason I am realizing doing this alone might be necessary for my mourning and healing process.

Tomorrow is Raccoon Mountain which is supposed to be much harder and longer than most of the trails around here.

Have a great evening.

Chattanooga is Awesome

I am currently at the trail head of Bauxite near Chattanooga TN. My laptop is in my lap  as I sit with the engine running of my truck. My plan is to to ride most of the trail system. Since it is almost 11 am, I need to get ready even though the temperature is stuck at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. I am using my ATT hotspot capability to connect. Very cool.

Before I do I have to write about the Cycle Sport bike shop:
Cycle Sport Chattanooga TN

I dropped in around 5 pm to meet Jeff and Jason. Aaron came over and we immediately connected because of our shared interest in all things fast and Adrenalin addiction. Aaron has restored a Malibu station wagon that is a disguised rocket ship in a straight line.

After the shop closed Aaron and I drove over to Urban Stack for a great hamburger and sweet potato fries. We had an awesome time sharing life stories. Aaron's path to owning a bike is truly amazing.

I spent the night in the back of my truck and was pretty comfortable despite getting down to 18 degrees. In the morning I had a fantastic breakfast at the Mean Mug, a truly wonderful local establishment. Too bad it is not open on Sundays.

I will write more later today.   

Heading to Chattanooga, TN

It is time to unclutter Debbie & Beth's house. I can't thank them enough for letting me stay here. We are taking my Mother back to her apartment today and then I will start packing the truck. Going to stop at AEDC on the way out of town towards Chattanooga.

Finally completed the Hamilton Creek trails. This was my favorite and I was so glad that I didn't try to finish the trails on day 2. The section I missed was tough and much longer/slower ride than I imagined. This would be a great place to session with friends. I would not recommend some of the drops if you are not good at jumps. I have a tendency to land on my front wheel. Disaster would follow using that technique here!

Truck is clean! iWash rocks. Pictures later.

Took video with my GoPro session. The video was not very good and my Camelback front strap was visible in most of the shots.

InstantPot chili last night for dinner. It was awesome. Takes a while to vent the steam.

Mom made a  cornbread crumble which was very tasty. Too bad the kitchen filled with smoke from the stuff that fell into the bottom of the stove. Didn't have to call the fire department.

More later folks. Have a great day!

January 3rd What's Next?

What's Next?

Had a great time  yesterday. Debbie and I took all the recycling to the local facility. We filled the back of my truck! The place was a beehive of activity and we were able to sneak out without any delays from big trucks or focused folks who had their own agenda.

Next we searched for a non automated car wash for the truck. No  joy. I lost $4 in one place as everything looked like it was working but as soon as I tried the hose the screen went blank on the display and water drizzled.

Next we went shopping at Costco and bought some lamb chops which Debbie was going to cook with her Sous Vide device.
Sous Vide

Spoiler alert -- The lamb chops were perfect and after a quick searing in this small iron skillet they

Lodge Iron skillet -- Big!

 looked and tasted awesome. If you are interested in iron skillets, I found this site interesting:
Iron skillets

Around 2 pm I finally made it to Hamilton Creek for day two and rode under Bell road! The ceiling in the tunnel is low and I had to keep my head close to the handlebars. Once I was on the other side I had a great time on the twisty turning trail. At one point I had a stick go into my chain and derailleur which was able to remove the stick by pedaling backward. Not more than two minutes later I had a stick pop up near my front wheel that looked like a divining rod and thought nothing of it until the damn thing  rotated 90 degrees slid into my spokes and hit the backside of my front fork! Immediately, I went over the handlebars and did a somersault! At 20 degrees Fahrenheit the ground is hard.

I had some scrapes and bruises but nothing major. After  about ten minutes of riding the pain was gone and I was fine. Unfortunately, I was running out of daylight. The trails are located mostly in a valley that spans two ridges so whenever I was in the lower elevations light was dwindling. I bushwhacked  two or three times and cut off some of the trail.  Ended up finishing  little after 4 pm and rode almost 9 miles. My goal was 10 miles and if I had lights on my bike I would have finished. Didn't want to be late to my Mother's 90th birthday party.

Strava

Finally to the title, what's next?

• Today I need to get the truck washed. I will take photos of the salt before I wash. 
• Help Beth and Debbie with some computer/photo challenges
• Read Aunt Lillie's Christmas letter
• Acquire Aunt Lillie's address and phone number so I can arrange a time to see her in Asheville, NC.
• Load the kml file for AEDC mtn bike trails
• Hopefully get one more ride in today.

Long term:

• Head South
• Ride trails in Alabama
• Ride Racoon Mtn
• Ride Bent Creek

That's all I have time for now folks.

Best article on Medium:

• Soul Snatchers

Best YouTube video of today:

• Mtn Biking in South Africa