Seven and a halh(hours)

Started 7:00 am shart from the trail marker on rt 23. climb mt misery to the top where most don't go.. Blast some sweetsingle. Seeing doubel at the end. Plenty of water but should hav packed more foood. Thanks to the ickes for the best recovery party in a while. Blue birds day with plenty of sweet grin'n mtb trails, I am lovin it.

Exploration

With a national historic trail nearly running thru our back yard's we have been exploring pieces of the Horseshoe Trail. We have done the section from Warrick thru St. Petes, to French Creek St park, and all the way to route 222 in Berks county. With a plan to ride from vf to mile 50 something, we thought we better explore some parts we have yet to travel.

This trails throws everything at you. Big hills, rocks, mud, gravel, road, technical Single track, it has has it all. Needless to say the traveling is slow at time. My phone was all wet from the humidity and sweat. Usual Suspects enjoying our sunday Eucharist.

This past Sunday we sarted at 8:15 at warrick and road as far east as we could get by 10am. Then we double back. We have yet to explore this piece and it was par for the course. After a short easy spin thru warrick we hit the first obstacle. This is called a "ford" on the map. It was the south branch of French Creek. About 3 feet deep in the middle filled with river stone. While Ben and Chris walked thru the river, I went across the rocks, After this crossing the trail got steep. We were either bombing down or climbing by pushing the bikes, with screaming calf.

Finally with a couple questionable trail marking we hit some farm roads around Birchrunville. So the plan will be to complete the 50 mile section on Sunday 8/30. will let you know how it goes.

Buy me some time

Often times I wish I could pause all the external things that go on in life an just enjoy the day. Go for a ride, take a trip. The weekly group ride, is fun, but it is hardly refreshing. My soul likes changing tides and the regularity in life makes me feel like a drone in the society we call normal. I hardly have a desire to fit in with the norm. Don't really care too much about material things. As long as I have freedom and a roof over my head and loving people to share time, I am satisfied. I don't fit in with the dog eat dog clawing to get ahead type. Where does all that take you in the long run. Maybe a nice bit of wealth to share with future generation, if you are lucky. Not to say that I don't like to work. I actually love working. I think working towards putting on an event was more rewarding than any work I have done lately. But work can easily become mundane and the routine of raising children tiring.

With the up and coming school year for my kids, I find myself scrambling for some time. I need to fix our exterior of the house and shed and lots of house hold details, but I want to go climb a mountain or explore some new trails. What is exciting in life is was make a person happy. But also ahcievements thru hard work. I guess keep keeping the head up and looking for new oppurtunity to grow, thru work or play each and every day.

cycling tip #12

Bring a light. The above photo mistakenly taken as I was fingering for buttons to turn my phone off and on to see where the solid ground was. If you plan to ride in the woods near dusk, it never hurts to have a light. You never know what may happen to slow you down, but having a lite will make getting back much easier. Like all the cycling tips, this comes at my expense. Met Matt B up at french to check out the trail conditions for the race last night. We were talking and realized that niether of us had a gps or a odometer, or a watch . "Oh well we can get a good estimate" . I was talking discussing the all the organizing and stuff that has been tying my up, literally, when a fellow rider Tom Burrows came over. I was trying to outline the course explaining that the location was changed due to the other area being reserved. We mentioned we were without gps. He let us know that He publicizes M.A.S.S. race courses online, so after a breif encouraging to map the new course we were off. To get to the Group Camp #2 you have to follow along Hopewell lake. I choose a trail that was swamped, my bad. So we got to the camp and started the loop. I think both Matt and Tom were suprized by the start of the new course. It is an area very rarely frequented by mtb riders', never the less it is rock'n. So up the first big climb and down the shaker, we bumped into, Mark from Path. I was happy to see these guys doing work, which they do often and always, so although they may not be race fanatics they do help greatly with local state parks. More riding and rocks we realize that the woods are getting dark quickly. At the 8-9 mile mark all light was gone. I was hoping that no one tripped and even more likely complain about the bad situation. We were near the end and I suggested that we might as well tough it out and walk the course , so that Tom could make the map public. needless to say, it was slow going. I was leading taking a step off trails only to have to back up and try again, still not one complaint, some good humor, but no bitching about what was a very hard going. We finally made our way back to the cars past 9:30pm. 2.5 hours, Tom reported it was about 11 miles.