a long time ago time ago back in the good ol days advertisements on TV were creative and diverse. I believe it was lays potato chips that dared you to have just one chip. Nutella tempts me for a second spoonful. I resist, next time i use a soup spoon. I use a narrow rubber spatula to suck the last lick out. Devastating.
Spent the quiet night @ a trailhead parking lot outside Stokesville, VA
Plan today is to ride Narrowback Mountain loop, a Shenandoah Bike recommended ride. I am parked a few hundred yards from Tillman road, close enough to ride from home. The ride uses the gravel road to and from the dirt, 3 miles out 2.5 back. Trail leaves the road on a gentle grade to join the trail running along the ridge. Single track old school w/ rock gardens. Key is momentum and stiffness which the Industry 9 wheel sets deliver. Amazingly stiff. Running 22psi on rock gardens. Trail dumped down to an unused resource extraction road that contoured to a single track traversing and climbing back to ridge top. This piece shows signs of constructive surgery to make it sustainable. A newer purpose machine built trail switchbacked down to the return road. 16.7 miles climbing 1930′ in 2 hrs 10 mins. Intersections were signed
Navigation made sense.
I rested @ the top of the last climb right at the start of the new trail. I watched a millipede do all kinds of full body writhing rolls perhaps in death throes. Small flying insects rode its back returning to its back, or never leaving, or replacements arrived. Perhaps a parasitic predator stung it. Finally it worked its way into the off trail leaves and I lost track of it.
A Girl Scout camp is just across the road. Last night the singing was powerful, w/ effort almost cult like devotion.
Back @ van I stretched. My knee did not attract attention during the ride. However. Kyle @ the bike shop is friends w/ a PA that rides and is healing helpful called me late this afternoon. I came to the wishful conclusion that the pain is caused by soft tissue and can be healed. Realistically I bruised the bones in the joint, worse is torn cartilage. My knee is fine while I pedal.
Stayed here again. Battery power never went below 12.25 volts, some solar charge.
I hung the solar shower out to heat, hours later under cloudy skies my shower was refreshingly cool. As I was rinsing off the clouds opened up speeding the rinse. Rained w/ gusto for a bunch of minutes, holed up inside van bottled in. Door closed and the vent shut. Several days ago I degreased the vent screen and blades, way more light enters.
Another ride is nearby I might do tomorrow.
Wed starts the Tour De Burg, a alley cat mountain bike race over several days and courses. I was here 2 years ago and attended the start of he first stage. That night I was camped just below the east side of the ridge dividing VA and WVA when the derechio struck.
I need to plan, Stokesville was my goal and planning stopped. For sure more rock gardens.