Cold night. I misadjusted the heater and it turned off after going to bed. The temp dropped inside so I doubled over the down blanket and pulled on my wool hat and warded off the chill. I started the heater for bfast and became comfortable. Installing the big heater turned into a boon for me for even the 50 deg nights.
Standard time means the sun comes up about the time I wake up. This AM the sky was perfect blue and cloudless. Les, I am glad that I did not add a skylight in the back, the cave allows for sleeping longer and under street lights.
Today i am going to ride the trails that were part of the original 24hrs of Canaan that was the start of the 24 hour racing craze. All the leaves are down covering the trail. But the rock gardens remain leafless and excuseless to not be able to ride:
All ST trails made for bikes. Wandered around following colored blazes for trails. Rock gardens!!!.
Trail went over some slick rock:
I have quit counting falls. My hip hurts from yesterday. In these rocks I loose my balance and start to topple but can’t always clip out. Sideways falls.
Trail went thru a reclaimed strip mine.
So catch the stats: 7.69 miles in 1 hr 39 mins with 1122′ vert. And that was with some flat speedy sections. Lots of time for so few miles. Such is the riding.
Yesterday I rode out and back the Plantation Trail an 8.5 mile 1 way. I thought I could do this within 2 hrs. I picked a nasty rocky trail. many feet of technical riding. Imagine doing 24 hours in this stuff?
back @ van and stayed outside enjoying a fine blue sky and about 65 deg. Putzed around.
Plan is to stop @ spring and drive on into Canaan SP to poach a shower. Success on both tasks.
Back into town. During my ride my cell phone rang. It was Roger from Blackwater bikes and he was calling me per my request from yesterday. I had put my card with a message on his door jam. Good excuse for a stop. I visited him and listened to his ride ideas for down the road. And I slipped in a few words of my own.
As I reflect on past conversations, nobody has asked about rides in areas I know about. They talk about theirs. Many people say they aren’t interested in rides elsewhere as they have the best riding out their front door. Years ago I said the same thing but once I started rambling I learned there was always something different over the next hill. To ask me what have I enjoyed the best so far causes my eyes to go blank and space. I have had several bust rides that drop off the active recall. But the good ones? I couldn’t go to that ride and forever stay there, but maybe Blue Mtn outside Peekskill, NY, or White Clay, MD. But then there is Bend, OR, or the Umpqua River TR. Or Rick’s trails on MT Coeur d’ Alene.
Back to same camp spot as last night. Overcast and not so cold.
Going to ride a part of the Dolly Sods area S. of here and then push down to Slatyfork deeper into the mtns. I called the Post Offive today and my license tabs are there. I need them on by the 9th. Seveal days riding here and then over to Virginia.
Weather forecast is still for mild & dry. Ridden for 9 straight days. Weather will change and I might have missed out. Left knee starts hurting about 90 mins into a ride.
Back when I was conceiving of this adventure seveal asked if I shouldn’t test out this lifestyle before completely casting off. i really have been developing these skills for 10 years starting with the VW bus. This issue of Backpacker has an article about the AT. I chuckled as I read it as it took me back to my early pratice days for this adventure.
Been 4 months of driving, riding, planning, chores, repeat. This computer is the biggest change from previous trips. i spend 2 3 hours on it, writing this and researching over the next hill. I don’t m ake the time to really keep up w/ individual emails or even read.