dateline: Ruston, LA
I was unmolested last night in the mall parking lot. Before I went to bed I saw a security vehicle in the parking lot on the other side of perhaps a city street dividing the mall lot and he wasn’t contracted to my side. Good sleep.
Up & @ it driving interstate as it has usurped the parallel 2 lane. Hit Ruston under lowering skies, warm & getting a humidity sweat coming on. Stopped @ Turbo Goat LBS for ride info. Brad told me if I see a guy driving a white park vehicle in the park it might be James, the trail builder & a park official of higher standing: Park Director. I paid the $1.50 entrance fee and instructions to the bike parking lot. Forecast is for t-storms throughout the day. it is almost rain.
I find a level place to park & frantically gear up. I take off looking for the advanced color brown marked. i see only begineer sign. Another fine howdy doo: can’t find start of trail. Climb biggest hill on park about 50′ but pretty steep. Decided I was going wrong way & rode back down & followed signs for beginer loop and shortly found brown signs. Sweeping among trees. fairly flat but those constant 15′ vert climbs. Rode 20.36 miles & climbed 2058’vert per the garmin.
Part way thru the trail stumped me and I was riding confused. I saw a white park truck coming my way. I flagged him down 7 asked if he was James. He said Yes, he asked if I am Craig as he read my LOCO forum posting last night. He asked if he could ride w/ me. Sure. He drove to shop to get geared up. He built the trails back in ’92 and they are the same. SWell built & have ridden well. he armored parts w/ red clay that when cured almost beads up the rain which I would soon learn. Home trail & he smoked riding a gary fisher 29r suspended. He was a former motocrosser and suffered thru 2 back surgeries because. We rode the brown trail 2x. Pleasant ride enough that 2nd lap seemed like new.
James negotiated w/ me for a trade work camp site. He offered me the role of XG host as they haven’t had one for 7 years. We settled on me cutting out roots on a section of trail and cutting overhangs. I preferred to add something to the trails. Just after I started it poured down rain, big drops falling w/ great speed & saturation. I worked on cutting using a curved cutting blade attached to a long ax handle. Some roots cut easily but for every gimme there was one that made for multiple cuts. My hands & forearms are fatigued making typing gross motor skills. Worked for several hours sometimes in rain. I removed my tshirt and tied a bandana around my forehead to keep sweat from my glasses that became rain streaked & essentially useless for vision correction. Chopped some roots. Rain settled pollen leaving film on puddle remanants. Drained quickly. packed red clay remained firm.
Camped in a site in xg w/ electric hook up. I am plugged in. Severe weather warning James told me when he visited later. He is concerned that a tornado might happen and to be aware. Weather radio picks up a fuzzy station.
Leg is responding to Naproxen.
Forecast is for possible heavy t-storms on my travel path.
Shooting for Fruita April 23 for their Mtn bike festival. Next state is big ol’ Texas.