Slept in airport parking lot. Same 2 cars of guys who left late last night were back @ it early today, some kind of training center.
More driving, today’s goal is Huntsville. Called Grace @ 8:00 where she was still in bed recuperating from a hard mnt bike race the day before. Today is a recovery ride for her and we make plans to meet @ 5:00 up in Monte Santo SP.
My first stop is Trailhead bike shop run by Tommy, another character in a string of characters I have on my stringer. This is the home of the Runt Crit. Low & behold, the winner of last years crit and next day purchaser of the runt was @ the store. Wed night is shop ride and more jocularity and shenanigans are promised only Tommy will be @ the Ryman hearing Levon Helm. Tommy has a woman mannequin in his restroom that is nattily dressed in a girl scout uniform. Her name is Mandy. Tommy said Grace dropped her off. Occasionally she becomes the focus of exhibitionism. I would like to have her as my seat mate. Could be too much fun.
Scored a vaporizer pipe which will spare my lungs of combustibles.
My SI joint has been acting up getting tight. I asked Tommy for a chiro recommendation and he gave me Mike who is a mtn biker. Scored an appointment b4 afternoon ride. Amazing the different chiro skills in the industry. He worked on my skull getting sutures to work. His put is the head makes the hips work. My SI still hurts.
Drove up to Monte Santo SP which is almost 1000′ above town. Can be ridden to from bike shop. At TH I was getting ready when a rider stopped by and called me by name. Who? It was Chad from last year fast ride. He reminded me that I watched him go down in a splatter from rolling his front tire off the rim on a landing off a drop.
Grace arrived as did 8 women mtn bikers, it was a chick ride but not for Grace & Craig. Grace has a new used van. Tsali, her standoffish dog was along. Last year she wouldn’t let me touch her until one day she got in my van where I petted her breaking the ice. Tonight it was I forgot I know you. Short easy ride on family trail for Grace’s recovery ride. Her season is all about Leadville training and she seems to be following her coach’s training plan.
Drove down from park to Grace’s which is near part. Met her son, Wills. Let Tsali in my van and we got back to where we were last year. Grace needed to pack for drive & overnight to Nashville, next day fly to New York for day for speaking engagement, night in Nashville then Fri drive to Tanasi trail @ Ocoee white water center for a race on Sat. She persuded me to spend the weekend @ Tanasi. She will have other friends in attendance and this has makings of party weekend. Forecast is for T-storms unfortunately.
Spent night parked @ curb @ her house. She finished up her packing and left. I drove to Trailhead to socialize. My plan was to ride Monte sano. I parked in an apartment complex @ base of toll road climb. I parked in front of a unit that was being renovated so that no tenant would be parking there. Good plan. I pedaled off. Trail up had a lot of rocks w/ small tech moves that stymied me last year in the wet. This year in the dry I did a little bit better but still walked some. Upper section was like a long rock garden, something that I had to just keep grinding on. Goal was park office to obtain a trail map. Made the office and picked up the map. Trails here leave park and the map shows them leaving but never coming back in. I found Goat trail to Flat Rock connector which left the park while dropping 500 feet switchbacking. Challenging riding. Rode connector for almost 3 miles and it still hadn’t joined a return trail. decided that maybe it would connect but I wouldn’t ride it out so i rode back the way i came walking up steep switchbacks. Just poison ivy. Why I don’t have any is curious.
Found my way back down mtn to parking lot. A parking violation was on windshield. Just a foul, no harm but park elsewhere.
Back to Trailhead for a shower to wash off urishiol if any. Hung for a little while. Drove to Bandito Burrito for dinner. Back @ Trailhead side street parking for sleep spot. Main street of Andrew jackson Way is noisy but I am legal.
Stopped @ grocery store for beer. Selected a beer made w/ pecans. Picked p a small piece of german chocolate cake that was topped w/ pecans. Last year Tim’s wife gave me about a gallon of pecans from her trees. Southern pecans. Will try the beer tomorrow as I am sipping a single malt from Scotland.
3 hour ride almost 2000′ climb. Tired.
Tomorrow is space museum day then shop ride in afternoon, they leave early.