Yesterday I drove from Davis up high in WVA mtns down to Harrisonburg: 3000 to 1400′ there abouts. RT 33 is a mountainous US route. What mountains exist albeit covered w/ trees and less height than western mtns. Still enjoy them. Broadleaf trees reach a height then just get bigger around. The shear mass of life.

GPS navigated me right to parking lot of Shenandoah Bike Company. Greeted Tim who now has a beard. Later I met Thomas who no longer has his beard. Asked if the facial hair change occurred simultaneously and they weren’t sure.

AT SBC I was sort of seeking a ride but not too hard as my rear brake pads are all but shot. Then Thomas invited me to their bike club trail work out @ Massanutten trails. Hot & humid. I said yes and rode w/ Thomas out. The site is location for their stage race ( Missing details here). A new short track trail has been built machine cut big berms & flowie across meadow. Brock built the machine trail w a Ditchwitch tracked machine. Did nice job. Our manual effort was to smooth out the back slope. All of us were dripping sweat wet from heat & humidity.

A snapping turtle the size of a medium pizza pan was spotted out in open on a dirt bank, perhaps it was a female and she was laying eggs. I do not know how to sex a snapper besides “she” would have resisted perhaps being bitten. Legend is a snapper bites and doesn’t let go until a certain phase of the moon.

3 hours of muscle work left me worn out.

Drove back into town to Thomas’ house where he offered me his yard and dinner. Spent night.

My dad is in the hospital back home w/ intestinal bleeding which is of concern.

Friend Grace Ragland for Huntsville, AL started a Facebook group for people who know both of us. On page 116 of July issue of MountainBikeAction there is a piece about Grace. Both of us have fame in national publications. If you know both of us, let me know and i will invite you to the group.

A note about Davis: I like the challenge of tech challenge. Not every foot of the ride was “nasty”. The locals have that figured out. I sought out that kind of trail sort of. Locals always know their home turf better than a touron can find using a map. I wanted to put their terrain in perspective of other places ridden.

Check out the thread on MTBR about my odyssey as started by Duane in Davis.

http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?p=6972174&page=2

Off to find a ride here.

State College next week.

Say what you want about your nastiest trail, slime, slippery roots, rock gardens, bogs, dense tight trees, rhody thickets what ever or all you might have I will put it up against this Canaan shit. I have seen lots of nasties elsewhere. WVA is a hand full. No machine cut trails here. Outside of rhody thickets or dense conifers trail can be rake & ride. The tread will be what it is, ain’t no slick rock but will be slick rock. It never dries out except like last year’s drought, doesn’t seem to make much difference riding it in the wet. Stimulating riding, complete involvement.

Today young Van from Blackwater lead me on a ride. He rides a 29 hardtail, young svelt stud. Some places my 26″ wheels bested his 29″. I gush over my DW Spot.

Back in early 1900s Davis was all about timber and was strip cut of everything as seen in a historical picture. Thomas 2 miles up the road was coal. Towns were built up for the labor. Resources played out & towns crumpled. Tourism is the economic engine supporting antiques and some hospitality jobs. People have no reason to stay on the land so they move to cities where the jobs are. Some stay.

Drove to state park outside of town yesterday seeking a shower. Attendant said go ahead. After today’s muddy ride I sought same cleaning source. Super, another compliments of WVA shower.

After today’s shower I drove to Parsons, the county seat. Davis sits 3000 some feet, Parsons drops down to 1700 in major river valley. I was seeking a better grocery store, failed. The food selections are unhealthy like the poor south. Whole wheat bread that is squishy.

Drive took me over a ridge that was host to a large wind farm. On the way back i stopped and observed the spinning 3 blade prop that has a nose fitting on it that maybe allows feathering of the blades(?), the blades individually create a whooshing sound. Didn’t see transmission lines.

Drove back up Beaver creek camp spot for 3rd night. Real place down by the river which is tannin colored brown. Still it attracts many fishermen.

I accepted invite from Jeremy to ride State  college Mon & Tues. He called me last night. I met him @ the IMBA summit.

Yesterday was a rest day letting the trails dry out. Forecast was for rain which never fell. Afternoon turner out nice but I was clean from my shower. Couldn’t count on 2 showers in same day.

First day I rode here we finished in a t-storm down pour soaking me which washed the sweat away. I used the garden hose to wash off  my bike and my legs and I was good for bed.

Tomorrow is Harrisonburg, VA, a bigger city that has big box stores and Krogers. Home to several chicken processing plants. Wonder what summer heat will do to the essence of the area?