The creek did rise

I’ll see you tomorrow if the creek don’t rise. Well, this early AM a hellacious thunderstorm struck among other places, Phil’s house outside Norman, IN where I have been hosted by he and his understanding wife, Allison. And the creek did rise. Lightning and thunder then pounding rain. My skylight leaked, a new leak occurred where the solar panel wire enters the van that was only discovered by seeing water run onto my “dresser”. Lasted maybe 1/2 hour of pounding rain. I was connected to their shore power. I heard the fridge click an error code showing that I lost power and so did they. Switched to propane. I fixed my breakfast enjoying self sufficiency. I offered to fix their bfast at least coffee. The power was restored for their caffeine fix. Yesterday evening I laid on their bridge over a shallow stream remarking on how clear the water was. The downpour muddied the water and surged the flow.

Going back upstream I arrived his place Friday PM after riding Versailles trails. I spent the previous night in the state XG. That evening rain fell. By 9:00 AM riding time the skies had cleared. Nice trail system built by Alex as was the next 2 rides. 9.63 miles of dirt. Previously I rode this trail on the same path to Phil’s. Took a campground shower then headed west.

Free flowing creek:

Starbucks frappacino

At Phi’s we had 3 possible rides to do, Nebo Ridge behind his house inn the Hoosier NF, Brown County, and French Lick. We talked each other out of the first ride then scheduled the other 2. We were playing the forecast which called for Rain in some storm form.

Friday we drove to Brown County park. The back roads are even trickier than like NC’s as there are big rollers and even narrower pavement. Brown cty trails were built by Alex also. Very popular, well designed IMBA standard system, machine built. Put much effort into the 19.33 miles in pedal time of  2hrs 42 mins climbing 2156′. Another trail w/ no sustained climbs, just one small punch after another. Phil fell on this bridge last year and really smashed up his shoulder, today he was returning to the accident scene to get the monkey off his back. He rode it in each direction and the monkey trotted off into the woods looking for the next rider’s back to climb on.

Yesterday we drove down to Larry Bird’s home town of French Lick for another of Alex’s trails. We counted 5 box turtles on the trail. We did move faster than them. Nice trail. Green trail is a green level, the blue is blue ability. Hardly any tracks on the Blue.

Alex really worked to cut bench cut tread from steep hill sides. 8.25 miles climbed 879′. Very nicely conceived and built trail.

Cutting short to drive to Indianapolis to visit w/ trail builder Alex.