Cheered Zags on to victory over Tennessee in a sports bar. Liquor laws on Sunday mean an early last call way early in the evening. Nursed 2 swigs of beer for 2nd half.

Found gravel parking lot among some motels. Slept well and a bit late.

Plan today is to ride what the weather and USFS info allow. Forecast is for 70% snow so i am thinking of a lay over day waiting out weather. Actual weather was just above freezing, windy, partially sunny and snow showers. Stopped @ FS visitor center at Cave Run Lake, a Corps of Engineering flood control dam. Somebody sent the $ for what appears to  be a mute issue: Big dammed up river.

Rode part of Sheltowee Trail S from dam, out & back w/ a loop added @ end. Trail tread is mostly clay covered by fallen leaves chewed up by horses. Non technical w/ little ups & downs for good hard riding. Going uphill on steeps I spun out in the clay. Snotty mud. 16.36 miles & 2121′ vert.

Note: I am uploading the ride data from Google Earth and placing them in the Rides page. Apparently you need a Google Earth to properly open the file to see the ride. Right click on file name, open in new window. If you have Google Earth it will open.

$2.00 bought a shower @ Outpost XG.

Back into town. decided to see a movie to spend some time in another manner. Choose Bond’s new movie, I enjoyed the nice seat and climate controlled environment way more than movie. Fixed dinner in parking lot as snow fell outside my windows.

Drove back to same parking lot.

Forecast is nice for next 2 days. Tomorrow I will hit local bike shop for more ride ideas in area.

Kentucky is my 30th state to experience my bike tires.

Sometime during the night it started to rain. Again, I accepted the forecast as possible showers and put the bike cover over the bikes so I just listened to the rain on the roof.

Today I just drove to Morehead to wait out the rain and a Kentucky ride at Cave Lake that Rich, the IMBA Trail Crew person suggested. The forecast is for rain on Monday, partial sun on Tuesday and then snow. I plan to hang here today and Monday. The local bike shop is open Tuesday for beta on Cave Run ride.

Will find a bar tonight for GU game.

I saved the Mohican ride and added it as a graphic to the blog: Thanksgiving…. Mohican. If you open it, please tell me your results.

Go ZAGS.

Excellent second Thanksgiving feast at sister Lynn & husband Bill who did the cooking.

Spent night at Dad’s waiting out the drying of my laundry. Said Good-bye.

Off headed South into hills of Ohio and  Lake Hope SP. GPS nailed it. Twisty windy roads South of Newark. XG open & populated w/ lots of hunters.

Parked @ Furnace parking lot. Trails nice ST, all rideable, almost completely smooth, covered in leaves. Twisty in places. Open woods after leaves have fallen. Rode 14.96 miles w/ 1788′ vert for Southern Ohio. Late sun afternoon ride. Finished @ 4:00 and shadows are getting deeper. Trails are ST, some narrow, all deeply covered by fallen leaves, some bench cut outslope which is reflex riding the down hill lip of the trail: may reflexes over come a hidden obstacle.

Learned that the XG had hot showers. Drove up into large sprawling XG. Almost all occupied sites were hunter camps. Shower house way back in. Sign on door that read non residents must pay a fee way back down @ office that was closed, and using self registration, or subject to a fine. Quick in & out washed off sweat & $ in my pocket. Lots of hunters for deer season start. Can’t hunt where I rode in the park.

Pain from blood clot is all but gone. No adverse effect on riding which is recovering from almost 3 weeks off bike.

Decided to drive to Athens to watch the GU / Tenn Old Spice Tourney championship. Let gps work but it picked some more back roads, question its accuracy. Drove thru OU. Found gas station and inquired of a sports bar w/ good beer. Named a few. Town is a ghost town w/ students gone for Tday. Found parking lot just out of downtown. Made it my spot fore the night. Fired up computer and checked the GU schedule: game is Sunday.

Quiet night bit warmer.

Forecast for next 2 days is rain & snow. Planning on driving to Morehead, KY for Daniel Boone NF rides.

Forest: