That’s the state all you hopefuls. My life has changed a bit but don’t worry faithful readers, I maintain my allegiance to an internal spirit, a belief in one’s self as the end of the pipeline.

As much as I researched the IMBA epic at Borden Mtn Tannery Fals, I kept coming up with no ride data.

Way cold in AM, doubled summer down blanket & ski hat just barely kept cold sleepable. Next night will be heater on lowest setting.

Noisy sleep spot but not bothered sleeping in bank parking lot screened by a hedge from street. Left before it got busy.

Drove down to grocery store parking lot to do internet work. Beautiful day. Conversation with woman checker about my age. She said “bucket List”. Hadn’t thought of that before. My bucket at this point is lower 48. OK dancing with wolves.

Called 2 bike shops seeking ride info which got back to Bikerag.com for NE. Decided Mass needed another go. Drove back highways to West Stockbridge & Lenox Mtn. Fall colors have fallen leaving bare trees & trees that have turner but not let loose of their leaves. Ground and forest are exposed.

NE old towns are to die for. Old buildings, fallen elaves, mostly all white, old cemetaries, twisty winding narrow state highways, and whatever. Picked most beautiful desireable season to be here. Bitter cold w/ ice storms, biting black flies & stiffling humidity & heat are unknown by me. I do know the fallen colors and the bite of fall.

Found TH on shoulder of Lenox mtn. fallen leaves cover main tread in cart path. Find a ST taking off, followed for a short loop then spun off another. Twisty undulating across the mountainside thru fallen leaves. Trail finding is again like following old ski tracks, attention is placed on the ground a little in front of front wheel, the rest of the scenery is not observed. Such is mtn biking.

Elevation is getting higher like 1300′. Today’s ride climbed 1723′. Not as rocky and rooty as others. Rides are measured in successful maneuvers and time, not mileage. Today was 8.93 miles in 1 hr 40 mins riding time.

Rode the ST as an out & back because I didn’t recall menatlly what the map said the trails were like. Fun ST figuring out trail, tight, lots of turns, rideable both ways except for some of the rock faces.

The birch have not been killed off here.

Back to TH, light getting fall like flatter. Clear skies. Worked on bike at TH which had a lookout down mtn to lake below and mtns on the horizon. Replaced chain at 350 miles and it appears to have saved the cluster.

Drove into Pitsfield, Mass for high speed internet for research.

Stopped at package store for Scotch replenishment. Bought Drambue 1 hit & made rusty nail, can you tell? Research wil be addled tonight.

Parked in Doctors’ park parking lot just of rt 20. May tonight not be so noisy. No shower tonight.

Tampa Bay won the ALCS. Go Tampa. But may Jamie pitch a good game.

Slept OK in big park & ride lot. Chilly in AM. Quick Bfast & on to Birch Mtn TH to meet up w/ Mickey from Rose City Cycles for ride.

Another beautiful day.  Hard frost. Met up with riders on time. Cold at first. Not as rocky or technical as Grayville and was an easy ride: no sprints. The others walked almost all the climbs making for a slower ride.

Check out Case Mtn slick rock: It gets slick with moisture be it rain or humidity:

Headed West hoping for a ride in NW Conn before Mass. Learned that place to ride is Nepaug which is in N Central part of state back east of where I stopped.

I stopped at a Tennis club and asked if I could buy a shower. Attendant @ desk made phone call to his boss and I scored a free hot shower.

Drove to Torrington, CN looking for a laundromat & internet access. Clean clothes, a place to crash beside a bank right off main drag, & still working on putting together the IMBA ride in Mass. Joined NEMBA and posted a question regarding the ride.

Slept in Rose City Cycle parking lot. Bit of traffic noise. Chilly inside van, hard to poke out of coves. But once out it wasn’t that bad. Its just leaving the comfort for the unknown.

Drove back to grocey store parking lot for breakfast. Bought & read local newspaper. 1 entire section of maybe 14 pages of foreclosure notices.

Back to bike shop for another trail briefing. Visited a while.

Drove to TH after correcting a written instruction of mine. Beautiful day: Blue sky, some bare trees with others still holding their leaves, temp almost too chilly for bare arms.

Trees have mostly shed their leaves covering the forest floor but letting all light in. Route finding is challenging, Maybe like following old ski tracks. Lowered saddle vastly increase technical riding handling. Pushing my balance limits a bit further. One skill is to approach a feature with the correct momentum and knowing what the speed is for each. Trails snaked around in broadleaf forest. Impressed by the miles of stone fences from old farms. Small enclosures, but perhaps miles of them, on their piece of land. Most existing older properties kept their former stone fences.

Got a pinch flat on rear tire. Such a beautiful day I decided to take the time to patch it. Used EDGE to figure my way out.

Discovered a dressed out deer laying on its back. Looked like it had been tied into a tree and had fallen. Didn’t touch anything. Turned to get on bike & looked up about 40′ away and about 25′ off the ground was a bowhunter. I inquired about deer and he had just shot it and gutted it. Bow hunters are safer than rifle.

Back @ TH 2 men were hanging out, 1 older, disclosed his age of 86 and he had a few gears not meshing. The other was mid 40s, reps for a window mfg company down near Muskingum. We discussed US situation. I have met Mostly liberal people who believe that Obama is answer and where we have been is way wrong. I don’t seek these people it is my lifestyle, place of visit and the like. I would guess that if I were say golfing at private clubs I would receive a different spin. But then that is not my life style.

Drove N towards Manchester. Beautiful country side. NE roads wander around like the horse pathes they once were. The scenery is just so beautiful. Maybe it is enhanced by old farms, stone fences, winding twisting slow roads. Just beautiful time of year.

Parked outside John Harvard brew pub at shopping mall outside Manchester, going to watch TB Red Socks game. Maybe dirtbag camp in a big parking lot. Lots of people and it seems that they all want to be first. Too dense population density.

Software way stable tonight.

No shower today and will be sitting at a bar watching the game.

Tomorrow is Case Mtn with Rose City group ride then further to NW corner of state and into NW Mass.

Knee hurts but is bearable when I don’t race.

Off to game.