And out of Pittsburg.

Monday I drove into Pittsburg to Verona to Dirty Hairy’s bike shop. Closed on Mon. And it rained off & on. I want a rest day. A played out river city. Gone are the paying jobs that built the large houses along the way. Steel gone overseas.

Into rural Ohio.  Found a small airport just off the beaten path outside of Beloit. GPS locates the airports. Sleep in parking lot, no hassles.

Finished drive to West Branch SP East of  Akron. Read trail reviews on trails. Plan is Wed I stop in Stow, OH @ LBS to remove cluster from freewheel. At 12:30 i have an appointment @ an Norcold fridge service center in Akron to energize my frige as i do not think it is working efficiently. Then down to Dad’s.  So the ride location supported plan, although, just south of here this AM I drove thru light rain.

Drove to park headquarters to learn about the trails. Met w/ the ranger. He told me the trails were open. Drove back to bike TH, saw official sign saying trails open. At TH an unofficial sign said don’t ride wet trails. I was perplexed. Official signs say open but trail appears to be muddy, too much to ride. But then maybe today is not considered muddy enough to close. I rode out. Trail map from state sucks as trails are not named and North points to bottom of page. Trails on ground have Carsonite posts coded w/ information on a map not available @ TH. And it was muddy. And rooty.  I was thrown down by a complex series of roots sandwiched between 2 trees just a handlebar width apart. Lofted front slightly to clear a root. Wheel came down on a raised root running almost parallel. Just the right root at the correct spot just swiped my front wheel out from under me. Right side spill again. I feared landing on my ribs and consciously protected them. Only fall because I paid the roots respect by hitting them as straight on as possible at best and at worse w/ no lean.  Lake side trails are easier. Other side of Cable road was move involved as described. Dense woods that was saturated. Wandered down a snowmobile trail attempting to get back to TH. Wrong turn w/ no trail markers. Found way back to TH.

Just horribly muddy. Legs have bits of leaf mold hanging off. My bike almost looks like it was camouflaged. Talked to ranger again about trail conditions. I said too muddy to ride and they should be closed.

Paid for campsite in park for shower and lots of h2o to clean my bike. Contrasts: XG costs $ but it comes w/ legal ownership of a place to sleep. Downsides are population density. Dirtbag camping is free (yea), rule free, perhaps trespassing w/ potential of being rousted or confronted, not surrounded by smoking wood fires or smell of charcoal grills, sometimes loud traffic noises and lights. Require selective harvesting of a sleep spot. No legal  public lands causes me to find a city spot. Lately i have  been sleeping @ small airports that the GPS finds.

Since leaving Sedona on 4/5 I have been thru 13 states, ridden in 11 of them. Managed to make my 2 events.  Fell several times, rode 760 miles.

This AM bid fond so long to Herm of Purple Lizard maps. He manages his self employment time, I seemed to get a big chunk of it as he guided me for 5 days of riding in Rothrock SP. Thanks Herm. Amd also to the local trail care people.

Rothrock is challenging rock garden riding w/ roots mingled in. Rhody thickets. There are gravel roads of great condition thru forest making for easier uphills or getting around. Elevation change is just over 500′. This is more technical than Pisgah but it lacks the big climbs of Pisgah.

Yesterday Herm put a route together. Worl cup soccer was on so we were only joined by Rachael & Cathy. Hot & humid, overcast w/ slight breeze. Stopped @ a gas line crossing where 2 other riders were resting. One came up to me and asked if I was the guy traveling around mtn biking. I said yes, he said I rode w/ him back in Maine @ Baxter SP. He drove 9 hours to race today in the Stupid 50 mile race in the SP. My rib is slightly less painful allowing more comfortable upper body gyrations such that I was able to ride more tech stuff. perhaps I am also getting more experience. Herm rides a 29er squishy and is very skilled. We were finishing up a rocky, rooty, rhody, slight climbing trail w/ him ahead. I came upon him laying amidst the rocks w/ his bike upside down facing the other way. He over extended himself on the 29″ wheels and did an over the bar fall. He smacked a rock or 2, fortunately he was only “grazed” Heat & humidity took it out of us.

Rocks:

Herm hosted a pot luck @ his house later. His parents showed. For the most part they marvelled at the mtn biker stories we told. His dad said Herm took him on a rough ride that he had problems w/, he said herm did it for the life insurance.

Today is the Stupid 50 race over many of the trails I rode. Stupid because the locals say that is a stupid way to ride a loop. Forecast is for T-storms. Decided that I needed to move on, maybe get out of rain pattern. Plan today is to ride Raystown trails that are machine cut. Some describe it as FATS on steroids. A rider approached me in the parking lot in town who had just ridden there and said the trails are not very muddy and the rain missed. I am sweating wet sitting here typing this. fresh h2o will wash off the sweat. My skin is definitely kept moist here in the East.

Past ride update:

April 14 I rode Eagle Rock trail that is out of Albert Pike camp area in Arkansas. Last weekend a flash flood occurred killing 19 people. I crossed the Little Misouri river wading. Saddened for peoples’ losses. I was there b4 the flood.

Been hanging w/ Herm.

Rain day went into town. Night again @ TH.

Thurs met Herm @ his house for ride. Comfortable place to sleep as several future nights will attest. Drove to Greenwood furnace SP. Furnace is from old iron days back in 1700s to early 1900s. Hillsides were stripped of timber for making charcoal for the iron smelting process or build lumber. Area is now all old regrowth. Trails are rocky & narrow.Laurel is blooming, their spent blossoms liter the forest floor.

My back was still bothering me. I called Kevin, the chiro, left a message stating my need for more treatment. I took my phone w/ me on the ride. Herm and I stopped out on the edge of a steep hill dropping down into Amish farmlands. Overtime several chairs of rock were created. My phone rang, I retrieved it from my pack and sat in a chair for the call. It was Kevin and we scheduled an appointment @ 6:00.

Email from Chris Lesser says he is coming Thurs eve. Herm & some of his friends gather @ Zeno’s downtown to listen to a band that he knows. Chris Lesser arrives later, walks up to out table and intros himself to me. Picked me out of crowd. He had advantage as I have never seen him. Hard to carry on a conversation w/ band playing. Adjourned to Herm’s house and we visited over craft beer till late. Chris slept in a bivy bag.

Today a late night affected speed got us out for bfast & then out for ride @ Tussey mtn area. Chris is a good rider, he rides a Turner 5 Spot also. More new single track to ride over. Today back is feeling much better, however my sore ribs make deep and frequent (read: Panting) breathing “discomfortable” Stuck w/ it/. Rode more today than previous days.

Not third world, just Rothrock State park.SC and I haven’t decided when to leave. The Stupid 50 mtn bike race is Sunday. I won’t race but I might stay to help.

Groundhogs out on suburban road edges grazing.

Tired.