Sitting here in the cold rain on top of Little Flat mtn above State College, PA. Low 50s, could use heat on in van. Went from heat and humidity in VA to pleasant weather here then cold rain this AM. Get a riding break.

Yesterday another ride w/ Jeremy and Herm at Cooper’s Gap in Rothrock SP. We rode up a gravel forest road then rode down Sassyfras trail. Trails on ridge tops are rocky albeit tamer than Tussey mtn. Early part of downhill was almost back behind the seat before mellowing out and just swooping between the trees, over roots and a few rocks. Locals know the goods and share them graciously. Amish live back in these out of the way places, their horse drawn buggies leave narrow wheel tracks & horse droppings down the middle of the lane. Pretty country.

Last night Jeremy hosted a pot luck @ his house attended by academia friends, many either PhDs or working on it, some are bike riders. I said “Duh” a few times.

Tuesday AM I drove back into town  to visit Freeze Thaw Bikes where Chuck is a partner. Got tour of shop in downtown SC, just across the street from Penn State. Successful shop.

Next up was my Chiro appointment. New treatment: Applied Kinesiology, another chiro method where the muscles are turned off allowing the bones to return to normal position. Quite impressive. I was able to stand straight and my rib and leg pains were lessened. The ride later in the day confirmed his success. I still have pain  caused by the physical impact on the rocks. Sleeping last night was less painful.

Slept w/ down blanket last night @ TH. Slept in enjoying cooler temps snuggled under down. Started raining around 8:30 when I finally crawled out of bed. Had Bfast. Plan is to drive up to top of mtn underneath cell towers to enjoy fast internet access. Enjoyed the speed and cold rain.

My dad survived his near death from internal bleeding and is going home today. Looking forward to his 85th bday on the 19th.

Herm makes maps professionally under the name Purple Lizard Maps, Live for adventure, So many trails… so little time. Herm is a kindred spirit sharing my views on traveling by ourselves. He gets it. No, not sharing, our values are the same derived independently of each other and arriving @ same place. He has offered to lead more rides.

A fire lookout tower is right outside my van door but I am unwilling to venture into the rain to check it out.

Bundle up. Need heat today to combat nature’s air conditioning.

Hey you west coast riders who have never ridden back east: Come ride out here.

I tossed a few times last night but seemed to always fall back to sleep. Gingerly crawled out of bed. I am sore: my right side trauma affects my core strength, I can’t stand straight and my right thigh is stiff.

Got up & stowed the sleeping gear and drove off out of business office paved parking lot seaking a patch of gravel for my B fast. Found 1 finally near a church.

Finished drive to State College via non major roads. Called Jeremy, he gave me his address and meeting time and I made it happen. I asked how he knew me @ the Summit. He said he didn’t, just that i looked like an interesting person.

We packed up & drove out to meeting place in Rothrock SP and met Chuck & Herm. Took off. I am stiff and sore. Start climb and fall back as bruised ribs limit chest expansion. Later I learned it affected my core severely limiting my upper body activity. Climbed up onto ridge of Tussey mtn where trail became rocky, less that yesterday. I couldn’t ride the more difficult tech stuff. The other riders waited for me @ intersections.  Finished @ parking lot.

Herm shared his created map w/ me and showed me places to camp. I  missed the first turn and camped somewhere else.

Plan tomorrow is visit Freeze and Thaw bike shop in town, chiro treatment, & meet Jeremy @ his house for a drive to ride.

Not from a bar stool although that opportunity presented itself more in form of porch steps or deck. No, today i was invited on a Shenandoah Bike Co shop ride north of town and up in the rocky mountains. I was challenged and then beaten by just miles of beater rock that after the rain storm became even more onerous. The SBC riders just rode it. I fell slipping on off an off camber rock that washed my wheels out from under me dumping me on the rocks. This time it was the right side. During last night’s shop b-day celebration @ Tim’s I stretched my back on a balance ball for many minutes. Too much too long. Felt good. Today i stood up someway and my back immediately went stiff limiting my flexibility & range of motion. And I still climbed on my bike. I was pathetic. Riding these VA rocks requires all body parts moving @ adjusting to tortured path. I got thrashed. Watching the other riders negotiate stuff that I walked down left me frustrated and wondering why i mtn bike.

I rode w/ Sue Haywood, bf Tim, Kurt, Kyle, Colin, & Jake. The trail dropped us onto gravel logging rode. They were continuing the ride. I bid adieu and slowly made my way back to van. Maybe 3 flats on the others’ bikes. Pinch flats from rocks.

Hey, you Davis, WVA riders, forget that i said that your trails were toughest nastiest I have ever ridden. This VA mtn ridge riding is the hardest ride I have ever carried my bike on. Sue rode a Flux, Tim rode a 5 Spot like mine, and Colin rode a TNT Spot. Most Turners I have shared a ride w/.

Yesterday was putz around day and the shop b-day party. Did wash. Saw a store sign, “Crutchfield” which is an electronics  where I bought all my van sound system. A retail store in Harrisonburg. It was, checked it out. Clerk there talked to me @ SBC several days earlier. He told his buddy about me. He is new to mtn biking and has lost 40 lbs so far and has an infectious smile of satisfaction or riding. My purpose was to learn the additional sound a subwoofer would add after hearing Dixie Chicken from  Little Feat blaring from a guy’s house. I wanted to know what i was missing w/o bass. I listened and determined that the $450 and space required for it, I said i was good.

Hot & humid in H-burg. Last night temp didn’t go below 70 degrees.

Tomorrow is State College, PA for several days. It’s possible that Chris Lesser, the writer of the BikeMag article might join me. Cool.

Dirtbag sleeping in a business parking lot. Way cooler. I will go to bed early. I’ll learn what my body feels like laying down.