Fast & furious. Staying out & Todd & Heather’s place out of internet connection. hanging in town @ Ingles grocery store parking lot.

Yesterday rode Todd’s loop in DuPont, some trails I had ridden b4. Fun and chalenging to be  back on these trails. Last year the trees were bare and all leaves were on the ground. Now the trees are leafed out creating darkness of a broad leaf forest and the leaves went trhu 1 winter of break down allowing the tread to be read.  We rode out bikes up bridal veil falls, carefully walked on dry patches of rock clinging to tree branches to avoid slipping on slippery rock and going on a wet bouncing ride to smash into rock @ bottom. Crawled under the falls where a scene from Last of the Mohicans was filmed. Rode down the dry stuff, big slab of granite.

Spent night again in parking lot below Todd’s place. Tadd is a race promotor for Assault on MT Mitchell and Pisgah mtn bike stage race. he is o owner w/ Bill Victor in Long Cane trail builders. Heather fed me again.

Today plan was to drive into Brevard, Todd get his rear wheel fixed, pile into his car and drive up to Parkway for big ride. Forecast was for T-storms, but that is a forecast. Hot and muggy up on Parkway. A few large drops of rain spattered on pavement. Rationalization: it is warm, rain will cool us off. Besides, this is NC and weather is finicky. Finicky it was as we headed for sunshine. T-storm settled in on MT Pisgah that we were underneath. It poured, then hailed mixed in w/ thunderclaps right after the lightning flash. We were right in middle of storm. We were sort of climbing & slipping on roots and getting soaked. My miracle wicking fabric clothing gave up once saturated. i had water puddles in my shorts. Our route was to Pisgah Inn on parkway but amount and proximitity of lightning caused our decision to retrace our route. As we did, we rode out of strorm. Temp dropped and we started loosing body heat until we stopped and pulled on our rain coats. Hail covered the trail and ground. Water flooded off trail. Crossed a raging small stream torent running brown w/ woods dirt. Lots of last winter’s ice storm damagae. Forest canopy was stripped allowing sunlight in to normally dark woods. Rhodendron tunnels common  to NC.

We rode back to car to consider riding the 2nd loop. We were sopping wet but warm. We drove down parkway to next TH but the spector of black clouds turned us back to Brevard. Got up to 5000′, Brevard is ike 2300′.

More T-storms are forecast. Have a special shuttle ride tomorrow.

Going back to Todd’s for the night. Need to do dishes then drive out up into mtns where temps are lower and in woods.

Let this fly.

Consequence of riding in hot humid weather: wet air won’t absorb sweat from wicking bike shorts keeping butt cheeks moist and rub against the saddle which creates abraded red sores, hence Monkey Butt. Post ride Bag Balm provides relief and healing.

Rest day today as I drove from Bill’s to Brevard. Its 83 and 49% humidity.

Again, some babbling to record events and thoughts.

Monday i rode 4 loops of FATS and stayed @ Bill & Liz’s. Bill told me of a ride on Long Cane horse trails w/ a group of Greenwood riders. I drove an hour N of Bill’s. He called me w/ some info on the ride. He net worked w/ Tom, one of the group riders to expect me. I met 6 local riders for ride. Again, I am the oldest. The pace was furious. Great easy trails, most big chain ring. Bill’s company built a section of trail and it rode like their FATS. Several were single speeders. Rode till woods were almost too dark to see. Riders are all buddies who enjoy each others’ company as heard in their verbal  barbs will sipping beers in the parking lot. We all headed back into town for Mexican dinner. Tom is a lawyer. Inside the restaurant their were 2 deputies. Tom told me I was golden in the county if I parked somewhere. He invited me to his house for a shower and a flat spot. Tom & Bill are old riding friends.

Tom engaged me in conversation after my shower and sipping Marker’s Mark bourbon. He asked me what makes me the happiest, and what has been my greatest experience. i didn’t have answers. Perhaps what makes me happiest is every thing I do, everything is positive, nothing stands out. For the most part everything is good. I could find things that are negative that would make the good stuff better but I am not that way.

Hot & humid.

Yesterday drove back to south and crossed back into GA to ride the Bartram trail on Army Corp of engineering lands, Strom Thurmond lake.  Part of the trail was brand new, the Keg loop was old hand made trail. Supplied mileage added up to 32 miles, my gps said 24 as it frequently lost reception in the trees. 2 1/2 hours of riding in sweatted shorts. Towards the end I found it more comfortable to stand up. 83 degrees.

The Corps has a XG just down road from TH so I decided to give their showers a go. Talked w/ elderly woman staffing the entrance. After a pleasant & engaging conversation she waived the $3.00 fee.

Started sweating right out of cool shower. Plan is to buy local strawberries, fix my dinner then drive to Bill & Liz’s for desert of strawberries dipped in chocolate then whipping cream. Bill called me b4 I started dinner & invited me to dinner. I accepted. Played baseball catch w/ the 4 year old twins, Coleman & Ava. Enjoyed family company.

Today i bid the Victors adieu again. May I return again. Bill said his next project is raising his kids.

Headed North to Brevard. Up into mtns.

I’m hooking up w/ Todd & Heather for several local rides. Staying @ their house.

Cold nights & frigid mornings last 2 days. Was 16 degrees @ 7:30 this AM. Heater keeping things comfortable. Water vapor freezes on inside of windshield. Amount of ice build up gives an idea as to how cold it has been.

Sat. I drove from here down to conventional starting point for the Hurricane Rim trail which is on a bluff overlooking the town. Starts out 2 track up steep gravel road before dropping off onto Goulds rim and real single track. I recognized the spots where I might fall, and i walked those 4 places. I rode well with a touch of not right on. Worked it pretty good w/ a high heart rate, got to be caused by lack of riding. Nice clear chilly day. It was 35 when I finished the 20.87 mile, 2 hour 42 min ride climbing 2130′ feet. Sweet trail system, joy to ride.

Drove into town for 3:00 Zag game. Checked out local sports bar for ESPN2 reception. She said yes and I plopped myself close to the big screen TV several feet over my head. Have to buy food. Ate French fries w/ a wrap sandwich and 2 beers, 1 per half. Zags lost.

Spent night back @ Jem TH.

This Am i felt my pulse which i suspected might be high because of riding past 3 days. Counting was difficult because of low BP. My plan became an easy day. Forecast is for snow next several days making today the last god day for awhile.  I rode the Jem down, 7 miles of great trail. This trail was selected as 1 of the best 33 trails in NA by BikeMag as a tight & twisty, right up there w/ Deadman’s Gulch @ Crested Butte. I jumped on Shep Bridge road for the ride back up planning on taking the spur road that would bring me back to desert road to van. I missed the turnoff and ended up riding Sheep Bridge almost to the highway and then finished it off w/ part of the JEM backwards. Beautiful day. I enjoy this kind of desert.

Clouds moved in from NW onto mtns to the West. Looked like snow. Peaks thwarted snow advance into valley.

Forecast calls for snow during the week. I will stay here until a snow free window opens. Mon & Mon night are calling for 5 to 9″ of snow here. I am on a quasi improved dirt road about 300 yards off highway. I will learn what this road will be like if it snows. I have food, h2o, & propane to last for several days.

Rib pain is all but gone. Not peeing blood which is good.

Buds back @ Spokane have been enjoying early skiing @ 49. Frequently a story will spring from one of the Lopper’s computers. Tell pretty good tales. I am still holding for chilly dry skies & bike riding to cold, snow skiing. This for another year.