And then if I hit stormy seas I'd have myself to blame

This morning I left Asheville around 8:30am and parked at the Kitsuma trailhead. I was on the bike headed out for a solo Heartbreak Ridge ride right at 9:00.

I had a very hard time motivating and getting out but I had packed the Jeep the night before and the weather forecast put the rain coming in around 12:00-1:00. I figured I'd either be at the bottom of Heartbreak or at the Jeep by then.

 The warmup through Ridgecrest/Rattlesnake was tough with no one to keep me motivated but once I was on Old Toll it was like the Rocky was a time machine.

  I was surprised to be at the overlook when I got there

 and even with the tough warm-up and 1000 photos I was at the trailers at 2hr15min in. Not bad at all for me.

 I usually expect that entire loop to take around 4-4 1/2 hours and I knew at the trailers that if I kept the pace up I may get back to the Jeep in under 4. I also knew that being by myself on Heartbreak Ridge on a Wednesday was no time to wreck. So, competing thoughts kept the wheels rolling at a good clip, but not so fast that I was worrying about the front wheel going over the edge or anything.
On the second climb during the descent (It's never all-downhill-from-here in Pisgah) I thought I heard a 'Whooop' somewhere in the distance behind me and before I was headed down again I was passed by Marshall H. and Alex ? who were trying to complete the same look in TWO hours. I hopped on Alex's wheel and the three of us let it rip. Marshall pulled away and as soon as Alex didn't have the line to follow his front wheel went off the edge and he flew through the air in a spectacular fashion.

 His shoulder was a little jacked and he told me to catch Marshall and to tell him what happened. Marshall was at the bottom waiting (right at their two hour mark) I laughed and told him I was shooting for under four, they were shooting for under two and he said something that has been ringing in my ears since: 'Goals are personal. Great job, it looks like you can make it in under 4.'. That made me smile and I started hammering up Mill Creek Road.  A few minutes later Marshall passed me like I was standing still. Then Alex rode up, we chatted for a minute or three, then he stood up, turned the cranks over, and was gone.  I big ringed out to the Jeep and finished in 3:40. Probably my best time yet.

DING! DING! Motherf&cker!!!

Quick! We've got to get to the party! (Last ride of 2012?)

This is the BEST THING EVER!

Not feeling it? No, I'm just a big puss...

Last night I met Mike R., Clint S., Jody F., and Eric C. for a bit of classic Pisgah night riding. I had been feeling under-the-weather and stiff as a board all day long and I figured a bit of a spin would loosen things up. The planned route: Laurel->Cairns->Slate->Pilot->Laurel. By the time we got to the Cairns I was done. The spinning wasn't doing anything good and considering it was already closing in on 10pm I figured it was time to get out of the woods.

The climb up Laurel was tough last night. Mike 'The Rocket' R. and Jody were up front, Eric and I were in the way back, and Clint was in no-man's-land in between. We took a long rest at Rich Gap, discussed who named the various social trails, and then continued to climb. Technically I was feeling great. The bike was sticking to everything I tried to roll over but my body was complaining. Sore back, sore knee, sore neck..... Gah! When we arrived at the Cairns I knew I wasn't in for the whole ride, that I was going to bail at the creek crossing.

It had been years since I had been down that descent and it was as much of a religious experience as ever. In other words, there is a bit of prayer for forgiveness and pleas of pulling through that goes through everyone's mind as you rocket into the steep sections and plenty of giving of thanks as each rider makes it to the bottom.
Eric was ready to get out of the woods at the bottom also so we rolled out down to 1206 together. It was pleasant having company at that time of day (night) and that deep in the woods. I thing the rest of the guys that continued on were happy to know I wasn't by myself all alone after we parted ways.

The descent to 1206 was great fun and the bike was working perfectly. The climb back to Yellow Gap was painful and over in minutes. Oh, and it was a beautiful, cold, late Fall night. Temps in the high 30's, clear skies, and a crescent moon. The trails were in EXCELLENT shape after yesterday's rain, too. Traction to spare.
Thanks for getting out TNDC guys! Sorry I had to puss out and head back.

eurotrance

Bruce D. and I met up at Motion Makers at 9am and we met up with Joe M. at Bent Creek Gap. We were on the bikes by 10am. It was an absolutely beautiful day to be out in the woods. We started with temps in the low 40's but by the time we were at the bottom it was nearly 60*. Bright blue skies all day, too. Three hours, 16 miles, and 2600' later we were back at the vehicles. An excellent day on the bikes, even with climbing 5000 twice!