Three dogs and an upsidedown turtle on Squirrel.

Dog Ride!!!!

Mike and Kassi BD, their two dogs Max and Macey, Sophiedog, and myself went on an excellent Pisgah ride today. South Mills->Cantrell->Squirrel->Mullinax. Yeah, it was hovering at or below freezing and we were walking in creeks? So what?

more later?

Fossil fuel burning douchenozzels, Woody Woodpecker, and the elusive American Honey Badger.

 http://app.strava.com/activities/38252964

 

On MLK day morning  Mike B. and I met up with Teamdicky at the Kitsuma parking lot and we were on the bikes and headed to Heartbreak Ridge starting at about 9:30. Mike had been on a ride recently that followed the 'Marshall H.' way up to Old Toll so we decided it would be fun to do some exploring and to follow that route.

That way took easily 25 minutes longer than the traditional way up but was easily 50%, ummm, easier. Along the way we made a few navigational errors that turned into brilliant mistakes. We found this cascade, for example:

Once we were on Old Toll the pace picked up significantly and all three of us were in no man's lands, Rich off the front, Mike (having not yet fully recovered from his 24 hour flu) off the back, and me in the middle. It was a beautiful day to be on the bikes. Temps in the very low 40's (if we were lucky), high winds, and blindingly blue skies.

After a quick break at the overlook Mike's legs woke up and it was tough keeping him in sight. I almost bonked chasing him as I mistook the not top for the top and didn't have any matches left in the book until a long rest at the trailers.

 

I took the lead for the descent and was feeling great, feeling FAST for the first little while. After a bit though my hands felt like I had just been at batting practice with an aluminum bat. They were hurting soooooo bad. I let Mike take the lead, finally had the notion that something was wrong with my fork, made a few adjustments, then was feeling fast as ever.  We took an extended break at the downed tree below the rootball of death, then rocketed to the bottom without incident.

We took it easy for the climb up Mill Creek and made it back to the vehicles in an unremarkable time. Mike and I had curfews to tend to so we were done and started to load up but Rich, ever the endurance freak, decided to knock out Kitsuma real quick. That was a fun ride guys, thanks for getting out. Thanks for making it up to the mountains, Rich!

tick boom... tick tick boom...

Jody F and I got out for a great little ride this morning. I scooped him up from Swannanowhere and we were on the bikes headed for a Heartbreak out-and-back at 11am. There's not much I can say about the ride other than:
1. Heartbreak is a very hard way to warm-up.
2. I am a busy man. Jody, right now, has more on his plate than I do
3. I need to figure out what's going on with the Rocky and slow speed unscheduled dismounts.
4. sitting down and letting the bike work under me is soooooo much fun. Jody and I had the most chill yet fun filled descents of Heartbreak that I've had in a loooooong time.

 http://app.strava.com/activities/38014227

I WANT MY MONEY BACK!

http://app.strava.com/activities/37459225

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!!!