January 2005 Ride Report Page

January 2005 Ride Report Page
Here you will find the reports of our exploits for the month January 2005 more or less as they happened. I will publish any ride reports or digital photos that I receive. Please send them to bikebob@crocker.com and you too can get yourself published on the web!
Go to the Ride Schedule link; You will find information about ride schedules and how the rides are run.

Saturday 1/1/05: Today is the first day of the new year and we had to start off right and the only right way is to do a ride. I scheduled a road ride for 1:00 from the shop. It has been fairly warm the past couple of days and I was ready for a winter tune-up on my road skills.
The day started with MaryE and I going over to Montague to help with the Sawmill River Run. We helped with the set-up and I did various tasks, including driving the pace van and driving Big Al nuts. After the event MaryE helped getting the food served and I went onstage upstairs in the Grange hall to help Al give out the awards. After the ceremonies we left Montague Center at 12:30 to head back to Greenfield. I got home and changed into my bike gear and then drove over to the shop. Waiting for me at the shop was Steve Power, Curt, Jeff, Jamie, Hammerhead Harold, Socks, Michelle, Doug Favreau, and Will Kraham. After the usual gear preparations it was time to ride. It was 45 degrees when we left the shop and although it was sunny, there was a fairly stiff wind blowing. Our plan was to do 40 to 50 miles via Northampton and then back to Montague, if time allows. We rode down to Deerfield via RT. 5&10 with myself in the lead which I quickly relinquished as soon as we got to Old Main Street. We formed a double pace line down to Mill Village Road where Will, Doug and Jeff did the lions share of the work into a wicked cross wind. Most of the riders got to do at least a short pull on the front as we made our way to the climb up the hill to Lee Road. The climb proved to be a challenge for the group and we got pretty strung out. Jamie was not feeling well and he dropped off at the bottom of the hill. After the turn onto Lee Road I noticed that Jamie wasn't with us so I dropped back to ride with him. Jamie said that he was feeling poorly and for me to go on, but I convinced him to stay with it and told him to take the shorter route down to So. Mill River Road. After I left Jamie, I headed up the hill to rejoin the group waiting at the stop sign. We paused briefly before heading down the hill to try to catch Jamie. We rode at a steady pace down to Whatley where we finally caught up with Jamie on the hill to the Whatley Glen. After catching him we all headed off towards Whately Center. At this point, Will Jeff and Doug were powering the pace line and when we got to the hill into town, the group got strung out. On the next hill I sprinted up ahead and told Jeff, Will, Steve, Harold and Doug to keep going and we would follow as best we could. I then dropped back and we settled into a more reasonable pace. Jeff's group was a ways ahead of us but we could see them on the long straight sections of the road. We followed them all the way down to Northampton and caught up with them just after the turn onto Elm Street in Hatfield. With the whole group together again, we headed to River Road. The wind was howling directly at us after we left the shelter of the town of Hatfield and this was reflected in a dramatic drop in our speed. We went from a 20 mph pace on the way south, to barely 17 mph in some spots as we headed back north. We struggled to keep the group together for the trip to South Deerfield and at times we slowed the pace to keep everyone in the group. When we got to South Deerfield, I did my magic trick to make the red light turn to green just as I arrived. (Ok, so I'm color blind, I just thought they moved the green one to the top of the light) When we got to Sugarloaf Street I stayed at the front for the pull into town. We took turns for the ride up North Main Street and when we got back to Mill Village Road, I noticed that Jamie was missing. I told the group to continue on and I turned around to head back across the highway. After reaching the railroad bridge and I still could not see Jamie, I assumed that he had turned around to head for home. At this point I turned around and took off to try to catch up with the group. When I got back to Mill Village Road I was hit with a fierce headwind and I had to really work hard to get 13 mph. I pushed on and eventually I caught up with Socks. Socks got right behind me and I pulled him along for a little way before I realized that he had fallen off the pace that I set. I slowed up a bit and he got back on, but he was cooked. I stayed with Socks until we got to Greenfield where I spied a trio of riders up ahead. I dropped Socks and went on to catch up with Curt, Michelle and Ron Johnson just as we got to the turn onto Washington Street. As we made our way onto High Street I again took the lead with Curt and Michelle right behind me. We got back to the shop where we all shared New Year's refreshments and good cheer. With the weather that we have been having lately I think that we will be doing many more road rides this winter. It was a great ride and we ended up with a little better than an 18mph average for the 40 miles that we did.

Once again, I performed my New Years Eve ritual of resetting my odometer at midnight. From late October to the end of the year, most of my riding was on the mountain bike which doesn't have a computer on it, so the final tally only reflects road miles.

I surpassed my 2004 goal by a whopping 1.6 miles. I've decided that I don't really want to have a mileage goal this year, I'd rather have a goal of just generally performing better. I'd like to get a lot more serious about training even this early in the year, so I can move into the Spring with enough miles on so I can at least keep up.

With that in mind, I've been hitting the trainer on just about every night that I don't ride. I only do a 1/2 hour or so of easy spinning, but even this should help over the long run.

January 1 Distance - 40 miles Average - 18.7 Temp - ~45° Ending Mileage - 40

What an abnormally warm day for January! It was 45 degrees as we headed out an a relatively flat 40 mile ride. The group today consisted of Bob, Michelle, Jamie, Harold, Jeff, Steve, John, Will and Doug. With all the riding I've been trying to do, I was thinking (hoping) that this would be a very strong ride for me, but even as we hit the first small climb on Lee road, I knew I wasn't doing as well as I had hoped. I fell off the back of the group as we crossed over Rte 91, then pushed to catch back on. I thought I was the only straggler, but then Bob turned to roll past me to go fetch somebody else I couldn't see. It turns out we had dropped Jamie at the bottom of the hill. Bob went back to fetch him and send him on an alternate route that cut a bit of the climbing off. We all waited at the four-way stop for Bob to return, then headed down to cross Rte 116.

We set a pretty good pace toward Whately. The group split a few miles North of the village, but those of us in the back didn't put too much of an effort into playing catch-up. We didn't bring things back together until we turned East to cross the Highway and head into Hatfield.

It was a long run North on River Rd. A few riders were really staring to tire and the group kept getting stretched apart. It was a struggle, but we managed to slow the front riders a bit (finally by just dropping off until they noticed we were gone and eased up).

I let my mass speed my down the drop into the farmlands South of Old Deerfield, running out the bottom of the hill at 22mph. As things flattened out, I eased back on the speed but then Jeff took the front and brought it back up to 23+. I decided that this wasn't good for me so let the group pull away. I knew that Bob, John and Jamie were somewhere behind me so figured riding back with them would be more reasonable. Michelle saw me drop off and let up to ride with me. We worked together back into town, where Bob caught us on Hope Street. He had tried to pull John with him, but he was just too burnt to stay on Bob's wheel.

We rolled back to the shop and finished drinking all the available beer just as Jamie pulled into the parking lot.

Sunday 1-2: Whew! With another hard but productive work day at Wendell under our belts, the gang and I indulged in a well-deserved post work ride. With us we had Jack, Mark, Harold, Matthew, Howard (of Petersham fame), and myself. We started from the Ranger station on Wendell road, took

the main road into the park and quickly found ourselves climbing the "Trail to the Lookouts" blue blaze trail. What a nice and fairly challenging trail. We stopped along the way to do some ill-advised and, I must admit, failed rock work-we've haven't mastered that trail building skill...yet. We found ourselves near the top of Jerusalem Hill Road made a left and then a right back onto the second half of the trail of the lookouts. About midway up, this trail merges with the M&M and soon deposited us at the famed lookouts (though this trail requires a few hike a bikes, all in all-it's a must ride-I like it a lot-and the payoff at the top, wow!). It's a wonderful westward view-we rode the M&M back down to near the bottom of Jerusalem Rd (a great singletrack descent, I must say)-and then began the lung and leg busting climb back up Jerusalem Road...and then down Jerusalem Road to where we started. From here we rode down Wickett Pond Road to the beginning of the old race course trails (built by us!!!)-it's actually fairly challenging! And then we rode the second half of that trail (through the accursed laurel and bog) all the way to Saxton Bridge Rd. We dropped down, down , down Saxton Br. Rd to the bottom of Baker Rd-a long abandoned steep, rocky jeep trail and once again found ourselves grinding up another killer hill. Once atop we began the descent on the trail we had just built. The soil was grabby like all new trails are and a little pokey feeling, but on the whole I ( and I hope we) was quite pleased with the feel of the new, raw single track trail. The path through the laurel rode surprisingly smooth (again, thanks guys). Once back on Wicket Pond Rd we high-tailed it back to the cars, and drove home to our adoring families and refrigerators full of cold beer! Good day for Mountain biking and Bikers, I'd say.

Liam

Tuesday, January 4th: Coke Plant With :Bob, Steve, Mike, Michelle and Patrick

Bob almost didn't have much of a ride, as an SUV-driving, cell phone-talking blonde almost turned him into road kill before we even got to the trails.

There was no snow cover on the trails tonight. It was also too warm for ice, except in some sheltered areas. We tried to avoid the most muddy of the trails as we headed in the red-dot trail to five points, then up the Secret trail. After a short regroup at the Water tank, we headed out to the power lines and picked our way down to Red Rock.

As I pulled up to Red Rock, Bob pointed out that my bar light was turning yellow. It had never died on a ride before, so I must not have plugged it in properly to charge it. I shut it off and continued on with just my helmet light.

The Chute was a real white-knuckle ride tonight. It was clear of leaves and snow, but had a thin layer of slippery mud on top. I was 100% sure I was going to end up going OTB, but by some miracle managed to ride it out without incident. There wasn't much joy on the Hill of Doom tonight. I was first in line, but slipped on a root at the halfway point. This same area did in most of the other riders.

From there we headed to Jack's pond, up streambed, then out Deer Run. I rode halfway up Stinger then stopped to get some video footage of the other riders on the climb before we all headed down to five points and out the way we entered.

Tuesday 1/06/05: It was another unseasonably warm day today with bright sun and no wind. I decided to take some time off and head out for a road ride. I left the shop at 1:30 and did a 25 mile ride down to South Deerfield. I rode down to River Road via the usual route and then headed south at a pretty mellow pace. When I got to RT. 116 I decided to just stay on the highway and ride over to RT. 5&10 where I took a left and headed north. I kept a steady 20 mph pace for most of the way back to Greenfield and I ended up the ride with a 18.9 mph average. It was really nice to get out for a ride on a 45 degree day in January and I hope to get a few more of these in this winter. After the ride I got back to work and then headed home to change for the night ride.
I got back to the shop at 5:55 and there waiting for me was Curt, Mike, Steve, Michelle, and Patrick Heider. It was 41 degrees out when we left and I was just wearing a couple of long sleeved jerseys and tights along with my winter boots. We left the shop to head over to the RT. 2 crossover and the trails. We rolled down the sidewalk to the traffic lights at Silver Street and as I got to the traffic lights I noticed that there was a lady in a white SUV waiting for the light to turn. I approached and looked her straight in the eye then rode into the crosswalk. I was directly in front of her when suddenly her car lurched forward at me. She must have seen me because she screeched to a stop just inches before making me into a rather charming hood ornament. After that near death experience I led the group over to Gill Road and followed them to the highway. I was the first to ride over the bridge across the Stinkhole, but when I got to the other side my front wheel fell into a rut caused by a motorcycle. Apparently the motorcyclist spun out and created a large hole which I fell into. Steve and Mike tried to go around me but the ice was not thick enough and they fell into the water. Although a little wet; they continued on and soon we were all at the truck turnout. We decided to skip the swamp tonight due to the recent rains and instead we crossed the brook and headed for Five Points. At Five Points we decided to ride up the Ridge Trail to the Secret Trail. Curt and I led the way up to the Secret Trail where I dropped to the back to ride sweep. I kept a steady pace all the way to the top where I passed Patrick and Mike, who had spun out on the steep hill near the top of the trail. When they got to the top we paused for a moment to let them catch their breath. When they were all set we rode over to the power lines behind Curt and Steve. When we got to the power lines we were met with a muddy mess caused by the motorcycles and the log skidder from an earlier logging operation. Curt and Steve rode down the hill and they got bogged down in mud that was the consistency of wet cement. I was next and I faired no better although I got a little further up the hill than they did. Michelle and Mike also got caught in the quagmire. The only one to make it all the way over the hill was Patrick. At the top of the hill, Patrick waited for me to catch up and then I led the group down the muddy/icy hill to Red Rock. We decided to give the Chute a try since the road would be such a muddy mess that we would end up walking for most of it. Good choice! I followed Curt down the Chute (which he and Michelle had raked a few weeks ago.) and we had no problems. We then headed over to the Hill of Doom. I was able to ride up to the section of trail that has roots across it but Curt had fallen and Steve was walking on the only viable path across the roots. I vainly tried to ride over the roots but lack of momentum and trying to make the turn at the same time I arrived at the roots, caused my wheel to slid along and I quickly dismounted. At the top of the hill we re-grouped before heading down the hill to Jack's Pond. We rode past the pond and then headed up the Streambed Trail to Deer Run. We took Deer Run all the way to Stinger, where Curt took some video of the climb. It is somewhat hard to see the riders but if you look you will be able to make out some of us. I was able to ride up the hill without any difficulty. After I made it to the top I was joined Patrick who also made it all the way up and we waited for Michelle, who was the last one to ride up the hill. At this point it was getting late so I led the riders down the hill to Five Points and then out to the Coke Plant. Curt then took the lead as we rode the Lillian Street Trails back to the crossover, After Curt missed the turn I led Steve and the rest of the crew back across the bridge (which I was able to ride over since I knew that there was a hole there). We rode across the highway and then back to the shop. It was a really nice ride and a real bonus given that it is early January and we still have no snow.

Saturday 1/8: Today was another snowy day, the second one this week. The shop was not very busy with customers, so I was spent my time ripping my Razorback apart to replace the swingarm bearings. I had my hands full with that and

answering the phone so I did not see how much snow was falling outside. At five o'clock I took a look out the back door and I saw that there was quite a bit of snow, so I decided to go out to clean the walk. When I got outside to shovel the front I was amazed at the amount of snow we got in such a short amount of time. By the middle of the afternoon I decided to close the shop and go out snowshoeing. Liam had called and said that Gina wanted to go out for a hike, so I made arrangements for her to meet me at my house. MaryEllen and Sue Putnam also were planning on going with us so when I got home the three of them were waiting for me. Before we left, Eddie mentioned that he would enjoy a hike as well, so I got his leash and he and I headed for the porch. Eddie declined to use snow shoes so I put mine on. While I was getting Eddie ready the girls were out on the porch getting their gear together. After Everyone was set, we were on our way to the trail. We headed down my street and then up the hill to

Rocky Ridge. We hiked up the hill behind the nursing home and then up the steep climb to the Blue Dot Trail. Everyone, including Eddie, did very well on the new powder and we all made good progress up to the ridge. I stopped several times to take pictures on the way and I will post them all on the web.

We hiked along at a pretty good clip, stopping to enjoy the view as we came upon the many lookout points. Eddie was in his glory even though he was on the leash, he would run up and down the trail sniffing every stump as he went by. We hiked up the last hill and out onto the rocks overlooking town where I took a couple of shots of the girls on the bench. I hiked over to the tower with Eddie with the girls following shortly afterwards. We met up with Carl and his two dogs who were just finishing up their hike. All of us headed down the hill from the tower to the White Dot Trail where we took a left and Carl continued on to the parking lot. We hiked down the White Dot Trail for a little way before we stopped to rest briefly. Eddie was starting to get tired so I sent him on ahead with Gina and ME while I hiked the rest of the trail with Sue. MaryEllen and Gina were waiting for us at the chimney and I then took over the leash. Eddie and I then finished the run down the hill and back out to the street. Eddie and I went on ahead across the street where I slowed the pace to let the girls catch up and then we all hiked back to our house. It was a great night to be out and everyone seemed to enjoy the weather and the hike.

I registered, and got ready to ride. My race came up pretty quickly, and I was thinking about strategy…sport is more about planning and being smart, unlike beginner, which you can pretty much hammer the entire way. I didn’t want to come out too hard (which is my tendency) and then bonk and slip way back. All the sport women started together, which made for about 20 or so riders. Off the start, we had to cross the parking lot, take a sharp left hand turn, and then enter the Long Loop (those of you who have been out to McDowell will know what that is). I took the turn and was about the 5^th rider back, which I was comfortable with. The pace was very high until we hit some climbing which I remembered clearly from the 24 hour race. I honestly suck at long climbs, so I was quickly passed by two or three riders (most of us didn’t have our legs marked because many people were wearing knee warmers, so I couldn’t tell who was in my age bracket as they passed me). By the middle of the long loop, I was convinced I was in 5^th place out of 5 for my age group. Nevertheless, the trail was very predictable and I knew when to throw it into my big ring and pound, and when to conserve. I finished the dreaded Long Loop, and then it was on to the gradual climbing of the Sport Loop (which I probably like the least of all the race loops there, because the beginning is killer).

Sunday 1-9: I sent out an email about the snowshoe hike today and the plan was to do a hike at the Coke Plant. At 11:00 I got a phone call from Walter, inviting us up to his house for a ski/hike and dinner. I agreed and then set about calling some people while he called on others. I went over to the shop at 1;00 with Eddie, MaryEllen and Jen. Soon after we arrived, Michelle drove in and I told her of the change of plans. She then headed for Walters and I followed shortly after. When we arrived at the parking spot, Curt, Betsey, Michelle, Ant Penny, Rae and several others waiting for us. After a brief visit to the house, we got our gear together and headed out for the trails. (I decided to let Eddie run, off leash, to see how he would do without restraint.) Curt, Walter and Katherine decided to use their cross country skis while the rest of us used snowshoes. I followed the group from behind Walters house and snapped some photos of the hikers as they headed up the trail. You can view some of the photos that I took. We hiked up the hill to the ape swing where we stopped to wait for ME, Penny and Rae. When they got up to top of the hill, Penny and Rae decided to head back, so we said goodbye to them and then we continued on. Eddie was having a great time running up and down the trails. He seemed to enjoy the freedom of not being leashed. We hiked through the really beautiful trail system that Walter and his neighbors have built for hikers, skiers, and MTB riders. The group kept a pretty good pace up for a mile or so before we stopped to rest. At this point, Eddie was getting tired so when we resumed the hike, I carried him for a few minutes. As we got near to the descent back to Walters, Curt took a longer less steep loop while Walter skied on ahead to get the food ready. I led the group through the pine forest and along the ridge overlooking Walters house. When we got to the steeper section, Eddie was done walking, so I had to pick him up and carry him back. He was pretty cold and was shivering even inside my jacket. I led the group down the hill and soon we were back inside the house, ready to enjoy the feast that Walter had provided us. It was a really good outing on nearly perfect snow. Most of the hikers were pretty tired and we all enjoyed the food and company before heading back to our homes.

Tuesday 1/11: I was not planning on doing a ride or snowshoe hike tonight due to predictions of bad weather, but I got several calls from people who wanted to do a hike so I agreed. I sent out an email and at 6:00 I had Jen, Michelle and Mike S., waiting for me and Eddie to do a hike to the Coke Plant. We loaded everyone into the van and headed over to the Coke Plant. Once there we got our shoes on and headed to the trails. I let Eddie run on ahead on the snowmobile tracks but when we got to the unbroken trail, poor Eddie was not able to walk through the snow pack. At the turn into the swamp, Michelle took the lead and broke trail all the way to the Butt. When we got to the stone wall Mike took the lead and we followed him out to Five Points. Eddie did pretty well following in the tracks of the other shoers and we made our way up the Ridge Trail and over to Luke. The trek up Luke was interrupted by a potty stop for Eddie. The group hiked on ahead whilst the little feller did his duty (fashionably off the trail, thank you very much) and when the deed was done we sprinted up the hill to the rest of the group. We made the trip over to Red Rock via the Crossover Trail. We then took Red Rock Road down the hill to Streambed Trail via Jack's Pond. After climbing Streambed, Eddie was starting to get tired, so we headed down Deer Run to the Mud Road. I took Eddie straight back to the van on the snowmobile tracks while the rest of the group went on a longer loop. It had started to snow lightly as we hiked along but it was beginning to sprinkle rain as Eddie and I got back to the van. Eddie hopped into the van and sat on my lap until the rest of the hikers returned. After stowing the gear we drove back to the shop and everyone left for home.

Sunday 1/16: For most of this last week we were inundated with bad weather. First it was warm temperatures and lots of rain, then it was cold and ice. I did not ride outdoors until today when at 2:00 I decided to go out and do a road ride on Ole Yeller. It was pretty cold and there was a breeze from the north so I was prepared for the worst. I bundled up and headed out from the shop and when I passed the bank the clock was showing 23 degrees. I rode down to Deerfield with the wind at my back and I was nice and toasty. I rode through Old Deerfield and then down North Main Street to Sugarloaf Street. After I got to the light at RT.116 I got hit with a strong wind from the northwest. My speed dropped to 17 mph and I struggled all the way to RT. 5&10 where I turned right and headed for Greenfield. The wind was coming right out of the north and blowing down the valley in my face, so my speed started dropping as fast as the temperature of my toes. I pushed hard all the way back to Greenfield and after the climb up Bank Row ( the usual route had lots of ice on the road) I coasted back to the shop. I was pretty chilly when I got there so I just jumped into the van and headed for a hot shower. I did 23 pretty tough miles and I was glad I did since I won't get to ride again until Thursday.

Submitted by Mac

1/21/04: "Flew in from Miami Beach BOAC, didn’t get to bed last night"…. Well sort of! We flew in from Hartford on Southwest and I did get some sleep last night, but not enough. The flight was pretty smooth and we actually landed early, but we ended up sitting on the tarmac for a half an hour waiting for our gate to open up. We got off the plane right on time and soon we were on the bus to The Villages in central Florida. When we got there my sister-in-law was waiting and whisked us off to her house. My bike box was waiting for me in the garage and I made quick work of putting it together. It was a really nice afternoon here with temperatures in the 60’s and a brisk wind. After I had it ready, I got dressed in shorts and a short sleeve shirt and then I set off to ride down to the bike shop in town and connect with some of the local riders. Mark, the owner of Village Cycles was there so I asked him if he could recommend a good 25 mile route for me to do. (Now this is a very good idea if you are traveling to an area where there is lots of construction going on. Even if you have been there before the roads may not be the same from year to year.) Mark directed me to a loop up near Lake Griffin and told me about some really nice sections of road and also pointed out that there were some tricky intersections to be ridden through. I hung out for a while to see if any of the regulars would show up, but none did so I thanked Mark and headed out to do the ride. I left the shop and headed across the highway to an area known as "the hills" to the local riders. These hills are a series of rollers with a couple of steeper sections thrown in for effect. I rode along at a steady 22 or so mph with the tailwind and I soon was riding around the lake. I had to stop a couple of times to check my map, not wanting to get lost out in the boonies of Florida. The roads were for the most part smooth and not too heavily traveled and I was able to find my way back to the highway crossing just 10 miles or so to the east of where I started. It was very difficult to find an opening in the traffic that would allow me to ride over to the left turn lane about 200 yards up the road, so I rode in the grass until I was just opposite of the turn and then I darted across when the traffic got lighter. This would be like crossing RT. 91 on a busy Sunday in the summer. After getting across the highway I was then on another pretty nice road that took me back to RT. 466 (another RT. 91 type roadway). I had to ride down this road for a mile or so before getting back to The Villages. The Villages is a golf cart community which means that every major street (and most side streets) have a golf cart lane in addition to the regular car lane. This is very nice for cyclists, because the cars all respect the cart lanes and the cyclists can easily keep up with or go faster than the golf carts, which means you can fly along at 20+ mph and not have to deal with cars. The only downside is that the cart lanes are not always that long so you often find yourself stopping every 5 or so miles, depending on traffic. I got back to the house with a 20 mile ride under my belt. With the traffic and wind I ended up with a 17 mph average; not too bad for the old duffer.

Friday 1/21: Today I met up with one of the guys that I rode with last year and we headed out from the recreation center at 10:00 in the morning. It was a nice day with the temps in the middle 60’s and a gentle breeze from the south. Jim, who was just back yesterday from a 5 day motorcycle trip to the Keys said that he was a little stiff from the trip, so he did not want to hammer. We headed out of The Villages towards the south at a moderate pace of 18 mph. I quickly recognized the route as one that I did last year. This route is the one that goes by the "doggie park"; which is a huge field with lots of open space for Fido to roam around in. It has tunnels and bridges for the pooches to play with as well as areas for doing the daily "business". It was crowded with lots of dogs of all sizes and you can hear them barking long before you get there. Jim and I pedaled past the park and then headed over to the open farm area where we were hit with a fairly brisk headwind. I rode at the front and we pedaled down through the farmlands to RT. 44 where we stopped at a Burger King restaurant. Thisis the usual spot for the local cyclists to refill water bottles as well as a regrouping spot for dropped riders. Jim and I re-fueled and then headed out to do the return leg of the trip. We rode down some fairly crappy roads that were pretty narrow and did not leave much room for a car and a bike, let alone two cars. After a short way we got onto a very nice road that was lined with Live Oak trees. The trees had a covering of Spanish moss that makes it like going through a tunnel. Very scenic! At this point, Jim was starting to stiffen up a bit so he got behind me to draft me the rest of the way back to the Villages. We rode together all the way back to where I had to turn to head for Joannie and Paul's house. Jim then headed off for home. We agreed to meet tomorrow for the club ride.

Saturday 1/22: It was a foggy morning here with the temps in the middle 50’s and no wind. I left the house at 8:50 to do the five minute ride to the start. I got over to the recreation center just before 9:00; as the riders were heading out of the parking lot. I jumped in the back of a group and quickly noticed that most of the riders were on hybrids or mountain bikes. I asked one of the riders if the faster riders had left already and he said that they had left about 5 minutes earlier and that they were just up ahead. I took off in the general direction of the club route as I had remembered it. I did a pretty good job of staying on course and when I was unsure; I would ask people who were out walking if the bikers had come by. For the most part the walkers would tell me that they just past, but a couple of times I came to an intersection without any walkers and I just guessed. Wrongly, as it turned out and I would have to turn around and begin the pursuit again. Eventually I caught up with a group and they told me that Paul and the rest of the guys had gone on a different loop. Since I had no idea of where they went, I decided to stay with the group that I was with. I rode with the group for a short way before the guy behind me mentioned that we were alone. It seems that the 22 mph pace was too quick for the group, so I slowed down and some of the riders caught back on. I tried to keep the group together but some of the guys dropped off to take a shorter loop to the regrouping spot. I ended up riding with 6 guys on some very nice roads to the south and east of The Villages. The roads were narrow by our standards, but they were not heavily traveled by cars and trucks (the preferred mode of transport around here). The ride led us out onto RT. 44 which is a highway similar to RT.91. The road had a nice surface and a wide breakdown lane, but with semi's and cars were whizzing by at 65 mph and that was a little un-nerving, but the guys do it all the time. I did the lion’s share of pulling on this road and we rode on a 3 ft breakdown lane for about 10 miles before getting into Wildwood Fl. When we arrived at a gas station that is the re-grouping point for this ride, there were some of the riders who we rode with earlier, waiting for us. We stopped briefly to see if any of them would be joining us, but not only did none of them want to join us, we lost two of the riders to their group. The four of us remaining, headed out to finish the last 15 miles back to The Villages. I rode at the front and kept a steady pace of 20 mph for the most part. We had to cross a couple of very busy highways and that got us split up briefly. I did a 28 mph chase a couple of times to bring me and Don back onto the other two riders. We were all together for the ride through Lake Sumner and the rip back to the Villages on the golf cart lanes. The ride ended at Panerier’s coffee shop where I connected with the "A Team", who were already having their coffee and pastry. There was about 30 riders or so at the shop and we took up the entire outdoor seating. There was only 4 riders from the "A Team" on the ride today and my group actually had a faster pace than they did. It seems that Günter and his boys were absent so the pace was slower. After a while the group thinned out and we chatted about doing a ride tomorrow. The temperatures are predicted to be in the middle 40’s; which is frigid for these parts. I had to beg the guys to consider a ride and several said that they would come out. We’ll see!!

Saturday, January 22, 2005. Bootleg Canyon Downhill MTB Race, Boulder City, Nevada. A couple weeks ago, I called my friend Tim who is on the downhill team that I "joined" at the end of last year. (Even though I still had not ridden a downhill bike!) I told him that I needed to get set up with the team and would like to do a race soon. He said, "great…there’s one next weekend in Boulder City." I said I was in…so, at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning, I set out for the drive up to Nevada. With almost no traffic and absolutely no cops in sight, I made it up to the Hoover Dam in about 4 ½ hours. First, I was excited just to be seeing the area…it is very beautiful, with high cliffs and deep canyons surrounding Lake Mead. Unlike anything we have back East! So back to the race…I was graciously offered to borrow a bike by one of the team members, Joel. When I saw it, I was stoked…a Foes Mono with 8 inches of front and rear travel!! Of course, in the realm of Joell’s bikes, this was probably her junky one, since she is a pro rider, but I was happy to have a real downhill bike to ride. I own my own helmet, so all I had to borrow were some pads and goggles, and I was set. I had heard some rumblings about Bootleg Canyon…very rocky, dangerous in places, etc. with absolutely no soft spots to land. Joell seemed a little concerned about me (and probably her bike), but I assured her that if it seemed too gnarly, I wouldn’t ride.

Anyways, I arrived at Boulder City (which is right over the Hoover Dam and about 30 minutes outside of Vegas), the sun was shining, and I went to meet the rest of the team. I drove up the dusty road, staring at the mountain and wondering if I could meet the challenges of the day (considering I had not even ridden the bike yet…even around the street, and that the venue was new). I quickly met the team and we prepared to go up to the top for our first practice run. I kind of relished all the attention, since there aren’t too many (straight) girls in downhill…so I was kind of a novelty around the pits and other riders. I suited up in my gear (which makes me look like a forward for the Bruins), and sucked up the nerve to get on the shuttle. We hooked our bikes over the edge, and immediately, I felt the weight difference compared to my XC bikes…the Foes weighs in at about 44 pounds! The shuttled bounced its way up the mountain road and stopped at a parking area near the top. Directly in the distance, I looked out and saw what looked like a big city. I naively asked, "Is that Las Vegas?" and then realized what a ridiculous question it was…of course it was Vegas! It was cool to see it from so high up.

We got off the shuttle and had to hike our bikes up about another 300 feet on a twisty, steep mountain goat trail…by the time we got to the top, I already felt like I had a workout. By the time I looked down at the trail (and said, "are you sure that’s it?" with much trepidation in my voice), I felt like I wanted to pee my pants! It was steep, sandy/rocky, with nowhere to go but down. Part of me felt exhilaration, though, as I was about to challenge myself and do something I never thought I’d be doing. Some of the people riding intermediate (sport) decided to stick together and take it slow, inspecting the trail as we went. There were a few sharp turns, huge jutting rocks, and lots of drops. I walked a couple sections, thinking I would never be able to do them. We came to a 3-4 foot drop off which had a very steep and rocky approach (sketchy!!), and the team leader, Seth, just told me to lean back and roll down it…I said "maybe next time". The drop was at 90 degrees. The rest of the trail was not bad at all…high speed, twisty, but not really rocky or scary. I finished the first run with a total rush, glad that I didn’t biff anywhere. We decided to take a break and eat, then go up and take another run.

On run #2, I was determined to make everything, including the roller drop. I did well on the nasty first section, picking a good line, but there was one large step down that I didn’t do. I got to the roller, and Seth asked if I was going to do it…I thought, and chickened out. The rest of the run was smooth, and I was again happy that I really pushed it and didn’t biff, fall, go endo, or even bobble. We had one more run, and I set my sights on the roller drop…again, I cleared the top (except for the step down), and as I approached the roller, my brain went into riding mode…I leaned way back off the seat and let the front end go. I was amazed that the suspension sucked up the drop, and I rolled out of it…that is a great feeling, let me tell ya! I finally cleared it, and had a super run at the bottom. I finished the day feeling confident and energized. The team went out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Carlos’s and then finished the night with spirits at Milo’s, listening to bluegrass and hanging out. We were all excited for day #2…the race! (Submitted by Stephanie)

Sunday 1/24: Having missed the "A Team" yesterday, I made sure that I was early arriving at the recreation center today. I showed up at 8:45 to find Günter Baatz and Paul Guertin waiting for me. They were in the parking lot chatting about some freewheel that they had found at a flea market. Soon after I arrived, Mark rode in and we all hung around for a couple of minutes before we decided to head out. It was a pretty chilly day for these parts, with temps in the 40’s and a really strong wind blowing out of the north. The boys figured that none of the other riders would be showing up so we decided to head out. Our plan was to do the 40 mile Günter loop and we were planning on keeping an 18 mph pace. We left the recreation center and headed out of The Villages on the golf cart path. I rode at the front for most of the way while we were still in the confines of the villages. The wind was pretty brisk and I was pretty chilled for the first 5 or so miles. After we left The Villages, there wasn’t any shelter and the wind was blowing right at me. I kept up a 20 mile or pace for the next few miles before pulling off. We rode out past the Doggie Park and took a left onto CR 104 which took us out into the farm land to the south. This was nice because we had a tailwind and that pushed us along at a 23 mph pace for the most part. Günter and I took turns on this road and we soon were at the turn to the west and into the wind again. At this point we were hammered by really strong winds blowing across the open fields. It was a challenge to keep a 17 mph pace into that. At some point Günter decided to take another route which was a little shorter but most importantly, went down through a swamp road that was lined with live Oak trees. These are the huge trees that you see covered in Spanish Moss and they provided us with an excellent wind break. I had the boys stop at the end of the road to let me take some photos. They were cooperative but after the photo shoot we were quickly back on the bikes. We headed to the east and we got a boost from a tailwind and our average went back up again. We were back in the open farm country which exposed us to the winds which seemed to change direction every few miles. We pushed hard for the next 12 miles with everyone taking a pull at the front. But as the miles piled on, Paul started to fade and Günter had to drop back to pull him up. We eased the pace a bit as we rolled back into The Villages. Mark pulled off at his house while Paul, Günter and I headed back to the recreation center. It was a nice ride and we all enjoyed the effort.

Monday 1/24: Today was my last day in Florida, which means that I had to get in a ride, then pack my bike back into the bike box, as well as hang out and drink beer. Pretty tough day if you ask me! It was still pretty chilly by Florida standards when I got up, with the temps in the middle thirties, so I hung out at the house until it warmed up. Around 10:00 I went out to the patio to see how warm it was getting. While I was wandering around in the back yard, MaryEllen came out and was looking at the lawn furniture. It had rained last night and when she moved the cushion she found a very un-Florida object there. I like visiting other regions of the country because I get to meet new people and see exotic creatures that live there. When we first got here I went out and satin the back yard to read and enjoy the warm weather. While I was sitting there my new friend Pepe came out of his brick house and was running around the patio. I had fun watching Pepe play with his gecko buddies and I have included his picture to the right. Pretty cute, eh? While I was hanging around in the back yard with Pepe, I called some of the guys to see if any of them wanted to do a ride. None of them were available, so I decided to get off my duff and head out for a ride. I did a loop through the neighborhoods to the south which eventually led me out to the Doggie Park. I took CR 101 all the way out to highway 44 and then I rode down the highway to CR 104. Riding on the highway is somewhat nerve wracking as the cars and semi's are flying past you at a fairly high rate of speed. I rode on the highway breakdown lane for about 5 miles before turning onto CR 104 and heading back into the country. I enjoyed the 55 degree day and pedaled all the way back to CR 101 at the Doggie Park. After completing the loop I then headed back to Joanne's house to start packing. It was a nice 25 mile ride at 18 mph and it will be the last road ride for at least a month, since we got socked with a blizzard back home.

Wednesday 1/26: Having just arrived from sunny Florida yesterday, I decided to get right back into the spirit of living here in the northeast. It was a balmy 15 degrees outside and there was about 20 inches of snow so I decided to head out for a snowshoe hike. Joining me tonight for a trip to the ridge was Helen, MaryEllen and Jen and El Presidenté himself. Liam was running a little late so I sent the girls out to do the ridge ahead of us. When Liam arrived he got dressed and soon we headed out to catch up with the girls. We huffed it up the hill to the ridge where we found the tracks from the girls. We kept a steady pace and we finally caught up with them at Poet's Seat. We hiked down the hill to the White Dot Trail with the girls and when we got to the turn onto the trail Liam and I hiked on ahead. This trail had a fresh cover of snow from yesterday's snowfall which made it a very nice hike. When Liam and I got to the end of the trail, we took a right and headed down the Red Dot Trail. We hiked along until we saw the lights from the girls headlamps coming down the trail above us. We then climbed up the hillside and we ended up about a hundred yards behind them. We hiked down the trail until we caught up with them at the end of the trail. We all then headed off to hike back down to the shop. The hike took about 1-1/2 hours and was a good workout for everyone.

Thursday 1/27: Tonight I scheduled a snowshoe hike to the Coke Plant and when 6:00 rolled around it was me Jen and Mike S who loaded up the van and headed over to the parking spot. I was really cold tonight with the temps in the -20's and a light wind blowing. We parked at Main Street Millwork and got our shoes on in short order and began the hike. I led the way through some knee deep snow drifts until we got to the snowmobile tracks. The snow was pretty soft and the trails were not heavily used but we made it over to the Hill of Doom in just a few minutes. I led Jen and Mike down the hill and took some photos of the hill covered in snow. We hiked over to The Chute where I led the way up the hill. I took some shots of the climb as we huffed it up the hill. The light, fluffy snow was at places hip deep but I was able to push through it. It was tough going and I was pretty spent when I got to Red Rock. After a brief stop we headed up the Crossover Trail to Luke which was lightly traveled by someone on snowshoes. Jen and Mike hiked down the hill ahead of me and I took some more photo's alone the way. At then end of Luke we took the Ridge trail over to Five Points where we rested briefly before heading on. Mike led us down the Mud Road and when we got to the Water Tank Road I asked Jen and Mike whether they were up for more climbing or did they want to stay on the flat road. Both Jen and Mike said they wanted to go up the hill, so we headed up. When we got to Deer Run we took a right to hike over to the Streambed Trail. The snow was pretty deep but Mike and Jen were able to plow right through it without any troubles. We finished up the hike by retracing our route from Jacks Pond over to the top of The Hill of Doom and then back to the parking spot.

Sunday 1/30: Today I scheduled a snowshoe hike at Wendell State Forest for 1:00 in the afternoon. It is still too early to get out on the bikes so snowshoeing will be our activity for the near future. I drove over to the shop at 12:30 and was met there by Sue O'Connor, Billy Bieda, Aunt Helen and Yoga Bob. MaryEllen drove Helen, Bob and Jenn in her car following Eddie and I in the van over to Wendell. When I got there we were met by Mike S., Sam and Norm, Hammerhead, DR. Bill and Nurse Nancy. When we were ready to go Brian took a photo of the group and we headed out for the trails. Before we left the parking lot I took Brian aside and asked him if the ice on the pond was safe. He assured me it was, and I told him that I was going to take the group out to the island. After I chatted with Brian, Eddie and I had to hoof it to catch up with the group, as they started out whilst I was talking to Brian. We caught up with and then passed everyone on the sled hill. Eddie was having a grand time playing with the kids as they walked back up the hill. I walked Eddie down to the lake where we re-grouped. Most of the group wanted to do a mellow hike so we decided to split up. Harold headed off to do a hike on our new MTB trails with Norm, Sam, and Mike, while I led the rest of the hikers on the loop around the pond. We took the trail near the ice rink and as soon as we got on the trail I let Eddie run free. Eddie was running between me and the group behind for a little ways on the trail, but it soon became evident that he was getting in the way so I dropped to the back of the pack and Eddie hiked with me, Bill and Nancy. The group got pretty strung out on the trail and we only caught up with the main bunch when the stopped for directions. After giving the route to the pack, they headed off ahead of Bill, Nancy and me. As you can see from the photo to the left, the trail got lots wider when we left the hiking trail and got out on the snowmobile trail. Once we got on the wider trail Eddie went wild running between the groups. He was having lots of fun until the snowmobiles came along and he nearly got hit. After that I put Eddie back on the leash and we continued to the next intersection. At this point the group was waiting for Bill, Nancy and me to arrive to pick the next trail. Bill and Nancy said that they were ready to head back to the start, so I gave them directions and then headed out with the remaining group. We hiked up to the start of the MTB trails where we stopped for a photo. Sue and Billy were getting tired so MaryEllen offered to hike back with them and Eddie. The remaining three hikers then followed me out on the new MTB trails. We made short work of the loop out to Baker Road and then we returned on Damon Camp road to the start. From there we retraced our route back to the hiking trail. When we got to the hiking trail, I led the hikers down to the edge of the pond where I decided to make a loop out on the pond and then take the trail on the other side back to the Ranger Station. Helen was a little skeptical and I assured her that the ice was safe. I told her that all she had to do was follow my trail and she would be OK. I walked on ahead of Helen, Bob and Jenn by about 30 yards. Helen mentioned that there was some open water near the shore, but I assured her that all was OK. I mean, after all, would I go out on unsafe ice? Never!! I took two more steps and the next thing I knew, my left leg plunged through the snow and disappeared into the pond. I quickly went into survival mode. I yelled to the group to go straight to shore and then I began to access my situation. I pulled my leg quickly out of the water and got prone on the snow. I moved to the shore a few feet before getting back up on my feet. All the while I was thinking of "how quickly can I get snowshoes off while under water?" or "can I swim with snowshoes on?". Fortunately I did not have to do either of those scenarios and I hope I never will. At this point my left leg was soaking wet, so I headed back to shore and then down the trail. I did take a short cut across the pond at the ice rink, but even that was a little sketchy as there was a spot near the ice rink where a snowmobile fell in and there was still some slush in the hole. After getting back to shore I met up with Sam and Mike who were hiking down the trail. The six of us then headed back up the hill to the start. I ran most of the way, mainly to keep warm, and was met near the top of the hill by Eddie and MaryEllen. I went over to the van and got my shoes off while the rest of the group did the same. After getting our gear into the van Eddie and I headed back to the shop. It was a nice hike on a beautiful winter day.