I Heart My Mountains.

I was supposed to race today. Didn't. Felt bad about it for about 2 hours, then said "phf*ck it." Spent too much much time in the car traveling to the home of Future Me and back this week, too much stress, and too much to do. But since not riding, and NOT getting as much climbing in as I can before October is just plain silly talk, I headed to the mountain with amigos Don and Aaron.

The one loop I had been working on the past couple weeks was a bit played to warrant doing again today, so I lead A&D (they actually lead, but I told them where to go) on a hilly ride that started from the Camp Run Pkg. lot off 381, headed up CRR a bit then cut across to Auckerman, then UP to Skyview and back down to 381. Then a short paved section to Felgar, and UP again to Laurel Mountain where we hit mostly snow mobile trails and a few rocky sections. Would have liked to have added more single track in, but I was fading up there and knew we still had to get back to the cars, which depending on who you asked, may have been 7,8, or 9 miles away at the time. LOL!

There were a couple hiccups to the ride. Don had a slow leak in his rear tire, Aaron had a side wall issue that Stan's did indeed seal up! (Stan is a saint!!) There was also my camera that jumped ship and needed tracked down, Aaron crashing on a loose rock downhill and into a hole of some sort at mile 41, and of course me being the slow guy of the group, that no doubt put a crimp in the speed of the ride. But I have to say this 45.5 mile ride with friends easily made my top five favorite rides of the past 2 years.

Today was one of those rides that I will surely miss the most once the fam and I head to Michigan. Not that there won't be great trails to explore, friends and race buddies to ride with, etc., But today was a ride that just sort of brought out the best of everything I love about riding in the mountains of WPA... Thousands of feet of total elevation gain, rocks, roots, big trees, ferns, gravel, long up hill grunts, and super fast both wheels off the ground for feet at a time (whether you want to or not) downhills. All held together by a few miles of pavement and time spent with teammates and friends.

Soon I will be forcing myself to embrace miles and miles of flat roads and gravel to get a fix in between adventures to new trail heads. I will be dealing (most likely) with a shorter riding season, snow and some fear of the unknown as both a rider and publisher. On occasion there will surely be times when thoughts of missing killer rides like today will anger or sadden me, but I hope and expect that more often than not I will look at the memories of these rides as some of the best times of my (cycling) life, and just be glad to have had the opportunity to roll my wheels over the mountains.

The mountains of WPA have been here for me when I thought myself a racer, and they didn't care at all when my racing ambition started fading, I got older, the pounds crept up and I got (even) slower. They have been here for me to ride, to enjoy and to blather on like a dirt worshiping heathen.

Don on some double track.

There is still a month or two of riding them left before the move, and yes, I will be back a few times a year to ride them when visiting friends and family, and yes, we could end up back here in the near future, but that doesn't change the emotion of losing the routine (for a least a bit) of enjoying something that has become "me". I'm not the smartest guy, it's debatable whether I'm the greatest husband, or the best dad (not for lack of trying). And even though I love riding my bike, I've never been "fast" or the best technical trail rider. But the enjoyment I've found via two wheels in the mountains alone, with friends, and even shared with readers in XXC Mag and here has slowly defined who I am. I like that. And while you may be able to take the mountain out of my mountain biking. You can not take it out of me. The zen of the mountain ride is where you find it. And even with the lack of mountains in Michigan I plan to keep it alive.

Aaron climbing Auckerman to Skyview (not leaking air or crashing).
Funny, that doesn't even look like a climb. Ohhh, but it be!!

Last week when Don and I were up Seven Springs, an old man stopped us to chat as we looked for Horse Poop Trail. He asked a couple questions about the 24 hour race that Seven Springs has, and commented on the amount of trails in the area. He then said something like... "These mountains are old. They've been around a long time, might as well use them, and enjoy them." I'm not going to pretend to know what the hell he meant exactly. But there was something about it that I dug. The way he said it, it was like he "got it." He didn't say "use them" in a cut down the trees, build condos, rape the land for coal and gas sort of way, but more in a way that said "they're old, but they can take it, and WANT to be used, and to be enjoyed."

USE THEM! They're there. They let you see things and do things that are amazing on so many levels. Hike 'em, bike 'em, ride your horse on them, ski them. They are an incredible gift.

OK, enough of this. There are many more miles to ride in the coming weeks, and new adventures in new places.

Later.

P.S.... I can guarantee you when Wifey reads this she thinks I was half in the bag or something. (I'M NOT! But sort of wish I was).