Lost Minds, Horse Poop, Undies & Broken Chains

Got up the mountain with D-POW today, or did D-POW get up the mountain with me? Either we were riding the mountain. Of course he was riding it 5 minutes ahead of me, but we were STILL riding together. Annnnnnyway, the plan was to ride from 31, to the Springs, check out a new trail, ride some of the 24 hour course, and then hit the forest road loop for about 40 mile ride.

As I readied my bike, I reached for my bottles to put on the bike, DOH!!! Sweet-mother-of-bull-poop!! I left them in the fridge!! Oh well, at least I have water in my pack. So off we went towards Seven Springs.

We rode Fire Tower over but then when we hit 7-Springs Don went ahead a bit, and foiled the plan to head up to the middle lot and ride Horse Poop. When I caught up and mentioned this he insisted that we take a taint rubber of a service road up and ride it. Curse him. So we poked around and found the entrance to the trail. For the life of me I never would have thought there was a trail there, and the first 100 yard were tall weeds and brush scratching my skin in attempts to let my newly anti-coagulated blood spew forth 80's pro wrestler style. Luckily that didn't last long and we enjoyed the rocks and roots of Horse Poop Trail. Very nice PA style single track. Rocks, dirt, roots, a couple bermed turns.

With the added climbs, having just rode the loop, and me with just water, I made the decision to cut out the other 10 miles of single track and just do the big loop. My mind is all over the place these days and just wasn't "feeling it" today. We continued on.... After we went down... down..... down... Nea'ls Run Road to some pavement then up to that gravely bitch Longwood. God I hate that road. Don crushed it. I spun like a lycra clad Augustus Gloop.

Rather than keep on the forest road, I suggested that we take a snow mobile trail that I'd seen before. That was a sort of OK idea. I guess they're grating the trail so there was mud, and deep tire ruts that made things interesting to say the least. Nice to have finally taken it after having had passed it a million times. Just another ride option.

Soon it was more gravel, more forest road, and more climbing. Once we made it back up to Pritts, we took a second and then readied to ride back via Jones. We went about 50 yards, I got up out of the saddle and PLING! My chain exploded. Great. Don looped back and we had a great exchange...

Do you have a quick link?
I think so. Y
ep here it is.
Do you have a chain tool?
Ahh, no. It's on top of the hot water heater in my basement. (I though that's where everyone kept their chain tool).

Just then an SUV with a couple bikes on it stops, and asks if we have everything we need. "Funny you should ask, do you happen to have a chain tool?" "Yes, yes I do." So the kind dude pulls over, get his chain tool for us, we get the chain going and were off. Thank you Mr. Chain Random Tool Guy. Thank you very much!

Then it was off to the 40 mph descent to the road (I only hit 38 before I started grabbing brake) and more miles to the car. We were almost back to the car when I saw something on the road. "UNDERWEAR!" I exclaimed, maybe a little too happily. I had been in sort of a drought in the underwear sighting dept., but this ride did not let me down.
I can't help but wonder what the ditched underwear sighting will be like in Michigan. Do they shed their gutchies as freely as folks here in WPA seem to? Hmmm. A left on some rooty single track to the car, and then off to the Six Pack shop for a yummy and delicious pepperoni roll. Of course Don felt the need to get some sort of pickled sausage that almost make me puke when I A.) Saw him eat it, and B.) Smelled it. I think the dude from the surprisingly slick looking, and surprisingly info packed, (If you like beef sticks, why does saying "like beef sticks" sound so gay?") website- Beef Stick Reviews, nailed it when he said "the smell of these devilish beasts is horrid. It's very much like a musty old dish rag that had already been used a hundred times with the last time wiping up some spilled vinegar." Mmmmmmmm.

So that was today's ride. Not that long at just over 30 miles, but we did hit some nice new single track, and I rode away with some more mountain ride memories to mentally pack and take with me this fall when we move to Michigan.

Later.