Halloween!

This past Saturday, being Halloween, was a big day here in Salem. And, Jean and I tried to spend as little time in Salem as possible. The great weather was a good excuse to spend some time on the trails, and we hit some of our favorites at Bradley Palmer/Willowdale.

Now, in recent years, we've had a pretty weak showing for kids coming to the house begging for candy. I figured that this year, we'd skip buying candy altogether (it used to just end up going to work with us). So, when we were driving through our neighborhood, and we saw just under a million kids trolling the streets, I knew I had made an error in judgment. So, yep, in the house with no lights on until they were all gone!

I decided to head in to downtown to see how the festivities were going, and I've got to say, it was pretty amazing. I usually stay as far away from the madness as possible, but this year I grabbed my camera and went into the belly of the beast. Being able to roll through traffic on a bike was key. Anyway, the crowds were huge but fairly orderly, and some of the costumes were movie quality. I posted some of the pics on Facebook.

I didn't stay too long though--I wanted to finish getting my shizzo together for the race on Sunday...

Racing Across the Silver Screen

Saw "Race Across The Sky," last night. In case you don't know, that's a documentary about this past year's Leadville 100 Trail Race (mountain bike race), in which Lance Armstrong dethroned 6-time winner, Dave Wiens.

How was it? It was pretty damn good. The movie was a little over the top at times--Lance riding solo, climbing up the Columbine Pass, clouds parting, mythical classical music playing, gods and demons locked in an epic battle for the souls of humanity...

On the other hand, Lance was, well, Lance, and he crushed the race. No disrespect to Wiens, who is himself an amazing athlete, but Lance is a different breed of human. Wiens did come in second, which is also an incredible accomplishment, and more than my feeble body will handle.

I think the unsung hero of the race though, was Matt Shriver, who drove the pace in the first part of the race--splintering the field. He eventually dropped back to 5th but was able to come back up to third. Wow.

Check out the trailer!

I love cyclocross--part 3

This morning I awoke to metaphorically stand at a fork in the road. It was just before 6:00am, Sunday, and it was in the 30's and raining outside.

On the one side was my bed. My nice warm bed. It was still dark outside, so logically, I should go back to sleep. My wonderful wife was soundly sleeping, and what could be better than snuggling up to her on this cold, dark, rainy morning. I had 100lbs of dogs at the foot of the bed too-which serve as de facto heaters. They'd like me to go back to sleep too. I could sleep in, then have a relaxing morning, leisurely enjoy my coffee, and slowly embrace the day.

On the other side was a race. A cyclocross race. Sure, I had just raced yesterday, and I certainly had some fatigue in the legs, but the cyclocross season is short, and with me working some weekends, I want to hit as many races as I can. If I opted to race, I'd have to pack my stuff into the car, drive an hour, then race for nearly an hour in temps just above freezing, with wind, rain and MUD. In addition to the hour's drive, and the effort of racing, I'd also have plenty of bike cleaning ahead of my should I choose to race. My bike, would no doubt, be caked in mud and crud, not to mention my clothes that would probably not be recognizable. It was an awful lot of work...and for what? To push myself to the brink of passing out to finish somewhere in the middle of the pack?

You know how I chose.

The drive to Wrentham was uneventful but very wet. Unfortunately, I mis-read my directions and went the wrong way off the highway. This detour set me back by only about 15 minutes, but the clock was ticking.... I hadn't pre-registered and registration closed 30 minutes before start time. I missed the deadline by about 10 minutes. I threw myself on the mercy of the race officials and the let me sign up. That was the good news. The bad news was that I had about 15 minutes to get my bike, get changed, and get to the start line. To hell with warming up!

I ran back to my car and changed faster than Superman in a phone booth (remember phone booths?).

I got to the start line in just enough time to stand, shivering in the cold rain, for 5 minutes or so. I hadn't pre-ridden the course so I had no idea what I was in for. I hadn't warmed up except for my run to the car, and I was wondering how deep of a hurt I'd be in because of my race yesterday. Oh, and because I was the last person to sign up for the race, I was at the absolute back of the pack for the start. Yeah!

The course was definitely a roadie course-fast power sections and not very technical. However, the rain changed things a bit as every corner was super slick. I may not be the strongest rider (as evidenced by my results), but as least I can keep my bike upright... Anyway, all in all, I really liked the course, and the cold rain and slick mud made it even better.

Don't ask how I did... I don't know. Results weren't posted when I left. I didn't win and I didn't come in last. The important thing is that I didn't get beat by the guy on the bike with fenders and a rear rack. Sure, he was ahead of me at one point, but damn it, I wasn't going out like that!

Ironically, my bike, which has disc brakes (perfect for wet and muddy races), had no braking power. I actually had to drag my foot on some turns to slow down. Hmmm... I still didn't fall though.

Anyway, after the race, I stuck around to snap a few shots, but I wanted to head home to start the long cleaning process. The drive home was equally rainy and windy, but unfortunately, not enough to actually clean my bike. As I had already shut my hoses off at home for the winter, I had to stop at a car wash to hose the bike down. It now sits in the basement waiting to be stripped and down and built back up. And what's up with the brakes?

It would have been nice to have stayed in bed and slept a little late, but that race was a blast. Back to back races are good, and now I've got about two weeks to get the bike ready for the next race... I love cyclocross!

Enjoy some more random pics!

I love cyclocross--part 2

Another weekend off from work brings me another opportunity to do some cyclocross racing. My original plan was to head up to Portland, ME, for a race up there-and I'd get to catch up with my UNE homie, Mike and his wife Jo. However, I found a race a little closer-just over the border in NH, so I opted for the shorter drive. This turned out to be a good idea as I ended up picking Jean up from the Airport at about 11:00pm on Friday night.

My alarm went off shortly after 6:00am on Saturday, and since most of my gear was all set, it was just a matter of making some coffee and packing up the car. I made a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts to see one of my co-workers at her other job, then with another hot beverage in hand, I hit the road to the New England Velodrome in Londonderry, NH. Interestingly, I had this race venue confused with another venue also in New Hampshire, and truth be told, I hated this course. When I pulled in to the parking lot, I actually thought about turning around and heading home. I can't say exactly what it was about the course that turned me off so much, but it's definitely not one of my favorites.

Well, I was there, I had pre-registered, so I wasn't about to waste that time and money. I got my number and took off for a practice lap.

The course starts on a paved, oval track. After about a half a lap, you take a hard left, up a short hill, take another hard left, hit a dip, then hit a hard right while also heading uphill. That first section, from what I remembered from last year, was TIGHT as the mass start totally bottlenecked because there's plenty of areas to flub up. Once through that section, it's basic singletrack for a short while, until a nice short but steep downhill. This little downhill separated the mountain bikers from the road riders. Unfortunately, you had to make an almost 180 degree turn at the bottom and come back up. Fun! From there, it was more singletrack until you popped out to flat area with a zig-zag/hairpin turn section marked off with old tires. The turns were tight and traction was sparse. After that, there were a couple of other tight turns then we popped up back on to the track after a short but steep sandy run-up. We went into the track's infield, jumped over a couple of barriers, then more hairpin turns until we popped back out on to the track, to head out for another lap.

After my pre-ride, I re-assessed my opinion-the course was tight, twisty, and fun.

When the race started, I was surprised to find myself near the front-in fact, after a few turns, there were only three riders ahead of me. Another passed me, and then another, but one of those guys was in a different class (older-damn him!), and the other guy I caught and passed, until he passed me again. One more pass and I held on for fourth in my class (Cat 4), and fifth overall. That was enough to secure my 2010 racing season on a UCI Pro team, and possibly an invite to the Tour De France. When I finally got done signing autographs and taking business cards from sports' agents, I made my way back to the car. Lilo, my mechanic, who also happens to be a koala bear, took my bike and rubbed it down with eucalyptus leaves, and I put on my mauve recovery jump-suit. What the hell am I talking about? Who knows. I did come in fourth, and I did have a good time-and I'll even go back to that course again some day!

Enjoy the random pics!

Yeah!

Some days, you're the wolf, some days, you're the rabbit. Sadly, I had the fluffy white tail on today's ride. Mike was able to get out of work a little early so he and I met up at Bradley Palmer/Willowdale for about 15 miles of singlespeed singletrack syllogisms.

Here's an example: More gears on a bicycle means more potential complications, complications are not fun; ergo, singlespeed bikes are more fun.

And another: Cool weather is perfect for mountain biking, fall weather is typically cool; ergo, fall is perfect for mountain biking.

And this--which is not technically a syllogism: Mike kicked my ass today.

In addition to these fine conclusions, I also came home with tired muscles, a muddy bike, and a vow to crush Mike on our next outing.

This rivalry, which can be seen on roads and trails, running and biking, has only been going for about 25 years. I foresee wheelchair races someday...

I forgot...

To add my nerdy GPS/HR data to my recent cyclocross post! How else would you be able to see that corkscrew like course design or my 192bpm max HR? Egads! Take that age predicted maximum heart rate!

I love cyclocross.

One of the biggest 'cross races in the country just happens to occur up the road in Gloucester. It's a two day racing extravaganza with some of the sport's top riders battling it out on a fast, aggressive course-which, for the rest of the year is known simply as a park--Stage Fort Park. In addition to the sport's superstars, there are HUNDREDS of hacks and wanna-be's. That's where I fit in.

If you're unfamiliar with what cyclocross is-go here.

I signed up to race both Saturday and Sunday. Ambitious? Yes, but like I mentioned, I love cyclocross.

In any event, I woke up early Saturday morning-to the sound of pouring rain. This would test just exactly how much I love cyclocross...

Cyclocross is perhaps best when the elements are against the racers. Rain, snow, mud, ice-these are key ingredients in a successful 'cross season. So, I sprung out of bed and went down stairs to finish gathering my gear. I made the mistake of sitting on the sofa for a minute... and closing my eyes for a minute... only a minute... it was such a long week at work... I really was exhausted.... It really was pouring out... I just wanted to close my eyes for a minute... the sofa was so soft and warm...

And just like that, I was out $30 for an entry fee as I woke up just as my group would have been hitting the start line. I was lulled to sleep by snoring dogs. Damn them!

At that point, I did the only sensible thing, I went back to bed.

Saturday was a wash out, so I re-focused my mental energies on Sunday's race. I got all of gear ready the night before, so all I'd need to do would be to roll out of bed and into my car.

The weather Sunday morning was MUCH better than Saturday, although still quite damp and foggy.

I arrived early enough to get my race number and to ride a quick practice loop. I'll say it now, and I'll say it again, this was one of the most confusing race courses I've ever been on. Fortunately, I was pretty much within the confines of the taped course, so as long as I didn't break the tape or duck out underneath, I just has to follow the yellow or white tape. However, the course was different than the day's previous race course, so the clearly defined tire tracks and mud would veer off one way, while the tape would force a turn in the other direction. This alone was almost too much for my small brain. Add to this the loopy-loop design, where the course just kept looping back in on itself (I think at one point, I was forced through a wormhole only to pop out of a hole in the fabric of space-time), and it was just a matter of pedaling until I was told to stop.

It was time to line up at the start. Again, for those who don't know much about 'cross races, the start can totally make or break your race. The classes can get big (94 starters in my class), so if you start near the back, you're fighting the whole race to get towards the front... heck the race leaders can be in the first turn before the back of the pack even leaves the start line. Being in the middle of a mssive start like this can be treacherous too, as one overlapped pair of riders can bring everyone down. The front, is definitely where you want to be. To be fair, the first row, at the start, is usually for series points leaders and other racers who have their game faces on. Front line starting positions are coveted and valuable. As a perk for being a member of ECV--the race's host club--ECV members were given prime starting spots for their individual races. This put me on the front lines.

I've started nearly every 'cross race I've ever entered in the back. That's been fine for me, as I'm just in it for the fun, so I just looked at it as a chance to start in the back and pass as many racers as possible. And, if there was a crash in the middle, I'd be able to go around (or over) it.

Starting at the front was a bit surreal. I had 93 riders behind me that would be hoping to take me down. Fun! The start whistle went off and the race was on. I was in the second/third spot up the first hill, but wouldn't hold that spot for long.

I'll make no excuses, I'm not in "race shape." I just race to have fun, so it's no surprise that I got passed by many racers. Cyclocross is fast--essentially an all out sprint from start to finish--with tight turns and running sections. I had my engine redlined and my plan was to keep riding until the race--or I--ended.

As I mentioned, the course was confusing. When the announcer would declare that we had one or two laps left to go, I honestly didn't know what to make of that as I had no idea where I was in terms of completing a lap. Just keep going!

It was SUPER cool to have Jean there to cheer me and my feeble effort on (and take pics), and my buddy Glen (who was racing later in the day, and kicked some ass) was there to yell at me as well. Glen's encouragement got me to give 110% at the end and take out a couple of guys on a sprint to the finish.

In the end, I came in about mid-pack, 45th out of 94 starters. I'm not in it to win it--I just have fun.

Next up--Portland, Maine!

Hello Morton.

I hate being a patient. It's much better to be on the listening end of a stethoscope, or in this case, the blunt end of a needle. You see, I've been having some pain in my right foot. It felt like I was "walking on a marble..."

That's of course, one of the classic symptoms of a Morton's Neuroma...

I tried some NSAIDs for a while, didn't help...

So, I finally went to see a podiatrist, to get a cortisone shot in the foot.

Jean came along for moral support (i.e., to watch me squirm)

Pain was *better* but not completely gone for a few days, but by about a week out, I was back to walking on a marble.

I haven't been running, and I haven't been back to my martial arts classes...

The bright spot is that riding is fine!

Anyway, I got a second shot this past Monday, and I'm going back in for an ultrasound of the nerve on Friday.

Sigh... A pity party will be scheduled so stay tuned.

Cape Cod--2009

We woke up Saturday with a long and ambitious list of things to do—not much different from every other Saturday. What was different about this one was that we were supposed to be in Falmouth later that day to begin our week-long Cape Cod vacation. The only things in our way were the facts that the house was a mess, the dogs needed to be dropped off in Ipswich, and we hadn’t packed a single thing yet. Our initial plans even optimistically included getting a ride in of some sort before we left. Ha.

Divide and conquer. I took the dogs to Ipswich, Jean hit the grocery store, I did some cleaning, Jean packed our supplies, and soon enough our car was packed with food, bikes, clothes and other staples of modern life.

I got a haircut on our way out of town and, as part owner of REI (it’s a co-op), I felt the need to invest in my company with the purchase of some fine Pearl Izumi products. Finally on the road, we eventually found the beach house that would be our home for the week in Falmouth. It was a huge, beautiful house on a private road that leads right to the ocean. The property is gorgeous and the house was clean, spacious, and comfortable. Amenities included everything you’d expect in a house, TV, DVD, phone, washer/drier, gas grill, full kitchen, three full bathrooms, etc, etc. There was, however, one glaring deficit—NO INTERNET!

I couldn’t believe that in 2009 a guest house/rental property would NOT have WiFi so I actually called the owner. They confirmed my worst fears—I was cut off from the world, with only my faithful BlackBerry to keep me connected—and thank Allah for that!

Sunday morning Jean and I grabbed my Rubel bike map, and our bikes, and headed out to explore. We did just under 30 miles of cruising around on a combination of bike paths, bike routes, and just plain old roads. At one point our ride coincided with the bike leg of a triathlon, so I felt compelled to race the competitors—me on a cyclocross bike, and they on road bikes or tri-bikes.

After slaying the competition, it was time for some post-ride chillin with the in-laws and consuming mass quantities of food. Mmmmm, food.

Monday… hmmm… I remember that we went mountain biking, our first foray into the Trail of Tears in the West Barnstable Conservation area (great riding by the way), but as I write this several days later, I’m not sure what else occurred… I do remember getting a flat on my bike while on the trails, and then finding my rear tire flat when we got back to the house, but damn this early Alzheimer’s, I don’t remember what else… I think we grilled Filet Mignon and chicken…

Tuesday morning, we decided to make a break for civilization to find a real dose of WiFi. It was also a chance to meet some dumb people. Jean and I each had our own encounters, hers was when asking a local tourist shop owner for a breakfast spot, and mine with some bike shop workers.

The first shop I went to, Corner Cycle, has an ad on my Rubel bike map stating that it’s the Cape’s “professional bike shop.” I walked in and found a guy dutifully truing a wheel. I asked if the shop had any trail maps for the West Barnstable Conservation Area, he had no idea what I was talking about. That would be fine if it weren’t for the fact that this trail network was probably the most popular mountain bike destinations on the Cape, and only about 20 minutes away. He couldn’t offer any suggestions for finding a map other than to go online—as if that was a stroke of genius. I thanked him and went on my way.

Later in the day, in Hyannis, I found another shop, thanks to my Rubel map, BikeZoneInc. Here, I met the most disinterested bike shop employee ever. Again, I asked, “Do you have any trail maps for the West Barnstable Conservation Area trails, i.e. Trail of Tears?” While staring off into space, he pointed to a rack of Rubel bike maps (just like the one I already had). I said that I had that map and that it didn’t have details of the trails and he just sort of shrugged. He didn’t have the epiphany of suggesting the Internet, but he did mumble a bit while ringing up my CO2 cartridges.

In an era of where I can get ANY bike part, near or cheaper than the prices bike shops pay—by buying online—I’m amazed at the shops that don’t capitalize on the one thing that sets them apart from online retailers—customer service! When I travel, especially when I travel and go riding, I like to visit local shops and I’ve got hats and socks and t-shirts from bike shops from all over the country. All it takes is a short conversation about local conditions (trails or road), and I’ll buy something from the shop—maybe a shirt, maybe an extra tube, who knows. I’m not looking for a red carpet entrance, but these two shops on the Cape gave me the impression that I was wasting their oxygen.

Interestingly, Jean went into a quilt store in Barnstable, and while I was out in the parking lot waiting (working on my bike), a woman came out of the shop and came over to me to say that that was one of the most unfriendly stores she had been in. She got in her car and left, and then Jean came out to say the same thing.

Whatever.

We did make it to the trails and we simply poked around some more on the various loops and side loops. We were VERY impressed. The singletrack was rolling, twisty, fast, fun, and totally worth the drive in itself. For years, I’ve known about people heading down to ToT in winter months, as the temps are slightly milder on the Cape, and now I know why. We’ll definitely be back. And when I do come back, I’ll have a map!

After our ride, we had a great dinner in Barnstable and caught a presentation at the Sturgis Library put on by a local couple who had ridden their tandem bike from NH to CA back in 2007. The disappointing part of the presentation came when the two stated that they were NOT cyclists. They didn’t ride much before their trip and they haven’t ridden since. Except that they did just buy a new tandem mountain bike because their next trip is along the Continental Divide. Must have been a touch purchase as they both quit their jobs in 2007 to go on their last trip? WTF? Why do two non-cyclists get to quit their jobs and ride their bikes all across the country?

Wednesday our plan was to head to Provincetown for photos and some riding. We knew that there weren’t any trails out there, and we heard that the roads would be fairly annoying in that they are typically narrow and filled with tourists, but we were looking for a change of scenery and we wanted to see what P-town had to offer. Plus, there were supposed to be some bike paths in that neck of the woods. Sadly, spotty weather translated into the fact that we packed the bikes up and took them for a drive to Provincetown. That’s okay, we still got to walk around and experience the P-town Freak Show. Add a Coffee-House Porter and a great cheeseburger into the mix (for me—and a vegetarian wrap for Jean), and it was a successful endeavor.

We stopped in Wellfleet on the way back to Falmouth—Jean to bolster the local economy with a personal stimulus package, and me to attempt to take some decent photos. She was likely more successful than I.

Back in Falmouth, we met up with my in-laws (Jean’s parents), for dinner at an Italian restaurant. Mmmmmm. Incidentally, the portions were huge and I was eating left-overs for days!

Thursday morning started with breakfast at Betsy’s Diner in Falmouth for Jean’s dad and I. Then I spent some time showing Del the wonderful world of computers by helping him load some photos from his digital camera to his laptop. Maybe he’ll have his own blog someday! Anyway, Jean spent some time mining for shell fragments on the beach with her mom and in what seemed a blink of an eye, it was time to start packing! Of course, we did have a chance to pound out another quick road ride before we left...

We decided to head home a little early because I made an appointment to get my foot fixed (more on that later), and we knew the dogs missed us. We packed all of our stuff (did we bring enough to survive an apocalypse?), and hit the road. We got through Boston with only a few traffic setbacks and actually got to Ipswich in time to grab to dogs—and stuff them into our already stuffed car. With a car full of bikes and dogs, things were back to normal!

For those interested, I have more pics posted here (http://davealdenphotos.blogspot.com/) , and will have some more over the next few days...

Another week in the can.

Looking back I think, “Wow, another week FLEW by.”

I guess nothing can be done about the pace in which it appears that life run, you just have to hold on and enjoy what you can.

On Sunday, I took the ol’ SS MTB to an EFTA mountain bike race in Rutland, MA. I *thought* my cousin was going to race, so I figured I’d go out and harass him, but he bailed. I still went out just for the *fun* of it, and I took a beating.

I didn’t have any preconceived ideas of how I’d do as, while I’ve been riding, I haven’t really been training. And there IS a difference. I was just hoping to get out and ride some new trails—instead, I suffered, cramped and walked my bike through long stretches of mud, rocks and pain.

Looking back, there were SO many things I should have done differently. I should have either fixed my shoes (the tread on the bottom of the shoes was getting in the way of my pedals) or used different shoes. I should have swapped out the rear cog on my bike. I should have brought my electrolyte tablets… so many would haves and could haves. Oh well… it was still “fun.” I do enjoy racing and I miss the scene. I don’t think my schedule will allow for any more mountain bike races this season, but cyclocross season is starting soon!

Other than that, my past week was essentially dominated by intensive preparation for lectures I gave to the PA class at the University of New England. I love participating the education of future PAs and I try to lecture/present whenever I can. However, I’m a little insane when it comes to putting together my presentation. I make notes and outlines, and I make one final version that I send out as student handouts, and another version I convert to PowerPoint slides. Of course, for the slides, I try to obtain pertinent images to help explain the content as well. AND then, I rehearse what I’m going to say, including more notes to myself. Yeah, I spent HOURS on this and it culminated in a 2hr presentation that could have gotten me to the final round of America’s Got Talent. Maybe. Okay, probably not. But the important thing is that I provided lots of information to the students in a format that was (hopefully) easy to understand and retain. I’ll be heading up again in the spring for more lectures.

So, that’s mostly what I did Saturday, Monday, Tuesday, and the lecture was Wednesday, up in Portland, ME. As soon as the lecture was over, a weight was off my shoulders, so I took off for a road ride on one of my favorite road loops through Falmouth and Cumberland, Maine. Unfortunately, road construction thwarted my plan. I still had a good ride and then hung out with friends Mike and Jo for dinner.

I had Thursday and Friday for errands, and then it was back to work! One of the things I needed to do was to pick up dog food. I like to bring the dogs with me because they're allowed in the store, and they love commerce. We go to the Barking Cat in Salem. We got there a little early and the shop wasn't opened yet... but, there was a LARGE grey cat sitting out front. He didn't like the fact that I brought some dogs near him so he did the only thing that made sense in his little pea-sized feline brain--he attacked. Somehow he swatted at all of us and I got scratched. That secured it... I hate cats.

Back from Boot Camp!

Wow. Another week off gone by already? Where does the time go? Well, I hear that time flies, and this past week, so did I. I attended three of the fours days of “Hospitalist Boot Camp for PAs and NPs” put on by the AAPA, AANP and SHM. I couldn’t do the last day as I had to actually be a hospitalist and get back to work.

The conference was pretty good with engaging speakers, salient topics and great food. The host hotel, Westfields Marriott was quite nice although, sort of in the middle of nowhwere (Chantilly, VA). Located in what is essentially a huge office park for DoD contractors (Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Aerospace, etc), I’m surprised I didn’t need security clearance while I was out running, although, I’m sure that if I had set foot on their property, I would have met some friendly people with guns. One of the buildings had no external markings on it whatsoever, but it did have a fairly high level of security (i.e. tall fences and armed guards—probably classified as “low security” to industries that need really high security). Perhaps ironically, I was able to find out that it’s the National Reconnaissance Office by checking the area out on GoogleMaps. The ironic part, for those not in the know, is that the NRO “designs, builds and operates the nation's reconnaissance satellites” and I got to this information from a satellite image thanks to Google.

Anyway, aside from potentially making myself “a person of interest,” by mentioning all of these companies, I did spend some time networking with other PAs/NPs and reviewing plenty of issues relating to hospital based medicine.

That trip pretty much dominated my week off as I had to get anything I needed to get done, done in only a few days. Yard work, house stuff, and lots of yadda, yadda, yadda means I’m back to work in what seems like a blink of an eye.

Before taking off though, my buddy Rob and I got a good ride in at Harold Parker on the fully rigid singlespeeds--yeah!

Well, time to start looking ahead to my NEXT week off!

Drive to Vermont, Strike 2.

If you're a dedicated reader to this blog, you surely remember that a couple of weeks ago I made the trek to the Northeast Kingdom, hoping to ride some of the best trails in East only to be thwarted by torrential rain. Well, I gave good ol' Vermont another shot last week with about the same result.

I checked the weather all day prior to my road trip. I even double checked at 5:00am that morning, before my departure. All indications were that rain would be moving in late in the afternoon. I figured I had plenty of time to get up to VT and hit the trailhead by 10ish and get a good 3hr ride in.

When I hit rain in southern New Hampshire, I thought that I'd drive through it by the time I hit the White Mountains. When the rain didn't stop, I thought that once I got through Franconia Notch, I'd see clear skies. Sadly, my optimism disappeared when I was still driving through a deluge in Littleton, NH. I had another reason to go to Vermont, so I continued on to my wooded acres in East Burke.

That's right, there's been more action! We now actually have someplace of our very own to park and three stairs that, for now, go nowhere.

I've got to get some more work done on my perimeter trail and then eventually build my tent-deck... Rome wasn't built in a day, right?

Anyway, no work was done on this particular day. I essentially packed my bike and gear into the car, drove it all to Vermont, parked in my new parking lot, turned around, and drove home. Thankfully, my iPod kept me from going insane.