2015-2016 BIYF online winter complaint repository

2/27

1:10

https://www.strava.com/activities/503766272

Muddy as he!! @ Chimney Rock. Two extra points for handsawing with the 10" folder two trees that were blocking different parts of the white trail. It has come to my attention that Pat is not counting my self made-up extra points. WTF? No wonder @Arwen's Mom is crushing my soul. It makes me:

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Not as much as the fact that I gained 10 lbs. stuffing my face while working and not riding for the last six weeks. There is still time to make my move that I will start on 3/7/16.
Yeah, you're right, it wouldn't have been my choice if I had known what it was going to be like. I cut it short (see what I did there?), rode mostly the road back from the red trail and wound up my tiniest CR ride of the last 12 months. It was a bit frozen this morning, which helped, and whoever rode there yesterday on a non fat bike appeared to sink in a bit deeper and prob suffered a bit more.

Looks like it needs about a week. Should have gone to RV.

There was a 10" thick tree down across the east side of the red trail about halfway down the hill. Left that one for someone else.


Sorry but no points for this ride. 1 hour and multiple road crossing to get to other trails isn't cutting it short IMO.
 
Feb 27
Moving time 4 hr 59 min 44 sec

I had to work this morning again, so commute on Seven of Five.
When she saw me loading up a thermos of tea in my back pack, and added my camera bag to her bars, she said “You are planning another Great Adventure arent you?”
“yes”
“ok” I was surprised at her almost agreeable response.

Seven of Five’s Great Adventure part 3
On the way home we diverted to The 100 Acre Woods (not really, think Winnie-the-Pooh here). As we entered the playing field via a different entrance point, Seven says “you look stupid you are wearing your roadie glasses.”
“you look stupid you are wearing a rear fender”
We make a right onto what looked like a trail but after just a few more feet realized it was really a wash out ditch...maybe, will explore further another day.View attachment 32135
So we crossed the road where there was a properly marked trail. The White trail, which unknown to me at the time is a grid of trails, all with the same color markings. Some people have no clue how to code trails.

At every intersection I would choose the trail that went in the direction away from home. Every trail we came to, every intersection, every cross trail, all had the same markings.
There were a lot of trees down. I had to do quite a bit of picking Seven up. I was glad she was so light. I must have picked her up a dozen times.
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A couple of trails brought us to roads, and I would turn around and go back. There was one boggy spot near a lake that in the summer would be pretty gross to ride in, but since it was still pretty frozen this morning, all was well.

One trail dead ended at this cool wildlife blind
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View through the one of the openings
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We are happily pedaling along when Seven yells out “careful its an octopus tree! Its ok mommy I will distract it so you can run”
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She is silly sometimes the old gal. Makes sense though that the cephalopods may torment me a little. After all The Hubby and I gave up tormenting cephalopods for Lent.

So far the trail was wide and easy. Other than 100 logs.
We eventually came to a road and saw the trail continued on the other side.
I asked Seven “shall we”
“we shall”

We eventually ended up at one of the intersections from the first part of our Great Adventure. At that time we chose one direction, so this time we opted for a different one. It brought us to a dead end at a road so had to turn back.

There were multiple options all the along the way, so turning back isn’t always a bad thing, it gives you another opportunity to try a different trail you previously passed. I love exploring like this. Trying to map out the whole system in my head.
One trail we entered I have dubbed The Gauntlet. Looking uphill it was log after log after log.
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You cant see all the way up in the photo but some logs were tangles of logs and some were pretty high. Some cut with plenty of room, some cut with a squeeze past feeling, some not cut at all. I didn’t want to ride up as I was getting mildly fatigued by now. So Seven and I walked up. Once at the top it spilled onto a road. I decided this was a good time for a Kind bar and some hot tea. Have I ever mentioned how nice a hot drink is on a cold ride. Ahhhhhhhhh
“Hey! Seven, don’t forget to remind me to restart my Garmin!”

By now I had ridden to work, worked 5 hours (I have a very physical job too, freight team ya know) and ridden another 1 and ½ hours. No wonder I was feeling a little tired. But Kind bar, rest, tea, and we were ready to go.
Of course I rode DOWN The Gauntlet. By now I think Seven had gained some weight though.
Down is good.
I felt mildly refreshed so continued on and took another optional turn.

Off camber frost heaves make for some fun riding too.

We hit a couple sections of trail that were actually quite fun and swoopy and seemed as though they were well enough packed to not be slippery sand in the summer. My brain was already hooking parts of this ride to the better parts of Part 1 to make a good reasonably fun loop.

We eventually ended up back on the road and it seemed that it would be road the rest of the way. There was another trail option, but I have ridden that trail before and always hated it. Thorns and ticks made me dub that trail “The Hell Trail” but figured with the cold weather maybe the ticks would still be sleeping and it wouldn’t be so bad. I was pretty tired at this point so felt road was smarter, but I was determined for a little more dirt. So we took it. I got about a tenth of a mile and felt woozy so stopped. And got very dizzy. I leaned down on the bars for a second and decided I had better turn back and hit the road. At least if I pass out there hopefully someone would find me before the vultures eat my face.
I rode slowly back to the road. Stood a moment to make sure I wasn’t gonna get dizzy again, and headed home. At this point home wasn’t real close, but I kept a casual pace and made it home safely.
I know I pushed myself a little too far, but I have been wanting to increase my endurance. I have always been an hour and a half ride person. With the occasional 2 hour ride, and I want to be able to increase that to 3 eventually 4 hours. So weekends are my time to push it past my comfort zone.

When I pulled into the yard and brought Seven inside, as I entered the door I had to stop a moment to lean in the doorway. The Hubby came running over and all I could say was “help me.”
He smiled and called me something cute and like a good Hubby took the bike and tended to her first. When she was properly parked he came and helped me in and sat me down and got me food and drink and helped me remove my Halters sweater. My Wonderful Son had bought me pizza last night (while I slept) so I had good food, well…is pizza “good” food?

The rest of the day and another ride:
We ran some errands, including a visit to Halters where Seven got a rear rack.
Then it was off to Allaire.
The Hubby couldn’t believe after a short rest I was up for another ride.
I warned my riding buddy (a quality buddy he is too) that it would be a SLOW ride as I was a little tired and sore.
We did some trail maintenance. That’s worth a point isn’t it????

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The Hubby trying to talk the tree into moving on its own View attachment 32142

Rick getting down to business with his Non-motorized chain saw View attachment 32143

Why arent the bikes helping? Lazy sods View attachment 32144

After a while I knew I was done. Especially when I fell down. Not crash exactly.
Rick was right behind me.
Mentally and physically I was DONE.
Got in the car and had a yogurt. And a girl scout cookie.
Home.
Is there any pizza left?
Nice, long ride. I understand you have issues posting a gps link but thrse are the rides where it would be nice if you posted a garmin link because those are a lot of words and reading is hard but a gps trail is worth 10,000 words.
 
2/28

1:59

https://www.strava.com/activities/504627653
The best thing about this ride was seeing my daughter on the way home and buying her a bagel brunch.

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@JimN (and anybody else who wants to follow along) - I was out in that area myself today. Also parked at P7. At the time I arrived, there was only 1 car there, maybe yours? My plan was to try and do a repeat of that old loop we PM'd about. My plan got fouled by water crossings and trespassing signs as well...then add a few HABs. I definitely learned some things I don't want to try again.

I was the first car there, light blue Honda Fit. Yeah, trail conditions were awesome yesterday, except when they really <i>really</i> weren't. I got turned around a few times because of impassable water. You can't find the awesome shit without finding the HAB sometimes. I generally do as much strava stalking as I can beforehand, but sometimes it still doesn't work out the way you want. A crappy day in the woods is better than a good day on the couch though.
 
Today was a bonus ride sometimes things work out I had work today but at 2: 30 am I got a text from my oldest telling his brakes failed he is staying at a friend's house. Cool. If the other shift supervisor shows up maybe I can get out early and deal with it. Side story when I lived in CA in the 90's, I always had a bike on the car. Wife asks why do you always have a bike on the car?....answer... you never know when a ride is gonna break out. I still do that til this day. Anyways other sup shows up I but on paperwork up and head out to check on son's jeep. Get there he's not pissed and go for a quick ride [he's 18 good at pushing my buttons ] managed to meet some friends had a good quick ride and beers after. M u check better mood now. Met Ty got his truck to a shop sometimes things work out
2/28
1:14:19
Krampus
Funk
Check out my 7.8 mi Ride on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/504850320
 
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