Ramblings from Moe Mountain

Yes, we did meet once before. I live in your same neighborhood. I've only been riding 5 years, but I hiked there long before that.
I know Gary too, for a long long time, and yes, his trails are awesome, a little too tough for me, but I enjoy them just the same.
I'm glad you enjoyed my thread.

Hey Pete, happy birthday. The big one-zero-zero? I kid, I kid
 
Well here it is, the end of 2018, and a fun year it was. It is the first (and only) year I’ve ridden my bike outdoors every day averaging two hours a day.
I didn’t start out with this in mind, it just evolved into that. Towards the end of the year I did feel some pressure to keep it going though and got out
in the pouring rain and other conditions that I wouldn’t normally go out in. Next year I just plan on riding when I feel like it, I can’t even think of
planning ahead on what I want to do. I’ll figure it out when I wake up in the morning. I’d like to explore some more, but I also worry about being out
there alone with no way to call for help or to contact anyone. With my advanced age and diminishing physical abilities I must admit I feel safer riding
on familiar ground and surroundings. I’ll just have to see what feels right. I also think I’m done with participating in any rides and events as a contestant,
but I’ll still attend some to watch others and help out when I can, and drink beer and enjoy the food. I’ve only been riding for five years and it’s a great
sport, I just took it up to late in life at seventy years old. I’ve learned a lot about what I can and can’t do. I’m really pleased with what I’ve learned and what
I’ve been able to do, but at this point I don’t see me getting any stronger or more accomplished in my riding. I’ll be very happy to just keep going at this
level and doing my own thing. Hope to see you on the trails and the roads, remember, it’s all about having fun.

12/31/2018 ride
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Looking back.
sneaky snake
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da lost trail
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Laurels
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Some friends
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Sloppy stuff
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Thanks for the pix and insights Pete, keep them coming. I’ve got to get back up there for another spin soon. You’ve got a real gem there, and you don’t take it for granted.
 
Haha, and you had to rub our noses again for not having the balls to ride on ice...
Hoping to ride up there with the gang on Sunday. Maybe I'll start early and meet you for a pre-ride
I know your 2019 will again be epic, keeping pedaling muchacho
 
Great accomplishment Pete. I wondered if you were ever feeling pressure to ride when you really didn't want to. Glad you made the goal and now you can adapt to make sure it stays enjoyable. Keep on truckin'
 
Just googling around on Strava stuff I came across some cool facts.

Only 40 people recorded a Strava activity every day of the year in 2016

Strava report shows 36 million athletes from 195 countries worldwide 2018

there is a Strava club for people planing on every day for a week, a month, a year.
entrants only have to do 20 minutes a day to qualify.

I should have joined last year, but I didn't know about it.
 
Well it was a fun weekend riding with the OOS/MTBNJ group at Wawayanda.
The early riders were a little late getting started, but we did just fine. I very rarely ride with a group,
but it was fun. I seem to get pushed into doing more with a group. Peer pressure I guess. We came
to the Doublepond boardwalk and I let everyone go ahead of me because in five years of coming to
that boardwalk I’ve only ridden it once from North to South. Today though I felt confident enough to
go for it. Most likely because if I messed up there were plenty of hands to pick me up and carry me out.
Well I did ride it this time, AND rode it on the way back too, a real first. We rode up Red Dot trail to
Nature Jim’s bridge and it looked a little too flooded for everyone except Neil(Leo) (@serviceguy ), he hiked right across it.
We rode back about 200 feet and took a crossover trail and met Neil there. This was Twin Bridges trail,
and we rode it back to the boardwalk and back to meet the 10 o’clock crew. I chose to not go on the
second ride because I know the trails they were taking and felt they were beyond my ability to ride and
keep up. Me and Neil did another five miles on fire roads and park roads with some small trails mixed in.
All in all a nice day out, thanks guys!
Today I did my early morning ride and went up Laurel trail to Wingdam and over the top. Nice morning sunrise at 7AM and 18°.

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Well it was a fun weekend riding with the OOS/MTBNJ group at Wawayanda.
The early riders were a little late getting started, but we did just fine. I very rarely ride with a group,
but it was fun. I seem to get pushed into doing more with a group. Peer pressure I guess. We came
to the Doublepond boardwalk and I let everyone go ahead of me because in five years of coming to
that boardwalk I’ve only ridden it once from North to South. Today though I felt confident enough to
go for it. Most likely because if I messed up there were plenty of hands to pick me up and carry me out.
Well I did ride it this time, AND rode it on the way back too, a real first. We rode up Red Dot trail to
Nature Jim’s bridge and it looked a little too flooded for everyone except Neil, he hiked right across it.
We rode back about 200 feet and took a crossover trail and met Neil there. This was Twin Bridges trail,
and we rode it back to the boardwalk and back to meet the 10 o’clock crew. I chose to not go on the
second ride because I know the trails they were taking and felt they were beyond my ability to ride and
keep up. Me and Neil did another five miles on fire roads and park roads with some small trails mixed in.
All in all a nice day out, thanks guys!
Today I did my early morning ride and went up Laurel trail to Wingdam and over the top. Nice morning sunrise at 7AM and 18°.

View attachment 84797View attachment 84798
Love the new bike, btw I think you mean Leo?
@serviceguy, unless Neil is Florentine for Leo...
 
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I didn't get out at 7AM today, it was 9° and I had a fuel oil delivery early AM, so I slept in.
I rode from home today, hitting some local trails into the park. What a great ride! Banker
trail to Double Pond trail to Red Dot to Cherry Ridge and back home on Banker.
Double Pond is always a wet mess.......except for today, it's frozen solid and I rode it well.
The whole ride was quite challenging and it wore me out in only 7 miles!

Carin on Banker trail
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Icy Double Pond trail
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Challenging rock ride over Nature Jim's bridge
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A beautiful log bridge built by a trail fairy
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@Kaleidopete i may have missed it, but since you seem to get out to ride every day (im jealous, wish i could swing that) what is your annual time in the saddle and mileage?
 
Wawayanda was closed today because of heavy ice. I rode a short ride anyway.
Studded tires make the difference. The snow was too shitty to get a good ride.
Hikers trampled the trail and fresh icy snow was too hard to ride. But I did about 6 miles anyway.
450 consecutive days so far, the park ranger said, "we wondered where you were", I said I'm late,
I was shoveling snow at home. Icy, windy, freezing, but still fun!

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Pete, after riding a few weeks of stud on the fatbike and 29+ what are your thoughts?
I'd like to stick with one set of studded tires and thinking the 29+ maybe a better choice than Snowshoes with studs.
 
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