Mt Mitchell

As I pulled out of the driveway on Saturday morning at 7am, it was foggy.  I was tired from a solid block of training. Jubal had to go to school to make up snow days and Rhonda was at home alone.  Not a good recipe for being motivated for a long ride.....

I forced myself to go, knowing that the humidity was high and that it would pay off for ORAMM.  I pedaled over to the parkway and started my personal assault on Mt Mitchell.  I used to do this ride several times per year, but have not done it in at least two years.  I was excited about doing it again, yet somewhat apprehensive.  It is a long ways!

I spent some time warming up before I got to the first big climb.  At the top I felt good and had the feeling that this was going to be a good ride. 

My gut turned out to be right.  As soon as I got above 3000 ft or so of elevation, the sun shone brightly and the views were incredible.  I have wanted to do a ride above the clouds since I moved here 6 yrs ago and it finally worked out.  The conditions definitely caused my spirits to soar.   I spun on up the road, thinking about life.  Nothing too deep, just letting my mind jump from thought to thought.

I could not remember how long this ride had taken in the past, but I was thinking about 6.5 hrs.  When I estimate a ride time I like to inflate the time, just in case.  I was expecting to get back home around 2pm.

Just before Craggy Gardens, I stopped to fill my bottles at the spring.  I know of two springs up here and I use them every time.  The water is so pure and cold.  Interestingly, I feel really energized every time I use this water.

It is difficult to explain the sensations and feelings that I experienced today on this ride.  If you ride, you can understand.  There are some rides where everything clicks and things are great.  This is one of those rides.

I made it to the top in 3 hrs and 2 minutes.  I don't know if this is fast or slow, and would like to know and compare the time to others, to satisfy my competitive drive.  But, the other side of me doesn't really care.  It was a great day.

The top was windy, socked in with fog and chilly.  I filled up my water bottles, ate a Honey Stinger Bar and plunged back down the mountain.   It is not all downhill though.  There are 3 substantial climbs before getting back to Craggy Gardens.    It felt good though.  I felt good.  I rode within my limits and still had plenty of energy left.  Maybe I could have gone a little bit faster, maybe a faster pace would have pushed me over the edge.  Maybe next time I'll find out,  maybe not.

Somewhere down there, near the center of the picture, is where I work!

The ride back was a blast. Not only was I elated that I had made it to the top,  I was elated about still feeling good and not having to creep up the hills.  I was still maintaining a steady rhythm, this was good.  As I cruised past Craggy Gardens Visitor Center,  I did the math and realized that I could potentially make it home in time to pick my kid up from school on the bike.

And that is exactly what I did:

Have a great day!!