Asheville Janes

1-31-2012

2012-01-31T06:40:00.001-05:00

Sunday morning I met Kevin at 9am to ride and get home so I could have time to spend with the family. After spending most of the day at the Bracken Mountain Trail Project, the day before, running the chainsaw for 4 hrs, I was wiped out. We wanted to ride up to Craggy Gardens but with my legs feeling dead, we changed our plans and headed down Ox Creek and up Heron Cove Rd.

Temps when we started were near 30 degrees, but with some Hicappie gloves that I bought at Liberty Bikes, my hands were warm. I have not bought a pair of decent gloves in 6 yrs, it makes a difference.

Up and over, around the mountains, we talked about how nice it is to be riding outside today instead of on rollers. It was a great day, but when I got home, I was wiped. I ate some food, got a shower, then headed back out for a walk in the woods with the wife and kid.

4 months to go until she finishes nursing school. I'm worn out and beat down as much as she and her study buddies are. We are all tired of studying, but its a goal that was only a dream a couple of years ago, she is so close and we are both so excited.

Night Ride Recovery Ride

2012-01-21T08:34:00.003-05:00

The Thursday night Bent Creek CX ride has sort of fizzled. Only two die hard members left, I think that neither one of us had missed a ride since it started at the end of last year. The temps were cool and cooling, cold again by the time we got back home. The roads were a bit soft in some areas, but as we got higher, they were freezing and made rolling smoother and faster. Kevin and I rolled around chatting and then commented that we felt like we were going fast. When I got home and checked the time, we it turns out we had been going faster, than previous times, not by much but definitely faster, and I didn't feel as depleted either.

Friday was time for a recovery ride. I headed out to Black Mtn and up Hwy 9 to the Eastern Continental Divide. I could see clouds building up behind the Black Mountain Range and spilling over into the Swannanoa Valley.

I turned and rolled back down the hill into town and to Dynamite Roasting Co.for a cup of coffee and a scone, my metabolism is kicking and I was hungry...

Rolling

2012-01-19T06:38:00.002-05:00

It felt freezing cold outside and the wind was whipping. Being short on time, I hit the rollers for a spin.....

That's it.

Run

2012-01-18T08:00:00.003-05:00

I ran out of coffee....I had enough for 2 cups, to last me all day. Normally when I run out of coffee, I go to the store and get some more. Not today, I was on house arrest. The kid on the couch with a fever, and the wife at clinicals. So I suffered, I endured and I'm alive to tell about it.

After sitting around the house all day, taking care of the kid, the wife got home around 4:30pm and I went out the door with my running shoes on. Cloudy with a chance of rain, the skies already darkening, I ran up the road and onto the trail. The wind was howling through the tops of the trees and I was feeling freedom. The kind of freedom that comes after a long and stressful period in life, when things finally start to take a turn and there is the expected, the hoped for light at the end of the tunnel.

I ran a steady but mellow pace. Letting my mind drift around the universe of my brain. My thoughts lingered on bikepacking, and planning another Pisgah Traverse this spring.

Around, up and over the mountain, back down and heading home. Sunset at 5:42pm. It was getting dim, and I was in no hurry. I passed several other runners on the trail, I knew 5 of them. It was great to stop briefly and chat with a few I had not seen in a while.

An hour and fifteen minutes later, I was back at home. After a shower and egg/potato burritos, I went to the store to get more coffee.

Bakery Ride Loop

2012-01-16T08:18:00.002-05:00

Kevin and I took a little spin around the Leicester area on Sunday. The temps were in the mid 40's, the wind was blowing and the sun was hot. We were both a little bit overdressed. But I think that was better than underdressed on a day like this.

We had some great views of the surrounding mountains, covered in snow. Mt Mitchell, Max Patch and Roan, among others were all clearly visible.

After winding around the ridges and dipping into the valleys, we passed through Marshal, hoping for a tailwind.....not to happen, we occasionally felt a gust from the rear, but we were mostly pushing against the wind. The last 15 miles were a grind, but it felt good to break the 3hr mark for the first time in 2012, and at a higher pace than I thought I could maintain.

In the last 10 miles, I used my last swig of water to wash down a Honey Stinger gel, and got a good burst of energy that lasted until I got home.

It was great trading pulls with Kevin, the dude is strong and getting stronger., braaap.

CX Ride

2012-01-13T06:40:00.003-05:00

It was supposed to rain a little bit, and then turn to snow.   I figured if it rained, it would be miserable, if it snowed, it would be worth the risk.   It rained.

I headed over to meet Chris and Kevin at Liberty before riding over to Bent Creek. The sky was dark and stormy, and the rain started falling almost as soon as we got on the parkway.   Riding the single speed is fun, but drafting is key.   The rooster tails spraying up from the rear wheels made drafting difficult without getting totally soaked.

We rolled up the parkway to Hardtimes road and got on the gravel road. Talking, laughing, falling into somber moods of silence.   Carving around the turns, pedal, coast, carve.

The rain continued to fall, off and on, and we were hoping the forecast was right, only 45% chance at 7pm, and less after that. We were relieved when we rounded a corner and could see the clear, star filled night sky up and to the left. Then we rounded the bend to the right and it started raining again.

At one point, bombing down a hill, I hit a large rock, that made a large clunk. I hit so hard, it felt as if both tires would go flat. They didn't, so I kept riding.

We took a right on Bent Creek Gap Rd, then a left on South Ridge Road. Towards the top of the first long climb, my front tire went soft. I did my best to change it quickly and got is filled with one co2 cartridge.   Back on the bikes and down the hill, carving again. Enjoying the flow we all got into a rhythm and got quite.   The rain falling, tires squishing through the mud, grinding the gravel, slightly made more difficult by the sogginess.

Off in the distance we could make out the Asheville area lights.

We got back onto the parkway, and it started raining again. I was mesmerized by the water droplets passing through the beams of light. Such a cool feeling to be out, riding in this weather.

We parted ways and I rolled home. I was tired, fingers and toes starting to get chilled.

It was a good ride.

Little Spin

2012-01-11T06:19:00.000-05:00

I took a little spin up the parkway. I was considering riding up to Craggy Gardens, but the sun wasn't quite coming out from behind the clouds and it was getting cooler as I climbed. So I cut my ride a little short. I ended up going down Ox Creek mtn, which was a bit sketchy due to the sand on the road.

There were clouds hanging over and around Mt Pisgah but the views were incredibly crisp. It was a good.

Cross Training

2012-01-09T06:32:00.000-05:00

I did not get much time on the bike this weekend, but I did spend a lot of time outside doing some different cross training activities. Friday, I spent about 4 hrs helping a friend chop wood, then I took my kid for a ride at Richmond hill. I rolled through dog poop, disgusting, and a disgruntled walker, knocked a small pine tree down across the trail. Real smart.

Saturday the kid and I hooked up with some friends and shuttled, yes shuttled and rode down the Point Lookout Greenway.

And finally on Sunday, I met up with Chris Strout for a hike up the Shut In Ridge Trail. I have never been hiking there before and definitely recommend it. Especially this time of year, because the views are pretty cool.. The trail leads up above the Pkwy pretty quickly. Now, I'm having thoughts of the Shut In Trail Race...

Night Ride

2012-01-06T06:38:00.000-05:00

The sun was just dipping over the horizon when we rolled down the parkway to Bent Creek. The moon hung overhead and was brightly shining in the clear winter sky. The temps had gotten close to 50 today and were going to drop to 30 in the next 3 hrs. I felt a little overdressed at the start, but almost 3 hrs later when I got home, my fingers and toes were getting a little numb.

I met Kevin at Liberty then we picked Eric up at Rice Pinnacle. We rode a fairly easy pace which was nice, after yesterday's 2 ish hour run, I was not feeling fast.

There is still some snow leftover from earlier this week, in the contours that are tucked back into the mountain where the sun doesn't quite reach this time of year.

I rode home to find home made pizza waiting for me, it doesn't get much better!

Run

2012-01-05T06:26:00.001-05:00

I had a meeting at Starbucks, and since the temps had risen to 20 with a high of 40 later, I decided to run through my neighborhood, onto the Mtns to Sea Trail and to the coffee shop. I was surprised and disappointed that I made it to the meeting in just under an hour, I was hoping to get close to 2 hrs today. After the meeting, I ran back home. That was a cool way to mix things up a bit, and now I have another option for some training with coffee in the middle. Can't beat that!

Beginning

2012-01-04T06:34:00.000-05:00

And so it begins: training 2012.

I have been resisting putting anything on the calendar until after May. The wife finishes nursing school and between now and then with be a ton of studying. I find it difficult and simply wrong to go racing during this time. We can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we are both very excited.

So, my first official training ride was on the rollers, and later I was able to put my first race on the calendar. It was a pretty exciting day!!

12-31-2011

2012-01-01T09:09:00.000-05:00

New Year's Eve found me out on Farlow Gap and Cove Creek Trails ripping it up with some good friends. We ripped on each other a good bit as well, but everyone made it through. There were lots of firsts on this ride. First mellow winter for the yankees, first time on these trails for Nolan etc.

For me this ride will live long in my dreams and give me confidence to add to my repertoire.

I have not been the most techy rider in the past. In fact, I am pretty sure that I lose a ton of spots on downhills and corners. This fall, I decided to do something about that and work on those two skills. Nolan gave me a really good tip for cornering, which turned out to be the missing link for me. He said, " poop over a cliff". It works!

Then I set up my hardtail 26" trek single speed with a rigid fork and have been riding that all over Pisgah. Forcing me to watch my technique and move around on the bike more, loosening up my arms and putting more weight on my feet.

For a personal victory, I stayed on the bike for more of Farlow than I ever have before. It doesn't matter how much, or how far I made it. I'm not comparing myself to others, I just relish the fact that I improved in an area that I never thought I would!!

Happy New Year!!

Sunday Ride

2011-12-12T07:16:00.000-05:00

I took a meandering ride through the country side on Sunday. The high temps were supposed to reach 45. It might have done that, but my toes stayed chilly the whole time and my 5 yr old gloves kept my fingers mostly warm.

It was a bright sunshiny day and some base miles were on tap. I chose the old fart loop that we do on the Thursday night Liberty rides, due to the fact that there is less climbing. I found myself speeding up without realizing it, probably because I am used to trying to hang on to the group. I kept reminding myself to slow down and enjoy the ride.

The loop took about 2.5 hrs and after being off the bike for most of 2 weeks, I felt pretty rusty. Rusty but it also felt really good to get back out. I'm not sure exactly what my race goals are for next season, but I have some ideas that I am excited about!!

My Bikepacking Kit

2011-12-09T09:36:00.000-05:00

You wanted it, you got it. I don't know weights of anything, I purchased lightweight gear because it was lightweight and durable. One day I might add it all up and see how much it weighs, or maybe not, its my gear, I'll do what I want to....

The current bike is a Cannondale Caffeine 29er, my dream bike is a steel frame hard tail, mounted with a Reba Rock Shock.

On the top tube is the Revelate Desingns Gas Tank. Easy access to snacks.

On the top tube down by the seat tube is this Transit gas tank that I found on the road. I keep camera, tools and lube in here.

The Seat Bag is a Revelate Designs Visacha:

Inside the Visacha are the following: First Aid Kit, SOL Emergency Bivy, Thermarest inflatable sleeping pad, Lafuma Extreme 950 sleeping bag, tarp stakes, 5x8 sil nylon tarp, Tyvek ground cloth. There is extra room in the Visacha where I can stuff cold weather gear and/or a water filter.

For the handlebars, I went with the Revelate Designs Harness System with large Handlebar Bag. This bag has plenty of room for snacks and misc items.

In the harness I have a 20 litre drybag, stuffed with more food, cook kit, extra riding clothes and camp clothes: hat, gloves, socks, short sleeve shirt, long sleeve shirt, loose fit running tights, Stoic Luft insulated jacket. I use a 13 litre bag in the summer.

On the stem is the Spot Tracker

My cook kit is a Ti pot with Ti cup that fits inside. The stove is an Esbit stove that also fits inside the cup and pot. I have been pleased with this stove but need to find a way to carry the Esbit fuel tablets without contaminating food and clothes.

And that about sums it up. Simple yet functional. Now I am itching to get out again!!

A Walk

2011-12-03T06:54:00.000-05:00

I went for a walk in Bent Creek Friday morning. It has been a while since I have been in the woods there without either training or trail work on the mind. It was nice to wander, to see things that I have never seen before. To smell, to hear the silence.

This fence runs way up the ridge, I wonder what it was for?

An old trail, not a fall line trail either, it looks sustainable....

More old trail. Bent Creek has so much potential for more trails, we could easily double the mileage in there.


Can you spot the hunter? Look for the orange hat.

And just off of Bent Creek Gap road was this old dam. I wanted to throw some trees in there to see what a small lake would look like, I didn't do it though, just for the record.

I think I'll go back when it snows and wander around some more.

Asheville To Roanoke 2011

2011-11-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

This is becoming a tradition, somewhat of a habit, but definitely a tradition. I look forward to this tradition, just me out there cruising. You can read last year's account by clicking here.

Day 1:

The trip almost didn't happen. The weather was iffy, and I got some sort of intestinal virus the week before, leaving me a bit weak. But when I started feeling better and the weather looked promising, I decided to go for it.
I didn't get to leave until Wednesday morning this year. I would miss thanksgiving dinner, but I like leftovers so, I was not worried.

I bid the family goodbye and headed out of the driveway. Through the woods and onto the Blue Ridge Parkway, a left turn and heading north. The skies were overcast, the air slightly damp but warm. With the forecast calling for sunny skies by afternoon, I was looking forward to riding this ribbon of pavement around the Blue Ridge Mountains for just under 300 miles.

I had swapped out my knobby tires on my Cannondale Caffeine for some 700c slicks...the same tires I rode last year. I was excited to try this new set-up and in my search for an all around bikepacking/touring bike, I had a good feeling about this one.
Climbing up the parkway, I remembered to assume my touring pace, slow, spinny, and just a grind. I enjoy going fast and pushing my limits, but on this kind of ride, distance is the limit to push, not speed. As I wound up, I left the warm air of the valley, and stopped to pull out some layers. I continued climbing and was a little more worried as I observed the clouds thickening, not thinning. This was not looking good, but it was not bad enough to turn back.

After a while though, the sun disappeared and I rode into more powerful wind, whipping around the peaks and pounding the ridge line. I kept pedaling, warm enough for now from the exertion, but also concerned about the other side of Craggy. I knew that I would be fully exposed to the brunt force of the cold wind.

I decided that if it got bad enough I could either turn around and head back down, or find a slab of rock to hide behind, crawl into my sleeping bag and wait out the storm. For now though I kept riding. Once I finally went through the tunnel before Craggy, there was no view due to the clouds. Ignorantly, I was counting on the clouds to clear up, and the sun to come out. I stopped to fill up on water, and continued on. For the next several hours I was faced with long descents, bone chilling moisture, and howling winds. I would find out later that 60mph winds were recorded in the area.

I was ok when climbing, but as soon as there was a decent, I was shaking, almost uncontrollably. At one point some giant white snowflakes fell from the cold gray sky, and all I could think of was how the hobbits and friends felt on the side of that wretched mountain in the middle of the snowstorm.

I managed to stay in control of the bike, my fingers and toes were numb, and I could think of nothing other than making it to the other side of Mt Mitchell, clinging to the hope that the weather would improve.....

It never did. The sun sort of came out, but then disappeared again. I was still cold, and as I rounded the bend after crossing Hwy 80, I could see storm clouds stretching to Boone and beyond.

After 55 ish miles, I did the only sensible thing and pulled the plug on the day. I rode to my friend's house in Little Switzerland, happy to have a warm dry place to hole up for the night, but bummed at not reaching my goal for the day. I had planned to ride approx 90 miles per day this year, and not have any epic days. My plans were foiled, and having ridden through this storm was about all of epic that I wanted on this trip.


I was not feeling good.

It was nice to enjoy a sunset from inside as I ate my freeze dried dinner. I decided to try to make up some of the mileage on Thursday. It meant that I would need to ride at least 120 miles to get back on track. In my head, I was sure I could do it.

Day 2

Up before the crack of dawn and riding as the first red glow lit the horizon. I enjoy this time of day on the bike. A new day, a new hope of things to come. I was excited about pushing my limits and going the distance, but at the same time I held a steady pace knowing that if I pushed too hard now, I would pay for it later.

I wasn't quite feeling great despite having slept well. The cold saps the body of valuable strength, not to mention the metal toll and energy required to fight through a storm like I fought through yesterday. I was optimistic though, I told myself to keep spinning, promised myself that I would feel better if I would just keep spinning and enjoy the view.

During the ride yesterday, I started having issues with my IT band. I had to stop several times to adjust the seat, and then took some more time that night to fine tune it. This morning, it was off and on, and had me concerned. When a part of the body is ailing, the rest of the body has to make up for it, and this can be draining. I continued riding and had to stop several times to make minor adjustments.

The skies were clear but the temps were cold, really cold. I was again managing to stay warm but knew that valuable energy was being drained due to my body keeping itself warm. After stopping in Pineola, for a bacon, egg and cheese on a homemade yeast roll, I continued on. It wasn't until 35 miles into the day, that it warmed up enough to take some layers off. I was still feeling tired and sluggish though. But, there was nothing to do, but keep going.

Over the via duct and through the Blowing Rock area. I continued pedaling and was not feeling any better. About 60 miles into the day, I started formulating plans to bail. To make the call for Rhonda to come pick me up. At this point, she had already arrived in Roanoke and it would be a long haul to come pick me up. I looked at the map and tried to figure out the quickest way to an interstate. There was none. The quickest way was up the parkway. Around mile 55 , I got off the Parkway at Deep Gap to find a store to refill on water. This is a crossroads and there was nothing but some old warehouses, and some houses. I was in a quandary. I decided the best thing to do was to approach a nice looking log house and ask for some water. There were several cars in the driveway and it appeared that a family was having Thanksgiving dinner.

A middle aged man cautiously opened the door and asked if he could help me. I explained what I was doing and what I needed.   Just inside the door was a sink and he told me I could fill up there. As I filled my water container, I noticed that he held his right arm behind his back. As we made small talk and even as he closed the door, I continued to observe that he still held his arm behind his back....I assumed he was ready to take me out if I tried something funny, I had not such intentions, but I can't blame a man for protecting his property!

At this point in my journey, knowing of an upcoming detour off of the parkway, I decided to make an early detour, hoping to avoid any undue climbing. I was able to pedal, but I was moving so sluggishly that I did not want to waste any energy on any more parkway climbs. I headed towards the town of West Jefferson, I'm not sure what I was hoping to find there, but I headed there. It was on the way to Sparta, NC, which is where the detour would eventually lead. I had intended to make it 30 miles past Sparta for the day. That goal faded with every pedal stroke.

Once I ground my way into W Jefferson, I estimated that I had another 30-35 miles to Sparta. I stopped and bought a coke, looked at the pre packaged food in the gas station fridge, then headed out. I sat for a spell in the sun, letting myself bake, and considering my options. I was not ready to throw in the towel yet, and I still had 5 hrs of daylight. If I could make it back to the Parkway around the detour, I would ride the remaining 15 miles in the dark. I had lights and was prepared to do so.

After finishing my Coke, I once again headed north on some state highways. I was not down in the valley and the riding was fairly flat with a couple of short climbs. Traffic was courteous and the miles clicked by. With 15 miles left to go, I was done and was willing to pay someone for a ride to Sparta. There was quite a bit of traffic but there was no way to let a person know I wanted a ride. I didn't want to waist time standing by the road with my thumb out and risk having to ride the rest of the way in the dark. So, I did what I have learned works, kept spinning.

Hours later, I dragged myself into the sleepy town of Sparta. I was done. I looked around for a church and considered curling up behind it and sleeping. I finally decided to head to the local hotel and decide if it looked appealing. As I rode up to the Allegheny Inn, I was surprised that it looked kind of fancy. I pulled in to the parking lot, went inside and asked for a price. I went back outside and called Rhonda. The price was a little high and we talked about a rescue. I went back in and told the clerk thanks but no thanks. The kind clerk offered me a better price. I called Rhonda back and decided that for less than the cost of the round trip to rescue me, I could rent the room, rest and eat, then ride north for a closer rescue in the morning.   I rented the room.

Gas station pizza never tasted so good. And that pint of Mayfield Moose tracks was divine!! And topped off with Country Music Television?   Was I in heaven? or simply delirious?


Dinner in the Hotel

Day 3:
After staying up way too late watching Swamp People on the History Channel, I allowed myself to sleep in until 5:30 am. I was feeling ok and grits and Starbuck Via was on the menu. I took a picture of my pump up session before I walked out the door into what would be below freezing temps for the first 30 miles.....I was glad that I had not camped out.

I rode the 7 miles to the parkway only to find that I had gotten back on the parkway too soon. It was still closed. Instead of adding another 7 miles to my day, I took a chance and rode. It was a beautiful clear day, but really freaking cold. I had anticipated warmer weather, and after 2 hours of still freezing temps, I stopped to get some heavier gloves and add a layer. Feeling much warmer I continued on my journey. I ate and drank, attempting to keep up with the calories that I was burning.

The scenery was awesome and there was little to no wind. A refreshing change from 2 days ago. I could still feel the pain of riding in those conditions.


Crossing the NC/VA state line


The heavily frosted terrain.

35 ish miles into the day, I rolled into Fancy Gap and pulled up to the local diner. I took a moment to thaw out front and remove some layers. I made small talk with a few customers coming and going, then went inside, eager to eat. It reminded me of a scene out of the wild west where the dusty old cowboy, obviously from out of town walks into the saloon. For a split second, everything is slow motion and silent as every customer in the packed room takes a look at the dude who just walked through the door. After a quick assessment that this is no ordinary dude, everyone returns to their food and conversation. Throughout the visit though, the cowboy catches glimpses of locals eyeballing him over their menus and through their glasses.

As I walked through the door, for a split second, it seemed like slow motion. Then I bellied up to the bar, placed my order and drank coffee.


This my friend, is breakfast!!

When the food came, it was easy to dig in. I savored every bite and resolved not to rush through it so that I could hit the road again. There was plenty of time for riding, right now, I was eating. As I ate, customers came and went. Then came Carroll. He introduced himself and showed me his license. The guy was hilarious and friendly.

Proud retired vet with a license, and an NRA hat!

After some more small talk and bantering, it was time to hit the road. The temps had warmed and I was feeling good. With another 90 miles to Roanoke and 10 miles through town once I got there, I was ready to see what my legs would do. So I pedaled, and pedaled some more.

I soaked in the sights and pondered life. I considered what I had been through in the past 2 yrs and where I was now. I decided that I am content. I am peaceful with a burning rage inside that wants to see this world and my community be a better place, and I am willing to do my part in reaching that goal. And then I pedaled some more!

I raced this guy.

Then followed this guy.

The miles ticked by, I tried not to look at the time. But I was continuously calculating, watching the miles go by and watching the sun pass overhead. Every minute that went by, I was more hopeful that I would not have to call for rescue. I was wondering if I would in fact be able to ride 130 miles with a fully loaded bike. At times I would begin to hammer, trying to make better time, but then I had to remind myself to slow down and spin. And that is what I did, until finally, I could see Roanoke in the valley below.

I dropped down into the valley and back up the mountain. I looked at the sun slowly sinking towards the horizon. I glanced repeatedly at my watch, calculating and re-calculating. I knew that if I didn't bonk or have a mechanical, I would make it shortly after sunset. I ate, drank and spun the pedals. Down the mountain and into town feeling strong and pedaling hard. I started to feel dizzy and slowed the pace. Around the mall, past the airport, through the tunnel and into the in-laws neighborhood. I rolled into the driveway as darkness closed around. I unclipped and stood in the darkness for a moment. I had made it. I had overcome a huge obstacle, persevered and made my goal. I soaked it in before going into the house. It was a hard journey, one of the toughest trips on a bike. I rarely call for back up and had come very close to a rescue on this one. But in the end, I kept my eyes on the goal and finished. Not only finished but rode 130 miles in one day, 10 hrs, a personal record. It felt good. No, it felt great!!

I look forward to next year!

Big Creek

2011-11-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

Nolan and I drove up to Bent Creek Gap and mounted our bikes for the grind up the parkway to the top of Big Creek. The day was warm and the views were plentiful. As we wound our way up the mountain, we talked about a lot of different stuff, but mostly enjoyed the ride, and the company.

Nolan had never been to Big Creek and I had been there once before. We dropped in and railed it, as fast as we could with our limited downhill skills. The rhodo tunnels, the ridgeline, the warm day, and the creek cascading at the bottom made for a magical day. I commented that indians once roamed through here. When Nolan asked why, I commented: " Because they could". I let my imagination run wild and pictured a native american village perched amongst the trees on the gently sloping hill side. I could see the smoke from the fires rising gently in the morning sun. The kids running around playing some ancient form of tag, screams piercing the otherwise still air.

The creek was a perfect place to do some bike adjustments and take it all in, it was one of those days, one where a person wants to sit on a rock, to become a rock, and just be there. It was a good day.

We decided to hike our bikes up Spencer Branch and ride down Spencer Gap before heading back up to the truck. The last time I hiked up this trail was with Jeremy of Mountain Goat Epics. The last time was also with a single speed.

It was a good day to be out there, to share it with a friend, to experience another day in the woods....to be.

The Woods

2011-11-15T13:45:00.000-05:00

I took a walk in the woods. I'm unmotivated to ride my bike lately, unmotivated in general. It has something to do with the holidays and broken family relationships. Dealing with it, keeping my head up, moving forward. It takes effort, its tiring. But, its worth it.

As I was walking, I looked to the left down into the little valley. I started walking then stopped and backed up a couple of steps. It looked like the brownish gray of a white tail deer, but it was motionless, not even the flick of the tail. I stood still, watching, wondering if it was real or a target used for practice. I have no idea how much time went by as we each stood motionless. Probably less than a minute, but the moment will last forever in my mind.

The deer finally moved, turned his head and revealed a nice 6 point rack. It was a thing of beauty, then the tail flicked up showing up bright white against the leafy back drop. The buck slowly strutted away from me, head held high.

As the animals of the woods prepare themselves for the coming winter months, my fellow humans are scurrying around doing the same, only with the added pressure of things like road rage and families outlandish expectations.

Take the time to stand still and soak up your surroundings. You can do it in your own living room, back yard or out in the woods, simple.

Tooth Fairy

2011-11-14T08:19:00.000-05:00

The kid pulled his own tooth. After a week of working on it, he wrapped a piece of dental floss around it and yanked on it. The surprise and excitement that ensued was such that he first screamed in delight, jumped up and down and then burst into tears!!

It has been a long time since I have allowed myself to become so emotional about something. It would do us all some good to break that shell that life has caused us to build around ourselves, the safety of the protection, while a good thing can also be harmful.

Laurel - Pilot

2011-11-13T16:31:00.000-05:00


My friends took me on a big ride and all I brought back was this lousy photo

It was a perfect day for riding in the woods and I kind of forgot that I had a camera. When I did remember, I was too busy hanging on to the fully rigid single speed. Lame I know, but there you have it.

I agreed to meet Chris and Nolan at 8:30am at the Laurel Trailhead. Justin came along too. The plan was to take a leisurely pace up the mountain, and the ride down Pilot to loop back to the cars. Chris, being the big bad endurance racer that he is, parked at Fishermans' bridge and met us up the hill. We rode up, making jokes, laughing, making fun of each other, like good friends do. The leaves are mostly fallen from the trees, and the views are amazing. Not to mention the temps around 50 and all my stresses were left back at the trailhead.

I opted to ride my fully ridgid, 26 er single speed, just for fun. It was fun and helped me really appreciate my Siren, big wheels and suspension. I don't think I'll be riding this bike on any big adventures, but it will be really fun for short rides.

After dropping back down to the gravel road , a pseudo race developed and it was all good till I got the jump on Nolan, passing on the inside. He then proceeded to shift his gears, and up the pace, Chris and Justin falling in behind him, leaving me spun out.

Next time....

Ramblin

2011-11-13T16:22:00.000-05:00

Saturday, I got out for a ride with Liberty Bike's Kevin Hessler. He showed me a route that was new to me and if I had to replicate it, I would not be able to. After riding pavement, we ended up riding a couple of gravel roads, before heading up Beaucatcher Mtn.


Some leaves are still hanging on.

One of the coolest things about this ride is that Kevin was hit by a pick up truck several weeks ago. It was painful to watch him recover and I'm really glad that he is able to ride again.


Beaucatcher

We ended the ride by winding through the Kenilworth neighborhood, and then parting ways. It was a great ride at a leisurely pace, and since I am lacking motivation, it was perfect.

After getting home I loaded up the mountain bikes and took the kid for a spin at the new Richmond Hill trails. If you have not been, go. The place is pretty cool.

Change

2011-10-17T09:17:00.000-04:00

With the leaves changing, the seasons changing, the training changing, I decided to take a route that I had not yet taken, and on the the single speed CX bike to boot. I headed south on the parkway, following the Liberty: Thursday night road ride route, winding through the fields, until I reached N Mills River rd, where I took a right to head into the woods. Grinding down the pavement with a 39x19 was not too bad. I set an easy spin and got to Wash Creek Rd and took a right to head up to Bent Creek Gap. The climb was better than I thought it would be, it seems that my legs have finally come back from their post Stage Race vacation. I was pleasantly surprised when a truck coming down the road stopped to let me by, then offer me some water. Good people!
At the top, I stopped to eat my homemade ride krispy treat that I had brought for this monumental moment. I savored the sights; bright leaves, blue bird sky, perfect temps, relished the smells; leaves, dirt, sun on skin. Then I took a left and headed down hill. It was a little sketchy, my brakes/hoods angles are not set up for dirt road decents....

I made it to the bottom safely and considered taking a right on South Ridge Road, but decided to leave that for another day. Instead I headed on down to Campground connector, past the lake and the up Hardtimes road back onto the parkway. The parkway was crowded with leaf gazers, but everyone gave me plenty of room, which was really cool.

40 miles later, I got back home, legs tired but feeling like they could keep going if I had a big sandwich to eat! But I didn't, so I went home, had some leftovers and played with the kid.

Stage 5

2011-10-02T09:05:00.000-04:00

Another day in the saddle. Today's stage is my favorite, and while not easy, it seems to flow more than the other stages. After getting through all of the creek crossings. Maybe the frozen toes distract from some of the pain, or possibly I am more familiar with this side of the range.

The gun went off for the 6ish mile pavement ride to Turkey Pen. When we hit Hwy280, we stepped on the gas, up and over the first steep climb, I was able to hang on and make the selection in the lead pack of about 20 elite riders. Free ride for me.

Up and into the woods, winding twisting, ridding 99% of the downhill was an accomplishment for me. In and out of the river and finally to the 5015 climb. 200yrds up and the climb and Jason reeled me in. I knew then that I had enough to finish strong and hopefully beat last year's time. We chatted for a bit, and I decided not to play mind games and just let him know that I was not going to attack. The rest of the climb was more laid back and relaxed. And it was nice to have someone to chat with.

The wife and kid at the aid station at Yellow Gap, re-fill on water and head up Laurel Mtn Trail. I had forgotten my HRM strap and was operating off of PRE ( perceived rate of exertion) and it seemed to be working well. I just settled in and spun the pedals. Up and over the mountain, down Pilot Rock Trail, I could hear the horn and people yelling below. Zig zagging back and forth down the switchbacks, riding some dabbing some, keeping it safe. At the Humvee section, the crowd yelled, I heard my name, I smelled perfume..... I made it to the bottom, leaning into a boulder but no touching the ground with my foot. I'll give myself a 99.9% !

The wife and kid were a little ways down, hiking up to see the action. A brief stop to say hey, then on down the mountain.

Gravel road, paved road, gravel road, Club Gap, Avery Creek....I think, then down the gravel to the last aid station at the Horse Stables. Time to grind. Some Coke and Fritos as I hit the first steep, then it was on. I pinned it the rest of the way, using up everything that I had. The air was cool enough that I didn't have to worry about overheating. As I spun my way up the mountain, I reminisced about the friends new and old, my progress in riding, and lots of other things that had happened this week.

It was a tough week and I had endured. I was also able to ride faster than last year, which is a huge accomplishment!!

Time to start training for next year!

Stage 4

2011-09-30T20:12:00.000-04:00

Today was going to hurt. 39 miles with 8000 ft of climbing would hurt on a road ride, throw in some boulders, roots, stream crossings and black bears and its really gonna hurt.

After dropping the kid off at school, I took of to the start and made it with 20 minutes to spare. I got changed and lined up. Knowing that today was going to start with lots of climbing leading to a 45 minute hike a bike, I took it easy.

After 2 hrs I made it to the first rest stop. At this point, Jason, who was fighting to get 5th back passed me. We yo yoed a couple of times and he finally got a gap and I didn't see him until the finish.

There is so much going through my head right now, the pain, wanting to give up, thinking of bailing out, hanging in there, enjoying the ride, having a blast, dreading the race etc. I ran through the whole gammut of emotions today.

But, when I turned onto Clawhammer then to Maxwell, I knew that I had ridden within my limits today. I was able to step on the gas and crank up the climb to the last decent. That felt good.

It felt even better that I beat last year's time by approximately 14 minutes!!

Tomorrow Stage 5: Transylvania Loop 42 miles 6200 feet of climbing!

Stage 3

2011-09-29T21:07:00.000-04:00

It was nice only having to drive 20 minutes to the start of today's stage, located in North Mills River. I addition, the start was scheduled later at 11 am. After dropping the kid off at school, I went back home, had some more coffee, ate some food, then headed out to the race.

After warming up, I headed over to the start line. I really wanted to take it easy today, and save it for Friday, but that was not going to happen. The gun went off, and after the short neutral start, we were back to racing. I followed wheels up Wash Creek Rd until the turn on Spencer then went my own pace.   There were plenty of people for the climb and at the top before dropping down Spencer Gap, Jason, who is in 6th place behind me, came up and I let him pass. I didn't see him until the finish.

The rest of the day was spent going as fast as I could without blowing up. The temps were cooler today which helped a lot. Up Middle Fork, down the ripping fast and fun flowing pump track that is Fletcher Creek, up and down the gravel road to Trace Ridge parking lot. A quick water re-fill and PB & J and down the sketchy lower Trace. ( I have a witness who will say that I rode all of it).

Out onto the pavement and tucked into time trial position, it was nice to push a big gear and fly down some pavement, I could have used another mile of that. Left on Wash Creek Rd, back to the parking lot, then up Trace.

I used to ride up Trace a lot, cleaning 99% of it, but now it is rutted and eroded, and today I walked more than usual, but then rode more than I had planned. I was simply in the zone and kept the pedals spinning.

On the climb I reeled in and passed 3 people, one of which was Claire, same as yesterday. I made it my goal to get down the mountain without her catching me. I made it to the gate at Wash Creek Road, and she and Keith from I-9 caught me. I waved Claire around and followed her down the gravel, until she almost went over the hood of a car.... she lost some momentum, I passed her and pinned it past the left turn, around the gate and up the double track to Bear Branch. I kept listening, thinking she would not be far behind, bombed the single track (bombed being a relative term) took the left hand 180 to the finish and sprinted to a time of 2:46.

Jason had finished 4 minutes ahead of me, meaning that I retain 5th place in Open Men's.   Although, as I told my friend Mike tonight, I'm finishing the stages faster than last year, and while 5th would be cool, I'm satisfied with my performance so far!

Tomorrow will be rough:
Stage 4
The Promised Land Loop
39 miles, 8,000+ ft of elevation gain!!

Stage 2

2011-09-29T07:08:00.000-04:00

5hrs, 33 minutes- 21 minutes faster than last year.

I felt like I was feeling good, but one never knows until about 5-10 minutes into the ride.

My friend Rick came out and spared me the scenic trolley ride, giving us a ride to the start at Kuykendal Group Campground. After finally getting started and splashing through the creek, I stettled into my own pace, one that would last for 42 miles. I took advantage of people nearby, sucking wheels, only feeling a little shame for not taking a pull.

The 9 mile climb up to Farlow finally ended, and then it was time to descend. I'm ok at descending but also overly cautious because I really don't want to get hurt. I get passed quite a bit on the downhills and hit happened again. My strength is definitely climbing, and it shows when I catch and drop the people who pass me on the downhills.

I was in a rythym and got down Farlow in one piece, crossing the creek and turning onto Daniel Ridge. I was surprised that I was riding most of it, kept my pace in check and kept turning the pedals. Cruising through the forest with leaves changing and the air starting to warm, past the gate, up the gravel road and right on Cove Creek. At this point I realized that sucking the last drop of water out of a Camelback is a similar sensation to running out of air while deep underwater. I was totally out of water, and it was warm. Cove Creek is mostly downhill with a steep climb out of the campground, so I kept a steady pace and got to the next rest stop.

The rest stop staff at this race are stellar and I am making record fast re-fills. On down Davidson, onto the pavement, left on the gravel road that winds up and around Looking Glass rock, reminded me that I need to bring the wife and kid out here soon.

I was alone for close to an hour until I made it to the next stop at the bottom of Club Gap. I got refilled and lubed thanks to David Wood and friends. I rode up the first steep part of Club, but was fading, so I started walking. It felt so good to be walking that I ended up walking most of the steeps. I was going the same speed and using less energy, so I kept going. Up and over the mountain, past the shelter, into the gap, right on Clawhammer, got passed by Claire from Australia, then Garnett from Canada. I managed to hang with Garnett, letting him take the lead on the blazing fast gravel descents. We ended up riding and chatting all the way up Maxwell, passing Claire and catching up to Chris Baker.

Once over the top, I was alone again, relaxing and focusing on the downhill. For some reason, this downhill seems way shorter than last year. I was cruising, but it was still moist and slick in spots so I rode conservatively.

And then I finished. After checking the results later, I found that I am now in 5th place in Men's Open cat. Pretty exciting!

Today: The Carl Schenk Loop: 25 miles, 3200 ft elevation gain..... "rest day"

Stage 1

2011-09-27T20:23:00.000-04:00

I got up before dawn to get things ready for stage one. The air was cool, but the temps were supposed to get close to 80. I was excited about my first race of the year, and anxious to get to the start line. But first, I had to wake the kid up, get him fed and dressed and off to school on time.

After dropping him off, I headed out to Brevard and the Black Mountain Trail Head. It was good to see some old friends riding around. I didn't have a lot of time so I got changed and ready to roll. I was feeling ok, but having a little bit of GI issues to start the day. I'm thinking that last night's trout was still swimming around in there.

We lined up. Todd announced 2 minutes and about 8 of us darted for the woods to take one last natural break. Then the gun sounded and we were off. It was good for the neutral start, but when we hit the gravel, the pace picked up, several groups quickly formed with a one man breakaway. I slowly drifted back, knowing that I should not hold that pace.   Once I hit Clawhammer, I pushed my pace, passed and got passed.   After about 20 minutes, I started to overheat. While it was not hot out, it was very humid, and I simply don't function well in those conditions, coupled with heat....well, then I'm just out for a ride.

I made it up to the gap, refilled, and cruised down to the river taking the time to recover. Across the river and over the swinging bridge, then up squirrel.   I had moments of feeling great and moments of feeling not so great. I tried to focus on riding smoothly and within my limits. Then something strange happened. I started catching people. We would yo yo back and forth for a while, but then they would fade. From this point on, only one of the people would ride away from me, and this was coming down Black Mtn, a steep, techy trail.

Up the gravel to Yellow Gap, stopping for water and lube. David Wood did an stellar job of lubing my chain.   I rolled down 1206, remembering quickly how much climbing I had yet to do. I didn't see anyone for a while, but then on N Mills River trail, I started passing people again. Not a lot, but enough to encourage me to keep doing what I was doing.

Typically at this point in a race, I am the one getting passed by everyone. It was good to be passing.

At Buckhorn Gap, I again got lubed, grabbed a pb and j and a Coke, and started up Black Mtn. Up and up, then down then up, techy, rooty rocky, passing the marshall with the airhorn, then up, then it was the last down hill. I kept it in control and kept listening for someone to come up behind me. They never did and I finished in 5 hrs and 10 minutes. 25 minutes faster than last year!

A good day in the saddle.

Wednesday: Stage 2 Land of Waterfalls
43 miles, 7,300+ ft of elevation gain... its gonna be fun!

Packet Pick Up

2011-09-27T06:26:00.000-04:00

Dinner was trout, veggies, bread and drink. It was delish. A relaxing time with a large group of fit and fast people. There are no sandbaggers here. Everyone who signed up has been training for this moment. I have my work cut out for me.

I'm gonna keep it fun though; challenge myself, yet enjoy the ride and finish in one piece.

Today is the White Squirrel Loop. 39 miles, 6200 ft elevation gain. Opening with a long sometimes steep and muddy climb up Clawhammer rd.

It's time to race....

9-23/24

2011-09-26T06:47:00.000-04:00

The weekend went by pretty quickly. Saturday consisted of helping Asheville CX set-up, manage, and tear down some really fast and hot races.

Sunday was the planned shakedown cruise of the Siren Rocketship 55 SL. With knew cables and chain, I was ready to rock. The cassette however was not ready to rock. It seemed it was more into skipping. I had met up with Dawn and told her to go ahead and leave me, because I was not going anywhere fast. I did figure out that I could ride some of the steady gravel climbs without too much problem, so I still got some time in the saddle.

After the ride, I sat at Starbucks, sipping some coffee until Liberty Bikes opened and I splurged on a new cassette.

Monday will be shakedown cruise #2.

9-22

2011-09-23T06:56:00.000-04:00

The last day of summer has arrived. With the skies overcast, I had a feeling I would be riding alone again. I was pleasantly surprised when 7 other guys showed up for some fun.

We rolled out a held a pretty steady pace.

I am feeling good and it was good to put in a hard effort with a group before the race next Tuesday. I feel like I'm recovery faster after sprints and climbs, and with the cool weather, I didn't even think about overheating.

My goal going into the race is to finish, going my pace, and enjoy the ride. I'm looking forward to a challenge, and pushing my limits.

9-21

2011-09-22T06:46:00.000-04:00

Sluggish, I'm feeling quite sluggish lately, and I'm not sure why.

It was a rainy day, and was supposed to rain all day, so I did my workout on the rollers. 30 minutes into the workout and the sun came out, but by then, my motivation was lacking and I was done...

Maybe I'm working on over training, or maybe its the sluggishness that comes from reduced exercise. The allergies don't help either.

Oh well, I'm spending some time resting, that can't hurt at this point.

I'm feeling strangely calm with only 5 days to go. I'm excited but realistic about the possibilities.

I'll ride on Thursday and see what happens.

9-20

2011-09-21T06:59:00.000-04:00

It was one of those days of spinning wheels and not getting much done. Did quite a bit of phone calling and busy work etc, but didn't squeeze in a ride. I did manage 30 minutes of yoga which was a smart move. With the miles I have ridden over the summer, my whole body is tight.

I also doubled checked the Rocketship to make sure everything looks good.

Today looks like another rainy day. I don't really want to get it dirty before race day!! Haha, I better get out and ride or I'll regret it.

9-19

2011-09-20T06:46:00.000-04:00


Hardtimes Rd/ Bent Creek

The ride today was somewhat mixed with feeling good and feeling tired. I decided not to be critical of how I felt and just enjoy the ride. It was chilly enough for arm warmers, and quiet out there. The leaves are starting to fade and fall. The sky was dim with a threat of rain that didn't happen until much later.

I did some intervals and some steady riding, feeling good about where I am and knowing that I have done everything I can to prepare. It is tempting, to coast for the next 7 days but I know that I need to stay consistent. I can't wait to get started, but don't want life to pass me by until then!!

9-16/17

2011-09-19T06:59:00.000-04:00

Saturday morning I got up early to help a friend with some stuff, leaving me drained and without enough energy to ride. I met up with the wife and kid at the Folk Art Center for the Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle comp. I might need to enter that next year....

Later on Saturday, I got to go help a broken friend, Kevin Hessler put his playset together.

Sunday was the CYMBL race. The course was 2miles long, and with longer mellower climbs and moderate decents, the kid found a steady enough pace to wind up in 8th out of 12 kids in his age group. The start was as chaotic as a world cup race with 25 kids 7-10 yrs old vying for the hole shot. It was cool to watch, a whole lot less cussing and yelling going on than at an adult race. The kids were patient with each other, waiting their turn to get onto the single track and start rolling. After the kid's race, I spun around with Nolan who was running sweep, in order to get a little time on the bike.

After the race, I went back over to Kevin's house to finish up the play set. I worked while everybody stood around supervising....I'm going to have to figure out how to get a supervisor position.

9-16

2011-09-17T06:49:00.000-04:00

This guy hangs out by the river and blows the horn.

I love it when I get to ride 2 times in one day. This morning I went for a recovery ride. I ride from the house, down past Biltmore, to the French Broad River Park. Then I take the greenway, upriver through Carrier Park, to Hominy Creek Park. On the way back I usually stop at the track for a couple of laps and a chat with Rostand Smith. That guy is cool and has lots of stories to tell!!

After the fine recovery on a chilly morning, I made my way home and loaded up the trailer and bikes. I was excited as I headed to Francine Delaney, a charter school in West Asheville. I work with a group of 9 guys and teach Bicycle 101. The guys are totally into it.

I worked at this school 7 years ago when I was in the child mental health field. It was great when Buffy, the operations coordinator, who was the teacher in the class I worked in, came out and rode around with the kids. To see the excitement, not only on the kid's faces, but also on the staff's, it was amazing. Buffy was also adamant that we should have a girl's program as well!

I look forward to the possibilities of running similar programs in other schools!

On to the weekend. The miles will be low to non-existent, depends on a lot of factors. We'll see what happens!

9-15

2011-09-16T06:28:00.000-04:00

I rolled up to Liberty Bicycles for the Thursday night ride. The skies had been cloudy all day, and there was a threat of rain, only 30% chance....

Only two other guys showed up, Eric was eating potato chips so he bailed. We rolled out, and at the turn off of the parkway one guy bailed. About 10 minutes later, the other guy bailed and I was all alone. Just me, the wind, the ominous clouds and lots of traffic. I went into time trial mode and focused on my form. I have learned that it is futile to fight the bike and the conditions. I also learned that when things get tough, if I focus on form, I go a lot faster that when I focus on going fast.

So, I rode, alone, thinking, pondering, gritting my teeth, spinning. It was a good ride. Thankfully, on the parkway I caught up with Dawn, who pulled me the last couple of miles. It went by too fast and we bid goodbye.

Since the ride starts at 5:30 now, I got home before dark, which was good.

Is the Thursday night ride dead? I guess I'll find out next week!

9-14

2011-09-15T07:05:00.000-04:00

Today was a scheduled easy recovery day. Today was also an Erwin Middle Bike Club. We met up, loaded the bikes and headed to Carrier Park. The group was eager to go, and after a thorough safety inspection on their respective bicycles, we took a few minutes to discuss the finer points of lubing a chain.

When everyone had a clean, quiet chain, thanks for Pro Lube, we headed up the greenway to Hominy Creek Park, then back down to French Broad River Park, ending back at the Mellowdrome for a few laps.

Another fun day getting kids on bikes.

Thursday: Liberty Bikes Road Ride at 5:30pm, join us!

9-13

2011-09-14T06:34:00.000-04:00

I headed out to Bent Creek again for a faster ride with some intervals thrown in.

I always have trouble eating first thing in the morning and have not found anything that sits well in my stomach. I have found that I can wait up to a couple of hours before eating in the morning and my system works a lot better, but this method does not work well for races that start early in the morning.

This morning I tried a couple of scrambled eggs, sprinkled with cheddar cheese. I choked down 3/4 of it but could not stomach the rest. And there is sat, in the dark cavern of my belly. I felt really sluggish and wanted to go back to bed, but I headed to the trailhead anyway.

Once on the trail, I felt like a pile of moldy rice and wanted to turn back but forced myself to continue. I started drinking my super secret sports drink, a combo of maltodextrin and nuun. Interestingly, I started to feel better after about 20 minutes, so continue on my ride. Up Ingles Field and down Greenslick, up Sidehill, up Bent Creek Gap Road, then back down, a short trip on Explore Loop, past the lake then Hardtimes Connector and the freaking fun wall rides!

It was a great day for a ride, and my body is feeling good. I'm recovering after attacking the climbs and my down hill skills, while lacking, are improving!

9-12

2011-09-13T06:46:00.000-04:00

The easy recovery workout had me spinning up north boundary road. The recent logging there has left a grand view to the west and I was captivated by the clouds forming in the distant valley with the hot air balloon floating gently above the ridge. The scene was peaceful, calm and somehow reassuring.

My legs are feeling good and there is an inner calm, an slight anticipation. I try not to think about the race too much, but the excitement creeps in when I least expect it. Like my pace at the start of a race, I have to slow down, focus on what I am doing right here and now. Focus, so that I can be as prepared as possible when I line up for stage 1.

Added to the challenge of racing is taking care of my family. With the wife in school, I will be dropping the kid of at his school several mornings before the drive out to Brevard. A couple of days will see me rolling into the parking area 10 minutes before the start of the race, but that's life. I'm thankful I get to race again this year.

9-11-11

2011-09-12T11:47:00.000-04:00

2 weeks and one day to go until the Pisgah MTB Stage Race. This will be my 3rd year in a row and I am feeling stronger and more prepared than ever.

Sunday I got out with Chris, Chris and Kristi, 3 expert/pro level mtn bikers who let me tag along. It was good for me to ride with that group and definitely challenged me to keep working on improving in every area of my riding.

We set out to ride a modified stage 3 which includes the gnarly climb up Trace Ridge. This single climb will be a deciding factor in the race. Sandwiched between 4 other stages, 2 before and 2 after, one must not be fooled by the "only 25 miles" distance of the day. With roughly 3200 ft of climbing this stage will make you pay attention.

Tomorrow: Monday's recovery ride.

8-12

2011-08-12T11:50:00.000-04:00

After getting beat down at the Thursday night Liberty / ABRC ride, I took an easy recovery spin around the mountains....

...and through downtown, where I almost got crunched twice.

Its Friday and school starts for the wife on Wednesday and the kid on Thursday. This probably been the greatest summer of my life. Getting to watch the kid grow social skills and learn to swim has been amazing. Lots of quality father- kid time that I cherish. Lots of kids don't get that attention from their fathers, or don't have fathers. I'm proud that I could be there for him.

Enjoy your kids!

Carey Lowery and TNGA!

2011-07-18T07:57:00.001-04:00

http://careylowery.blogspot.com/2011/07/tnga-and-trips-for-kids-wnc.html

7-4

2011-07-05T09:22:00.000-04:00

I rolled out at 11am, again after it was nice and hot. I decided to fight the traffic and head up to Craggy Gardens for a solid climbing work out. I started out too fast, but then reeled myself in and warmed up properly. Didn't want to "pull a hammy".

It turned out that the traffic was not too bad, and I was able to get lost in thought and the sights. It is so cool to be able to ride out of my driveway and be a couple of thousand feet off of the valley floor in less than an hour. As I climbed the air cooled and then it felt like someone turned on the air conditioner. I soaked it in, anticipating the heat back down in the valley.

As I rounded the last bend at the gap, after filling my bottle with fresh mountain spring water, I was greeted with some dark clouds rolling in. I was looking forward to racing the storm home.


fresh piped water

I paused at the Visitor Center for a few minutes before heading back down. On the downhill I felt relaxed and euphoric. I was at ease, spinning the cranks, living in the moment. When I got back down, it was warm but due to storms rolling in, the air had cooled off somewhat, so I didn't get blasted by the furnace that I had expected.

It was a good day.

2011-07-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

With the Pisgah MTB Stage Race roughly 3 months away, I figured it was time to get more consistent with training.
I set out a little late Sunday morning, the temps were already up, and the humidity high. I was in for an easy paced ride, since the day before I had ridden a fairly good clip with Kevin Hessler.

I stopped at this church to refill my water bottle, and had to spread the love....

End of the ride treat: fresh mountain red raspberries, bonus recovery points in the form of antioxidents!

Have a great day!

6-18

2011-06-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

I got to go for a ride with Dawn from Liberty Bikes. She wanted to pre-ride the ORAMM course minus the Kitsuma section. I was worn out from the past week of big rides but was game since she wanted to go slow and steady.

The skies were blue with some cloud cover at the beginning of the ride. We rode up Star Gap to Lower Heartbreak, wound around Jarrets Creek Rd, and onto Curtis Creek Rd. Once on CC we started seeing other pre-riders, Kip &co, Janna who I helped with a flat 4 yrs ago at the Assault on Mt Mitchell, Mark and Joel who I have race with quite a bit. All friends who I have met at one race or another. And here we were, in the woods, riding around, fun stuff.

fast

After bombing down the other side of the Parkway, stopping for ice cream and grinding back up we hit the parkway and then Heartbreak. At this point we started hearing thunder, and the skies got cloudy.

The above picture was take about 2 minutes before the storm overtook us and had us scampering down the mountain for our lives. 40-50 mph gusts blowing rain sideways, obscurring vision, it was insane. The trail is a corridor of stunted trees and shrubs which protected us from the majority of the madness, but when a gap opened up we were pelted . It was amazing.

I remember being caught in a storm like this when I was 14 yrs old. I was in a windsurf race in Bonaire, NA. The storm blew up and I made my way to Klein Bonaire, a little neighboring island, where I crawled under the sail to wait out the storm. Good memories!

We made it back to the cars wet but safe. Fun stuff.

My Kit

2011-06-14T21:48:00.000-04:00

I was asked to list what I am carrying, so here you go:

The bike:
Cannondale 29er Caffeine. ( I hope to upgrade to a sweet steel frame some day, but for now I am pleased as pudding.)

The Bags and contents:

Revelate Handle Bar Bag:
Filled with as many snacks as I can fit- granola bars, nuun, Honey Stinger, honey buns, rice krispy treats, trail mix, corn chips etc.

Revelate Harness holding a 13 liter drybag, could use a little bit bigger one esp in cold weather or with no possible re-supply. Also held a pair of $5 camo Wal Mart flip flops that disappeared somewhere on the most recent trip.
Contents:
Lafuma 35 degree synthetic sleeping bag ( If I were in race mode and the weather was warm, I would trade this for a sleeping bag liner and use an SOL emergency bivy, )
Basic first aid kit
bag of spare clothes: lightweight shorts, dri fit Honey Stinger t-shirt, long sleeve 3/4 zip Hot Chilis turtleneck, mtn hardware fleece hat, wool socks, arm warmers, knee warmers. this bag doubles as my pillow and also contains a Stowe puffy hooded jacket in the colder months.

Revelate Gas Tank:
stuffed with snacks, bars crackers. Easy access food.

The other tank:
Small bento box type of attachment, holds more snacks, lube and small headlamp.

Revelate Tangle Bag:
(This works for now, one day I'll order a custom full frame bag )70oz bladder in larger pocket
small pocket: necessities, cell phone in zip lock bag, toothbrush, toilet paper, cable ties, etc.

Revelate Visacha Seat Bag:
titanium cook pot and mug,
Esbit stove and fuel
Thermarest Neo Pro inflatable sleeping pad
Locally made ultra sil tarp 5x8 (similar to integral designs)
SOL brand emergency bivy
ground tarp cut out from housing moisture barrier ( off brand, am looking for some Tyvek)
Sierra Designs ultra light rain jacket
PUR water filter

Misc
Spot Tracker
nuun tabs
map
whistle

I think that about wraps it up. I have room to carry about 3 days worth of food, if I stuff my jersey pockets too. Although that would be a heavy load.

The Pisgah Traver: Picture Story

2011-06-14T16:50:00.000-04:00

Kitsuma Trail Head, the start.

Point Lookout Trail, this used to be a motor road. At this point was a restaurant. People used to drive from miles around to eat lunch and see the bears in cages.

Montreat NC

Looking across the valley from Old Toll Rd, view of Heartbreak ridge.


Old Toll is a lot like cobbles...

Heartbreak = tight singletrack

I do not recommend this for dinner..

the next morning, a look of hurt

Sunrise on the Gravel Grind

Mt Mitchell

Entrance to Mt Mitchell State Park

Day 3, the first few miles

Laurel Mtn Mountain Laurel Tunnel

Blooming Galax

Davidson River Campground

The Fish Hatchery

I saw quite a few of these little guys

The pavement climb up 215 was hot and long

One of my favorite spots ever.

The trail to Ivestor Gap

The View

The finish at Ivestor Gap

The view from Ivestor

250 miles, home and tired.

The Pisgah Traverse

2011-06-13T22:29:00.005-04:00

2 things culminated this weekend. Both have been on my mind for a couple of years and I have been spending time and energy working towards both. Many nights spent late on the internet doing research, sleeping behind the house in the yard, picking people's brains etc.

About 1 yr ago, I borrowed a BOB trailer to go on an overnight trip. I pulled that trailer to work, and planned to ride out of work that evening and take my first self supported trip. The trip never happened. I also realized that the BOB was not the tool for the job, if I planned to ride single track. Over the course of the year, I was able to purchase bikepacking bags from Revelate Designs, and put together a suitable light weight kit. Approximately two weeks ago, I was blessed to be able ( with lots of help from friends) copple together a full 29er. I was ready to go.

It was about the same time, probably a little over 1 yr ago that I found out about the self supported bikepacking genre. An exciting art form where one mixes backpacking, a former passion of mine, with mtn biking, a current passion. I researched the Colorado Trail Race, the Trans North Georgia, was inspired by the San Jacinto Eduro and more. Then I found out about the Great Divide Race, got ahold of Ride the Divide, watched it over and over. I analyzed, scrutinized and was mesmerized.

I have been wanting to do one of the big races around, and wished that there was one closer. The TNGA is pretty close but logistics right now are preventing me from doing that one. So, I figured it was time that Pisgah had it's own ultra endurance race.

I waited for the right window of time to open, and after months of pouring over maps, the time finally arrived and I rolled out. Since the wife and kid were headed out of town, I was on my own and rode my bike the 20 miles to the start: Kitsuma. 4 days later, I have mapped out a course that I think will challenge the beginner through the elite, and will give anyone who attempts the route a taste of Pisgah in all of it's glory.

For the "single track only" snobs, this is not the route for you. I wound up riding 250 miles in 4 days and mapped a 190 mile point to point route: starting at Kistuma and finishing at Ivestor Gap. Yes, Ivestor Gap, in the middle of nowhere.... inspired by the Appalachian Trail's Mt Katadin. At some point, I might chronicle my adventure here. For now, here is the route:
Note: Old Toll Rd is closed from Oct 1st-Jan 1st for bear hunting season. If attempted during this time you must take the alternate route, omitting the Point Lookout Trail through Heartbreak. Please contact me for alternate directions.
Start- Kistuma Trail Head
Ride the trail to Old Fort Picnic area
Left on Point Lookout Trail (old US 70)
Rt on Hwy 70 west- through Black Mountain NC ( not through Ridgecrest)
Rt on Hwy 9 north (to Montreat)
Rt on Lookout Rd
Rt on Rainbow Rd
to Old Toll Rd
Rt on Heartbreak
left on Lower HB
Left on Jarrets Creek Rd
Left on Curtis Creek Rd
cross Blue Ridge Parkway to FS 2074
left on FS 472
Rt on BRP
Follow Parkway through Asheville
If the Arboretum is open, there is a water fountain at the base of Hardtimes rd that can be used, if not, take the BRP to Hardtimes rd.
Rt on Hardtimes
left on South Ridge Rd
Rt on Deerfield Connector
left on Pine Tree
Left on Explorer Loop
Rt on gravel rd to parking area
rt on Bent Creek Gap Rd
Left on Sidehill Connector
left on Sidehill
rt on Bent Creek Gap Rd
over Bent Creek Gap, Rt on Wash Creek,
Rt on Spencer Branch
left on Trace
through parking lot to lower Trace
veer right on unsigned "Fisherman's", cross river, follow dirt path/road to gate at 1206/ Yellow Gap Rd
at 1206, water and camping available to the left at N Mills River Campground
rt on 1206
Rt on Laurel Mtn just down hill from Yellow Gap
left on Pilot Rock
rt on 1206
left on FS 476
Left on FS 5018- Funneltop Mtn
rt on Horse Cove
rt on Squirrel Gap
left on Buckhorn Gap
straight on Clawhammer/ FS 5058
Left on Gravel rd at horse stables to Hwy 276
(to the left on 276 is Brevard for re-fueling and camping)
rt on 276
left on FS 475 towards Gloucester Gap
left on Davidson River Trail
left on FS 475
20 feet over Gloucester gap, rt on gated FS 5003
left on 140A
rt on 140
left on Sumney Cove
Rt on hwy 215
cross under Parkway
rt on Flat Laurel Creek
Through Parking lot to Ivestor Gap Trail
Finish at Ivestor Gap

Approximately 190 miles, I have no idea of elevation gain or any other data really. I did it in 4 days (including riding to the trailhead and home from the finish, 3 days is more accurate) , and did not "race", but assumed a comfortable for me pace. So, naturally, as it stands, I hold the record and hope that someone comes along and shatters it.

It is a demanding course with single track, double track, gravel rd, pavement, remote....all of the above.

Who is up for it?

Trips For Kids WNC needs your help!

2011-06-07T13:07:00.002-04:00

Help us help the kids in the WNC mountains. We have 3 days to collect over 6000 endorsements. Click the link above and endorse now!! http://www.vivint.com/givesbackproject/charity/1585

Fletcher Flyer

2011-06-05T20:26:00.000-04:00

I was excited this spring when I realized my life schedule would leave room on the calendar for me to participate in the Fletcher Flyer, the flattest century around with roughly 5000 ft of climbing, put on by the Blue Ridge Bicycle Club. It has been at least 3 yrs since I have done this one and I remember that it was a fun ride.

Sunday morning my alarm went off at 6am and I could not remember why my alarm was going off so early. I ran through a list of options in my head before I knew that today was the day.   I got up, and started to get ready: pumping tires, lubing chain, bagel in the toaster.   Sipping my coffee and chewing the bagel covered in peanut butter and honey while checking the weather forecast, I found that this was going to be a hot one. I reminded myself to ride within my limits and not go out too hard. I had made that mistake too many times and pushed myself past the limit way too many times.

The wife and kid would be coming out to Fletcher Park to see me finish and I really did not want to have us driving two vehicles out there. I decided that I would ride the 10 miles to the start finish and ride home with them after the event.

The 10 miles was peaceful and cool. There is not much traffic on a Sunday morning and the sun was just barely coming over the ridge line. I enjoyed the warm up, keeping my heartrate low and drinking lots of water.

I arrived at the park, chatted with friends, ran to the trees one last time then rolled to the start to chat with more friends.

It always amazes me how fast these rides start out. There is no money on the line, no king of the mtn, just the possibility of bragging rights and stomping on fellow participants. Either way, I knew that hanging with the fast group, if it was in my limits, would be a free ride for several miles. So, I hung with them. I was pushing my envelope a little bit, but decided to stay with the group until the first rest stop. Most of them did not even stop, but I was out of fluids so I stopped. Motion Makers, Pro Bikes and Youngblood bikes were all there doling out pretzels, water and gatorade. I took some pretzels and water.

Back on the road, the rest of the day is kind of a blurry grind. I was able to get in with another group for the next 20 miles to the next rest stop, where I stopped again to fill up. I remember Craig from Ski Country Sports was there, with some other people, one lady diligently making pb and j's.

Mile 40-60, it seems like we went through Brevard and rode a portion of the Assault on the Carolinas route. Grinding along, I got in with another group and made some good time. I was hoping to get my first sub 6 hr century, and was on par to complete the ride in 5 hrs. I didn't aim for the 5 hr mark, because it was starting to get hot, and I have learned that heat shuts me down. If I let my heartrate get too high in the heat, I wind up in the back of an ambulance with an IV, I know this from experience.

Back through the rest stop with about 80 miles to go. I stopped and quickly refilled my bottles, greeted a couple of friends and hit the road. It was hot and I maintained a steady pace. At one point my thermometer read 99 degrees in the full sun.

I was wearing the new kit from Liberty Bikes, it is Hiuncappie Brand and has some sweet mesh built in. It breathed really well and was comfortable. At times, it felt like air conditioning.

I ground through the out and back section then on to the last rest stop. So many times I have been told by volunteers that "it is all down hill from hear" only to learn that there was another huge climb, I am wary about believing what I hear.   so, when Tavis and Rachel told me that there were 10 miles left, I checked and doubled checked that they had their facts straight.

Cool, 10 miles to go. I grabbed a couple of pecan sandies and ground on down the road. I was please after a couple of miles to find that I was on the Thursday night Liberty ride route. I put it in cruise control and ground away. I glanced to the left, upwind, and noticed the industrial sized sprinklers. Then I smelled what smelled like Georgia on a hot summer day. Chicken poop, liquid form being sprayed on the field and the spray drifting across the road.   euw....

The last couple of miles I picked up the pace and paid for it. It was hot and my heart rate went too high. I finished but could not enjoy the awesome spread of food at the finish. I loaded up and headed home, lacking appetite due to the heat.

I ended up under 6 hrs, around 5:40. I am proud of that and glad to have a solid ride under my belt.

I look forward to next year!

Pledge Drive

2011-05-26T07:00:00.001-04:00

As you may know, I launched Trips For Kids WNC back in November. Since that time, I have submitted an application to become a 501(c)3 non profit organization, ( we are currently pending which enables us to accept tax deductible donations), acquired a small fleet of bikes, co-promoted a Take A Kid Mtn Biking Day-Spring, and facilitated over 300 kids on mountain bike outings.

This program has already seen huge success thanks to the help of a lot of people: See our sponsor page here.

I wanted to spend some time evaluating our needs and developing a sound budget, before running a pledge drive and now we are at that point. I have a number in mind that I have figured out, and if we reach this goal we will be at a point of minimal functionality. What I mean by that is that we will be able to function as a bare bones operation, be able to offer a quality and safe program, taking at risk kids on mountain bike outings. Anything donated above this amount will be icing on the cake. ( chocolate icing!!).

I am looking for 125 dedicated people, clubs, organizations and companies, who will pledge $20 per month for 1 yr. That's it. Simple. I know it does not sound like much, but it is, and the results of these pledges and the impact you will have on our community will be huge.

Are you up for the challenge?

Contact me: stephen@tripsforkidswnc.com or go to : http://tripsforkidswnc.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=452688 to get started today.

Thanks for your consideration.
Stephen Janes

The Bikepacking Machine

2011-05-24T07:21:00.000-04:00

The Machine

I got a new bike built up. Its a miracle bike really. I've been thinking about building a full 29er for a bikepacking specific bike for over a year now. The plan was to get one this winter or spring, then life happened and plans fell through.

I went ahead and put it out there that I was considering a full 29er and things started to go my way. Friends called with parts they had that they needed to move on. Liberty Bikes had the rest of the parts that I lacked. Before long, I had my new bikepacking machine built up.

As I write this, I find it difficult to express how grateful I am for the opportunity to build this bike. When you see me ride by and see the smile on my face you will understand.

I hope to upgrade the frame in the future to something sweet and hopefully handbuilt, but for now, I'm pleased, and look forward to many adventures!!

5-16

2011-05-18T07:26:00.000-04:00

Mike, Mike and Stephen

Mike (in the middle) recruited me to ride along for a little ways and help pace, or rather distract from the pain on the Assault on Mt Mitchell. I parked in Marion and road towards the guys until I met them at the rest stop 10 miles from Marion. I rode with them through Marion and up Hwy 80 to the BRP before turning around to head back to the truck and them home.

It was an awesome day for a ride and had a fun time exchanging stories. It was a great ride with great friends!!

Mike and Mike reached the top and will spend the rest of the week eating pizza and chocolate chip cookies!!

Great ride M & M!!

5-14

2011-05-16T07:29:00.000-04:00

I was at the Lake Eden Arts Festival in Black Mountain. The storms had rolled through and the sky was slightly overcast. My truck was parked on the adjacent Grovestone property way down the "gravel road of death". If you have been to this festival you know what I mean; a person could end up walking for 15-20 minutes to get to a vehicle, and if a person were carrying a kid or something else.....

I walked to the security tent to find out if the shuttles were still running, knowing that they were not, but hoping they would offer me a ride. The thing about the "gravel road of death" is that it is separated by a series of lakes. My truck was a 3-4 minute walk from the security tent, but the lakes were in the way. I pointed almost to the exact location of my truck telling the security guards. The looked at me and said," There's a trail right there". Surprised, I made sure that the trail was legit. They asked if I had a light, I said "no" but was ok, because the moon was out and I was able to see enough to get down the trail.

I climbed up and over the embankment, slipping on some roots and sliding down the other side. It was quiet on this side and I was alone between the lakes. I walked softly, listening to the sound of the frogs and crickets, not realizing that there was a very real possibility I was being watched. I made it to the truck and home.

The following night, equipped with the knowledge of the trail, I was ready with a flashlight. It was a good move because the sky was dark and the moon nowhere to be seen. I climbed up and over the embankment, walking carefully down the other side. I paused for a moment to take in the night sounds then started walking softly. I took about 20 steps and heard crunching in the undergrowth next to me. The next 10 seconds are emblazoned in my memory and I will never forget what I had the privilege of experiencing.

I heard the crunch, my mind told me it was something big, these thoughts flash through my mind: deer, bear, person.....I immediately turned and directed my small beam of light on the sound while at the same time, letting out a startled yell. By the time I had turned, and shined the light, in a flash, all that I glimpsed was the right rear haunch, a charcoal black fur covered haunch, followed by a 3 foot long cat tail covered in the same fur.....mountain lion.

I have heard both sides of the story. The Forest Service and scientists deny that they exist. The locals, woodsmen and old timers confirm their existence. I have always held a hope that they are still out there and now I believe. Very few people have caught a glimpse of this stealthy animal, and I have now joined them.

They are out there....

5-10/11

2011-05-11T11:54:00.002-04:00

I woke up close to midnite, the wind howling in over the ridge and into the valley. It was dark but I could feel the trees being bent by the wind. I had forgotten to check for widow makers so I crawled out of my sleeping bag and turned on the flashlight. The air was filled with millions of particles of dust, pollen and debris. I did a double take, then checked for widow makers.

For just over one year now, I have been dreaming and scheming about bikepacking. I scoured the internet, talked to friends and, worked extra jobs to earn the money to purchase the equipment. I loaded the bike, unloaded the bike, reloaded the bike, slept in the back yard, got frustrated, and got excited. I got to do a coupled of paved road trips, both 2 nights, one camping and one cushy. But I yearned for the day that I would load down my Siren and hit some dirt. ( a couple of months ago, I had attempted a trip but aborted because the timing was not right).

The day finally came and the timing was right. I left after dinner to maximize family time, planned to ride into the Pisgah National Forest, spend the night and return the next morning. I headed out the BRP and down through the Arboretum, up Hardtimes Rd. The main thing on my mind was where to sleep. I really want to be able to stealth camp, just pull off somewhere in the woods and bed down, but whenever I lean that direction, the alarms in my head go off, telling me to go to a campground. I'm not sure what is up with that, but it happens.

As I crested Bent Creek Gap, I made the decision to head to N Mills River Campground. Later, I would be glad that I made the decision. I cruised down Wash Creek Rd, enjoying the scenery. Near the road that leads to Trace Ridge Parking, I ran into David Knupp and his friend Brian. We pedaled together chatting about riding and life. The air was humid and with a chance of strong storms into the campground. It was getting dark as I completed the set up, of which I totally forgot to take a picture.

After getting set up, I sat down for my second dinner around 9pm: frozen bean and cheese burritos. I brushed my teeth and settled under my tarp to listen to the night sounds before drifting off to sleep.

Fast forward to midnite when I was startled awake by the howling wind. The thunder and lightning were getting closer and there was an occasional spattering of rain drops. I looked up into the trees, looking for the dead branches and tree tops but didn't see any. I noticed that the trees surrounding my site were tulip poplars. They were waving in the wind and knowing that they could easily snap, I formulated an escape plan and headed for the concrete bath house where I sat for 45 minutes to wait out the storm.

It turned out to be a good decision. The storm was rough and the sky opened up, dumping buckets of rain as soon as I got to the bath house. I sent an OK message on the Spot Tracker so that the wife would know that I was ok and settled in to watch the lightning.

And the rain, and listen to the sounds of a storm passing through the woods. As I sat there thinking about my fears, I came to the realization that everything I do does not have to be epic. A simple overnight trip like this, staying at a luxurious campground was fine with me. I don't need to curl up under a tree in the middle of the woods, by myself to feel complete. (it would be nice to add that skill to the repertoire, but not necessary). It was a good realization, and as soon I was formulating a big route through Pisgah NF, a 3-5 day route with options.
After the storm passed, I headed back to the tarp, laid out my bedroll and crawled in. I heard the loud crack of a limb, seconds after about 100 yrds away I heard the loud thump of a large branch smash into the ground....then I drifted of to sleep.

I woke up and got moving around 6 am. I could hear thunder rumbling in the distance and decided to pack up and head out before the rain rolled in if it was going to. I enjoyed some coffee and a honey bun to get me going. I was the first one up and out of the campground and virtually had the road to myself.

Up and over Bent Creek Gap, and onto South Ridge rd, I decided to lengthen the trip and rode some of Explore and Pine Tree before heading up Hard Times rd where I got on the BRP and headed home.

50 miles for an overnight trip, and I wanted to keep going. I'm excited to get my first off road trip under my belt and look forward to many more.

5-7: PMBAR

2011-05-09T07:27:00.001-04:00

I saw a notice that Eric, the race promoter was looking for a volunteer to be out in the woods all day to play cop, making sure that no one used FS rd 5015. I thought about it briefly and after a quick e-mail to make sure the location would allow the wife and kid to come visit without having to stay all day, I committed.


Official

Then I started thinking about how long 12 hour in one spot really is and wondered what I should do to pass the time. I settled on pancakes for the racers. I started making a list: batter, plates, forks, knives, napkins......syrup.... The list got long and my motivation for that idea waned. I continued to chew on the idea and settled on grilled cheese sammys and Cokes.

I went shopping and dropped $150 of my own money on groceries, ouch. But it was for a good cause so I let it go and was thankful that I had the means to provide a smile for so many people ( groceries are ridiculously expensive). 10 loaves of bread, 2 giant packs of cheese, 6 bags of chips, grapes, 75 cans of coke - the real stuff, 6 packs of sandwich cookies, one pack of butter, and a few other things and I was ready to go.

Waiting

I got to Yellow Gap just before 8 am and got set up. It took about 30 minutes. Then I waited, and waited and waited some more. I tried to read, but it was chilly with a cool breeze blowing through the gap. I wandered around, then started to second guess myself: was this the right day? Is the race tomorrow? I knew how long it would take for the first riders to get out there, so I decided to wait a little past that time, and if I had not seen anyone yet, I would form a plan.

String of Cowbells

Finally a little after 10am the first team rolled through. Stopping briefly. 2 minutes later the second team, about 5 minutes later, the 3rd team. After that there was a steady stream of people rolling through until around 6pm. One cool thing about this unofficial rest stop was that it was at the bottom end of a lollipop loop. The racers had to go out and come back through, so anyone who went for this checkpoint, had to come back through.

Pisgah Oasis

So I started grilling and kept the sammys coming until I ran out of bread, approximately 111 sammys later, and I closed the grill. I still had some chips and cookies left and people continued to enjoy them until the last team came through right at 7pm....and they still had 3 hours to ride!

The set up

I have never been on this side of the table at a rest stop before, and I never knew just how much fun it could be. Would I rather have been racing? Yes, I was glad that I could be involved. See, for me racing is not all about winning or losing. There is more. It is about community, meeting new people, hanging out with old friends. Encouraging each other, helping each other. Cyclists (road and mtb and other...) are a large group of people with common interest, we have all been brought together from so many different places, so many interesting situations. Some are running from something, others are running towards something, but on race day, we are all headed towards the same goal, and it is good to be a part of that community.

End of the day

As the last team rolled down the road, I had 1 hour left. I was fairly sure that no one else would come by, but Eric had asked me to stay until 8pm so I did. The bright sun had gone down over the ridge and the green glow started to dim. I sat back in the plastic chair and closed my eyes, soaking it in. Thinking back on the day and smiling to myself. Rumors of grilled cheese and coke had apparently spread across the forest, and had possibly helped some people make it just a little farther in this race. And that thought made me feel good, because that's what I love to do: help people.

That is why I started Trips For Kids WNC, to help kids in my community. To help kids who are less fortunate, who have the capabilities and talents but not the means to get on a bike and ride into to forest.

So, if you were one of the lucky ones, to roll up to the Pisgah Oasis at Yellow Gap, and enjoyed a grilled cheese sammy and cold Coke, it is your turn to consider helping me out. Please consider making a donation to Trips For Kids WNC so that I can continue to get kids on bikes.

Have a great day!

5-3

2011-05-03T14:55:00.000-04:00

After spending most of last weeks free time cutting, splitting and stacking firewood, my body is worn out. I guess I should have spread the work out over a couple of weeks, but it is done now, and ready for winter.

Not having the energy to ride, but restless, I ended up going for a little hike on the MST:

Bursting with Green

Bright Green

More Green

Even when the sun went behind the clouds it was green

fallen tree pulled up a rock

I'm also stricken with allergies and taking the meds messes me up. Hopefully in a couple of days, I'll feel back to normal again!

4-23

2011-04-24T22:00:00.000-04:00

One picture. That's the only one I took. It doesn't say much, just proof that Carey was out in the woods. I didn't even get a picture of Zeke who was out there too. Bummer, it was an awesome day to be out in the woods....mainly because my old pack rendered the camera inaccessible.

Carey sent me a message a couple of weeks ago asking if I would guide her through Pisgah. She had never been to Trace and wanted to check it out, recon for the upcoming PMBAR. I was excited to do it, and excited because she wanted to spend at least 6 hrs on the bike.

I realized today that this is why I continue training, even though I am not actively racing: so that I can go on a 6 hr ride, in Pisgah, at the drop of a hat.

We had planned on riding Friday, but rain moved in so we changed the date to Saturday. We met up at 9 at Davidson River area and were on the bikes before 9:30am. We headed past the horse stables and up Clawhammer, Zeke taking off through the woods, manhandling his single speed. We took a chill pace up the climb before finally reaching Buckhorn Gap. I took the opp to pick Carey's brain a little about training and pace.

Up and over the gap, down into the valley on the other side, we cruised down the single track. Taking a right on S Mills River we grinned all the way down to the bridge. Walking over the slicker that snot bridge, we took a left on Squirrel.

I had not ridden Squirrel since the trail work had been done and cannot really complain. I felt like the work was needed, although I can understand how some of the veteran Pisgah riders miss some of the more techy features.

I was absorbed by the beauty of the forest and vowed to get out here more often once the wife finished nursing school, in 13 months...

At the intersection of Horse Cove, we took the quick down hill on Laurel Creek to the river crossing that brought us to the intersection of Bradley Creek or the forest service road that lead up to Yellow Gap. Feeling adventuresome, and never having ridden Bradley Creek, we chose the new trail. We each took a guess at how many river crossings we would experience and pushed on.   Stopped at one of the river crossings, a 3 inch long bug landed on my leg, and I admit, I squealed a little bit. I simply don't like things crawling around on my body uninvited.

After 10 river crossings, ( I won the guessing game) we reached Yellow Gap Road: 1206. Zeke was ready to head back, and Carey wanted to continue on to Trace Ridge. Knowing what was coming, I longed to ride with Zeke, but held true to my commitment and went with Carey.

The temps were rising and I was concerned about overheating. The pace we were holding was perfect for me. I was glad to find that North Mills River Campground was open and we could fill up on water. I had been conserving a little bit too much.

At the water stop, Carey pulled out a Coke....note to self: next time bring a Coke, and a PB and J.

After filling up on cold water, we headed up the pavement on Wash Creek Road, up to Spencer Branch. The steep grunt past the gate up to the single track was a kicker, with the sun beating down on us.   When we finally hit the downhill on Trace Ridge, I was spent and digging deep for the will to continue. I was closer to home at this point that I was to my truck in Brevard.

We hit the Trace Ridge parking lot and Carey was so pumped that she wanted to go again. If I had been game, I really was convinced that she would go again. But at this point, I was close to overheating and needed to head back. Fortunately, she didn't push the issue. I would have waited in the parking lot and taken a nap if she had though!

On down lower Trace, which I had never ridden was a blast.   Then came the 1206 gravel grinder section back to Hwy 276. We ground the gravel, chatted a bit, but mostly ground away. We were both tired and hot and ready to be finished.

As we rounded a bend we saw Sam and Trish with the kids and stopped for a couple of minutes to chat. It was good to see them out in the woods.

We continued our push to the pavement and after several disappointing turns to find only more gravel, we came to the pavement. We barely paused before ducking down into time trial positions and hammering out the last couple of miles. Rolling back into the parking lot with smiles on our faces, each having accomplished our personal goals for the day: 6.5 hrs riding and 61 miles we greeted Zeke, and took a quick soak in the Davidson River.

It was a great day to be in the woods with great friends!

CYMBL

2011-04-20T06:51:00.000-04:00

CYMBL: Carolina Youth Moutain Bike League
Race #1
Falling Creek Camp.

The kid's first race was last Sunday. We had planned on trying to camp out the night before, but with temps dipping close to freezing in some areas, we opted to stay home and stay warm.

In the truck on the way out, he would not stop talking. He was so excited that this day was all about him.

We arrived at the low stress venue and got checked in. I wished that I had bought a CYMBL T-shirt for him, I could do that at the next race. We were to spend the morning monitoring the "Skinnies Comp". After a while no one showed up, so we went out and walked some of the course. I misread the map and we walked a lot of gravel road.

When race time came, the kids lined up with the dads grouped behind.

The gun went off and the 7-8 yr olds took off like little greased lightnings. 200 yrds into the course was a steep gravel road that switch backed a couple of time. The kid rode as far as he could before jumping off and alternating between running and walking to the top.

Breathing heavily, he got on the bike and got some momentum. Turning onto some singletrack, we realized that we had not walked the correct route. What can you do?

The kid was raging single track like I had never seen him do before. Neither one of us were mentally prepared for the technical (for a kid his age) singletrack, but he was attacking it and riding rock gardens and switchbacks with confidence.

And then he crashed. Slamming his already skinned elbow, from a previous high speed crash, into the trail. He had a long sleeved shirt on but it still hurt like mad. The tears started to flow, but with a little encouragement he go back on the bike.

He pushed hard for 25 minutes, and wound up in 7th place out of 9 kids. (hmmm, that looks a lot like my results). He is at the bottom of his age group though, so as he grows, so might his results.

I'm so proud of my little mtn bike racer!!

The best part is he loves it and looks forward to doing it again!!

The next race will be held at Jackson Park: May 22.

2011 Race Dates:

April 17, 2011 - Falling Creek Camp - Tuxedo, NC
May 22, 2011 - Jackson Park - Hendersonville, NC
August 28, 2011 - Camp Carolina - Brevard, NC
September 18, 2011 - Christ School - Arden, NC
October 23, 2011 - Championship at Falling Creek - Tuxedo, NC

.....4-17

2011-04-18T06:35:00.001-04:00

I just wrapped up my most memorable and fun spring break ever. The wife and kid both had spring break scheduled at the same time and I took advantage of it by making sure we all had fun. Movie at the theatre, bike rides, camping, fishing, visiting with friends, some Okie Dokies BBQ, Healthy Kids Day bike rodeo, the Carolina Youth Mountain Bike League Races and topping it off with a bike ride of my own....fun.

The Kid, before his race. He killed it.

Parents were allowed to ride along with the kids during the race for safety and to encourage. The field got spread out pretty quickly after the start as there was a 100 yard hike a bike up a gravel road. The kid is at the bottom of his age group in the 7/8 yr olds. He is still 6 but they group the kids by age at the end of this year. He took off and hiked up the road, running some and walking some. Hitting the single track he road most of it and crashed once hard. He saddled back up and rode on. I was behind him encouraging him, coaching him and pumping him up. Halfway through the race, I got really annoyed....with myself. Realizing I was talking too much, I asked him if I was. He said "yes". So, I cut back and let him race his race. And guess what? He did great without me!

waterfall in the woods

Covered Bridge

After getting home I had time to get out for a ride. I rolled down the Parkway to Bent Creek. A couple of miles into the ride, I got passed by 3 roadies....who didn't say a word. Why? Why don't people out riding bikes, doing the exact same thing at least greet with a hello?

I jumped up to the trio and got in the slip stream. Nothing like a free ride on a long stretch of pavement. A couple of minutes of drafting later and the guy in back said to the guy in front," Hey Jeff, this guy on the mtn bike says he wants you to go faster". Jeff picked the pace up a little bit, but they could not shake me. A long downhill then the long steep climb to the I-26 overpass. Jeff could not keep the pace and rotated around, I sat on the back still. Then guy #2 and the girl, picked up the pace and got a gap. I sat behind Jeff for a second and should have gone around. I watched as the girl stood up and put a couple of bike lengths between herself and guy #2. I could not let that happen, so I went around Jeff, then around guy #2. It took a little while, but by the top of the climb, I had reeled in the girl and tucked in behind her. I hope they greet me next time, I'll take it easy on them!

The bike, the woods, the sunshine

4-10

2011-04-13T08:06:00.000-04:00


The view from the deck

After some severe thunderstorm action Saturday night we woke to a beautiful day on Sunday. The clouds hung low in the valley for most of the day, giving us the illusion of flying high above. We ate some homemade cinnamon rolls and hit the road around 9am.

We were moving slow, enjoying the warmth and letting the blood flow to our legs. I was feeling good, ready to pound out some miles. The big question was whether or not the parkway was closed from Mitchell to Bull Gap. If it was closed with a no bikes sign, we would have to backtrack, giving us 20 extra miles for the day. That would be truly epic.

Mr Technology make a phone call

After calling the parkway recording, we road on, trusting that the recording and not the sign was correct. I asked Mike 3 times if he wanted to take the alternate route, but he declined...hardcore.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. Simply grinding along at a touring pace, enjoying the scenery and chatting it up. A quick refill at a spring on the side of the mountain, a few more climbs and we were at the Craggy Visitors Center

two tunnels

Green Knob Fire Tower in the distance

Entrance to Mt Mitchell

Craggy Garden VC

After the long downhill and a few more uphills, we parted ways. It was warm and we were successful. 220 miles over 3 days, roughly 17,000 ft of climbing made for a good training block. I felt stronger as the days went by and my confidence in my fitness is good.

parting shot from and epic ride...

4-9

2011-04-12T07:55:00.000-04:00


Downtown Erwin, TN

After sleeping well and stuffing ourselves on homemade bread, muffins, eggs Florentine, coffee and juice, we kitted up and headed out of town. There was a 50% chance of showers but the sky was clear and the sun shining bright. As we rode, we talked about different things that mattered and joked about other things.

The highlight of the day was a climb up Roan mtn. Since I was in middle school, and up until a few years ago, my family had a tradition of coming up to this area for vacation time. One of the highlights was bringing Rhonda with us the first time. Good memories!

When we first started coming, we would shuttle our bikes to the top of Carver's Gap, just below Roan Mt, and ride down. As time went by, we got more ambitious an started riding from the bottom up the 7 mile climb to the top, then back down. After that became less challenging, we started riding from the vacation lodges that we were staying at, for a 26 mile out and back. Then to top it off, the last time I was there, I rode a 40 mile loop around the area, that included a climbing up and over Roan, before riding back to eat Thanksgiving dinner. And the rides keep getting bigger...

I really like the climb up, a couple of steep pitches, with some moderate, steady grades and breathtaking views. Within a couple of miles, the flora changes from pristine forests to gnarled stunted trees and shrubbery.

Into the Cherokee National Forest

As we climbed higher, I said to Mike," The only thing that would be better at this point, is if we were riding on dirt!"

Roan Mtn in the distance, Carvers Gap in the center

About a mile from the top, I needed to stretch my legs, so I upped the pace. I was feeling rather good after a 100 mile day yesterday. At the top, we stopped for lunch. I pulled out the pimento cheese sandwich and coke that I had picked up at the store in the town of Roan Mtn. It was delish. One thing I did right on this trip was feed myself properly. The only time I was hungry on the bike was yesterday, towards the end of the day.

Re-Fuel

The Appalachian Trail crossed the road here. When we stopped we noticed a guy eating lunch as well so we went to talk to him. Greenlight is his trailname and he was eating a tub of peanut butter sprinkled with raisins and crumbled granola bar. We gave him some of our extra food which he was happy to see.

Greenlight and Mike

After chatting for a few minutes, I watched the storm clouds rolling in and suggested that we hit the road.

Elevation = fresh air

We flew down the other side of the mountain into the valley, a couple more climbs and we came into Bakersville. We stopped at Dot's where Mike had some Chili and a cookie, I had a danish and a coffee. We decided to take the quickest road to Little Switzerland, where we would stay for the night.

About 2 miles out of Bakersville we were riding towards some ominous looking storm clouds. The wind kicked up and we got splattered with a few rain drops. I chuckled when Mike frantically started to pedal faster, then pointed to a barn across a field: " Should we go in that barn?" he yelled. I pointed to the right, just off the road, and suggested we simply pull into the carport of a roadside house. We did, and mr. technology whipped out his phone to check the weather map. Mike wanted to stay put, I fancy myself as being able to read storms and the direction they are headed and told Mike that if we left now, we would ride in between the passing storm and the next cell that was creeping up. Mike conceded and within minutes, we were riding in sunshine.


The last tun

We were at our destination within an hour, and recovery treats ensued. 70 miles today, and two big grins of accomplishment. After getting cleaned up and eating dinner, we watched the huge thunderstorm roll by from the relative safety of the deck, then we watched Ride The Divide, Mike had never seen it.

Tomorrow: Little Switzerland to Asheville

4-8

2011-04-11T08:05:00.000-04:00

Day 1 of a 3 day tour:


packed and ready to roll

Mike Keeley has been talking about doing a road tour for a while. He also like to use the word epic a lot. So put together a route that could have easily turned epic if conditions degenerated.

We headed down the river from Asheville with Erwin TN as our goal. Mike does not camp so he took care of the lodging, a bed and breakfast. I had sketched a map on some paper, in the spirit of exploration and adventure and willing to make some wrong turns. I figured our route would cover about 86 miles on day 1.

Marshall, NC city limits

We arrived in Marshall after a late start, 9ish and it was time to eat, as we would not be passing through any more towns that I knew of for a while. I told Mike that we should eat, and after a bit of surprise and reasoning, he agreed, we both had bacon, egg and cheese bagels at Zuma coffee shop. The service was great and the food fresh. We sat outside watching the small town traffic and chatting with Alfie, who knew he had lived in Rutherfordton for 3 yrs, but did not know which road he lived on. He did tell us that in Rutherfordton when an ambulance goes by, everybody goes out to the street to watch it.

grinding up to TN

We headed out of Marshall, and spent some time on 25/70 which was not so fun due to traffic. About 30 minutes later though we were on a quiet back road, riding along a creek and telling stories. The weather was perfect and we were feeling good. We rode along at a touring pace and were excited about the trip. At one point, we came to an intersection that was not marked on my map. I was pretty sure of the right direction. At this point in the trip, I relinquished my navigational duties to Mike, who pulled out his cell phone and promptly found out exact location on a GPS map. So much for adventure!

At the NC-TN state line we stopped for some photos and then headed down the other side.


Mike is a speck in the distance, headed into TN

After the decent into TN we plodded up and down rolling hills for a few minutes. When we crossed a large river, something told me we had missed the turn that we wanted. I recommended we pull over to figure it out and Mike again pulled out his pocket sized atlas of the world. He started poking and rubbing the phone until the magic genie, gave him directions. So we backtracked for about 1 mile and then spent the next several hours zig-zagging through some very pretty country side on back roads, rather than fighting traffic on 107.

As I checked the time and odometer, our mileage grew. The new route had added mileage which was cool with me. If I had arrived at Erwin with 86 miles, I was determined to ride another 14, being so close to 100. We rolled up to a stop sign after a long fast stint and the sign said Erwin:7. I looked at the Odometer and it said 97 miles. Sweet. We stopped for a snack, Mike had a Yoohoo, and I had a Coke with some Sour Cream and Cheddar Ruffles.

The B&B

We finally rolled into Erwin. I felt good and Mike was whipped. I felt like I could keep going which is a good feeling. After showering, finding out rooms and getting cleaned up, we decided to have Mexican food for dinner. We stopped to pick up some chocolate ice cream before heading back. When we walked in the hostess had made fresh brownies. Awesomeness: fresh brownies chopped up and mixed with chocolate ice cream.

part of what I ate on today's ride

I have not done a road century since my trip to Roanoke last Thanksgiving. I made sure I ate and stayed hydrated. Riding time was just over 6 hrs. Cool.

the hostess

We spent the rest of the evening relaxing on the couch, chatting and reading before heading to bed.

2 more days to go with the big climb over Roan Mt tomorrow....

4-6

2011-04-07T06:32:00.000-04:00


You had to be there

After a morning of bike safety rodeos, and afternoon of errands, then taking the Erwin Middle Bike Club on a ride, it was time to ride alone. I was parked at the Arboretum so got the kids loaded on the bus, and rolled back out onto the trails.

I have been a little frustrated about my legs not feeling it recently when I realized that for the past 4 yrs, at this time of the year, I have had several specific race goals in mind. This year I don't and my training has not had the intensity of years past, so naturally I don't have the same fitness.

For this ride, I decided to focus on technique, keeping it smooth, something I could control and see immediate results. During the ride, it dawned on me that I have been mashing the pedals in an attempt to replicate that sensation of feeling good, grinding over the tops of hills and hammering down the other side. I realized that I have been trying too hard and I need to relax and focus on other things as well.

The French Broad River Valley

It turned out to be a good ride, in fact what ride is not good when one happens across David Maida?

4-3

2011-04-05T18:48:00.000-04:00

http://tripsforkidswnc.com/news_updates/tkmbd-spring-the-event/

4-1

2011-04-01T06:26:00.000-04:00

Well, I have wanted to do this for a long time now and we finally figured out how to swing it. We sold the house and bought a Harley. We were able to find a decent moblie home to live in for low rent which is really awesome. We are so excited about taking some longer road trips on this machine.

It looks like the Blue Ridge Parkway is first on the list of places to go!!


Awesomeness

3-30

2011-03-31T06:29:00.000-04:00

Things have been pretty busy around here lately. Bike Rodeos, fundraiser, prep for Take A Kid Mtn Biking Day-Spring:

It is going to be a fun weekend.

Yesterday I got out for a 2 hour chilly, gloomy ride. I felt like I was pedaling triangles, it wasn't the most fun ride, but I was outside, and that was good for my head as much as anything.

Last night I went to hear a presentation about a couple riding their bike to all 50 states in one year for charity. I'm ready to pack up and join them: Give A Bike: 50 State Tour. Check it out!!

The story is compelling and the pictures are amazing.

3-25 & 26

2011-03-28T06:17:00.000-04:00

The kid has been struggling with some sort of allergy, congestion, post nasal drip, sinusitis for most of the winter. Every time he almost gets better, it hits again, complete with fever. I took him to the doc last Monday taking care of him for the week. The fever came and went and pretty soon, I was hit with it too.

I had several trips planned and was able to pull them off despite feeling like poop. 25 kids on bikes was totally worth it.

The weekend was rainy and blah filled with lots of tv and recovery time. The kid and I laid around most of the weekend.

I rode the rollers for an hour on Saturday while watching Ride The Divide, still a good movie.

Sunday, I was able to get out for an hour hike:

Fog in the woods.


Reaching for sunshine

Spring Flower

MTS Trail

Somewhat of a boring weekend, but relaxing. And spending quality time with the kid is priceless.

3-23

2011-03-24T08:47:00.000-04:00

Went for a ride, because that's what I like to do. It was warm and sunny, and I didn't have much on my mind. My legs were tired and my sinuses were slightly irritated, so I just kept a smooth steady pace.

meadows and mountains

I headed out on the loop that we do on Thursday nights at Liberty Bikes. Check out the Pedal Link Project! It is a fun loop with lots of rollers and a couple of grunts, interspersed with flats. The winding roads take you past cow farms, tomatoe farms, Smiley's Flea market, some rural neighborhoods, before an epic finish along Hendersonville rd, showcasing Asheville's finest corporate establishments! That fast food never smells as good as at the end of a hard ride.

Sweet Pastiness

My pasty white legs are eager to get out into the sunshine so they can turn a pasty pink for the rest of the summer. Today, I brought my water bottles, filled with nuun, and my pockets bulged with Honey Stinger product.

This one is for you, Mike Keeley!

I decided to treat myself after the ride. I rarely do this, but today felt right. So I got some treats and relaxed in the warm sun. The only problem with this is the 1 mile I have to climb before descending to my house. Not a big problem, but it is uncomfortable nonetheless.

3-22

2011-03-23T06:24:00.000-04:00

It was a weird day. Lots of little things went wrong: I forgot my water bottles on my ride, I burned lunch, I got a huge allergy/sinus attack, and I won't bore you with the rest. It was just one of those days.

It was nice to get outside and enjoy the sunshine in spite of everything. The view across the valley was nice, although I didn't stay long because I was parched.

Not much exciting happened yesterday.

Did you pick up your Bottle For Change yet?

3-22

2011-03-22T08:58:00.001-04:00

After taking the kid to the doc for yet another sinus infection, I came home and laid him on the couch to recover. I took the opportunity on this first day of spring to cut the grass. Then plant some seed. Why? So I could have more grass to cut. I'm not big into spending a lot of time making the yard look prim and proper, I have way more fun things to do. But there is something satisfying about a nice green lawn to play soccer on.

After the wife came home I hit the parkway for my BC loop. I am so fortunate to be able to ride on pavement for 30 minutes and then access dirt and single track. I rolled around the trails out there for a while, enjoying the sunshine and warmth.

There is a flower in the middle of the picture: 83 degrees? woot!

I raced back onto the Arboretum property at 5:55pm. Just in time to get inside the gates before I was considered trespassing. Filling up the water bottles, I breathed deep and relished the mental freedom that I had begun to experience since I let go last week. As much as I try to, I can't control people.


Riding home on the parkway, sun on my back

It was a great day and a great ride. My legs felt snappy and strong. I don't know that I was going fast in comparison to others, but I felt good, and I was having fun, and at the end of the day, that's what really matters to me.

3-19/20

2011-03-21T07:43:00.000-04:00

After spending 1/2 writing about the weekend, blogger kindly erased it.....
So, here is the summary:
Kid entertains self while I attend PAS/Pisgah FS volunteer meeting. I'm proud to be one of 6 sawyers allowed to work.

The kid and I ride 8.5 miles on the Ecusta Greenway Trail in Brevard, stopping at Poppies for an overpriced PB&J for lunch.

The kid takes great pictures, the two above are his.

The kid is worn out from his longest ride ever. After getting home I went out for a 3.5 hr ride of my own. I got busted for accidentally trespassing on Arboretum property. The Security guard thought it was a big problem, the gate keeper thought it was fine....interesting.

Sunday, I had the opportunity to teach a kid how to ride a bike. He had the foundational skills, just needed a little extra coaching. After an hour of riding around the park, he did not want to stop!!

Getting kids on bikes: that's what I do.

3-18-2011

2011-03-18T11:25:00.000-04:00

After waking up with cold/allergy symptoms, I decided to take a walk in the woods with the wife instead of a long ride that would wear me down and leave me sluggish all weekend. We saw deer, experienced warm/cold temp variations as we climbed out of the valley and back into it.

It was a good decision. There will be long rides in the near future, and rest is good!

3-16-2011

2011-03-17T08:45:00.000-04:00

A ride out the door on my single speed CX beast of a touring track bike. After 30 minutes of pavement, I hit the dirt and road down to and around the lake. It was quiet, it was pretty, and my brain was working overtime.

I've been dealing with some relationship issues (not with the wife, she is awesome, just for the record) for the past 8 months. My intentions were good, and still are. I simply tried to express my feelings, express how the other party was making me feel. And I did just that. But, for some reason, it was not received as intended. Then things got quickly out of hand.

Fast forward 8 months later, after lots of stress, pondering, and trying to figure out what to do. In the past month or so, I came to the realization, that anger is not the driving emotion behind the intent. And I am not angry now.   For me, in this situation, it is sadness that prevails. Sad for broken relationships. Sad that I tried to do what was right and things fell apart.

Then as I was cruising through the woods, I distinctly heard the voice in my head say: " This is not about them, this is about you. Let it go".   To which I responded " WHAT? Let it GO?" And the voice said " Yes, let it go!!".

And so, I let it go. I have learned a whole lot about myself and the positive things I am capable of doing. And yes, the voice is correct, this has been more about me than the others.   It is interesting sometimes what happens when I set out to help someone else, and I end up growing through the process.

As I pedaled back towards home on the pavement, I felt like the light at the end of the tunnel had grown brighter.   That I was going to be able to move past this circumstance and focus on what lies ahead.

It's a good day.

3-13-2011

2011-03-14T08:43:00.001-04:00

After Saturday's interestingly fail/success ride, I set out again on Sunday for my typical Bent Creek Loop. Riding down the Parkway, up Hardtimes and into the little corner of Pisgah called Bent Creek. There were lots of people but I still rode alone the whole time.

I was feeling good and put some speed into my workout. Pushing up the little grunt climbs, up and over, breathing deeply, coasting down, catching air (little air).

I had two goals today: 1. clear my mind, 2. ride some logs.

There is a log somewhere on Sidehill that has been bugging me for years. I rode it once, but for some reason have not ridden it since. I've been practicing, though. At the local playground on the skinnies, in the backyard etc. I hoped today would be the day.

As I wound down Sidehill, the adrenaline was pumping. The sky was bright and the views were clear, the trail snaked out in front of me, leading me to the log. I rolled up to it, gently lifted the front wheel up, shifted my weight and brought the back wheel up. I was on the log and froze for a split second, let out a breath, and pedaled across. Off the other end I let out a whoop. (just to make sure it wasn't a fluke I turned around and rode it two more times).

As I rode back down the road to my house, I felt good, relaxed and had accomplished my 2 goals. I ate some lunch with the fam, loaded up the bikes and took the kid to the pump track......it was a good day.

3-12-2011

2011-03-12T19:43:00.000-05:00

I've had the bikepacking bug for a while now, and it finally looked like I was going to get to use all the gear and knowledge that I have been collecting. I had planned on leaving Friday morning, but then the temps dropped and it was snowing, with a low forecast at 30, I could have still gone, but did not feel like spending the night shivering. In addition, I didn't want to have to carry the extra gear that would keep me warm. So, After talking to the wife, I made plans to head out first thing Saturday morning.

It was 28 degrees when I left the house, but was supposed to warm up to 65 with a low of 40. It was looking like it would be a perfect time in the woods.

The kid gave me monkey to take along with me, I strapped him to the seatbag. The funny thing is, there was a monkey on my back as well. I could not shake it. I felt good on the climb up Yellow Gap Rd, then turning onto Laurel mtn...my body felt good. But, there are things going on in my head lately that drain my thought process. As I pedaled, I tried to enjoy the scenery, I did a little, but even with all of the sunshine there was still that monkey.

After an hour and a half of grinding up the hill, I stopped in the middle of the trail. I knew what I had to do, and stood there chewing on it. I decided to pull the plug on the trip. I have a goal of riding 100 miles in the woods and even have a route picked out. But this was not the weekend that it was to happen.

Interestingly, after I made the decision, and committed to bailing, I felt lighter. I knew that it was the right decision and as I made my way back to the truck, I had no regrets.

The hugs from the wife and kid when I got home would have erased all doubts about my decision, had there been any left.

Instead of a long ride battling my own demons, I got to load the kid up and ride 4 miles in Bent Creek with him. That was a much better way to spend the day...this time.

Hub Cyclery

2011-03-11T09:33:00.000-05:00

Cool news from my frame builder in Idyllwild, CA. He and his wife are opening a bike cafe Hub Cyclery, in there town. Among other fine products they will be selling the famous Performance Art Siren Bicycles!! I ride one, and you should too!

Check out their grand opening the weekend of April 9th.

Sunshine

2011-03-08T06:52:00.000-05:00

My nephew, Garren, is still laying in the hospital. There are a lot of thoughts and emotions going through my head right now that I won't share.

What I will share is that Garren is being discharged on March 23rd. He will be moving home where his family will need to re-vamp their house to accommodate him. This will take time and constructions materials. Can you help?

The other huge pressing need the family has is a wheelchair accessible mini van. Can you help?

As we say in sports, "dig deep". It will take a whole community in this situation.

If you can help, contact them: geoffrey@thejaneses.com

Thanks

2-24-2011

2011-02-24T20:13:00.000-05:00

I got two rides in today. I was supposed to have meetings all day, but the kid got sick and the wife had school so I stayed home. I tried to ride the rollers but due to being in a funk lately, I only rode for 30 minutes.

It was rainy and chilly all day, it didn't help my head space, but I did my best to keep a positive attitude.

The wife came home and I made it to an afternoon meeting which was very encouraging and exciting.

I got back home in time to get outside on my road bike. I had about 2 hrs so I headed south on the parkway for 45 minutes before turning around and heading home.

I recently got fit at Liberty Bicycles. The fit was long overdue and I have not been able to afford it, but things worked out and I went for it. It turns out that even though I was riding stronger than ever before, I was too far forward and too low in my position on the bike. Now that I'm more stretched out, I can feel a huge difference, only the muscles are not used to the activity, so it's a little like starting a couple of months ago. But, I'm sure that the legs will come around pretty quickly and the guys at Liberty will wish they had left my fit alone!!

Since I did not have much time, I pushed hard, made the legs burn, recovered, then did it again. Several times. It was great and now I have my legs propped up, content and recovering.

I look forward to another ride.

JB Janes

2011-02-23T06:43:00.000-05:00

My Pepa is being buried today. His funeral is at 11 am in Memphis TN. Pepa took me fishing when I was a kid. He also told me when I was 13 yrs old that I needed to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, it kind of freaked me out. We stopped by his house on my bike ride across America in 2001. He fed us and gave us a dry place to sleep.

I'm sorry I won't be at the funeral Pepa. Some weird things are going on that prevented me from coming. But I will be there in spirit.

Rest In Peace!

2-21-2011

2011-02-22T06:45:00.000-05:00

Another great day in the woods, in the sunshine, in the universe!! I don't have much to say about this ride, other than " I rode". It was a good day to get out and sort through my thoughts. The things in life that are trying to drag me down were left behind. As I pedaled my Siren up and over hills and through the woods, I focused on the positive, the people who love me unconditionally.

It was a good ride.

2/20- 2/21/2011

2011-02-21T06:42:00.000-05:00

Saturday I took the kid for a ride around the woods. We have a strap attached to his bike so that I can pull him up the longer hills. And we can go farther.

This Siren is relaxing in the warm sun after a long gravel road climb. We spent an hour riding around Bent Creek. The kid rode some techy single track for the first time and decided that he likes roots. My kid is the coolest.

Sunday I headed down the river towards Marshall. I just got a new fit at Liberty Bikes and it feels awesome. I didn't want to push too hard until my body adjusts, so I cruised down the river at a steady pace.

Interestingly, without thinking about it, I got my fastest time ever on this route.

It was all good until I flatted about 1 mile from home. I called for a ride, didn't feel like fixing the flat as darkness was falling. It gave me a great opportunity to let the kid help me patch it later too. Still, it was a good ride.

It's monday morning, and time to do it again!

WBR and Cape Abas Epic

2011-02-15T08:18:00.000-05:00

My friends at World Bicycle Relief have a really cool project going on.

3 teams, 8 days, 707km, 1 goal: Bikes to 10 schools in Zambia

Some of cycling’s most talented athletes have joined forces to raise $150,000 for World Bicycle Relief’s Bicycles for Educational Empowerment Program (BEEP) in conjunction with the 2011 Absa Cape Epic mountain bike stage race, March 27-April 3.

An all-star combination including Bart Brentjens, Jeroen Boelen, Jukka Vastaranta and Jelmer Pietersma of the Trek-Milka Mountain Bike Team, the rag-tag duo Andy Ording and Todd Winget, as well as downhill sensations Anka Martin and current World Champion Tracy Moseley, will endure this grueling 8 day race, covering 707km across South Africa’s Western Cape to raise awareness and funds for World Bicycle Relief.

Anyone donating $134 or more to The Cape Epic Challenge is eligible to win a host of great prizes including clutch items from TREK and SRAM, an actual World Bicycle Relief bike, as well as an incredible list of additional prizes to be announced on the Cape Epic Challenge Blog and Fundraising Page starting February, 1st.

In addition, $75,000 has been pledged by a small group of anonymous donors to match all donations raised through the Cape Epic Challenge finale on April 3rd, 2011. All donations benefit World Bicycle Relief and their current efforts to provide 50,000 bicycles to Zambian students (70% girls), teachers and educational workers seeking access to education.

The Cape Epic Challenge Goal to raise $150,000 would provide students at 10 schools with World Bicycle Relief’s specially designed, locally assembled, rugged bicycles.

You can donate to the cause on the Cape Epic Challenge fundraising page: http://worldbicyclerelief.kintera.org/capeepicchallenge, follow the rider’s stories about Africa and their training for Cape Epic on the Cape Epic Challenge Blog: http://capeepicchallenge.blogspot.com, and find more about World Bicycle Relief and it’s mission to provide access to independence and livelihood through the power of bicycles at: www.worldbicyclerelief.org

For additional inquires please contact:
Rebecca Much
World Bicycle Relief Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator
rmuch@worldbicyclerelief.org
312.502.8468

Happy Birthday Garren

2011-02-12T06:19:00.000-05:00

This is my 14 yr old nephew, Garren. Today he is lying in the hospital, being kept alive by the miracle of medicine while his brain recovers from AVM. (geoffreyjanes.blogspot.com).

Today is Garren's birthday. We are hoping for a miracle of complete healing. Please pray.

Happy Birthday Garren Ziggy Janes!

Hike

2011-02-11T09:34:00.000-05:00

Rhonda made me go hiking this morning in sub freezing temps:

I have beard-cycles, she thinks its funny

1-30-2011

2011-01-30T14:54:00.000-05:00

What? Another 3 hour ride, outside, without freezing?

I rolled into Fletcher Park at 10 am for a 3-4 hour ride. I was feeling confident until Will Black, Matt Dinsmore, some others, Chris Larsen? Matt? Eric? and of course Robert Watkins showed up. 8 people total.

We rolled out and set a moderate pace. A flat course with some rolling hills was chosen, and after about 30 minutes, I didn't know exactly where I was. It is so much easier knowing the terrain and what is coming up.

It was a fairly uninteresting ride, pulling and dropping back to recover. It was great to meet some new people and to catch up with I know.

We wound around for a while, through some really pretty country side, enjoying the views and keeping a steady pace. After a while I realized that we were almost out at Dupont State Forest. I know then that I better hang on, because it would be a very long ride back to the truck, alone.

I was able to hang on, and actually felt pretty good. I stayed hydrated, and fed, and while it was painful, I felt better than I have in previous years.

3 hours and 55 miles later we rolled back into the parking lot.

60 degrees and sunny, great way to finish January!!

1-29-2011

2011-01-30T07:41:00.000-05:00

With a forecast high of 50 degrees, I decided it was time for y first ever Bakery Ride. Marios, the president of Asheville Bicycle Racing Club had invited me to come out several times but my schedule never worked out. Today it did (and Marios did not show up...)

But, all was not lost, Keving Hessler showed up, and I knew it was going to be a good day. We farted around for a few minutes until about 50 roadies got ready and rolled out. Downhill to the river, with no one pointing out holes or debris, I thought about moving farther up in the pack. Less than 3 minutes later I was on the side of a road, rear tire flat, watching the whole pack move up the road and around the corner. Then it was like a dream, a vision of sorts, a lone rider pulled out of the pack and rode back to me. It was Kevin.

In my haste to try to do a quick change, I was not making any headway. Kevin, being a seasoned veteran bike mechanic, took over. In minutes we were on our way, alone. We pushed the pace for a while, and decided we should not push the pace because we would blow up, we both agreed, then we continued to push the pace.

Our thinking was that they could be just up around the corner. So we shifted through our gears, climbed and descended. Coming around a corner we saw a lady walking her 5 dogs, off leash down the middle of the road. Since Kevin was pulling, as he did for most of this ride, he squeezed by and left me surrounded. After much yelling and screaming, I got away with one little yapper on my heels. I unclipped my left foot and took a swing, kicking the little punk right on the nose.

As we rolled around the last ridge above Marshall, we could see some folks gathered at the bakery below. We pulled up, I went in to fill the water bottles, peed, and came out, 2.5 minutes max. I looked at Kevin, in a matter of seconds, the group left, we decided to wait for stragglers.

Erica Chard came out of the bakery where she had been hiding, then the last two riders, Carla, and Wendy rode up. So, there were 5 of us left to ramble up the river. Everybody took some turns at the front, until we came upon Bob Wright, who had flatted.

We stopped to help him get going again, then let Wendy and Erica set the pace, which was a great recovery from earlier.

After 45 miles and about 3 hrs, we got back to the parking lot and headed our separate ways.

Enjoy the ride!!

1-26-2011

2011-01-27T06:35:00.000-05:00

It was cold, low 30's, snowing and getting colder. The wind was whipping too. What made today any different than any other day that it was too cold to ride? Any different than any other day with the same condition? I don't know, but there was something inside me that needed to be let out, so I went.

I headed down the parkway, when I got to hwy 25, the rangers were shutting it down. No traffic was great. What I needed was solitude and that is what I got. The icy snow crystals lightly stinging my face and I spun down the road on my single speed cx bike. When I took a right at the 191 ramp, the wind coming around the bluff tried to knock me over, I stood up to gain ground, going down hill.

Into the Arboretum and up Hardtimes rd. It was thick and slow. The dirt had taken on the form of playdough. Not sticking to the tires but soft enough that my wheels sank to the rim. I was forced to stand on the pedals to maintain forward motion. At the top of the gap the wind was blowing with force. If there was not a forest, I am not sure I would be able to stand. The trees were groaning and creaking, I was alone.

After a little snack, I headed back down the icy soft dirt hill, out to the parkway and back home.

It was a good ride.

Have a great day.

1-22-2011

2011-01-24T07:08:00.000-05:00

I finally got some knobby tires for my single speed- cx- flat bar- commuter- touring bike. I was excited to see how they handled on dirt as opposed to the slicks that came on it.    I mounted the clincher Kendas and headed out the door. Not sure how much air to put in, I went with 80-psi to avoid unwanted flats. The temp was around 35 and was going to drop like a rock when the sun went down.

Rolling down the parkway with the happy buzz of cx wheels on pavement, I was content.   A bicycle can do that; provide freedom and contentedness in a crazy world.

I rolled through the Arboretum and up Hardtimes rd taking note that the gates close at 7pm.   I had to make sure I could access the water fountain on the way out. Once I reached the gap and started the decent, I cautiously let the bike pick up speed. I was surprised how well the tires gripped, and I let it roll faster. Surprised by the white field of ice and snow on the road in a bend, I slowed and readied to slide around but the tires held.

As I was riding, I realized that this was my first time being back in the woods in 2011. It felt great to be back.

I circled around, heading back to the Arboretum, back up Hardtimes from the lake, just as the sun was going down. Stopping to fill up with water, I took a deep breathe and continued on.

1/2 mile from my neighborhood, dark was starting to settle in. I rode up and over the last little climb, greeted by smoke coming out of the chimney.

Walking inside to the warmth of the wood fire, and the love of my wife and kid, a feeling like no other.

Have a great day.

For Sale: Garmin Forerunner 405

2011-01-20T06:39:00.000-05:00

Brand New: in box

https://buy.garmin.com/shop/shop.do?pID=11039

Asking $250

stephen@tripsforkidswnc.com

To You

2011-01-02T08:22:00.000-05:00

to you, the oppressed, repressed, suppressed and depressed,

this is your time to fight, or take flight so you can one day come back and fight.

stand up, be proud, take charge

let your emotions guide you, not control you

stand up for what's right,

stand up to the ones who wrong you,

who disrespect and belittle you,

who tell you you can't do what you can do

when you do, they'll tell you you are wrong, but they are wrong,

until they admit they are wrong, they will be wrong,

but when they admit they are wrong, then they will be right

and they will be free

free from the bitterness and rage that is trapped inside

trapped by the pride that covers their eyes

but don't be concerned with that

look at you and what you can do,

its a new day, a new year

do whats right, start today, seek the way

and do what you love

love your neighbor as yourself

to you oppressed, repressed, suppressed and depressed,

this one is for you, I did it

and so can you

stand up and be proud, proud of who you are and what you can do

what you can do for you and your community

stand....

Wanderlust

2011-01-01T09:01:00.002-05:00

So much to do, so little time. So much that I wanna do, and so much that I was told I couldn't do, or it wouldn't be practical. Practical for who? You? I'm not doing this for you. And no it's not practical, but what is practical? Practical is based on presupposition, and each person seems to have his/her own presupposition.

So, I'm gonna follow my heart, my travelin' bone. Gonna pick up my wanderlust where I left off. I'm gonna pack my bags and hit the highway. Let the wind blow through my hair, the sun burn my skin, smell the fresh air. I"m gonna get out of this city, and see some stuff. Maybe see the world. It's gonna be grand.

And then when I get to work, I'm gonna do my job. I'll mingle around the water cooler and talk about the hardships of life. I'll answer the phones and push the papers. I'll explain things, encourage things, discourage things. When quittin' time rolls around, I'll head back out into the great wide open. I'll roll those wheels down the road. I'll head south for a bit, then a little east, and I'll be home again. With the ones who love me, unconditionally, who care about me and don't give up on me. The ones who I live and work for.

And then tomorrow, I'll get up and do it again. And the next day, and on and on. Until the weekend, then it's the same, just no work. Just fresh air and travelin' dreams, all day long.

Have a great day.

Negative

2010-12-17T08:48:00.000-05:00

I got to go for a 3 hour hike, in the snow earlier this week. It was a peaceful, below freezing, powdery, desolate, wonderland and I had it all to myself. The plus was that I walked out my front door to get there.

On the hike, I was thinking through my life and my situation. I was getting more and more bummed about things when suddenly I had a realization: I spend a lot of my time and energy, focusing on the negative relationships in my life.

Wow, the light bulb came on, and I realized just how much time I waste in doing that. But now, what to do? Like all other bad habits, I will need to replace it with a good habit. When I catch myself thinking negative thoughts, I will replace the thought with something positive....something as little and unassuming as bird tracks in the snow.!!

Its going to be a great day, enjoy it!

Video Blog

2010-12-13T16:34:00.000-05:00

I've been contemplating what to do with this here blog. I feel like the usefulness of sharing my thoughts on a daily basis, both for me and you, is waning, so I'm going to switch the format and post things as they come to mind.

I am going to do a little more video blogging. I can use words and stills to describe my adventures, but a little video time will help as well. And sometimes, I have some really profound thoughts out there, that I forget to write about. This way, I won't have to try to remember.

Enjoy:

Testimony

2010-12-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

Time goes by. It does not matter if you are doing anything or not, time still keeps ticking.

I have been working hard, getting the word out about Trips For Kids WNC. I've been meeting people, networking, brainstorming. It is a lot of fun and I am so excited that I am not the only one excited about this idea. Everybody I talk to is supportive and eager to help in lots of different ways.

There are so many ideas bouncing around in my head, so many kids who would benefit from a mountain bike outing or two. But there is only so much time in the day, week, month and year. It will be impossible to do it all, alone. But I'm going to start and see what comes of it.

This vision started a long time ago. I think I saw the add in a bike magazine. A picture of smiling kids on mountain bikes, grinning ear to ear, the logo was that of Trips For Kids. The seed was planted and cultivated, I believe, by the Creator, who has a vision for me. As the years went by, the image stuck in my head. As I experienced new things, contemplated decisions, had heart to heart talks with myself about myself and chose to make some hard choices, and improve myself, things were happening that I was unaware of.

So, when I told Rhonda at the end of August, that "I was willing to continue at my job for a couple of years, but didn't plan on staying there forever", and that "if God wanted me to do something different, He would have to drop it in my lap", I had no idea what I was in for.

The next day, I went in to work and was "let go", it didn't make any sense at first, but after realizing what I had said, it started to make sense.

It was time to move, to do something for myself. To chase my dreams and visions, ( although I know they are not mine but a gift). After taking some time to mull things over, and after the encouragement from too many people to mention here, I decided to take the plunge into the waters of the unknown.

I started with nothing, 3 months ago, and am now very close to having a fully operational organization.

The mission of this organization is simple: To provide mountain bike outings and environmental education to those who would not otherwise be exposed to such activities. Simple. But inside that there are so many other things that will happen. Great things that I have no idea about and if I knew now, they would be so overwhelming that I would most likely sit and do nothing.

So, I don't want to know until the time is right. Until then, I will keep doing what I am doing; Networking, fund raising, requesting partnerships, securing a fleet of bicycles.

Join me in making our community a better place:

http://tripsforkidswnc.com/

Have a great day!!

Time Flies

2010-12-02T06:42:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am busier than I expected to be. And that is a good thing. Things are coming together for Trips For Kids WNC. I have made some great connections this week and had some other really exciting planning meetings. It seems that kids to put on the bikes, and volunteers are going to be the easy part. Some other crucial pieces that will be a little more difficult to secure are funding and equipment.

For 3.5 yrs I have been writing putting my thoughts into this blog, almost daily. At this point, I am going to have to take a break from that. I am going to try to put thoughts up 2 days per week, and see what happens from there. Thanks for your loyalty in reading.

Have a great day.

Asheville to Roanoke- 2010

2010-11-29T10:43:00.000-05:00

Tuesday, November 23, 2010: I set out on an adventure that I have longed to attempt since moving to Asheville. The timing and equipment were never quite there until now. 275 miles from my house in Asheville, NC to the house where Rhonda grew up in Roanoke, VA. I figured that if the weather was good, I could make it in 3-5 days.

I got the bikepacking bug about 1 yr ago, and have been scheming ever since. This summer, when I was still fully employed and had no clue about my uncertain future, I ordered a frame bag, and a seat bag from Eric at Revelate Designs. I was excited to get going but again, timing did not allow it. I even planned an assault of the TNGA route in early November, but ended up pulling the plug due to life circumstances.

So, after weeks of packing, scheming, arranging and re-arranging, I took a look at the weather and knew that I would have a short window of time to attempt my first self-supported trip ever.

I got the kid off to school and hit the road. Pedaling my bike north on the Parkway, I was excited with a touch of nervousness.

5 miles into the ride though, I was concerned. I had decided to wear an older pair of cycling shoes for the trip, but apparently the insole was worn out as I developed a pain in the sole of my right foot. I didn't hesitate to call Rhonda to bring my better pair of shoes. The pain stopped immediately.

My goal today was to ride 100 miles to Boone,NC and figure out where to spend the night. The forecast was for rain, so things were tentative, and although, I had a plan, I wanted to leave it open and enjoy the ride. That is, after all, why I was out here. I realized that while goals are great, as this point it was better to pull over and take a nap in the afternoon sunshine if that is what the moment called for. I had discussed my "plan" with Rhonda and she understood that I needed to take my time.

I arrived at Craggy Gardens Visitor Center feeling good and excited to get past Mt Mitchell. The mountain, the highest east of the Mississippi River, was my no turning back point. Once I got there, it would be a huge inconvenience to call for a ride home. I kept watching the clouds rolling in from the West with a nervous eye. The forecast when I left was telling me that there was a 40% chance of rain. From my experience in the outdoors, and watching the storm roll in, I knew that there was more like a 90% chance of rain.

After approx. 4 hrs of pedaling, I got to the Mt Mitchell overlook and cheered, loud and proud. I needed this ride, and I was looking forward to the challenge. I continued pedaling and soaking in the view. It was chilly and the wind was whipping through the tree tops and gaps in the ridge line, howling and bringing a storm with it. When I arrived at Little Switzerland, I called Rhonda for an update in the weather. What I had feared was true: rain from here to Boone. 55 miles into the ride, 2:30pm, I was not ready to call it a day. I also was not ready to ride for 50 more miles in the cold rain, not on the first day of my trip.

I had a backup plan and I pulled it out. I called a good friend who has a house in Little S, and asked if I could stay there for the night. He looked at the weather map for me and assured me that it would be wise not to continue tonight. So, with gratefulness, I welcomed his generosity and ended the first day of riding.

After resting the rest of the afternoon, I ended up not sleeping well due to being alone in a big house combined with frustration for having to cut my ride short, on top of being excited about getting going. I was up at 5 am and on the road by 6:10am. It was my first time re-packing my kit on the road and I wanted to make sure it was done right so I would not have to stop to readjust later on.

After riding for the first hour in the dark, with temps around 45 degrees, the sunrise over Table Rock, NC was beautiful and worth the wait. I had been comfortable so far but what I did not realize was that I was climbing in elevation, up and over to the Linville Gorge. As soon as I started down into the Gorge, the temps dropped about 10 degrees, leaving frost on the ground, and me shivering. Knowing the area, I looked forward to stopping at Christa's and hoped that they would be open.

After a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, ( I should have gotten one for the road), I continued North on the Parkway. As the sun rose, I started to warm. There was only a soft breeze which helped prevent wind chills that would have been miserable.

The Viaduct on this route is an impressive piece of engineering. Part bridge, part balcony, the views are great. At an elevation just over 5000 feet, it would be an interesting place to see after a winter storm.

Blue skies, no clouds, bright sunshine, early morning chill, and feeling tired....

Somewhere around the middle of the day, I made it to the 100 mile mark for the trip. With 175 still to go, I was concerned that I would not make it, but decided just to ride, to focus on the here and now, and enjoy it.

Later, around milepost 348 I came upon a detour. The detour bypasses one of my favorite areas on the parkway. I pondered my options: I could either keep riding and hope that they let me through, or I could play it safe, take the detour and not have to backtrack if they did not let me through.

I decided to conform,( not an easy decision) and exited the parkway. I filled my water bladder at a spigot behind the motel, thought about stopping for a burger, decided not to and hit the road. Then a miracle began. I did not realize that the rest of the day would be a mix between a blur, some desperation, and my creator looking out for me.

As I pedaled, I realized that traffic was giving me a wide berth, slowing down to pass safely. And then I realized that everybody was waving to me. People in their yards, on-coming traffic....everybody. It was strange.

I arrived at the town of Sparta and stopped for coffee. I ordered a Mocha, and nibbled on some leftover pumpkin cake from Christa's. I talked to the old guy at the bar about road conditions. From here I could turn east and head 7 miles back to the parkway, or continue north, 19 miles to the parkway. If I turned east, I would add mileage, which normally would be fine, but with cold and rain in the near forecast, I wanted to keep the mileage down. The man informed me that the road to the north was nice, with few climbs.

As I sat outside, sipping on my cup of chocolate and coffee love, a 20 something kid came out to chat. He was pretty excited to be talking to me and was over eager to give me a ride to the parkway. Contrary to what I had experienced, he told me that people would run over me if I attempted to ride any road out of Sparta. His name is Hank. Hank also told me that the 7 mile east option was mostly down hill to the parkway. The wheels in my head started turning. If there were 7 miles downhill, that would mean quite a bit of climbing back up on the parkway. At this point in the day, that was a deterrent.

After some more chatting, and sipping, Hank headed back in to study insurance, and I headed north on Hwy 18. I estimated that I would be at the parkway in about 2 hours and realized that it would be dark when I got there. I had yet to set up camp in the dark, much less find a suitable campsite in the woods. I was a little nervous about this since the next day was Thanksgiving, prime hunting season. As I road, I started to slack on my nutrition, and started to fade. I was eyeballing every stand of trees in the fields next to the road. I knew that I would not make it much farther tonight. I also lost track of time and mileage and was not sure exactly where I was.

I was starting to feel the end coming on when I came to a crossroads; a gas station, convenience store, seafood restaurant, and cafe. I stumble into the convenience store and ordered a sandwich. Feeling nauseous, I also bought a Coke. Again, the people were overly but not annoyingly friendly. I felt like I was at home. After asking about a nearby campground, knowing that I needed to call it a day, they told me that there was one, "right down there" and pointed down the road. I was concerned. A lot of times " right down the road" could mean 5 or even 10 miles. I went outside and sipped on my Coke. Feeling a little better, I asked someone else. The assured me that the campground was "right down there".

So, I went "right down there" and sure enough there was an RV park. I was excited but worried because no one was there. I ended up getting permission from the maintenance guy to set up in a stand of trees on the corner of the property. When I asked how much it would cost me, he said" It's free....how about that?". I told him that was great and to have a Happy Thanksgiving!!

And so, after 110 miles of riding, I set up camp, ate some Ramen, which is disgusting by the way, and I will never eat Ramen again, rolled into my sleeping bag and tried to sleep.

The problem with winter camping is that there is 12 hours of darkness. 12 hours to do nothing. I thought about heading back to the convenience store to get a pizza, but I was not feeling great. I ended up just laying under my tarp, looking out over the field and thinking about life. Eventually I drifted to sleep, sometime after midnite. At one point I woke up to hear something nearby growling, I'm not sure if it was a dream or not, but I did not see anything. Later, I woke up again, looked out across the field and saw what looked like a couple of bears running. Again, I'm not sure. The moon was up, but it was overcast, and I was groggy.

I wanted to get up early, in the early morning darkness and get going, but I did not want to ride the local country roads in the dark. I estimated that I had about 10 miles left to go, and did not want to risk it, even though I felt I was in the friendliest place in the world.

I had brought only one pot, that would double as a coffee mug. I boiled water, ate a packet of grits, and then made coffee. I didn't like this system so much, and decided to add a coffee cup to my kit. I went about packing up camp, carefully packing, trying to figure out what to wear, etc. I got packed and rolling as the sky grew brighter. It was light enough that I felt safe riding now, and I pointed my steel horse northward.

Sometimes, we are better off not knowing certain things and when I rode onto the parkway, 1 mile after leaving camp, I admitted that it was good that I did not know it was this close. While it would have been nice to get going earlier, and ride in the darkness of morning, I would most likely have ridden on last night, despite needing to stop and rest.

The day dawn grey and stayed grey. Overcast and windy, I feared rain. When I stopped at the convenience store in Fancy Gap and got the last biscuit, I felt that this would be a good day. I kept my rain gear on for most of the day and hoped that the drizzly mist would not turn to pouring rain. I had over 100 miles to ride to Roanoke and I was cautiously optimistic.

As I rode, the overcast skies turned into a fog, swept across the road and fields by the blowing wind. I was just warm enough and not worried about being too cold, unless it started to rain. As I climbed slowly upwards, gaining elevation, I was glad that there would be no 2 hr climbs like the one out of Asheville.

Once I reached Rocky Knob and 45 miles to go, the fog started to dissipate. An hour later, the sun came out, and I had clear, cold skies the rest of the day. I was again feeling fatigued and really wanted to take a nap in the sunny field next to a giant hay bale, but after calculating, I decided to keep on spinning towards my goal. I also decided it was time to delve into the Honey Stinger products that I had saved for this end of the trip. I am glad I did save them because not only are they tasty, they gave me the boost I needed to make it the rest of the way.

The picture above is the spot near Rocky Knob that I asked Rhonda to marry me. Lucky for me she said yes, she didn't know what she was getting....I didn't either, no regrets!

The road south of Roanoke meanders through some fairly level terrain, with lots of homes, farms and ranches near the road. It was nice to put the mind on cruise control and just ride. I had calculated that I would get there just after the sun set.

I exited the Parkway at Mill Mountain, and rode through a deserted city, most of the people tucked away in their warm homes stuffing their faces. I made my way the last 5 miles, passing the airport as the sun set on my right side.

One mile left to go, through the tunnel, a couple of turns then coast downhill to the in-law's house. It was good to be there, a great trips with lots of time to process where I've been, where I am and where I am going.

After a nice hot shower, I sat down to some face stuffing of my own......then I slept.

277 miles in 3 days: day1; 57 miles, day 2; 110 miles, day 3; 110 miles.
22.5 hours on the bike, Average MPH 12.3

Have a great day.

New Web-Site

2010-11-23T06:50:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving week everybody.

Take a moment to go over to the Trips For Kids WNC web-site: click here. It is in it's infant stages but as things start to pick up, more info and pictures will be posted.

We are looking for people who can support us financially. Whether you want to give a one time donation, or maybe pledge monthly, we need you to help up get this program up and running. You can click on the "You Can Help" button on the web-site, or you can send a check to the office, at 33 Davidson Rd, Asheville NC, 28803
(TFK WNC is a 501(c) 3 non profit, donations are tax deductible.

The community is excited to see us get going too, and have welcomed us with open arms. Remember, your donation will give a kid an experience on the trails that he/she would not otherwise have.

Have a great day.

Pisgah Area Sorba Party

2010-11-22T06:17:00.000-05:00

Come on out and celebrate with us!!
Raffles, movie, food and beverages. You don't want to miss this one!!!

Have a great day.

Thanks

2010-11-19T07:49:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday fabulous. I have so many people to be thankful for....I'm blessed.

Have a great day.

Asheville Janes

1-31-2012

Night Ride Recovery Ride

Rolling

Run

Bakery Ride Loop

CX Ride

Little Spin

Cross Training

Night Ride

Run

Beginning

12-31-2011

Sunday Ride

My Bikepacking Kit

A Walk

Asheville To Roanoke 2011

Big Creek

The Woods

Tooth Fairy

Laurel - Pilot

Ramblin

Change

Stage 5

Stage 4

Stage 3

Stage 2

Stage 1

Packet Pick Up

9-23/24

9-22

9-21

9-20

9-19

9-16/17

9-16

9-15

9-14

9-13

9-12

9-11-11

8-12

Carey Lowery and TNGA!

7-4

6-18

My Kit

The Pisgah Traver: Picture Story

The Pisgah Traverse

Trips For Kids WNC needs your help!

Fletcher Flyer

Pledge Drive

The Bikepacking Machine

5-16

5-14

5-10/11

5-7: PMBAR

5-3

4-23

CYMBL

2011 Race Dates:

April 17, 2011 - Falling Creek Camp - Tuxedo, NC

May 22, 2011 - Jackson Park - Hendersonville, NC

August 28, 2011 - Camp Carolina - Brevard, NC

September 18, 2011 - Christ School - Arden, NC

October 23, 2011 - Championship at Falling Creek - Tuxedo, NC

.....4-17

4-10

4-9

4-8

4-6

4-3

4-1

3-30

3-25 & 26

3-23

3-22

3-22

3-19/20

3-18-2011

3-16-2011