POSTED BY Willis on 8:50 PM under , , ,
Since it was monday I didn't really plan on any sort of riding but instead thought about going to the Ping center to start my cross training.  Well at around 2:20PM Bryan "rigid" McClosky called me up wondering if I would be down to ride.  I have found that lately I have been somewhat addicted, no matter when, where or what I'm doing I will always accept an invitation to ride (strung out on the shit as Vince would say).  So I told Bryan I would pick him up in 10-15 mins and I through on my Bibs and grabbed a jersey and out the door I went.

After picking up Bryan we headed to Dow Lake to ride the trails there.  After Friday's ride at Dow Lake I was glad Bryan was up for something new and challenging.  Bryan and I decided to ride from the same place Aaron and I had started Friday and see how we were doing when we joined back up with the Lake View trail.  I had a meeting at 6 and needed time to take a shower and eat something beforehand.  We were riding great and as I would work my way away from Bryan I would wait and around the corner he would coming trucking up the hills, with no complaints.

We made the first section of the trail and rolled right into the second section of the trail which consisted of a section we had ridden the last time the two of us were at Dow Lake just in reverse.  This make is about 43% better since the last half the section is a slight rolling downhill section that makes for a sweet ride down to the Lake View trail.  Our time was at about 20mins into the ride with the first two sections done and a trail repair thrown in there at least another hour of ride time left.  So with Bryans approval we hit the last trail section for some technical riding.

Today I took it easy on the first two sections so I was ready for the mental pain of the final section.  But I had no idea the things I would be considering today... "What kind of poop was that?"  Thats right I just happened to look down at the trail and see a pile of what looked like mammal poo with some berry seeds in it and immediately thought better keep moving.  With the talk of some bobcats/wildcats/black bears in the area I figured it would be best if I just kept an eye out and kept right on riding.  Bryan was close behind and I kept a pace such that he was never out of sight.  Whether or not I was being parinoid or not I figure better safe than sorry, two guys on bikes look much bigger than one guy by himself.  This did however get me to look around and notice some of the hidden beauty of the area.  The leaves have started to fall and it is allowing alot more sunlight through into the forrest and the leaves also make it look like orange snow is covering the hillsides.  With the single track under us and only able to barely see where to go by following the other matted down leaves we made our way back up to some of the cross-roads over the horse trails.  This is where I informed Bryan of the poo I saw and we discussed possible animals that could have produced it all the time he reassured me that it was nothing too scary since the last time he rode that trail he ran over a Copperhead...

Ahead of us was the final downhill descent to the dam where we would follow the Lake View trail around the far side of the lake and end our ride.  However don't think that this final downhill is just any downhill it is a very technical section full of rocks narrow paths switchbacks washed out trails and steep drop offs.  What an awesome way to come to the finish, I rolled the front like I had been the whole ride taking all the spider-webs in my face but keeping an eye on Bryan.  With his lack of suspension it could be any root or small rock that could throw his bike and cause him to end up off course.  Well after finishing my descent I turned around to wait for him and about 45 seconds later I see him turn the last corner and bail out.  I thought he had lost his bike down the hill but a second later he was back on a riding down to meet up with me.  After a few words and some sips of H2O we praised the ride and finished our loop back to the Jeep.  I was on a mission I had planned to try to be back to my apartment by 5 so with us finishing the main part of the ride at 4:20PM I knew we would have plenty of time but still rolled a quick pace to allow us ample time to load up and chat at the end of the ride.

Bryan and I got back to the Jeep by 4:40PM and spent a little time chatting about bikes and other stuff like my wrestling suit... lol... We moved our conversation onto some economics and other bable in the jeep that ended with us planning for tomorrow.  It'll be Tuesday and that means a 4:15 ride, all I need to do is figure out where?


Willis out! 
1 comments so far:
    Dobovedo October 14, 2008 at 11:39 PM , said...

    Lookout Willis, that might be RHINO DROPPINGS out on there trail!

    You are definitely strung out on the junk, man. I'd offer to help, but it's be more fun to feed the beast and build some singletrack around my backyard. "You want some more? C'mon.. just a taste. The first mile is on me".