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| http://dirtfortwo.blogspot.com/2010/02/were-off-and-running-pedaling.html
New and exciting adventures!!
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| Steve, dad and I took off from Steve's house in NW Ohio at about 3:30am or so. The night before I had gotten about an hour of sleep. You see we had decided to drive to Steve's and crash there so we could get more sleep than if we left Grant, MI at 1:00am or so. But I didn't take into account that I would have to sleep within shouting distance of the sleep-noise factory that is my old man. Anyway, enough whining. Back to the story....
We made good time the entire way down, until we got off I-40 and went toward Gattlinburg. The traffic was heavy through Pigeon Forge-and CRAZY in Gattlinburg. 45 minutes to get about 4 miles. We made it through G'Burg and kept heading up TN66 through the Smokies. There was lots of snow, and lots of sheets of ice hanging off the mountain. Pretty sweet.
FINALLY we made it to Tsali. First ride on "The Little Ball of Hate". Adjusted the seatpost, got dressed to suit the low forty degree temps and headed out. The trail was in decent shape, less mud than either time I was here earlier in the year. We went at a fairly moderate pace. Safe even. Tsali is a very fast train and even a little mistake can ruin a vacation on the first day. We rode the Right and Left loops.
The LB of H worked great, and felt great. Could use a 120mm stem instead of the 110mm I have on it. Otherwise it was dialed. Climbed awesome and felt steady and stable in the fast and bumpy stuff. The Racing Ralph's didn't have much traction in the slippery spots, but I was tiptoeing through the corners anyway.
Tomorrow we are thinking of riding up Caesar's Head and over into North Carolina, Weather depending.
Successful day one of our getaway.
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| First ride out here this year. Here is Platte, SD. In the central part of the state, right near the Missouri River. Only had time for 30 miles today. It was really windy, even more so than normal. But it felt great to turn some pedals again. I also need to keep this short, have to get back to work. But here is a view that I had today:
 
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| Saw a very dear friend today. I first met her a few weeks after I had moved down. She is resides a few miles south of Clemson, SC. I hadn't seen her in a few months, but I had thought about her often. She's naturally beautiful, unspoiled. She is quite a handful as well. She has gotten the best of me many times this year, but has also brought me joy and satisfaction. I have missed her, and as I will likely not see her again for sometime I was very happy to have visited today. We spent a few great hours together, and like every other day I have ever spent w/ her I was happier for it.
I brought a friend with me, someone that also knows her well, but doesn't have quite the attachment that I do. He left not nearly as happy as me. She can be very unforgiving. Whom is it about which I speak? Her name is a forerunner to her beauty. She is Issaqueena State Forest............. And now you know, the rest of the story 
Yes, about the ride. I stopped by E's house about noon to chat with my buddy and wait for his wife to get there and relieve him of his parenting duties. After she arrived the three of us talked the required amount of time (just kidding, she is very cool) and the E and I were off. I was sporting a Michigan gear ratio today, 38/16. To give you a frame of reference I ran 32/16 in the cross country race here-and won. So, I knew I was over geared. But I was looking forward to the challenge. And for the first time that I recall E had gears on his bike.
Because of driving, socializing and working I hadn't ridden a bike since Tuesday. Normally that would make me sluggish, but not today. I felt good, "Real Good"! I was riding a rigid singlespeed and in no time at all my hands were feeling the sting of sharp rocks and protruding roots. It never went away, but I dealt with it. The bike felt good under me though, my first ride on the Geisha at "The Queen". Eric like normal was right on my wheel though all the rough stuff, he is a great bike handler.
After a warm up of the mostly flat Dam Trail we hit the first long climb, a 2/3 of a mile rough two-track climb. I was a little leery of it, having such a big gear for the conditions, but had no problems. The super light bike was great going up that climb. We came back and did the climb again a little later. Then we followed the race course to a very steep climb, and I made it up! I was very pleased about that.
We then shot down the decent on Double Logging Road at scary speeds. My hands nearly went numb from the fast, rocky decent. I had to really force myself to hang on. Then some cool singletrack led us to the base of the 1+ mile climb. It starts out as quite steep singletrack, and I doubted I would make. I went around a few slippery sections and was able to keep momentum and not stall. I continued to tractor up the hill, made a rooty little section and got to a place were it levels out. I couldn't believe I had just climbed that piece with that gear! But the climb had just begun. I had some trouble with a sort of steep section with loose rocks but was able to keep my balance. The rest of the climb was gradual enough that I knew I could make it-but still had to be out of the saddle to do it. This was the same climb that helped me win the XC race earlier in the year, it brings me pain, it brings me joy.
We then took a cool downhill and some singletrack over to a section that E calls "Niel's Loop"! It starts with a 1 mile climb that isn't very steep until the very end, then it's a bear. We made it over to a very cool little section of sweeping trail that E really loved. After that we did the dam trail again, up the climb and then finished up with a little more singletrack.
I had made everything there with my full rigid, tall geared singlespeed. I'm still smiling about as I write this....
here is a recycled pict to give you some of the flavor:
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