Wow what an awesome weekend we had this past Saturday and Sunday. Sunny, warm, not terribly hot I guess, but most important I remembered to wear sunscreen when I was outside.
Saturday was pretty uneventful but equally as nice weather wise. Mine and Susan's day started extremely early as the puppy wanted up at like 6:30AM, so because we had soccer games at 10:30, I think we just realized it was easier to get up and start the day.
So coffee in hand I managed some much needed Internet surfing, and blog catching up. Not like I get enough of that at work.
We decided after the soccer games to go to Sam's Club, then to the Farmer's Market to pick up some plants. This is some foreshadowing into some none mentioned material that the weekend was going to involve some planting and yard work.
Prior to the soccer game I was going to get a short ride in, then after all the errands I was going to mow the lawn, as I had been thinking about doing a long ride on Sunday through some local roads hoping to get up to about Fifty Miles on the bike. I figure I need the endurance and anything to get my back back used to being in the position would be beneficial.
But before all that we're going to do some gardening:
But before all that I decided to plant my pepper seeds with Susan's help. I have a pepper fetish. Every year I order several packets of various pepper seeds. Staples include (but not limited to) Scotch Bonnets, Jalapenos, and Habaneros. This year I also got some hard to find Naga Jolkia (or Ghost) Peppers - so I'm hoping these will be pretty cool.
There are a few other seeds of peppers and other plants but by far those are the most entertaining, and Susan and myself began the task of putting them in their little seed starting pods and will plant in the near future. This took about thirty minutes, and was not hard but tedious work.
Then I went for a ride.
This was just a very short ride and I didn't mind much. It's nice to get a ride finished early in the morning so you have all day to screw off. Least I think so as I don't feel guilty about not doing anything.
After that everything went according to plan.
Sunday rolled around and I got up and started planning my ride about 7AM. Again it's hard to sleep in when both dogs are wanting out at 6:30. As I mentioned I wanted to ride about fifty miles I'm guessing this will take me about 4hours tops to do. Most of which was going to be all asphalt, and some dirt roads but should all be pretty easy.
I planned to do some back roads just south of the new US 35 location in Putnam and Mason Counties in the Fairview and Stave's Branch areas, then cross over the bridge at Buffalo, then take Custard Ridge Road and head back to WV 34, back across the bridge there at Winfield, then home Rocky Step and South Poplar. My Garmin Mapsourcesaid it was going to be 43.8 miles, so I'm guessing four hours should be very doable, and if I leave at 10AM that puts me back home about 2PM.
Pack the Camel Bak, Gatorade, Money, Banana, Beef Jerky, Gummi Bears, Fig Newton, Spare Tube, patches, Pump, and CO2 Cartridges, and I'm off on the 8500.
My Trek 8500 was my first high end mountain back that I purchased in the late 90's. Now it's mostly been converted for riding on the road with 26" X 1.5" smooth tires. It does pretty good on dirt roads, but overall I primarily use it for just riding around the local roads.
A previous ride it all went fine so no problem.
My the first of what I predicted would be a total of four climbs (hey who thinks to check the profile of the route?) was a fairly easy climb up CR 30/1 Coleman Creek Road, which will then drop me down into the Fairview area of Putnam County, to which I then turn on Fairview road.
Fairview road is another long dirt road that changes names and route numbers at a few different stages, but from my approach it was also another climb that consisted of one steep up and down, always does me good then about a two mile gradual climb on a dirt road that is like stair stepped.
Up... Flat... Up... Flat....Up... Flat
Before leveling out on a ridge top. This area of Mason County I have ridden before but never could exactly figure out where the heck I was, now I know.
Eventually my route would veer to the right at the intersection with Kanawha Road (43/2) and continue to follow Poplar Fork Road after going down hill. Down hill the ride did go from here.
Getting to the bottom of this hill the road dead ends, and I find myself in someone's driveway, looking at the GPS, I notice I'm off course some. I turn around go back about 20ft and to my right yes indeed was a path. Through a creek. The path was cut out of the hill side at one time, and was about ten feet wide. Looking to me like it was the county road it should have been but maintenance has long been abandoned.
Not wanting to climb back up the hill as I'm already been riding about an hour and a half and have the feeling I'm not moving as fast as I should be.
I proceed on, after all I've been in this situation before and it's only a short jaunt to where Hughey Fork Road (13/1) is supposed to be. Through the Fords and over the meadows I go.
For the most part the trail is in good shape. Solid, the only soft parts are the sandy creek beds that my narrow tires just slice into and get stuck. That's when my feet come in handy.
For walking of course.
My guess is it will be about a mile and a half to the next road. The idea of this road being abandoned did cross my mind, but I didn't give it much thought.
The idea of a catastrophic failure with no cell phone in the middle of a Deliverance area did not cross my mind.
The roadtrail went in and out of the creek a few times going past several broken down barns and discarded cars and abandoned tree stands. Occasionally I'd jump some deer and turkey.
A few places the going got slow and I had to walk but overall the trail was in good shape.
I come to a clearing and on the other side of this field the trail looks to be in better shape. So I'm thinking finally a good sign.
riding across the knee high grass the trail is hard to see, other than a few ruts to follow, then these become intertwined with other ruts as I'm guessing this area is used as a camp site and hangout. Before I know it I hear a crunch crunch crunch. Looking down I see I'm riding through a trash pile of broken beer and whiskey bottles.
Next is not hard to imagine.
Not one flat, but two. I'm thinking holy shit. I have one tube, I should have some patches and I think I got three CO2 cartridges to inflate the tires.
This may not be as bad as I think, but I check my cell and "No Service" is prominently displayed. Probably wouldn't have mattered as I would have never been able to tell Susan how to find me. But the fix should be doable as long as the tube isn't too overly slashed.
But I immediately decide not to rant and rave about the hilljackyness of these crappy trash piles because I guess I feel it's my job at the end of the day to know what I'm riding through and what I'm riding on. Not to mention that I'm probably trespassing.
I carefully remove both tubes and check them out, one has a pretty good hole in it the other not so bad, that tube will be the tube I patch. I patch both tubes keep one for a spare, and the other I put back in the front tire as it doesn't get all the wait and in my thinking it probably takes alot less. I will use my spare tube for the rear tire. Get these both seeded and prepare to inflate.
Remember the "Catastrophic Failure"?? It wasn't because of the tires or the flats or what not. It had to do with my pump not working. I don't know what the problem was but my first CO2 cartridge did not work, it didn't seal well, I don't know what happened but all my CO2 went out from the pump and not into the tire. Not good. I have two more... I think I located the problem with the pump and I fixed that somewhat, some reason my cartridges are not big enough for the cartridge holder of the pump. I'm thinking a spacer or something has fallen out at some time.
I fix this, but before I tighten it up all the way, I put the pump on the tire. Wallah!!!! It worked. One down one to go. On Cartridge left.
Carefully I repeat the same process with the front tire and yes it works. But wait, what's this Psssssssstttttttt sound I hear?
another hole in the tube. DAMMIT. Rookie mistake, I should have checked for more holes.
Broken Beat and Scarred.
I begin to walk, reach Hughley Road and hope to have cell phone service, if not keep walking/riding until I do.
I did reach the interchange shortly, and was able to ride the bike with a flat tire for about two miles before running into a kind savior with an air compressor who allowed me to waste his time and borrow his tools while I tried fixing this remaining flat.
It worked, but I notice two nice slices in the sidewall of the tire that the tube is bulging out of. Not too bad as long as I don't use the front brake as it may rub these areas.
I tell Jeff thanks and ride on. I get to the top of the hill and have cell phone, call Susan and give her a heads up that I'm limping back to the home front and stay by the phone.
"Where Are You" she says, "I don't know" my reply, "What do you mean you don't know? What's that high dollar GPS for?" she asks... Well for all of you it's not that I didn't know, I could perfectly see where the hell I was at, the problem lies in trying to explain to someone where I am at and how to get here. So I kept it to a minimum, and in keeping it to a minimum I say that she could never find it, but I'm going to ride out towards US 35 near the Buffalo Bridge, and get on the New US 35 and head to Hurricane Creek and then home. I will call if I need assistance.
And that is what I did, minus the call.
