Farlow.... In the rain..... In December.
Mike B and I met up with Jonothan and Dennis K at 7AM at the Fish Hatchery today. The plan was to get at least 5 hours in but.... well..... we need rain bad..... and we got some today. As we left it was chilly (but not cold) and the sun was just starting to rise. The drive out there was kinda... unnerving because of dense fog. Needless to say, everything was nice and moist. It wasn't raining when we started but that changed somewhere along Long Branch. The (my) route for the day: Cat->Long Branch->475->Pilot Mtn. Road->Farlow Gap->Daniel Ridge->475->Davidson River. Everybody else (+Kassi) continued on at this point but I was done. 3.5 hours was enough for me.
16.75 miles 4112' climbing.
Oh and Rich, Sorry for calling you a puss. My knee hurts like mad. I'm going to Chicago for most of next week for work...and that's perfect. I need a week off.
Notes:
1. Farlow in the rain is no joke. All four of us went down and I think I got the least of it. I did the same wreck as last week: Deep leaves+ downhill= sliding on arm and face. Jonothan: Tomato had the most spectacular crash that I've seen in a long time. He got squirrly at high speed, lost his front wheel, and highsided. He tumbled over-and-over, totally out of control, and didn't get hurt! Well... until his bike caught up and hit him. Mike went down twice: Once getting a huge goose-egg on his shin and the next knocking the wind out of him. I didn't see Dennis's crash but as he explained it, the wet rock drop thing you're supposed to just rail over when it's dry... ate him.
2. I funkin railed the descent! Not fast but... Tech. Up in the steep stuff I was feeling BRAVE! Gravity is cool.
3. Pilot Mountain made me want gears. Maybe 1x9? Any 1x9er's out there?
4. This ride kicked my ass. As soon as I got home I took a hot bath then a 90 minute nap with the cats. Could there be a better way to spend the day?
16.75 miles 4112' climbing.
Oh and Rich, Sorry for calling you a puss. My knee hurts like mad. I'm going to Chicago for most of next week for work...and that's perfect. I need a week off.
Notes:
1. Farlow in the rain is no joke. All four of us went down and I think I got the least of it. I did the same wreck as last week: Deep leaves+ downhill= sliding on arm and face. Jonothan: Tomato had the most spectacular crash that I've seen in a long time. He got squirrly at high speed, lost his front wheel, and highsided. He tumbled over-and-over, totally out of control, and didn't get hurt! Well... until his bike caught up and hit him. Mike went down twice: Once getting a huge goose-egg on his shin and the next knocking the wind out of him. I didn't see Dennis's crash but as he explained it, the wet rock drop thing you're supposed to just rail over when it's dry... ate him.
2. I funkin railed the descent! Not fast but... Tech. Up in the steep stuff I was feeling BRAVE! Gravity is cool.
3. Pilot Mountain made me want gears. Maybe 1x9? Any 1x9er's out there?
4. This ride kicked my ass. As soon as I got home I took a hot bath then a 90 minute nap with the cats. Could there be a better way to spend the day?
Dick (Comment this)
-mike r (Comment this)