Laid Back Sunday

We intended to make the MBM ride on Sunday, but a lack of proper prior planning on my part prevented it. Instead, I was outside at 7:30 in the morning, toasting Guajillo peppers and searing a pork loin roast on the side burner of the gas grill. In my pajamas and a toque. The came sauteing the onions, garlic, cumin and peppers, followed by a bottle of toasted lager into the pan. Let that simmer a bit and then it all went in with the roast. Everything made it into the slowcooker by 8:15 or so, but there was no way to make it to the ride start by then. We hadn't even had breakfast yet.... So, we finally got out around 10:15 for our own ride from the house and we tooled around the woods for a couple hours. It felt great to finally be back on the bike and outside after more than a week.

Trails were in great shape and it even snowed on us for a bit.

Can't complain about this.

But, the ice-covered end of Bunkerhill got us both. Donna went down first and I was right behind her. We both just started laughing.

Once home, we rounded out the slowroasted pork with pureed butternut squash with cinnamon and nutmeg and simple, good, broccoli rabe. Donna made the comment that we make it very hard to justify going out to eat...

Bring it.

We need an effen blizzard right about now, funk soul brothers.

Ground's frozen, temps are cold and gonna stay there . . . come on, Mother Nature, ante up, bitch.

Icey Goodness

I have to admit, I'd rather have snow than ice any day. And this past weekend was originally looking to go that way and then nothing happened. The ice that came earlier in the week stayed and refused to melt, leaving everything on the ridgetops in Michaux in a glittery, slippery coating. Ridge Road is a sheet of ice where it isn't maintained. Good times, indeed. We got out to hike both days over the weekend, using the Kahtoola Microspikes we picked up last year. I think they are some of the best slip-on traction devices out there. They stay on your feet and are mighty comfortable to hike in. And, as Donna found out when we found an empty Keystone Light can on the road, they also make good can openers. Those little spikes will poke right through a beer can. We both thought it was pretty funny that, of course, the one can we found since the ice and snow came was a Nascar beer. We were picturing the drunk rednecks careering down icy Ridge Road, half toasted. Where the hell was Darwin?

Enough with the yakking. Here's some pics taken with our new toy--a Panasonic Lumix FX35 digicam.

Not much snow but nice ice.

Stumpy

Jack Pine


Bow before your Lord and Master, lowly trees.

Ice Wine, anyone?

Michaux Meander

Sunday was a really nice ride with great peeps. Don, Zach, and Jim showed up and we tooled around Michaux in the snow, ice, and rime ice for 3+ hours. Made it from the house out to Grave Ridge and back in typical mountain bike wandery meandery fashion. Even fit in a new-to-me trail.

I stole all the pictures from Don, because he rocks. I was really glad he was able to come out to ride--work and life have been conspiring against him lately, it seems.

Rime ice on the undergrowth

Clouds blew out into a beautiful day with sun on the ice-rimmed trees--phenomenal.

We met Joel and the MBM crew at the end of a trail, BSed for a minute or two, then split up.

Zach has obviously recovered his log skillz.

demotivated

Gots little motivation right now. Overweight, undershape, no goals.

Gotta find a goal.

Need something to work for.

Lose this freaking poundage that has crept back into my life.

It's bad news--affects everything....

And not for the good.

crap.

Thanksgiving in Tsali

Look--two posts in a day. I'll be good for months...

We went to Tsali in NC over Thanksgiving. Decided to skip the family juggling and be really selfish and go ride our mountain bikes instead. Did all of Tsali in two days. About 18 miles on Friday and another 16-17 on Saturday. Fun trails--could be screaming fast with no leaf cover to hide the occasional obstacle. I tried to take pics but I had no luck with the camera. Here's one, anyway.

I suck.

It was crappy last night so we ended up doing a trainer session inside. It proved to me that I am woefully out of shape. In the past several months, I have almost never had to keep my legs spinning for a straight hour on the bike--coasting, stopping, waiting on people, mechanicals, etc.

As much as I try to avoid the hard, nasty truth, I cannot escape the fact that road biking immeasurably helps mountain biking.

I need to suck it up and do some road and trainer time this winter.