Rain on my parade

I set out at 11 am on a rainy day for a long ride. It was 36 degrees and sleet was possible. These wintery conditions made they ride a festival of misery. Yet if I could keep my hands and feet warm enough it was refreshing.

Took the Silverado bike it is my Trek touring bike with racks and panniers and fenders also it has a triple with a 28 tooth "granny gear". It approaches 35 pounds. Needless to say it would be slow going.

I rode up north to tigerville and the rain started. Along rhe way i had to swerve out of the way of a garbage truck that started to run through a stop sign right as i passed by. I yelled loudly and waved my fist as I looked back. I also had to swerve around a dead skunk (oh the smell was unbelievable) I rode up old camp Indian at a snails pace. On up the watershed and decided to keep going up toward Hendersonville. The reservoir seemed to be very full which always is reassuring. I saw lots of icecicles on the rock face on the side of the road. Much snow was still in the woods and side of the road. The river flowed over falls. It was a beautiful trip.

The 6 mile ride down the escarpment was quite chilling but unavoidable. My feet were numb nuns on the end of my legs. The neoprene gloves were soaked yet just good enough to have my hands not fall off. The fingers were sharp with pain.

Back at Tigerville and my legs were quite sore. I would suffer further on the way back.
Back at home at 3:30 pm. I was so sore. My quads were dead. My toes were bright red as I took off my socks.

I took a long hot shower and slowly came back to life.

Winter in taylors

Taylors got about 8 inches of snow and then freezing rain or sleet came down on top. What a mess. Every time it snows here I think about dusting off the cross country skis and trying them out. Well this time I did. After hunting for the boots and digging way back in the closet for a bag full of waxes I was getting all set for some crazy little adventure.

I applied purple klister wax (from a tube) onto my skis midsection (messy). Then I treated my boots with neatsfoot oil to help the leather resist water (another mess). I dug out my wool sweaters and socks that come up over the knees. They all smelled of mothballs. It was 28 degrees out so just 2 sweaters over a wicking base layer and for the bottom just the knickers.

So at last around 4 am I was out the door. After walking through the parking lot uphill a ways i clipped into my bindings. The conditions were terrible. The ice over the snow was at least a quarter inch thick. Every step I took on the snow was a loud cracking crunching noise. I felt I would wake everyone in the apartment complex. Oh well be brave and crazy. I made a short set of tracks along Pinecroft Drive. It was on a hill and there were tree roots sticking out.

So I headed up to Reid School Road. I got onto the road itself and just started double poling over the ice. I had to avoid a few thin spots where the asphalt was. After a quarter mile I decided this was no fun and headed back. Before getting back to the apt. entrance road I got back into the snow and blazed a new trail. Crunch crunch. Step by loud and slow step I made progress. I think it was about a tenth of a mile long. I turned around and went back over it. This time with some speed. Back and forth faster each time. I suddenly remember how to do a 180 degree turn around manouver by sticking the tail of one ski at the tip of the other. I forget what it is called. I kept going back and forth and was finally able to get my heart rate up to near 150.

There were a few cars that went by in about 40 minutes. Normally it would have been maybe 50 or more. after about an hour of the activity I decided to take a break. I went inside and got something to drink and started watching TV. I realized I had enough for the night and just stayed in.

After more than 20 years I was on my skis again. I can only be sure in 1989 I was on them. I wish I traveled up into NC more often to use them. Maybe we will get another big snow in Taylors again this winter! Ha