BSTRA 2013 Recap

What a glorious day for a race.  Woke up this morning to cool temps, but knowing we'd get up to around 70 degrees.

Today was the second Bay State Trail Riders Association  Ride-Roll-Run Relay, although to be fair, this year would be better named the Ride-Run-Roll Relay.  I had been the runner on the "Ready, Set, Go" relay team last year with a disappointing result.  If you like sad stories, you can check it out here.

Major goal this year: try not to get a DQ.  I've managed to make it a year without anyone else throwing me out of the results.  I was hopeful.

Everything that went wrong with the race last year, went right.  And everything that went right went righter. Hell, if it went any righter, I'd be going left.

This year Rick Nelson was away and couldn't be my rider.  I decided to try the race anyhow and the race director, Jill Duhaime, connected me with her mother, Gloria, to be my horse rider.  In a brief lapse of sanity I signed on to do the running AND biking legs.

Jill was awesome in listening to feedback from last year's race.  We met a time or two over the year and talked trail routing.  She even came out mountain biking with me once!

One thing I was super stoked to see was the addition of some significant single track for the mountain biking leg.  Specifically, the course would incorporate the Laurel Trail (AKA the Eagle Bridge Trail) from the Schmidt (sorry, no AKA, but let me know if you have any ideas) and take the left on the single track up to Rte 16, basically a solid portion of the Douglas TT in reverse, sans the Eagle Bypass (AKA the Intestine).

Also notably, the transition area moved from the field on Wallum Lake Road to the upper lot up in the park.  This meant this year the start, transitions and finish were all in the same place.  Much better for spectating!!!

This year I also had a bigger role to play in prepping the course.  I had taken it upon myself to clear one section on the other (east) side of Wallum Lake Road.  I had also previously cleared the Laurel Trail for the Douglas TT series.  Just before the race I made the one wet passing through the Laurel Trail passable without getting wet.  And then Jill let me mark the mountain bike course also.  I feel comfortable saying I've raced enough mountain bike races to know what folks need in a well-marked mountain bike course.

Doesn't say where to go, but tells you how to get there!

All that said, I never actually pre-rode or pre-ran the course.  And I only did one true brick practice run/ride before the race.  I have been riding and running a fair bit though.  Including some trail running at lunch through Douglas.  Douglas demands you watch where you put your feet.  Mistakes are usually rewarded with hot rock on bone action.

So I arrived at Douglas pretty early.  7:30 for a 9:00 am start.  Jill and crew were already there, offering munchkins (donuts, not wee people) to people who wanted to start putting the calories they were about to burn off back on before they burnt them off.  I graciously accepted a single glazed gob of goodness and found some will power I didn't even know I had and walked away.

I took the liberty of speaking with Jill to see what spot her mom might want to start.  They were starting horses four minutes apart beginning at 9:00 am.  Jill said her mom had wanted a top five start, but not first.  As I was the first racer there, I had the pick of the start-time litter.  I took 9:08, third horse out.

I grabbed my numbers, one for the shirt for running and one for the bike, and headed back to ye olde Element to get ready.  There I began bumping into familiar faces.  Not literally.  That's not how I roll.  I saw Cori's co-worker, Jason Johnston, and a few minutes after a guy I had ridden with once before, Bill Peck.  I went to introduce the two of them only to come to find out that they are neighbors who traveled to the race together.  Apparently my introduction was not needed.  Gosh-darned mountain bikers all know each other.  Practically incestuous.  Get out of the gene pool!

Also bumped into a feller named Ken who won the mountain bike leg last year.  He was riding a hard tail 29er, which was a sweet bike for today's course.  Despite the added single track, still plenty of fire road to be found.  100% less pavement though.

One of my first impressions of the mountain bikers arriving is that they seemed to be on much more serious mountain bikes than last year.  No beat up Murrays.  No kick-standed MGXs.  Instead, Pivots, Specializeds and Motobecanes.  Serious bikes.  Serious riders.  Uh oh.

So I got my stuff together and headed over to transition to drop my bike.  I've been torn for the last day or two how I was going to handle the two legs.  Thoughts ranged from full on change of clothes (shorts and all) to wearing the same exact thing.  The biggest problem with the latter is that it had me running in biking shorts.  And since I don't have baggies, it's running in spandex.  Now I know you are begging me in your heads, even though you know it's already over, to not run in spandex.  Well next time you should beg louder.  And before I come to a decision.  Spandex and I rocked it today.  I have a pair of Pearl Izumi shorts that have a pretty light chamois, for days when you don't need a big beefy pad.

I did lay out a jersey with pockets stuffed with various accoutrement for changing a tire or fixing a snapped chain or whatever else might come up.  Laid out my Shimano shoes - well, what remain of them.  Laid out my cap, helmet, glasses, gloves and Powerbar Energy Blasts, too.  All on a swell green towel.  Right next to my Gary Fisher Hi-Fi Plus with it's brand new rear wheel (thanks again for handling the warranty, Ben Stone).

Cori and Harry arrived shortly after 8:00.  Smart to marry your #1 spectator.  That way she has to come see you race.  I think.  Right, Cori?

I met my teammate just before the pre-race meeting.  She was very kind and offered me whatever assistance she could for my transition.  I explained I'd thought it out pretty well and thought I was in good shape.  Super friendly!

Team Reins, Chains and Leg Pains!

The pre-race meeting went down at 8:30 after a few sharp whistles and some extraordinary shouting by Karen May Fleming.  I'm glad she wasn't my mom.  Her lungs are to be feared.

Jill did a great job explaining the course to the racers.  She laid out etiquette and expressed some of the concerns with horses and other athletes sharing the trail.  I hadn't mentioned it yet, but I believe the fact that we have, do and will continue to share the same trails is a big part of this race being put together.  Great idea!


Jill Duhaime will tell you what you need to know

Before the race we took some time to get some photos with a couple of Flat Stanleys - Flat Harry Potter and Flat Draculaura.  These fine folks flew USPS all the way up from Jersey to visit us.  The twin children of our friends the Benthins, commonly called the Bentwins, have asked us to entertain them for a spell as part of a school project.  We gladly oblige any request as fun and awesome as this.


Giddyup, Flat Harry Potter and Flat Draculaura

Cori, Harry and I headed up the Coffee House Loop, which is where the horse (and runner) leg of the race starts to see some of the horses, including ours, head out.  We lost Harry to a sunny, warm spot in a field along the way and continued up a pretty tech section of trail to get our pics and video.

Early rider.

I think your bike is missing it's pedals?

I have a video of Gloria and her horse, Hudson, coming up from the start, but Blogger is acting up, so I'll load it up later sometime.

After seeing the first several horses take off, we wended our way back to the start.  I dropped my shorts to leave myself to mill about in basically nothing while I dreamt of my horse coming in.  Cori and Harry took off up the trail again to get some shots of runners going by.  They did the Cedar Swamp Trail while they were at it as well.

Top o' the Rock

What rock did you crawl out from under, kid?

The first horse, as I'd mentioned, took off at 9:00 am.  As I was back at my car for a minute around 9:25, I heard a biker on an early team mentioning to the runner that they'd better get back over to the transition because their team mate could be coming in any time.  What the what?

I also headed over.  And waited.  And waited.  I think those guys were off on their expectations.  Gloria had told me she expected around an hour and a quarter for her to finish.  The first horse probably came in around 50 minutes or so and was the second horse out.  They didn't see the first horse out on their way through the course.  That means either horse and rider donned an invisibility cloak or they'd made a wayward turn.  My money was on the latter.

The first horse out did come in next.  I was right.  Like I said, things were just going right.  My thinking was even winning!  I managed to ask the rider if he happened to see Gloria, but he hadn't.  It was still much earlier than her prediction though.  No worries.

Another few horses came in.  There's an expression that a watched pot never boils.  Well a watched trail similarly never spits out a horse rider.  Less catchy, but you get the idea.  And if you all start saying it, it'll probably catch on.

All the runners and riders watching the trail felt the same.  Minutes felt like hours.  I don't know what it was, but the waiting was killing me.  And the stupid thing is that we were still well within the time frame Gloria told me she'd be in by.  I think Gloria came in as the fifth horse in around five minutes faster than predicted!  Rocking horse!

I was off.  The runner before me had a pretty big lead on me.  I didn't have a lot of faith that I could gain enough to reel her in.  We had talked before the horses came in and she was dropping some event names that were pretty serious.  I specifically recall being impressed by her Reach the Beach recounting.

So I took off hot.  Straight into the bony Coffee House Loop.  But Douglas is my first love as a mountain biking venue.  I seriously know almost every rock on this trail.  I know where the hills are.  I know where the wet spots are.  Bo may know baseball, but Rob knows Douglas.

Bo Know Bikes?

I passed by a very patient Cori and Harry on the Coffee House near the super sketchy mountain biking bridges and boosted by their fanfare, I barreled on.

I've ridden it, but never run it before.  First time for everything.

Jason Johnston's runner, Joanna Anderson, cruising over a real bridge.

Gorgeous park!

I had just crossed over the SNETT when I saw the first runner out, Jeff Hattem, running back at me.  He had to be three miles or so in front of me.  One less person I needed to worry about catching.  I had spoken with him while waiting for the horses earlier as well and quickly determined he was a dead serious trail runner.

A little while after the SNETT crossing the run takes a left turn up what we used to call the Hill of Suck - a wide, sandy fire road purpose-built for sucking your energy.  Although that's now how it got it's name.  I'm still running up the same trail that I'll run back down in another couple of miles.  But no one else running at me.  That's good.

Halfway up the Hill of Suck we took a left toward White's Highway (AKA SW Main St).  After a bit more climbing I was across White's (where traffic was stopped for me - or would have been, had there been anyone scurrying from Thompson to Douglas or vice-versa) and descending for a short piece on a scrabbly fire road before banging a right and climbing through beautiful section of forest and up onto the Midstate for a brief spell before hanging a right and following parallel to White's Highway.  That's probably a run-on sentence on running.  That's where I passed the only runner I was destined to get by on the course.   She heard me coming a ways back, presumably because I sounded like I was going to blow up.  And she stepped aside as I came by so better not to get covered with my innards when I did explode.  Thanks runner girl!  After that piece of trail we ran back across White's Highway.

This is where the water station was.  With smiling water sirens.  I strapped myself to my mast of dehydration and sailed on by.  Back down a sandy, rocky fire road and back against outgoing running traffic.  I saw a runner working her way up the hill and offered some words of encouragement as I plunged down.  Around the bend were a few more.  All looking good, although maybe wishing they could be heading downhill like me. Soon enough folks!

Just before hitting the SNETT again, I came across two hikers coming at me with backpacks on.  Turns out they were just the bellwethers.  As I rounded the bend there were about 12 - 15 more.  All young and appeared to be absolutely enjoying the gorgeous day.  Or maybe they were just smiling because my advanced age reminded them how young they are.   Gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

As I made a left onto the SNETT I saw a rider going out further up the same trail.  I still had about a mile left to run and then to ride all the way back that mile and change to catch that guy.  Eek.

I ran hard up the rail bed flat section of the Coffee House and took the right onto the paved road to the upper lot.  I cranked into the transition to the sounds of all sorts of cheers.  Great spectators today!

Metamorphosis

On the last section of trail, I abandoned my plan to change into my bike jersey and instead kept my running short sleeve shirt on.  My thought process was that the course wasn't too techy, so I wasn't likely to need much to fix the bike.  I risked not having the tools in favor of less weight and less transition time.  Changed the shoes, donned the helmet and gloves and was off again!

Joanna hands the team bracelet to Jason

The bike course headed back out against the runners end and I saw the runner I'd passed earlier.  She was looking great and only had a little ways to go.  I got up to the end and took a right onto the SNETT.  The course followed about a mile and a half up the SNETT.  Flatter than Flat Stanley, but sandy and a couple of wet spots.  Hard going and my legs were taking their time warming up.  No one in front and the guy who that girl was handing off to was not in sight behind.  In for a lonely bike ride.

The SNETT is a really nice trail that goes forever.  Well, assuming from Douglas to Franklin is forever.  Is from nowhere to nowhere forever?  Along the way there were a couple of nice views.  Here are the shots I took a little after the race.

Wallum Lake Road, Over the SNETT

Classic New England Scenery

Eventually, after passing under Wallum Lake Road, we took a left onto a trail that followed back up to Wallum Lake Road.  Gradual incline, but pretty fast still.  There is one wet section here that I had spent some time working on before the race.  It's the same section I had leaf blown in preparation.  I made it through without issue and continued across Wallum Lake Road and back onto some fire road and up the Streeter Trail (also fire road) until the next intersection, where we took a right up the hill back to White's Highway.  This section was BRUTAL.  It's the same sandy, rocky area I had mentioned in the run, but now uphill.  And, as it turns out, passing by that group of backpackers again.  They had the better line.  I dug up, knowing I had some singletrack in my future.

As I entered the Laurel Trail, I was feeling pretty good.  I was getting through the rocks clean and fast.  I thought this was my biggest advantage in the bike race.  I ride Douglas rocks regularly.  And my full suspension rig, while not well-suited to the fire road, soaked this stuff right up. Still no one in sight though.

As I finished the singletrack, I came out to the Schmidt again.  And three pretty good sandy climbs.  I'd like to meet this Schmidt character.  He's killing me.  I got through this, passing the backpackers for my third and final time.  They were super supportive!

I cruised back across White's Highway and down the hill.  Back on some wide technical trails I finally had another biker in my sights.  The same one I had seen way back when I was running and he was already riding.  I pushed hard, knowing I wasn't too far from the end and got by him. 

As I took a left onto the SNETT, I saw another rider.  He saw me too and stepped up his game.  I was riding strong and got by him as he took a right line around a swamped area and I took the left line.  I put down the hammer (or whatever hammer I had left) and cruised up the last piece of singletrack to the finish line.

Finishing!

I somehow managed to be the second one in.  Stoked since I was the fifth out when I started.  The first place team was, as I had suspected, well ahead of me and simply out of reach.  I can't begin to describe how awesome it felt to come across with so many cheering spectators. 

After the race I chatted with a number of other riders and runners.  All seemed to have a great time today.  I don't have the official results yet, but I think I was told that I'd managed to eke out first in the run and first in the bike ride.  Woo hoo hoo!  Our team ended fourth overall.  A gajillion percent better than last year's DQ!

Reins, Chains and Leg Pains takes home 4th!

Jason Johnston's and Joanna Anderson's Team Take Home the Pink (again!).

Here are my Garmin tracks:

Run
Ride

Delicious pizza and snacks awaited all at the finish line!  I was so hungry I could've eaten a horse.  Probably a good thing they got the pizza then!

After the awards, replete with a VERY NICE expression of gratitude from Jill to me for the assistance I was able to provide (thanks Jill!!) and a thank you to fellow Team Bums rider and event sponsor, Mike Cove, we wrapped it up.

Before leaving I walked part of the SNETT and pulled down some mountain bike plates and ribbons.  Nice just to relax and talk a walk on such a great sunny day.

Just one more note.  There were volunteers at every major intersection along the way.  Volunteers who knew where they were.  And where I was.  And where I was going.  You, without the horse or bike, take a left.  You, pushing those pedals, go straight.  I know who you are.  I know what you want to do.  I want to help you get there.  And yes, I am smiling.  Because I'm happy to be here and helping you, racer.

You, my volunteer friends, were absolutely astounding!

Thanks to all who did such a wonderful job with this event.  Especially Jill Duhaime.  Your hard work and dedication really showed! Looking forward to next year already!

WMBA Chain Stretcher 2013

I raced the WMBA Chain Stretcher today at Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill, NY.  And it has provided me with plenty of material for reflection.

We drove down yesterday and spent the night with our friends, the Bradleys, in Ossining, NY.  A mere 15 minutes away.  Super easy.  Not the Bradleys.  The commute. 

I got out and pre-rode one lap of the course Saturday afternoon as it looked to be running differently than last time I did the race in 2010.  Most noticeable was that it was running clockwise as opposed to counter clockwise.  I  think the trail selection was a bit different as well.

I parked at the lot off Washington Street instead of going into the park.  Wasn't sure if they were charging to get in and the lot at the Corner of Montrose Station Rd and Washington St is free and puts you right onto the trail system.

If it's free, it's for me.  And these other guys.

I pretty quickly met up with a guy named Gunnar from Norwalk and we rode together for a bit.  He had done the race as a Cat 2 last year, but was stepping it back down to Cat 3 this year.  That'd bring him down for a two lap race top a one lap race.  Super nice guy and great to ride with someone.

As I said, I had started from a lot away from the main parking area, so when we got back to the main lot, Gunnar wrapped up his ride I continued on.

I was really surprised how tech the course was.  I remembered it being tough last time, but this course had tough climbs, some serious rock gardens and a boatload of log piles.  I was really glad I went and checked it out the day before.  It was pretty obvious someone else was not pleased to see the course.

One of countless race arrows someone ripped down.

Part way through my second half of the lap a guy came up on me pretty hard.  We talked a little as we rode.  Igor had traveled over from Oakland, NJ, and this was his third or fourth pre-ride of the course in the past couple of weeks.  He was riding Cat 2, but the 30 - 39 year old group.  Not my competition.  He was a super solid rider and seemed to be a super solid guy as well.

The trails were in great shape despite the heavy rains the night before.  I pulled off back at my lot half way through the course and Igor kept on.

After pre-riding the course, I met up with Cori, Harry and the Bradleys for a walk around a lake in Teatown Park.  Gorgeous park boasting 15 miles of trail, but I get the sense they may not allow mountain bikers.  We found three geocaches for the kids while we hiked.  Then Jack and I went and played 19 holes of disc golf at FDR.  That's three parks that afternoon!   And maybe more exercise that one should do the afternoon before a race.

I also undertook an experiment.  How many beers the night before a race is too many?

Now I'm not actually sure of the answer, but I have learned that six is probably a little much.  Especially when they are Flying Dog Gonzo Imperial Porter (9.2%) and Victory Yakima Glory (8.7%).  Next time I'll have five or less and see if that works better.

And on top of a little too rough a night, I started having a lot of trouble breathing.  For some reason my cat allergy was acting up a lot worse at our hosts' house.  I was wheezing and coughing like crazy most of the night.  Ugh.

Up at 5:30 when I couldn't sleep anymore and out of the house at 7 am.  A quick stop for breakfast and coffee and we pulled into the park.  My Cat 2 race was the first Cat going off with a 9 am start.  It was still pretty chilly and I wasn't quite sure how to dress.  I went with bare legs and arm warmers.  Two pair of socks and my summer shoes.  Turned out I would be fine.

Registration was in a trail lodge with a nice big fire burning in the fire place.  Very welcoming.  I did a brief warm up climb just to get the legs working and was then about 15 minutes from start.

They sent the age groups out in a strange order.  Singlespeeds, 30-39, 19-29, 40-49, 50+ and juniors.  We went out at two minute intervals.  The 19 - 29 group in front of us was one of the more entertaining things I saw today.  First, there were only about six of them, yet one guy still managed to crash.  And then some spectator holding one of the racers dogs totally lost it and the dog went sprinting off with that heat with the woman chasing the dog up the trail.

My heat was considerably larger.  We were 22 pre-registered.  Not sure how many actually raced.  One great thing they did at this race was to have participants write their age category on their legs (like triathlons).  It's great to know what category someone is when they are passing you or you them.  The race started right up a fire road called Dickey Brook Trail that quickly turned into a rocky climb with better lines up both sides.  It was full on walking by the time I got there with someone up front having bobbled on both lines and no one moving over.  I tried to just chill out.

We were back on and riding a short while later and cut into Dr. Jekyll about half way through it.  It's a pretty nice single track, but techy and tight enough where we were literally lined up in places waiting to move forward.  Ugh.

Here's a video of one of the climb/low branch/log crossing/log pile in succession that I took on my pre-ride (walking with my camera).  I cleaned this both laps.  Woo hoo!

And here is another tricky area that takes you around a tree, between a another tree and a sapling turning onto a rock that takes you through a stream.  Tough stuff.  I got caught up behind the rider in front of me on this the first lap, but cleaned it the second lap.

We did start to thin out as little and came up to a trail called Ned's Left Lung.  Holy hill.  Two lines up through it.  On the pre-ride, I took the right, newer line that leads away from the way the race heads, but is rideable.  I took this line again and gained several spots over guys walking the other line.  Once the climb levels out, it continues up around another bend.

The next section of the race proceeds though a series of trails called Stinger, Middle Stinger and Lower Stinger.  Great sections with some fun technical stuff.  Climbs with large rocks you have to maneuver through.  Rollers and drops.  One great line up a really steep rock that throws you up and over versus taking the trail around to the left.  By now I was pretty much back and forth with the same small group of 40 - 49 year olds.  We were also picking off some 30 - 39 year olds and one or two singlespeeders.

Saw Cori and Harry up on top of a rock with a great view of a lot of the surrounding area.  I think the trail here was called 2 Crew Live.  Here's the video they took. You'll note I missed a turn.  Not a great move when you are trying to go as fast as you can.

After that we came down a cart road and onto the paved road to pass through the start/finish and out for lap two.

I finished the first lap in 43 - 44 minutes.  I was pretty happy.  The race director had said that laps were running 45 - 50 minutes.

I had been noticing a rattling from my front end and stopped quickly to make sure my break rotor didn't need to be tightened.  Nope.  I did let the two guys I was riding with pass me here while I was checking the bike.

The culprit

I continued on with my broken spoke and cleared the rock climb on Dickey Brook.  I also had a great run through Dr. Jekyll, clearing most everything.  When I hit Ned's Left Lung, I didn't have it in me.  It is brutal.  218 feet in just under 3/4 of a mile.  I walked up the first part.

Then I remembered something.  While I usually only ride my 32 tooth ring up front, I do still actually have a little ring.  And that's easier.  I used my atrophying left thumb to flick that rapid fire and next thing I know, I'm headed up hill and not dying all at the same time!  That was the only climb I used it on.

I should mention at this time the pros pre-riding the course passed by me on my race lap. Does wonders for ones self esteem.

After Ned's Left Lung I started catching glimpses of the the guy in the Campmor kit I had been back and forth with on the first lap.  I managed to get by him and one other guy who had passed me a long time before.   Not sure if he was bonking or if something went wrong.  I guess maybe something went wrong when you are bonking.  Forget it.

With everything I had left, I threw my fork into the locked position and cranked up the road to the finish, managing to hold off the guys behind me.

Finish Sprint!

I finished my second lap a minute or so faster than my first.  Great!  After the race, we had a lot of time to hang around waiting for results.  I could have gone out for pizza and come back and still not had results.  We waited for an hour and a half after I finished and results still weren't posted.  I still don't know how I did.  I remember that last time I did this race it took FOREVER for them to post results.  The only complaint I have really.  Other than there are way too many people in the 40 - 49 age group.

We did get a chance to speak to some folks after the race and everyone LOVED the course.  Great set of trails.  Great course.  Well thought out.  Well marked.  Well manned.  Nice work!!!

Me and my two favorite fans after the race!

2013 WMBA Jersey Design

Course Map

Cori warming her hiney by the 1933 CCC built fireplace

Cori uses her newly warmed hiney to squish our kid.

There was a fat tire division.

I expect Alby King has these too.

I'll update with results once I have them.

For now, here's the GPS track.

Next up, the BSTRA Relay next weekend in Douglas State Forest.  I'll be doing the trail run and mountain biking legs!

UPDATE:  Results are in.  I took 5th out of 32 starting in my Cat 2 40 - 49 division!!!  Super happy with that result.  I honestly had no idea, but didn't expect anything that good!  Three of the 32 DNF'd.

And a couple of pictures I meant to post, but forgot...

Headed up to the start.  Harry walking in front.

Anticipation!

40 something.  None of your friggin' business.

My Cat 2 40 - 49 getting ready to start!

Big River - Exit 7 Start

So today I finally got back to Big River in Rhode Island.  It has been almost a year to the day since I was there for my first time.

In an effort to let Johnny Cash roll over in his grave (his back must be sore by now), I put the following into my email to the troops announcing the ride...

Now I taught that Gary Fisher how to fly, fly, fly
And I showed those wheels how to roll that blue Hi-Fi.
And the cheers that I cry for that trail are gonna fill you Big River.
And I'm gonna ride right there until I die.

My creative efforts must have fallen short.  We were a mere six riders today: Jess Bly, Jim Nydam, Tony Chabot, Chris LeClair, Amar Clark and yours truly.

This time we started from the Exit 7 park and ride.  I thought it was still a little chilly when I left home at 8 am, but arriving in Big River at 9:00 am, it seemed considerably warmer.  The trails from the Exit 7 lot start in the back right.

And they are a BLAST!  Fast, smooth and flowy with only some short ups and downs for the first half dozen or so miles.  Definitely a great place to start.   It gives the legs a nice chance to open up before hitting anything too techy or climby.  There were a few small switch-back climbs that were pretty nice.

I also quickly remembered that just because I'm riding behind Jess, I shouldn't follow his line.  He likes going over things.  And you never know whether it's a roller or a launch.  I prefer not to launch.  And I like my rollers to roll, if you know what I mean.

Just before coming into Sidewinder, we ran into Steve Offiler, Freddy Bassett and someone I hadn't met before named Sil, who I think have figured out to be Sylvain Loize.  They were riding an A+ ride and takings home some KOMs on various Strava segments.  Caught up a few minutes.  Listened to some gibberish that was allegedly directions and continued on our merry way down Sidewinder.  Great trail, but always goes by too fast.  By always, I mean the two times I've been on it.

After riding by the end of Tarbox Pond, we started climbing up Hopkins Hill Road for a short stretch before cutting in to the left onto the trail again.  That trail heads uphill over root, rocks and downed trees.  When we'd waited a little too long at an intersection, we knew something was up.

Somehow in the process of shifting, Chris got his chain caught between the little ring and the frame.  Not a little caught.  Irremovably caught.  We had to pop the quick link to take the chain out and then put it back together again. I say we because I have the important job of holding the jockey wheel forward to remove the tension on the chain.

Anyhow, back up and at 'em and we headed up to the parking area off Exit 6A, which is where we started last time I rode Big River.  Amar had actually parked at the 6A lot and Jess had grabbed him and his bike and brought him to the start.

Amar had the option of calling it here or continuing on until we crossed back to the lot later on.  He did the right thing and kept riding.  Kick ass Amar.

We crossed over Hopkins Hill Road down a super fun, jumpy fast downhill.  It leads down to a stream and out a major climb up to a road that looks to lead to some sort of quarry.  This is all stuff I did last time I was here.  We followed some really fun trail that had great flow.  At one point over here there is a great little feature someone put in.  It's a bunch of maybe eight foot lengths of lumber that start with 10" plank and gets narrower and narrower with each 8' length.

 The Skinny and Skinnier and Skinnier

Jess Nails Those Boards

We also came across a pretty cool string of rocks and boards that were put together for adventurous riders.

Tony Gives It a Go

The Ol' Bly Try

Amar Hits the Bridge

And after that, we moved on to Alan's Ave and climbed up Elephant to take a break at the overlook. 

Chris Grinds Up Elephant

Tony Keepin' On Keepin' On

Waiting to Make Sure Everyone Makes the Turn

Amar Slaying the Elephant (I'm pretty sure that's illegal)

Sunday Morning Riders (not to be confused with Wednesday Night Riders)

Is Tony Ralphing?

After the Overlook, we headed down and rode Azorian. Well, Jess rode Azorian.  The rest of us dabbed.  Nice work Jess!  First time cleaning it and now in the illustrious annals of history with the likes of John Beaupre.

We hit a few more trails on the North side of Hopkins Hill Road - I See Dead People and some other stuff.  Chris took a huge digger following Jess down one of his "rollers."  That bruise is going to be there for a while.  There was also one super tight squeeze aptly named Lemon Squeeze.

Just before crossing back over Hopkins Hill Road, Chris over-torqued his chain and snapped it.  After a repair, we crossed back over Hopkins Hill Road and bade Amar farewell.  Amar rode like a champ today.  14 or so miles and the end was super techy and climby.  Way to go Amar!

After we parted company with Amar, we decided to hit some of the terrain on the south side of Hopkins Hill Road before heading back to the fast, flowy stuff out.  We almost immediately found ourselves faced with a water crossing.  Didn't look too bad.  Just stagger-pedal my way through, right?  Not right.  What started as fairly shallow quickly turned foot-drenchingly deep.  At least it wasn't freezing out.

Jess, our generally geographically gifted guide, missed a turn here somewhere.  We still hit some great stuff.  Rode along the top of a crazy rock ledge that dropped a good 40 feet or so.  Came face-to-tire with Jess' rear wheel as he headed over his handlebars at one point.  Rode some obviously new, spongy fun trail.  But in the end wound up back at the water crossing.  We picked our way along the edge this time rather than splashing through.  From there, we started heading back from whence we'd come.

Tony Tackles the Tree

The Tree Fights Back

The fast, flowy stuff that was so great as a warm up was just as great as a cool down.  We arrived back in the parking lot at 2:00 pm sharp, a mere five hours after we started.

In the end, we rode 25.82 miles (wheel measured) and climbed 1,655 feet over those 26 miles.

Here's the Garmin track.

Great ride.  Great company.  Great day.  Looking forward to the next time!  Next up, the H2H Chain Stretcher next Sunday at the Blue Mountain Reservation in Peekskill, NY.