Graphics
April 10th, 2008, 06:26 PM
so i left at about 12:30. still waiting on stuff to come in for work that is already late. usually my rides are about 1-1.5 hours.
well i don't know what i was thinking. it IS the first day that we have finally had warm weather. no jacket warm. so i take this path that i haven't taken before (still at Lake Saltonstall)...and find it leads me to the other side of the lake. i figure this will be fun. the beginning of the path is this BAD *SS HUGE incline. OMG. i had to walk the whole way up. when it levels...i've stopped to take a couple of photos, put the camera back in the bag, bag on my back and off i go. instantly there is movement in the bushes. all of a sudden i see this enormous deer take off. he/she stops...looks at me. i try slowly to take the camera out but by the time i do he's gone further into the woods with another one. i was able to snap a shot but they blended so well with the tress the picture was useless.
anyhow...at the end of this incline you can go right or left. first i went right but shortly there after i was at a dead end putting me on a road. so i turn around and go back and continue past where i came onto that path. so now i'm riding. and going. and going. very cool terrain. lots of little rollercoaster style hills...lots of clusters of rock, etc. and i'm having a great time. occassionally i would look at the time...and i was still good.
well i'm riding and riding and riding...tiring...and now i'm starting to say...when will this path end. it's gotta end soon...it's gotta end soon. and i keep riding. finally i stop and look at the time and it's now 2 and i have no clue how much farther this path goes. but i KNOW i've gone a long distance away from where i got on it. so i turn around and head back. now i'm racing against the clock cause kids come home at 3 and i'm clearly at least 30 minutes away from any path i KNOW.
finally i get to this path that isn't marked but you can see it's clearly been trampled on and looks like a path. it's heading down...steeply...and that's where i need to go. i commit to it...seems like it will be a short cut...and i go. it was a wild ride down. very steep. i got to one point where suddenly there was a cluster f*ck of rocks. i have been watching some videos so i stand up, level my pedals, push my ass back and give it a go. i got down a few of them but then it took a hard curve and i knew i didn't want to do that. as i started to try and get off the bike i ALMOST crashed but was able to regain balance. i got off the bike and walked a bit. got back on and was able to ride most of it down. it was scary but it felt great. i felt like i wouldn't have been able to do this even a month ago. it dumped me on the man-made path of all places. :D
finally got to the main path. rode out to the street. another tough hill (especially after that ride) and got to the house just at 3...just as the boss calls the cell wondering where i am. :rolleyes:
am i sore...my knees ache...and i have mud all over my newly cleaned riding cloths. :p
but all in all it was sooooooooo cool to be out there like that. if it weren't for the time crunch it would have been fun to see just where that path DOES end. :D
i will say this...i'm done riding for the next couple of days. ;)
so NOOB lessons learned today:
1. don't continue along a path indefinitely when you have to be somewhere at a certain time
2. don't forget you still have to ride BACK
sorry for the long post...and using the forum like a personal blog. just thought you guys would like to know about this great trail.
well i don't know what i was thinking. it IS the first day that we have finally had warm weather. no jacket warm. so i take this path that i haven't taken before (still at Lake Saltonstall)...and find it leads me to the other side of the lake. i figure this will be fun. the beginning of the path is this BAD *SS HUGE incline. OMG. i had to walk the whole way up. when it levels...i've stopped to take a couple of photos, put the camera back in the bag, bag on my back and off i go. instantly there is movement in the bushes. all of a sudden i see this enormous deer take off. he/she stops...looks at me. i try slowly to take the camera out but by the time i do he's gone further into the woods with another one. i was able to snap a shot but they blended so well with the tress the picture was useless.
anyhow...at the end of this incline you can go right or left. first i went right but shortly there after i was at a dead end putting me on a road. so i turn around and go back and continue past where i came onto that path. so now i'm riding. and going. and going. very cool terrain. lots of little rollercoaster style hills...lots of clusters of rock, etc. and i'm having a great time. occassionally i would look at the time...and i was still good.
well i'm riding and riding and riding...tiring...and now i'm starting to say...when will this path end. it's gotta end soon...it's gotta end soon. and i keep riding. finally i stop and look at the time and it's now 2 and i have no clue how much farther this path goes. but i KNOW i've gone a long distance away from where i got on it. so i turn around and head back. now i'm racing against the clock cause kids come home at 3 and i'm clearly at least 30 minutes away from any path i KNOW.
finally i get to this path that isn't marked but you can see it's clearly been trampled on and looks like a path. it's heading down...steeply...and that's where i need to go. i commit to it...seems like it will be a short cut...and i go. it was a wild ride down. very steep. i got to one point where suddenly there was a cluster f*ck of rocks. i have been watching some videos so i stand up, level my pedals, push my ass back and give it a go. i got down a few of them but then it took a hard curve and i knew i didn't want to do that. as i started to try and get off the bike i ALMOST crashed but was able to regain balance. i got off the bike and walked a bit. got back on and was able to ride most of it down. it was scary but it felt great. i felt like i wouldn't have been able to do this even a month ago. it dumped me on the man-made path of all places. :D
finally got to the main path. rode out to the street. another tough hill (especially after that ride) and got to the house just at 3...just as the boss calls the cell wondering where i am. :rolleyes:
am i sore...my knees ache...and i have mud all over my newly cleaned riding cloths. :p
but all in all it was sooooooooo cool to be out there like that. if it weren't for the time crunch it would have been fun to see just where that path DOES end. :D
i will say this...i'm done riding for the next couple of days. ;)
so NOOB lessons learned today:
1. don't continue along a path indefinitely when you have to be somewhere at a certain time
2. don't forget you still have to ride BACK
sorry for the long post...and using the forum like a personal blog. just thought you guys would like to know about this great trail.