bikesandbeer

Been A Long Time...

2011-12-16T19:44:00.000-05:00

So, here is the long and the short of it. I haven't updated in forever. So, first off, I got my Ventana fixed and I am loving this bike. To make it sweeter, I threw a SRAM 2x10 drive train on it. After several months, I have to say, it is the most awesome drive train I have ever used.

I also have a review on my Osprey hydration pack. It is everything that a Camelbak isn't. I would recommend one of these to everybody.

On the home front, we have had our share of issues. I had to replace our water heater. We found termites and had to have a termite treatment done. Way more expensive than I thought.

My friend Al and his wife Teri, took Rachael and I to the Symphony as well. I have to say it was awesome. I just hope we have the opportunity to go again.

Well, I hope to stay updated a bit more in the future.

Cheers,
Buddy

Dolly Sods...

2011-10-11T16:41:00.001-05:00

This past weekend Bob and I made our way to Dolly Sods for a few days of backpacking. We hit the trail head around 3:30 PM Friday. Bob had a campsite in mind, which we would have to make good time to get there before dark.

We made good progress and were even able to take in a nice lookout.

It was a great view of Canaan Valley. A short while later we hit our first campsite. Bob had stayed there before, so we knew it would work.

After we got a fire going it was time to lighten our packs a bit.

We were back on the trail early the next morning. We had an area we wanted to camp near but no real plan, so we just hiked and enjoyed the awesome scenery.

we hit a trail called Rocky Point, and it was aptly named.

The trail went on like this for a while, it was hard going, but some of the views were well worth it.

After a while we found our next campsite. A nice spot well off the trail right next to a stream.

The next day we were set up for, what I thought would be an easy hike back to the car. It wasn't too bad until we hit the Beaver Dam trail, which was flooded, by, you guessed it, a beaver damn. The only way through was across the top of the damn. It was wet, but not awful, that part came when we hit the bog. This was really wet and muddy, plus it went on for ever. By the time we finally got through it, we were both pretty wet. I was actually praying for the rock trail again.

It was a couple of little climbs later and we were back at the car. It was a great weekend. the weather was perfect, and the hiking was awesome.

You can see more pics here.

Cheers,

Buddy

Quick Peak...

2011-10-09T19:09:00.001-05:00

Awesome long weekend of backpacking with Bob. More to come soon...

Cheers,
Buddy

Out With The Old, In With The New...

2011-10-03T18:02:00.003-05:00

I have had this pair of Merrell hiking boots for about 15 years and they have served me well. They are still very comfortable, but they aren't very stiff any more, and they have lost there traction.

I am heading to Dolly Sods for some backpacking with Bob this weekend, so I upgraded.

Just like my last pair, they felt great right out of the box. Hopefully no blisters this weekend.

Cheers,
Buddy

Another Car Camping Weekend...

2011-09-19T18:48:00.003-05:00

This weekend Rachael, Brian and I made our way to the Blue Rocks Campground for some camping and hiking. We loaded up Friday afternoon and hit the road. We got there a couple hours later and managed to find our campsite. We chose the most isolated one we could find, and it was, isolated, and the road in was pretty rough.
We started to unload the car, then I realized, I had forgotten, of all things, the tent. We found one at the camp store, but it was way too small. So we went into town and found a very large comfortable tent and we were back on track.

Rachael and Brian on Pinnacle

The campground is right next to the Appalachian Trail, with access to the Pinnacle and Pulpit lookouts. It was a great view.

The hike left from right behind our campsite, which was way cool.

Pulpit Lookout

Our total hike was around 6 very pleasant miles.

After we got back to camp we had a couple beers and checked out the boulder fields.

This boulder field is a mile long and 500 feet wide. It is the result of a glacier millions of years ago. It was pretty cool to walk out and see it close up. You can't tell from this picture, but these rocks are the size of a refridgerator and were probably 20-30 feet deep.

It was a nice weekend, and we are already planning a spring trip to West Virginia.

Cheers,

Buddy

A Great Ride Indeed...

2011-08-24T16:34:00.000-05:00

Sunday was my second Livestrong Challenge with Liz. The weather was not looking good, but our spirits were high. We rolled out with the first group and settled into a nice pace. It was very humid, but the rain was holding off. About 20 miles in it rained a little, but it didn't last long. Our early goal was to make it to the 70 - 100 split before the cut off. The problem was 1) we started late, 2) they moved the cut off up a half an hour, and 3) they stopped us about a mile from the split to try and relieve traffic. We got to the split and the 100 mile loop was closed. We were both bummed, but that didn't last long, we set out to enjoy the rest of our ride.

At about the 50 mile mark we hit a stop and Liz's parents and brother and sister in law were waiting for us. Her dad even had a beer for me, boy that hit the spot. We rolled out for the last 20 miles. Liz was doing great. I am so impressed that she can ride some of those hills with basically 1 lung. Some people would be walking, but Liz never got off the bike. She is truly an inspiration to me. I am honored to be able to ride with her at the Livestrong Challenge. It is a very special event, and if you ever get the chance you should, run, ride, or volunteer. You will be impressed.

I am already looking forward to next year, and I have some pretty ambitious goals as well. Thanks to all that donated this year, you helped Team Tough Cookie raise nearly $10,000.00 this year.

Cheers,
Buddy

I'm Still Here...

2011-08-20T07:24:00.000-05:00

Things have been pretty routine around here lately. I've been getting in some riding, but not nearly as much as I would like. Part of it is the weather, and part of it is my broken frame.

My Poor Ventana. I picked up this sweet frame on ebay. I set it up with a SRAM 2x10 drive train, and I was falling in love with the whole setup. Then I found this crack in the chain stay. Since I was not the original owner, I could not warranty it. Lucky for me, the guy I bought it from said he would. I shipped it back to him and it is now at Ventana getting fixed or replaced.

In the mean time I have the Livestrong ride tomorrow. You can still make a donation to a great cause. I will be riding with Liz as part of Team Tough Cookie. It should be a great day on the bike.

Cheers,

Buddy

Too Hot To Hammer, Too Many Bugs To Stop...

2011-07-24T09:31:00.005-05:00

It seems our area it caught in a nasty heat wave. Friday saw the heat index hit 120 degrees, and Saturday and today are not much better. Friday I stayed home from work to fix Rachael's car and avoid the parade of big wigs touring the shop.

Yesterday I rolled out of my door around 8:00am hoping to get in a few hours before it got really hot. I barely survived 2 hours. I tried again today with pretty much the same result. I met up with Todd and Stew at Fair Hill this morning. At 8:30 this morning the heat index was already 97. Despite a nice pace the heat got the best of me, so when Todd headed towards the ruins trail, I rode back home. I even ran out of water, I thought 70 ounces would have been plenty, guess not.

I will be spending the rest of my day in the A/C trying to rehydrate. The new keg of Stone IPA, should help.

Cheers,
Buddy

Time To Get Started...

2011-07-11T18:03:00.003-05:00

I haven't done a whole lot of racing the past couple of years but I am starting to get the itch again. So, I am going to start training a little, hoping to be in shape for some late summer and fall races. Not to mention I have to get ready for the Livestrong Challenge in August. You can help me out by donating here. I'm not exactly sure what races yet but I have a few in mind.

Rachael and I are also planning another camping and hiking trip in the early fall. We are hoping for much better weather this time.

Cheers,

Buddy

The Beautiful All Be It Wet Catskills...

2011-07-05T18:09:00.009-05:00

Last year we backpacked into the Adirondacks to camp and hike. It was a bit rougher than expected, so this year we decided to stay at a campground and hike from there. We picked the Catskills because they were relatively close. We found a nice campground with showers and bathrooms, right in the the middle of some of the best peaks. We got to the campground a round 12:30 Saturday. The plan was to set up and hit the trail. We were shooting for the Summit of Mt. Wittenberg. We hit the trail at about 1:20, we were hoping for about 4 hours up and back. The trail wasn't bad for the most part, that is until the last mile or so, when it went straight up. At one point

we thought we lost the trail, we didn't lose the trail, it just went straight up a rock face. There were a few of these ledges along the way, which were fun, but difficult.

We finally found ourselves on the summit at about 4:00.

The views were worth the effort.

Our efforts were not without sacrifice, but still worth it.

We got back to camp and enjoyed a nice dinner and a few beers, then went to crash. We had more hiking in store for Sunday. About 1:00am it started to rain, then it started to thunder storm. Brian is not a fan of thunderstorms so he was a basket case. I checked the weather before we left and they were calling for scattered thunder storms. Well they were not scattered, they were concentrated right in the valley we were staying in. It was relentless.

We got a tiny break in the rain, and were able to make coffee, but it didn't last long. Finally we decided to go into town and get breakfast. We were also looking to buy a pop up. We had no luck in the little town, so we drove a half an hour to Kingston and found what we were looking for.

We got back to camp and set it up. We were now able to cook dinner. As most people know, pop ups are for shade, so it started to leak, just a little, but it was probably going to get worse. We had a couple of little breaks in the rain and managed to stroll around the campground, but then it started to rain and storm again.

Finally we talked to the ranger and let us know it was supposed to rain all night and into the next day. We decided, enough was enough. We started packing up at 6:00 and were on the road at 6:30. We were a bit disappointed, but it made no sense to stay another night in the rain, just to pack up in the morning.

One of these days we will go camping and hiking and stay the whole time planned. In fact we are planning to hit a couple sections of the AT in the fall.

Hoping for abundant sunshine,

Cheers,

Buddy

I Left My Legs In Port Deposit...

2011-06-19T09:47:00.002-05:00

After dislocating my shoulder for a third time last Saturday, I decided to stick to the road bike for a week and see how I felt. I did a couple of short easy rides with L Webb during the week. Yesterday Marc was doing the Port Deposit ride from his house. We had a nice group roll out for what was supposed to be a nice pace. It didn't take long for Kurtee to start pushing the pace a bit. I can't say I blame him, he is riding really well right now. I wasn't feeling too bad, but far from great. I managed to stay with Kurtee and Leo for most of the climb, but my lack of riding lately got the best of me and I faded a little just before the top.

After a too long stop for water we hit the "Peppy Section" Marc went, Kurtee and Leo tried to cover. I managed to build a little speed and get around those guys and get up to Marc. I do love that section, but I burned all matches there and barely made it back.

Today I decided to try the mountain bike. I hopped on the Titus and rode over to Fair Hill and met up with Peaches, Marc, Les, on his shiny new Specialized Carbon bike, Todd, Stew, and a different Kurt. It didn't take long to realize I didn't have it today. So after 5 bridges, the group went to Gallagher, and went to crack head bob. Lucky for me Les was heading back so I rode with him until he headed for his car and I turned for home.

Now its time for a nice quiet Sunday with the wife and the dogs.

Cheers,
Buddy

First Impressions...

2011-06-10T17:10:00.003-05:00

I have tried several Camelbaks over the years. Some I liked, some not so much, but I was never blown away by any of them.

I recently bought an Osprey hydration pack. The Raptor 6. So far I only have one ride with it, but I am very impressed. First off, it fits great. I had about 50 ozs. of water, multi tool, co2 and phone, and it felt very light. The bladder is Nalgene and has a rigid spine to it. I rode for an hour and a half in 100 deg. heat and the water stayed nice and cool the whole time. The bite valve seems to work well, and the magnetic clip is a really nice feature.

All in all, after the first ride, I would have to give it 5 out of 5 stars. I'll update my review after more riding. In the mean time, if you are in the market for a new Hydration pack, you should consider the Osprey.

Cheers,

Buddy

Iron Hill...

2011-06-06T18:34:00.002-05:00

I had no intention of racing Iron Hill, but after a short conversation with L Webb, I was in. First off props to Dennis for putting together the best, and the longest Iron Hill course I have ever done. the weather was perfect, and the course was blazing fast. I decided to do the 4 hour Enduro single speed. The only problem with that is, Iron Hill is really bumpy, which made my rigid fork not the smartest choice.

We had a nice compound set up right on course which made feeds really easy. My goal was 5 laps of the 7.25 mile course. I felt really good the first couple of laps, and was cruising in the top 5, then my lower back started hurting. I thought a quick stop and stretch would help, it did not. My back just got progressively worse. Then on lap 5 I started cramping. I was surprised because it wasn't that hot, and I was drinking plenty. I finished my 5TH lap and decided to call it a day, despite having 20 minutes left to start my 6TH lap. In hind sight, I think I probably should have suffered through, but I did my 5 laps and was content with that. It would have meant the difference between 10TH and 5TH, but so be it.

Nice job to Marc and Travis for having a great race, plus they stopped to help Ben when he crashed out. I felt bad for L Webb who crashed out on her 5TH lap and called it a race. FSVS put on a nice race, and once again Dennis out did himself.

Not sure what my next race will be, but this one looks fun.

Who Knows,
Cheers,
Buddy

Life Rolls Along...

2011-05-26T19:46:00.003-05:00

I have been stuck in kind of a rut here lately. I feel like its pretty much work, sleep, and repeat. With a ride thrown in every couple of days. Don't get me wrong things are going well, just a bit mundane at the moment. Maybe I need to go ride somewhere different, that always seems to spark things. Yeah, a trip to Jim Thorpe, or Michaux, or State College, would do me some good.

One thing that will do me some good, is Rachael got a new job. For the first time since I have known here she will be working Monday through Friday 9-5. She has done well adapting to third shift, and she liked her job, but I know she was hoping to get this job. I am proud of her. Way to go babe. I am really looking forward to us both being off on the weekend.

I have managed to get a few things done around the house. Besides cutting the grass two days a week. The house has been pressure washed and the gable fan has been installed. I might start on re-doing the steps next.

Cheers,
Buddy

Been A While...

2011-05-14T09:59:00.003-05:00

Not a lot going on lately. I have managed some quality rides. Last weekend we had a nice group for a 6 Park ride from my place. I was hoping for another one this weekend but the weather had other ideas. We have a great new pub near by.

Two Stones Pub is a craft beer lovers dream come true. The best part for me is that it is only a mile away.

I have also been busy around the house, between pressure washing the siding and cutting the grass twice a week, it's been hard to do a lot else. I am hoping to get in a lot of riding in the coming weeks. I was hoping to do the Stoopid 50 in a few weeks. We'll see how that goes.

Pleas help me reach my money raising goal for this years Livestrong Challenge.

Cheers,
Buddy

Be There or Be Square...

2011-04-25T16:12:00.003-05:00

Granogue is this weekend, and as you all know it is the Crown Jewel of the Mid Atlantic. Sign up here. You also should help out Sam and HERA by buying a raffle ticket or ten. You can win some awesome stuff. Go Here.

Hope to see you there,
Cheers,
Buddy

Riding With Fatmarc...

2011-04-18T16:45:00.005-05:00

For years I would ride with Fatmarc a few times a week. It was a given. A few years ago our cycling took different paths and we just don't get to ride together that much anymore. This past weekend was like a trip down memory lane. It started Friday night when we met up with Marc and Monkey for dinner. Next thing I know is Marc is picking me up at 6:40 am to go ride Granogue and Brandywine, where we were joined by Travis.

The idea was to beat the impending rain. We rolled the Granogue course, but before we made our way up the Koppenberg, we did a second lap around Weymouths. That kind of hurt. After that we made our way to Brandywine to ride some rocks. Lets just say it was an awesome ride and no one got hurt. We got back to the car and changed just before the rain hit. It rained a lot Saturday and was going to be windy Sunday. I was not looking forward to riding the road.

Marc suggested Elk Neck in the afternoon. That place drains really well so I figured why not. It was another great ride. That place is pretty unique around here, so it was definitely worth the trip down. I have to say my legs were pretty shattered after those two rides, but it was oh so worth it.

Who knows maybe I will get to ride with Marc a little more often this year.

Cheers,
Buddy

That Was A Surprise...

2011-04-11T14:58:00.005-05:00

A couple months ago when Lauri asked if I wanted to do Bakers Dozen with her and Ben, I said I had to think about it. After the last time I raced there I said I wouldn't go back. The course is kind of fun, but I am not a fan of the promoters. After a lot of asking by L Webb, I agreed to race. I figured at least it will be good training.

As the race got closer I started riding a bit more, then I got sick a few weeks before the race, I was going to bail out. L Webb was dealing with a knee issue and tried to pull out earlier. Ben had a shoulder issue as well, so we were the walking wounded. I managed to get in a solid week and a half of training before the race. We all had the same idea, use it as training. Then we saw the weather was calling for rain the day before, Great, now I will be racing a race I really didn't want to do, in the mud, Yipee. Joining us in our little group were Jeffery and Gunnar doing a two man duo. Brian and Randy were running support.

While driving down in the pouring rain L Webb, Brian and I decided to get a room, rather than camp in the rain. Jeb and Gunnar decided to tough it out and camp, good on them. We headed into town for dinner. We were told Fireworks Pizza was the place to go, good food and a great beer selection. Problem was it was an hour wait, which I was willing to do, but everybody else wanted to go to the Mexican place down stairs. The food was good, but I paid for it later with several trips to the bathroom. Glad we were in a hotel.

Come race day our plan was simple, just ride our race and see what happens. We didn't know who our competition was, our what place we were in for the first 10 hours of the race. The course conditions were tough, it was muddy, but completely ridable. They even added a new section that made the course a little longer, it was a 9.5 mile lap this year. After my first lap I realized I really hated that new section. It felt like it was uphill the whole time. After our first rotation someone suggested we do double laps. I wasn't a fan of that idea and I bitched about it a lot, but I sucked it up and did my double. The first lap was great, I felt OK and rode with Chris Nystrom the whole lap. After the first I took a beer feed and headed out for my second. That one really hurt. I immediately drank the rest of my beer when I got back.

At one point Ben said he thought his transponder didn't register a lap, I didn't think much of it. About 10 hours into the race L Webb went to check and see if the lap got counted. She came back and said it was counted and that we were winning by 18 minutes. I was shocked, I was thinking maybe we could squeak out a top ten, but to be winning this late in the race, Holy Cow. Then it dawned on me that I wasn't going to be able to just noodle around on my last lap, I actually had to race. We all did 1 more lap to end up with 15 as a team, and we did end up winning by close to half an hour. I still can't believe we pulled this off. I guess sometimes being consistent and having great support pays off. I can't thank Brian, Randy, and Ben's girlfriend and her daughters for all there help.

I can honestly say it was fun, but I will Never race Bakers Dozen again. Time for something different.

Cheers,

Buddy

Finally Feeling A Little Better...

2011-03-28T14:39:00.003-05:00

IT has been nearly 2 weeks since I developed this cough. I couldn't sleep, I couldn't ride, I could barely function. Now I am starting to feel a bit better. I even managed to Saturday. The plan was to ride from L Webb's house in the afternoon. Thinking the trails would be sloppy, I hopped on the road bike and headed to her house, only to find they were riding trails. Shit, I ride back home change shoes and bike and meet up with them, about 45 minutes later. the trails were pretty good, but I was just happy to be on a bike. We didn't ride hard, but I did manage nearly 4 hours, so it was a good first day back. Sunday I decided to work and ride at Granogue, bad idea. It is really hard to ride easy at Granogue, so after 1 pathetic lap I called it a day. I still can't take real deep breaths without coughing, so baby steps for now. Hopefully by the weekend I am able to ride a little harder. Cheers, Buddy

Dropkick Murphy's II

2011-03-20T15:49:00.004-05:00

Once again a small group of people I work with and I went to Boston to Dropkick Murphy's at the House of Blues in Boston. There was plenty of beer drank and as always the Dropkick Murphy's put on a great show.

There was an awesome surprise that night as well. Bruce Springsteen came out and played a few songs. Nobody could believe it, but it was true Bruce effin' Springsteen. That made it all the more special. Only problem witht the whole weekend is now I am sick. Not cool.

We had a nice group show up for some trailwork at Granogue today and a lot of work go done, but there is still a lot to do. Thanks to all that came out.

Cheers,

Buddy

First Real Ride...

2011-03-06T15:19:00.003-05:00

I actually managed to get out on some trails twice this past week. I went out Wednesday after work just planning to ride fire road, but found some trails to be in pretty good shape. It wasn't the kind of trail to test the new bike on, but it was trail.

Yesterday we rode Brandywine. Matt, Todd, and for a little while we had Paul and Lisa with us. This was a good place to see how the full suspension was going to work. I have to say I liked it a lot. The one thing I noticed was the bike tracked really well going up hill, plus sucked up a lot of bumps going down. I would have had a better sense if I was feeling better, but all in all I am happy with it.

I am looking forward to better weather and more trail riding, but aren't we all.

Cheers,

Buddy

Mt. Washington Part Deux

2011-02-14T17:54:00.003-05:00

This past weekend was my second trip to Mt. Washington. Bob, Craig and my self were joined by our guide Conrad. As always the weather was going to be a factor. The call was for temps just above 0, and winds 45-55 mph with a chance of snow showers.

We were all a little more prepared for the trip. Craig and I acquired all the gear so we didn't have to spend time getting set up with there's. The plan was to get an early start which we were able to do. I think Conrad was impressed by how prepared we were.

Things started off like I expected, Craig was crushing the pace and Bob and I were begging him to slow down. Usually the guides from the EMS Climbing School take the clients up Lions Head Trail, Conrad decided we were worthy of taking a more challenging route. He took us up Tuckermans Ravine, through the Right Gully. Man was it freakin' steep. The picture shows Right Gully, but it does not show just how steep it is.

The average time on the mountain is 5 hours up and 3 hours down. Despite taking the hard way we were on pace to summit in 4.5, but 500 vertical feet from the summit we hit total white out conditions. We could have reached the summit with no problem, but would have never seen it, so we decided to turn back. It was a good thing to, because the white out was going farther down the mountain, which would have made getting down really difficult.

The best part of climbing with Bob and Craig is, if any one of us asks to turn back, we all turn back, no question about it. This just means we will be back next year to try again. Hopefully we go up through the Alpine Gully again.
, because who wants to do it the easy way.

Cheers,
Buddy

Someday...

2011-02-05T10:37:00.002-05:00

Some day I will be able to ride my new bike.

Dogs.

Cheers,

Buddy

No Riding, Lets Try Snowshoeing...

2011-01-31T17:26:00.004-05:00

I have owned these snowshoes for a few months now and this was me first real chance to try them out. Even though I have been to Mt. Washington in the winter, and carried a pair up and back down the mountain, I have never really put them on and hiked around. I have to say, it was a hell of a lot harder than I expected. I had planned on about 4-5 miles, but was tired and soaked from sweating after 2.5.

Despite the effort, the woods were awesome. It was a beautiful sight. I went out again Saturday, and dressed a little lighter. Legs felt good, but I still over heated. At this rate I am going to have to head out in shorts and a t shirt. Hopefully I can regulate this before Mt. Washington in 2 weeks. That would be a bad place to sweat too much.

I want to ride.

Cheers,

Buddy

Looking Forward To Good Trails...

2011-01-23T16:04:00.002-05:00

Our weather lately has pretty much sucked for riding. It has either been too warm, too much snow, or too cold. I didn't ride all week. I did get out with a small group today at Fair Hill. Conditions were less than great, but we did manage almost 2 hours of tough riding. The best part of the ride was the sighting of not one but two Bald Eagles. They were perched in trees on opposite sides of the creek. I have seen one eagle before, but never two, let alone hanging out together.

I did replace the floor in our entry way. The plan was to do that when we remodel our kitchen, but it needed done. So I went with a temporary fix with the self adhesive tiles, quick and easy.

I also went to my friends place to brew beer on his new system. I can't thank him enough for helping me avoid being outside to brew yesterday.

Rachael and I have also been doing some hiking. I am trying to get some fitness for my trip to Mt. Washington next month. This means I wouldn't mind a big snow to try out my new snow shoes.

Well that is the past few weeks in a nut shell.
Cheers,
Buddy

Bring Bacck The Cold Please...

2011-01-03T20:11:00.002-05:00

Not much going on lately. We had a nice holiday, and have been busy around here. I haven't done nearly enough riding lately. Mostly because the trails are sloppy if they aren't frozen right now. I did do the Amnesty ride on new years day. I have to admit, it was the first time I have ever ridden my bike on New Years day. It was a nice ride.

I took the day off today and got in a ride. Matt, Jay and myself went down to my friend Barry's house to ride. He lives basically in Elk Neck. There aren't a lot of trails out there, but the ones we rode were a lot of fun. Plus it was somewhere different to ride, and a good ride it was.

I am hoping to start getting out on the bike a lot more, road or mountain, doesn't matter at this point. I just want to ride.

But, a nice deep freeze on the trails would be nice.

Cheers,
Buddy

Super Hero Traction...

2010-12-20T17:16:00.002-05:00

I got out for a couple of great rides this weekend. Saturday I met Bob at Victory for a tour of Downingtown. Bob laid out a really nice loop on the frozen trails. I like all the new stuff out there. After 2.5 hours it was time for lunch and a beverage. Nothing like a Cask conditioned Storm King stout after a chilly ride.

I got home in time to catch the second half of the Delaware playoff win. Now I have to wait until January 7TH for the championship.

Yesterday I met up with Elk at Fair hill for 3 hour ride. Again the trails were great. There was definitely Super Hero Traction out there. It was a really good ride. And I have to thank Elk for the pretzel and Ruination to wash it down with.

I got home in time to shower and watch the Eagles game. For 3 1/2 quarters I was miserable, then the unbelievable happened and the Birds scored 28 points in less than 7 minutes to pull off the biggest come back I have ever seen. Talk about an emotional swing.

Cheers,
Buddy

Rough Start...

2010-12-13T17:41:00.002-05:00

I woke up this morning with very little sleep.I stayed up to watch the Eagles game last night and then had a hard time falling asleep. Needless to say I was tired. I dragged my ass out the door and into the car and started making my way to work. I noticed a very long freight train crossing the road ahead. This did not bode well for me. Because I was going to catch the train twice. Then I looked down and realized I left my coffee on the counter. I don't know about you, but I NEED my coffee in the morning. Thanks to the train I didn't have time to stop and get some. I knew it was going to be a long day.

I just hope the rest of the week is a little better.
At least the Eagles beat the Cowboys last night.

Cheers,
Buddy

Todd's Big Day...

2010-11-28T19:27:00.003-05:00

I first met Todd about 10 years ago. I remember trying to hang on the Tuesday night rides. It took a couple of years before I managed to actually survive one of those rides. I have been chasing him around since. Today was his 50TH birthday, and he called a ride from his place, followed by food and beer. The folks came out in droves, Matty T came up huge by stashing a cooler full of beer, pepperoni and cheese, Les, Slik Rik, DenS, Stew, Steve, L Webb, Ben, bike line Rich, once a week Paul, Fuzzy, Alan, Ted Logic and matt. It was quite the sight seeing the group strung out on the switch backs. It was a great ride, some say it was the best ride ever, I might have to agree.

Some high lights:
Matt crashing hard and taking some of the ball busting (literally) off of Todd.
Todd's early attack that led to a really fun section of trail.
Rik fixing Matt's chain really quick.
Todd's awesome chicken chilly.
Stew's bean salsa.
And Steve giving me a ride home.

Can't wait til' Todd's 60th birthday ride.

Cheers,
Buddy

Kind Of On A Roll...

2010-11-23T16:03:00.002-05:00

I've been staying pretty busy lately. Not riding as much as I would like to, but getting some stuff around the house done. I never think to take before pictures, so there is no sense in taking after. We had an over sized bushy tree in the front of the house, that is now gone. We had a beat up ugly looking front deck type thing, that too is now gone. Both projects were a lot of work, but the front of the house looks a lot better. I have a few more projects I wan to get done before winter, hopefully I stay motivated.

I did have 2 really good rides last weekend. Les and I did a nice multi- park ride on Saturday, and Matt led a nice ride at Fair Hill on Sunday.

I have also been burning the candle at both ends. Sunday night I was at the Eagles game, way to go Birds. Didn't get to bed until 1:30 am, then up at 4:45 to go to work. Last night Rachael and I went to see Shinedown and the Grand Opera House in Wilmington. Great show, I liked that they were acoustic, but it was another late night and early morning.

Looking forward to a nice quiet night in.

Cheers,
Buddy

JT and A Nice Multi-State ride...

2010-11-15T18:20:00.002-05:00

Lucky for me I had off Veterans day and so did Elk. We made our way to Jim Thorpe for a planned 5 or so hours. The weather was perfect, the trails were dry, but littered with leaves. We started by climbing Flagstaff, then we came down a newer trail, would have been a hoot if not for the leaves. We then made our way to Pisgah. Upper Pisgah trail is one of my favorites and I enjoyed every pedal stroke and every rock. It might also be the the most beautiful.
After we dropped off of Pisgah we headed to Broad and climbed up, rode a little of American Standard before we dropped off and headed for the car. It was a great ride,and Elk laid out an awesome loop.

Sunday Matty T and James came by. The plan was Rittenhouse, to Fair Hill, then play it by ear. Rittenhouse was great, then we made our way to Fair Hill for a little loop, then we decided to head to White Clay. At that point we ran into DenS. He rolled up the Boundary trail with us, then he and James headed out. Matt and I rode some more then headed back to my place for a couple of beers.

Other than that I spent my time working around the house.
I hope to have another good weekend of riding next week.

Cheers,
Buddy

5 Parks Are Better Than 4...

2010-11-08T18:38:00.004-05:00

Things have been pretty quiet this week, but I did manage to get in a 5 park ride. Les joined me as we rolled out of my house for Rittenhouse, which was a lot of fun. We then made our to Fair Hill. The trails were sweet and the weather was perfect. We even happened upon a cross race going on at Fair Hill, we didn't stay around long. After a couple of beer stops we made our way to White Clay. By now we were both getting a little tired, so we made quick work of WC, and headed to Middle Run, then back to my place.

Les stopped in for a couple of beers. After that it was time to hit the couch because I was beat.

Hopefully I have something a little more exciting in the coming week.
Cheers,
Buddy

Home Brew, and Lykens...

2010-11-01T16:54:00.004-05:00

Saturday I made my first all grain home brew using my own equipment and with no help.

Yeah my set up isn't all that sophisticated, but it works. My choice was something simple first time around. I went with a Stone Pale Ale clone. For the most part things went well. I did make a little mistake, but it shouldn't be a big deal. Hopefully it turns out and I am enjoying it in about 6 weeks.

Yesterday Fitzy and I made the trip to Lykens where we met up with Keith Old Man Withers, and Ed. The weather was pristine, the trails were awesome, if you like rocks covered with leaves. This was my third trip there, and it is always freakin' awesome. I didn't have great legs, and I seemed to have a tough time in some of the bigger rock gardens, but it was still a lot of fun. Hats off to Fitzy who was rocking the rigid single speed, I don't think he'll do that again.

After the ride we followed Shawn to Al's for pizza and beer. I was amazed by the beer selection at this little pizza joint in central PA. I just wish I had more time and lived closer. There were a lot more beers I wanted to try. I had to settle for 2, The Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, and the Stone Vertical Epic 10-10-10. Both were very tasty.

I can't wait until the next ride out that way.

Cheers,
Buddy

Fall Riding Rules...

2010-10-25T18:04:00.003-05:00

Awesome

I Love riding this time of year. The trails are usually in great shape, the colors are beautiful, and the temps. are perfect. This weekend Keith came down and rode with Steve and I at Fair Hill. It was one of those great rides, even though my legs felt like crap. It's always good to ride with Keith. We are even planning a trio to Lykens next weekend. Should be awesome.

Cheers,

Buddy

The Anti-Cross...

2010-10-20T16:59:00.002-05:00

It seems folks are well into the throws of Cross season. I, on the other hand am enjoying some sweet fall riding. Every year at the Granogue cross race a group of us show up with mountain bikes for an Anti-Cross ride at Granogue and Brandywine. I was a little disappointed this year that there wasn't a big turn out, but sometimes its the quality of the group and not the quantity. Actually it was just Les and I. Needless to say we had a great ride. The weather and the trails were perfect.

Other than that its been pretty quiet. I am planning a 6 park ride next weekend. All are welcome.

Cheers,
Buddy

Good By Ruby Boobies...

2010-10-11T15:13:00.008-05:00

Ever wonder how American Standard trail on Broad Mountain got its name? Now you know.

This past weekend was one for the books. Jay invited some folks to his house in Eagle Rock for a weekend of mountain biking and beer drinking. I turned just Jay Peaches and myself made the trip. On our way up Friday night we stopped at Ruby Tuesday's for a little dinner. It was like that episode of Seinfeld where all the waitresses had big boobs. Our waitress was very proud of hers and had the cleavage to back it up. I think it was Jay that coined the phrase Ruby Boobies. I found myself singing" Good Bye Ruby Boobies" the next morning while sitting on the toilet.

Matt got a little crazy with the Stone IPA's the night before, so he passed on the Dales at the beer stop.

We were having a great ride around American Standard when I crashed and somehow managed to bend the disc tabs on my Spot frame. We managed to get it to where the back wheel would kind of spin, then kept riding.

We had a great ride and we were all tired and hungry after. So we stopped and ate then grabbed some snacks and food for breakfast and some entertainment for the night.

Sunday morning we packed up and started heading home. We stopped off at Blue Marsh for some more riding first though. I have to say that loop is a lot harder than I remember, but still fun. Matt was feeling better, he even partook in the beer stop. I was not feeling so good on Sunday. Despite the suffering towards the end, I still had a blast.

Thanks Jay for the hospitallity and thanks to Matt for driving. Hopefully we get to do this again this fall.

Cheers,

Buddy

Been Busy...

2010-09-29T16:34:00.002-05:00

It had been a busy couple of weeks. I have gotten in some quality rides, and knocked a few projects off around the house. Mostly little stuff, but it all adds up. The shoulder seems to be doing OK, I hope it holds up this time around. I have decided that I am going to go with out surgery for now, hopefully I won't regret that decision.

I have been having a strong urge to climb, I know the shoulder is not ready, but hopefully soon.

I realized that my Pliny the Elder clone was lonely, and since my next batch of home brew isn't quite ready I went out and bought a 1/6 keg of Racer 5 IPA. It is pretty cool having it on tap at home, but it is also dangerous. Since I like danger, it's OK.

I am looking forward to a guys weekend at Jim Thorpe. Jay has a place not far from there where a group of us will be staying. I even set up for Jamie to guide us around. I haven't been to Thorpe in a while so I am really looking forward to it.

Well back to my beer,
Cheers,
Buddy

A Dream Fulfilled...

2010-09-16T15:48:00.005-05:00

Ever since I discovered that wonderful nectar called beer, I have wanted to have draft beer at home.

I now have my own keggerator, best part, I made it myself, and it serves home brew. It was pretty easy and not that expensive. We had the freezer, which wasn't being used. I had to buy some stuff. like faucets. shanks, a co2, manifold, some beer line, and some tap handles.

Mine will hold 3 kegs, right now I only have one with beer in it, the next beer is in the fermenter.

I will be brewing number 3 shortly. For now I will enjoy my Pliny the Elder clone.

Cheers,

Buddy

You Have Got To Be Kidding...

2010-09-09T14:01:00.002-05:00

This past holiday weekend was going great. I did a 6 park recon ride from my house on Saturday. I had been wanting to this ride for a while, so I headed out to see how it would connect. I liked it a lot. There were a few stretches of road, but the longest was only 3.5 miles. I would like to see a nice group out when I put this out there, and see if we can't roll out 70 miles or so.

Sunday a few of us rode Brandywine, plus a little bonus loop. The trails were great. Bill Doh even came down for the ride. I hadn't seen him in a long time. It was good to ride with him again.

Monday I was really looking forward to. Steve and I were going to Bob's house and riding Downingtown and Marsh Creek. Bob was putting together a nice loop at D town, there was a lot of new stuff I really liked. He then told us about a little trail that had some steep drop offs on it. I wasn't to keen on this, I didn't want to take the chance of hurting my shoulder again. I decided I would check it out and walk it if need be. It was a really steep drop, not long, but bad enough for me to decide to walk it. Bob rode it, Steve scrambled down next. I was trying to get down it when I slipped and fell. The result was my shoulder dislocated again. I was pissed. Steve came over to help, but as soon as I laid on my back it popped back in. It hurt like hell, but not quite as bad as the first time. No hospital this time, and I managed to ride back to Bob's house. After a Hop Wallop and 4 advil, I felt a little better.

Now I have to decide if I want surgery or not. I was told by the doctor that if it came out again it would be necessary. I really don't want to be out of commission for 3 months or more, but I don't want to have my shoulder keep popping out. All I know is this really sucks. Oh well. I will talk to a couple of doctors and way my options. Until then, I will be riding, but probably on the road for now.

Cheers,
Buddy

Finally...

2010-08-31T19:46:00.003-05:00

It has been almost 2 months since I went to friends house to use his set up to brew my first all grain beer. I went for a pretty hearty ale. It seems one of the brew masters at Russian River Brewing Co. published the recipe for there famous Pliny The Elder. This was my choice. It had a pretty large grain bill not to mention a whopping 13+ ounces of hops, which is a lot for a 5 gallon batch.

I also took the leap and kegged this brew. I knew it would take almost 3 weeks to fully carbonate, but I couldn't wait that long, and on Friday I had a pint. Oh My, it was way better than I hoped. The only bad thing is I have never had the original Pliny, so I am not sure how close it is, but I do know it is really Effin' good. By this weekend it should be down right outstanding.

I also started building my own 3 tap keggerator out of our old freezer, so now I have to get to brewing.

I also managed to have a pretty good weekend on the bike. French Creek Saturday, and a nice long solo ride on Sunday. I am hoping to put together a Labor Day 4 Park ride. We'll see.

Cheers,
Buddy

Inspiration...

2010-08-23T14:46:00.008-05:00

Yesterday I participated in the Philly Live Strong Challenge with Liz. I have to say it was probably one of the most amazing things I have ever done. Despite the rainy weather, over 3200 people showed up to ride in support of some loved one or as a survivor. In all they had nearly 6000 people for the run and ride, raise almost $3.1 million dollars. they had 36,000 people donate money to this worthy cause. Even Lance's home town of Austin hasn't raised that much. I was in awe of the number of people at the start. I left the racer mentality home for this ride and just enjoyed the company and meeting all kinds of people. We started at the front of the pack and just rode and just settled in for a nice bike ride.

The course was actually pretty challenging, plenty of hills and a lot of them were pretty steep. Liz rode well, never complained and never thought about getting off her bike. Even when we were climbing one of the steepest hills in an absolute down pour she pressed on. I was proud to be riding with her.

The other thing I enjoyed was the people along the route showing there support for someone they knew or just showing support for everybody riding. From the kids running around there yard yelling "You guys are Awesome" to the little old lady sitting on her porch ringing a cow bell. We got to see it all.

When we came across the finish, they even mentioned my name and how much money I raised. Then I got to meet Liz's parents, awesome people. I really enjoyed talking with them.

I am already looking forward to next year. Hopefully we can put together Team Tough Cookie, and raise a lot of money towards a great cause.

Cheers,

Buddy

Great Glen...

2010-08-17T16:14:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to get into too many details about the 24 Hours of Great Glen, but here is the gist of it. Rolled up to L Webb's beach house in Essex MA with Marc and Diane Thursday night. Woke up to this Friday morning.

After some pancakes and coffee we made our way to the venue. I have to say I have done a few 24 hour races, but this venue and back drop was by far the most beautiful. We were camping at the base of Mt. Washington, right next to the famous Auto Road.

Not the way I wanted to get to the summit for the first time, but it was totally worth it. I will be back for another attempt on foot this winter.

Things could not have been better this weekend. The weather was perfect, 50's at night and upper 70's during the day. The course was a mix of fire road and single track. I would have liked more trail, but there lay out just seemed to work. It was a fun but challenging course. 8.5 miles with 1100' of climbing per lap. We were racing in the 5 person co-ed class. Jeffery, Marc, Myself, L Webb and Monkey, with a whole lot of support from Tom and Brian.

Our plan was simple, keep grinding out the laps and see what happens. We all rode our best, and considering we were the only co-ed team with 2 women, one of which is coming off a knee injury, I thought we did really well. We finished 6th out of 21, and 14th over all. Not too shabby for a bunch of flat landers.

I have to say this was one of my favorite 24 hour races. These folks put on one hell of an event, and given the opportunity I would go back in a heart beat. Thanks to Tom and Brian for keeping us going the whole time, especially in the middle of the night. Thanks to folks at Great Glen for an awesome time. Thanks to my team mates for agreeing to do this race in the first place.

Plus I just kegged my first beer, just 2 weeks away from enjoying a few pints.

Cheers,

Buddy

Almost Ready...

2010-08-04T19:01:00.002-05:00

I have a few things that are almost, but not quite, ready. I am almost ready for the 24 Hours of Great Glen. It has been a while since I have done a 24 Hour race. I think the last one was 2005. I have done a few 12 and 13 hour races over the past few years, but this will be the first 24 in 5 years. I am excited about it. New venue and new team mates. We are racing 5 person open. I have raced with L Webb and Fatmarc, but never Jeb and Monkey. It should be a good time. Despite the issues some of us have been having, I know we will all race our best race, and that is what I love about these people.

I am also close to kegging my latest home brew creation. If all goes well this is going to be one hell of a beer. I can't wait. I just added the second round of dry hops. Next week I will cold crash it for a few days, then into the keg for 2 weeks, then I finally get to drink it. Should be divine.

Not much else going on, very hot and humid again, but hopefully that goes away this weekend. I might be headed here Sunday, but I am not totally sure.

Thanks
Cheers,
Buddy

Not Sure It Was Worth It...

2010-07-23T16:32:00.002-05:00

I don't go to a lot of concerts any more, but when my favorite band Iron Maiden comes around I try to make it. It also helps that Rachael loves them as well. There current tour only came as close as New York or DC. New York was sold out so DC it was. The event was at the old Merriwether Post Pavilion, which is now Jiffy Lube Live. The plan was simple, roll out early, miss DC traffic, check into our room, grab a bite to eat, and enjoy the show, stay in hotel, get up grab breakfast ands come home. As you all know plans seldom seem to work out.

I left here, picked up Rachael from work and we were on the road plenty early to avoid traffic. Things were going well until we hit traffic about 6 miles from White Marsh. There was an accident that had 3 lanes closed. We got off the next exit and and our way to the belt way. It is out of the way but we were moving. Unfortunately it was too late. We hit DC traffic at it worst. Now we had no time to stop at the hotel. We didn't even have time to stop and eat. We finally parked at 7:20, the concert started at 7:30. We ran out of the car and headed for the venue. We forgot one thing, our rain jackets. There was a storm coming, it looked like it might miss us, Murphy's law said otherwise. While waiting in line it started to rain, then it started to down pour. Needless to say we were drenched. Rachael was even wearing a white tank top, great. We finally found our seats then decided to get some extremely over priced food and some shirts.

We were missing Dream Theater, which kind upset me, but we had plenty of time before Maiden. After choking down our over priced food we go back to our seats. Now we have another problem. I printed our tickets out at home, so now they were soaked and hard to read. Lucky for us the usher in our area was very thorough, and took his sweet time trying to read the tickets, despite me pointing out the seat info.

We finally settle in. The show was great, as always Iron Maiden puts on a great stage show, even though this was like the eighth or ninth time I have seen them.
When it was over we high tailed it out of there only to sit in not moving traffic for 25 minutes. We made it to our room, checked in, showered, and collapsed. Got up the next day, got breakfast, and had a very uneventful drive home.

Was it worth it? Not sure, it was there last US date on this tour, it was a good show, but it was hell getting there. I will go see Maiden again, but not at the Jiffy Lube Live.

Cheers,
Buddy

Getting Back To Normal...

2010-07-17T05:51:00.002-05:00

Went back to the Dr's. on Wednesday and he told me I was doing great, he was pretty surprised actually. So now I can start riding again. The problem now is the freekin' heat. I can't remember the last day we didn't see 90 deg. I don't like the heat, I don't do well in the heat. I have been riding in it though. I've even been back on the single speed. I was even thinking about racing Fair Hill tomorrow. Probably not a good idea, more so the heat than the shoulder. It will be a last minute decision.

On another note, since moving into the new house the home brewing was put on the back burner. Not anymore. I am heading to a friends place who has been home brewing for years. He is going to let me use his equipment and help me brew my first all grain beer. Its going to be a pretty big beer, I hope. Hopefully it turns out.

I am hoping to brew a lot more in the near future. I have most of the equipment to do all grain, plus I will be kegging the next couple of batches. I guess it two steps at the same time, all grain and kegging. It should be easier in the long run. I will only have to sanitize one thing instead of 50+ bottles.

Well I gotta roll,
Cheers,
Buddy

Too Much Too Soon, Maybe...

2010-07-05T11:21:00.002-05:00

After last weekends events I fully expected to be off the bike for a while, but my shoulder seems to be doing pretty good. So, Friday Rachael and I did a nice easy ride and I felt OK, so I thought doing Paul and Lisa's Port Deposit ride would be fine. It probably would have been fine if not for a couple guys that insisted on pushing the pace. This was the largest group they've had so far, and I was hoping to just sit in and get some good miles. Unfortunately the pace was never easy and I like to do my fair share of the work. There is a stretch of nice shaded flat road along the river that we usually take it easy on and try to get ready for the climb out, not this day. It was a 30mph pace line. We stopped for a pee break and before everyone was ready some of the group took off, guess who, the same people pushing the pace all day. We lost Tom somewhere along the way, luckily we found him again and were able to re-group at the Royal Farms.

Last time I did this ride I was able to climb out of Port Deposit in the big ring, this time I didn't have enough gears. So far the shoulder was OK, but my legs were not. I suffered the whole way back, even the down hills seemed like work, plus now my shoulder was starting to ache. I was beginning to think I over did it.

When I woke up the next day I realized I had over done it, so I took it easy. I decided to ride again today, a shorter ride at an easier pace. L Webb came along and we had a nice ride. Plus, my shoulder feels fine afterward. I know, I'm not even supposed to be riding, but I just can't help myself. 24 Hours of Great Glen is in 6 weeks, I need to get ready. I am going to stay off the mountain bike for a while longer, but I'm not sure how much longer.

Cheers,
Buddy

I Didn't Need This...

2010-06-28T05:32:00.003-05:00

As much as I enjoyed our hiking trip last week, I was ready to get back on the bike. I got out with L Webb on Tuesday for a nice mellow ride. I tried to ride Thursday, but had to bail after 3.5 miles because sever weather was rolling in. Saturday I planned a 4 park ride. I was joined by Big Ben, and Les. I hadn't ridden with either of these guys in a long time so I was looking forward to it.

Ben is coming off a couple of herniated discs in his back, he doesn't have a lot of speed yet, but he doesn't seem to get tired.

It was going to be hot, but the trails were perfect. We hit Fair Hill first, and did a nice big loop out there, despite all the storm damage, we had a good ride. We then made our way to White Clay, where there was no storm damage, and did a nice loop there then it was over to Middle Run to finish things off. We were making our way out and home, I decided to ride the dragons back trail the opposite way we usually do, which happens to be the more difficult way, this was a bad idea. I thought I had it, then I started falling towards the creek. I instinctively put my hand out to break my fall and in doing so, dislocated my shoulder. I have to tell you this is the worst pain ever, I wouldn't wish it on anybody. Les took off to my house to get his car, Ben helped me walk up to the church to wait for Les. That short walk was brutal, but with Ben's help I made it.

Les got back quickly, even if it didn't seem like it at the time, and got me to the hospital. Lucky for me they took me right away, if I would have had to wait, I think I would have passed out. They tried to put my shoulder back with out any drugs and that didn't work, so they gave me some propofol, and I woke up with my shoulder back and the pain much more manageable. Worse than the pain in my shoulder I find out I can't have alcohol for 24 hours, UGH! no beer.

I go to see an Orthopedic surgeon today, hopefully no surgery, just rest and PT.

Thanks to Les and Ben, for all your help, and thanks to all the doctors and nurses for taking care of me quickly.

Resting

Cheers,

Buddy

Adirondacks 2010...

2010-06-20T06:54:00.013-05:00

Rachael and I had been planning for our trip to the Adirondacks for months, we were very prepared logistically, but not physically. After a 7 hour drive up we arrived at the parking lot around 3:00, thinking we had a couple hours hike in to where we would camp. I think we were expecting an easy hike in, when it was anything but easy. We were loaded up with enough gear and supplies for 3 days in the back country, which meant I was carrying 60 pounds and Rachael about 50. The hike in wasn't bad for the first hour or so, but then the trail got rough, it was rocky, rooty, swampy, and not flat. There was a point when we both wanted to just turn around and go home, but we were too far in for that so we pressed on. Finally about 3:45 later we found an empty lean-to and just collapsed. We still set up a tent to help keep Brian contained at night. After some tasty dehydrated meals ands a couple of beer we collapsed in the tent.

Our original plan was to hike in on Thursday, do day hikes on Friday and Saturday, hike Sunday morning. We decided to change that to hike Friday and hike out Saturday. We got up early Friday morning, I don't think we ever really slept, had some oatmeal and coffee and headed out.

We hiked towards Mt. Marcy, we weren't sure if we were going to go up it, but we would see how we felt.

This is Mt. Marcy from Tear Drop Lake. We climbed about 2000' to get to here the summit was another 1000' in about a mile and a half. Rachael's hips were hurting so we decided Marcy was out, but just 3/4 of mile and 600' away was the top of Mt. Skylight. We decided to give it a try.

This is Mt. Marcy from the summit of Mt. Skylight. We are just under 5000'.

The view from here was spectacular, and in my opinion, worth every step.

Brian was the best hiker of all, he was fearless. It was like he was in 4 wheel drive and we were on unicycles.

Now we had to hike back, going down may a little faster but it isn't any easier, but we made it back OK. We even stopped at a water fall for a quick clean up, the water was freezing but very refreshing.

Back at camp we had more food and beer, then crashed for the hike out in the morning. The hike out wasn't that bad, our packs were a bit lighter, and packed a bit better. We made it back to the car in a bout 2:45, a lot faster than the trip in.

If nothing else we learned a lot from our first back packing trip:

1: Rachael will not be doing any more back packing, car camping only.

2: Go LIGHT

3: Brian is an awesome trail dog

4:The Adirondacks are absolutely Beautiful..., but not easy

Thanks for reading,

Check out more pics here.

Cheers

Buddy

Not My Normal Week...

2010-06-14T19:30:00.004-05:00

Normally this time of year, when its dry and the trails are good, I don't touch my road bike. But this past week was a bit different. Monday I went out for an easy recovery spin on the road, not much, but enough to stretch the legs. Tuesday I hit some trails, legs felt bad, but I did a nice ride. The week before I saw that Victory was having a happy hour from 4-6, I asked Steve if he was interested, and he said maybe. Then I had a great idea. If we can get a ride home we could ride to Victory. Steve quickly got a hold of his wife Karen and we had a ride.

We left Steve's place around 2:15 and had a nice 25 mile ride to Victory, which we covered in no time. Unfortunately the happy hour was a bit disappointing, but dinner and Victory's newest beer Summer Love were really good.

A great ride indeed. Saturday I decided to do another road ride, keep in mind the trails were not muddy. Paul and Lisa led, Rik, Kurtee, Charlie and myself on a nice 60 mile ride into Port Deposit. We hit some roads I had never been on before, and I have to say I kind of enjoyed that ride, especially the 3-4 mile descent we hit, around here, that is a long down hill.

Sunday was back to the trails. We had a nice group at Fair Hill. Marc, Leo, Ben, and Jay joined me for a not so fast loop. My legs were pretty beat from the day before, plus it was hot and really humid, so I was happy with 2 hours.

Despite the excessive amount of road riding I had a pretty good week on the bike. Now I am focused on out trip Thursday. It should be a good time.

Cheers,
Buddy

Not What I Was Hoping For...

2010-06-07T14:20:00.003-05:00

I was able to get out and ride the Iron Hill course several times leading up to the race. Each time I rode I felt pretty good. So, I was hoping for a good day and possibly getting in 8 laps. I got a good start and was sitting fifth heading up the prologue. The pace wasn't that fast and I felt good, then I clipped a stump and dropped my chain, shit. The whole class passed me while I fumbled with my chain. Once I got going I chased and was able to pick up a few places before Fuzzy's, I even managed to pass a couple of people on Fuzzy's. By the time I hit Bone Shaker, almost half way into the lap, I was back in the top 5 and still feeling good. I knew I had 4 hours to work my way up, but I had go with the good legs. Just after tissue hill, towards the end of the lap, I dropped my chain again. After repeated attempts to put it back on, I found that a link was broke.
I dig out the chain tool, and a quick link I happened to have on me and fixed the chain. In the mean time I was passed not only by my class, but also by the masters.

So I chased again, big mistake. with the temps. in the mid 90's and high humidity, my efforts to try and get back in the race were not working. In fact I think I was going backwards.

During my 2nd lap, I tried to clip my right foot out and it wouldn't come out. My cleat had spun, you have got to be kidding me. I am off the bike again trying to straighten my cleat. I finished my second lap and Tom fixed the cleat for me and I went out for a third. By now any good feelings I had were gone, I was going to be lucky to 6 laps let alone 8. The worst part was the Mega Dip hadn't opened up yet. I was really ready to just sit down and start drinking beer, but I headed out for a 4th lap. I had lost sooo much time it was silly to keep racing. I decided to finish my 4th lap and ride the Mega Dip one time then call it a day. That is how my race ended. I was pretty bummed to have good legs but bad luck. Oh Well, that's racin'.

Thanks to the whole Secret Henry's Team crew for all the support, and Heidi for the awesome cupcakes.

So now I am focusing on our back packing trip to the Adirondacks in a couple of weeks. Rachael and I are excited about our little adventure. It should be a great time.

Time to go for an easy spin.
Cheers,
Buddy

It's One Way To Get Miles...

2010-06-04T17:02:00.003-05:00

For some strange reason I signed up for the 4 hour enduro at Iron Hill. After riding a few laps on the course I thought the longer race would suit me better. Of course I haven't done a whole lot of long rides this year so it could blow up in my face.

I have been feeling pretty good as of late, but that has been on 2 hour rides. Hopefully I can settle on a nice pace and not blow up on the first 2 laps. Time will tell.

Cheers,
Buddy

Better Late Than Never...

2010-05-31T10:15:00.002-05:00

Usually by this time of year I'll have several 4 Park rides in the books. Since this has been a bit of an off year for me, yesterday was the first one. Marc led a nice group from his house, Keith, Bad Andy, Steve, Matt M., Michigan M, James, Fuzzy, Ted, John and we picked up Dennis in White Clay. It was hot, and Marc was laying down a pretty good pace. It took a while for the legs to come around, but eventually I started feeling OK. We ripped through the middle of Fair Hill, then made our way to Carpenter where we had our first stop. I was just looking forward to a beer stop. Marc decided on the log ride at the top of the possum hollow loop. We got there and I had a moment of panic. I gave Ted and Fuzzy 2 of the 3 beers I had for the ride, and we had gotten separated from them. Luckily they found us and we were able to enjoy a few beverages on a hot day.

It was about time to head back so we left Middle Run and rode through White Clay and then back through Carpenter. Another water stop before the second part of Fair Hill, and it was a b line back to Marc's, for more beverages.

To say I needed that would be an understatement, it was long over due. In the end we racked up 40 miles with just over 12 mph average, that might explain why I was a bit tired afterward.

I have also been riding the Iron Hill course. Ben has done a nice job and thrown in a few surprises. After riding a few laps, I am leaning towards doing the enduro. A good chance to get in 4 hours of tempo, but we'll see.

Cheers,
Buddy

Dirt Fest...

2010-05-24T13:52:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was Dirt Rag's Dirt Fest. A chance to celebrate the first mountain bike specific trail system in the country. 2 years ago I made my way out there to help with trail work, and trail evaluation. My how the trails have improved since then.

I was joined by Ben and Rob, plus 698 other mountain bikers.

The trails are built around Raystown Lake, which helps make it a beautiful place to ride. The trails themselves are absolutely incredible. Really fast and flowing, with a few bumps to make it interesting.

We rolled into the campground Friday afternoon and wasted no time getting on the bikes. We had a great ride on very well marked trails. We even ran into Kim and Bill out enjoying the trails. After a couple of hours it was time to start drinking, wait a minute, I did that before the ride.

Saturday we had a nice big breakfast then made our way to the Demo area. It was good seeing folks I hadn't seen in a while, Jimbo, Frank, Justin, Plus countless others. Wes came down from his parents to ride with us, he also brought Bill Alcorn and Matt Ferrari rode 50 miles from State College to join us. Lucky for me they let me lead for most of the ride, otherwise I would have been gone on the first climb. I have to say though, as much as that ride kind of hurt, it was still one of the best rides ever. We rolled all the fun stuff on the north side, and a few folks headed to the south loop. I went back and got cleaned up and grabbed a beer. I was cooked, but had a really big smile on my face.

Saturday night was the beer tasting, they had a few other events scheduled, but they got rained out. In fact it rained all night long, which made packing up in the morning that much more fun. It worked out OK, we hit the road early so I was able to make it to Rob's moving away party. Rob has landed a job in Boulder and is leaving this week. I will miss Rotten, and I wish him the best. Plus we now have a place to stay in Colorado when we head out.

Cheers,

Buddy

All Fair Hill, All The Time...

2010-05-16T16:24:00.002-05:00

I somehow managed to put together a solid week of riding. For one reason or another I just haven't been able to put it together on the bike this year, but hopefully this is a start. For some reason almost all of my riding was at Fair Hill this week, not that that is a bad thing, but I do like some variety. Wednesday was a nice mellow ride with Rob and Kurtee, sometimes it is good to just ride and chat a little. Thursday was the opposite, with the exception of a little solo effort early it was a hammer fest, also a good ride. Todd led a pretty big group at a really fast pace. I was really enjoying things until my back started really hurting, I ended up bailing out after 2:30 hours.

Saturday we rode Fair Hill from Marc's place, Nikki and Kris came down from Philly, these girls rock, and not to mention pretty fast. About 2+ hours into this ride the legs were starting to hurt, the good news was the back was OK. I have to say Marc has a way of putting things together out there that just seem to flow. Another great ride.

Today was a change of pace, James and Stew came to my place and we rode over to WC/MR to meet Todd, DenS, and Brent. Todd kept things a bit more mellow but steady and we ended up with just over 3 hours of nice riding.

On the home front, we had ordered a replacement window for the basement a few weeks ago, I was going to put it in yesterday. The window was an odd size so it was custom made, the problem is it was custom made too big. At least it wasn't my fault. The window was returned and a new one has been ordered.

I also got my new weed eater. I decided to drop the coin and buy the best. Stihl is rated the best so that is what I went with. I went to Atlantic Tractor to get it, the store I went to had to get it sent over from another store. So Saturday after my ride and a trip to beer church I went to pick it up. Got home and went to start it up, then noticed a smudge and a couple of small cracks in the housing. Very superficial, but it is brand new and it wasn't cheap. So now I have to take it back and have them order another. It's a pain in the ass but I think it will be worth it.

Well it is time to fire up the grill and throw back some beers.

Cheers,
Buddy

There Goes My New Weed Eater...

2010-05-09T16:16:00.002-05:00

Last week was a little strange for me. For the first time in a couple of months I didn't have to go to Granogue and do trail work or ride the course. So I got to get back to the local trails. Tuesday I rode over to White Clay/Middle Run for a nice 2.5 hour ride, legs actually felt pretty good. Wednesday Aaron was going to come down to ride WC/MR for the first time. I was meeting him, Marc, Jeb and DenS at Jeb's place. Unfortunately Aaron got stuck in traffic and ended up turning around, which really sucks because he missed a great ride. The trails were superb, and the legs felt pretty good for the second day in a row. While cruising through WC, we ran into Peaches, who happened to be out for a nice mellow ride. He cussed, bowed his head and jumped on the back of the group. I won't say this gave the old legs an extra little something, but...

French Creek was yesterday, but I didn't race. I had planned on it, but the experts didn't start until 3:00pm. That didn't work for me. So I got together with Steve for a mellow ride at Fair Hill. I wasn't feeling as spunky as I had, but it didn't matter. We had a nice ride and we were able to hold a conversation the whole time. Sometimes these can be the best rides.

I had planned to get out this morning, but when our Fridge died yesterday, I had to be home and wait between 9:00am and 1:00pm for the new one to be delivered. An expense we really didn't need at this time. especially with me needing a new weed eater. I did manage to get out this afternoon and try out my newly rebuilt White Brothers fork. The folks at Suspension Experts did a fantastic job on. I had thought this fork was dead and gone, then I read about these guys here and decided to give it a shot. They were great to work with and offer a super fast turn around time. If you have a fork that needs some love, or you just can't seem to get it tuned in, contact these guys. You will not be disappointed.

I am looking forward to Dirt Fest in a couple of weeks. A few of us are headed out to Raystown Lake for a weekend of Bikes and Beer. Boy, that has a nice ring to it...

Cheers,
Buddy

Granogue, The Dry Version...

2010-05-03T15:52:00.004-05:00

The past few years have been hard on Granogue. It seems like it always rains the day before or the day of, or like last year, both. This year was better, but we did have a little shower in the early morning, just enough to make the course slick in spots, all the hard spots.

It all started Saturday with a new event, a trail run. We had 91 people show up to run our mountain bike course. Not being a runner I thought it was crazy, but the runners seemed to love it. We also had 110 people sign up for the pre-ride, and a dozen for the time trial. It was a good start to the weekend.

Yesterday was Andrew Mein's Excellent Adventure at Granogue. It was big success. After last year I thought people would be gun shy but it was just the opposite, 541 racers came out and enjoyed our course.
I think we need to acknowledge Mr. DuPont for letting us come out and take over his place for a couple of weekends each year. Not to mention the constant activity for a couple of months leading up to the events.

I also can't say enough about our cycling community. We had over 50 people give up some of there time to help make this race one of the best out there. I even heard a guy say "They should hold the world championship here, this is a Real Mountain Bike course" That was music to my ears.

Plus we helped Sam raise $4000 for HERA, always a great cause.

I'm not sure if we can top this year, but we are sure going to try.

Cheers,
Buddy

Calm Before The Storm...

2010-04-26T17:54:00.002-05:00

The labor is all but done, the course is looking great, fingers crossed it is dry this weekend. I know the few readers I have are probably tired of hearing about Granogue, but it is all I have been able to think about. In the weeks before the race it is my job to make sure the course is ready, since these trails don't see any action except for the race, this is always a challenge. I have to say things seemed to come together pretty quickly this year, and I think those racing will appreciate our hard work.

I know it has been raining for a couple of days, but on Saturday the trails were damn near perfect. We had a nice group of volunteers out to ride, and everyone seemed happy with the course. To celebrate we made a trip over to Brandywine for a little more riding. I have to say the trails in Brandywine were the best I have ever seen them, they gave a new meaning to Super Hero Traction. Thanks to Les for leading us around a wonderful loop.

So if you are up for the challenge of what I think is the hardest race in the Mid-Atlantic Super Series, I suggest you go here and register.

Cheers,
Buddy

All Granogue All The Time...

2010-04-19T16:50:00.002-05:00

Our cycling communities little mountain bike race is fast approaching. Since I am the Course Director, I have been spending a whole lot of time there, which I really enjoy. Who wouldn't it is a beautiful place. The name has changed but the venue is the same private DuPont estate. Andrew Mein's Excellent Adventure, will be taking place on May 2ND and you don't want to miss it. In addition to the mountain bike race we will be having a time trial and a trail run race on May 1ST. The other thing you need to be aware of the the HERA Raffle, lots of great prizes to be given away and the proceeds will go to a really good cause. So don't forget to help out Sam and her cause.

The course is coming together nicely thanks to hours of work by volunteers from our community, we couldn't pull this off without them. I can't thank, these people enough. There are also a couple of tweaks this year, nothing major, but something just a little different. So make sure you register here, you won't be disappointed.

I did manage to get out for a ride at WC/MR with the boys on Sunday. Rotten Rob called the ride and many showed up, Peaches, DenS, Brent, Rik, John, Todd, Alan, and whoever else's name I can't remember. With the exception of being crowded the trails were awesome, and the group was fun.

This week it is back to Granogue, and masybe a trip over to Brandywine for a little spin.

Cheers,
Buddy

All Jacked Up...

2010-04-12T14:43:00.002-05:00

It has been a few years since I did any kind of cross country racing, but when Slik Rik said he was registering a small team for the MASS series I said I would do it. I used to actually train for xc racing, but I haven't done that in quite a while either. Well, the Bike Line Fair Hill race was Sunday and showed up to race. Which was tough since I spent Saturday night at Victory with a nice group of people. While I was there I tried to drink them out of Cask Hop Wallop. Not to mention the jalapenos.

Sunday morning was a bit rough, so my expectations were not that high, in fact I just wanted to finish with out seeing those peppers again. The start was on a dusty road, so I went for the hole shot, and much to my surprise, I got it. I entered the single track in the top 4 or 5 and was feeling OK, but that group was flying. I let a few guys go by and kind of settled in. I knew the course and was hoping for a little home field advantage. Things were going OK, then about halfway through the first lap my back started to tighten up. By the middle of the second I was in a lot of pain. Legs were feeling pretty good, but my back was getting worse. I wasn't the only one, Marc passed me on my second lap, and I caught back up to him on the third, his back was hurting him. I tried to give him some encouragement, then I just went on trying to get the race over with and salvage as many spots as I could.

I think I ended up 12TH out of 30+ starters, not as bad as I thought I was going to do at the start. I know L Webb won, but I am not sure how the rest of the Henry's riders did. As much as it hurt, I did have fun. Granogue is next on our schedule, but I am not sure if I will be racing. Trying to get the course ready always seems to take a lot out of me, but you never know.

Cheers,
Buddy

I

Next Time Webber...

2010-04-05T17:32:00.002-05:00

This past weekend was the MASS team relay. Always a fun way to kick off the season. Since I had a total lapse of reason and agreed to race on the Henry's small team this year, I wound up on a team. Actually I was excited about racing with Slik Rik, L Webb, and James. Henrys had another team as well, Ben, Barry, Biddle, and Michigan Matt. It was a nice turn out this year, plus the weather was damn near perfect. I won't get into details, but I will talk about my quest to make Lauri do that last lap.
Back in 2005 We had a 5 person team at 7 Springs 24 race. I needed to beat my best lap by 3 minutes, I came up 20 seconds short. Fast forward to Saturday. Once again I needed to do my fastest lap at the relay to make Lauri go out for one more. The best part was she was already in street clothes and ready to head home. Once again I came up just 20 seconds short. But at least I made her get ready for another lap.

All in all it was a great time. I was surprised that I got faster with each lap. Hopefully this will give my lack of fitness a much needed boost.
Fair Hill is this Sunday, I just hope I don't embarrass myself.

Cheers,
Buddy

Wow, That Hurt...

2010-03-28T16:05:00.003-05:00

As Marc put it, the Icicle metric century is always a sure sign that spring is really here. Of course it is always a little chilly that day. Yesterday was a balmy 30 deg. when I rolled out of my house. We had a nice group for a the ride. I was hoping for the legs I had last year, that didn't happen. Couple that with the toughest Icicle loop I have ever done, and it made for a hard day. I did have my moments but they were few and far between. Totals were 72 miles in around 4:15 or so. I actually want to thank Slik Rik, Mike C., Harlow and Shawn for thoroughly kicking my ASS. I needed that. I hope that pays dividends next weekend.

I thought about not riding today, until The Original Matt, mentioned riding in the afternoon. I have always been a morning ride person on the weekend, this can be counter productive. I usually go out and destroy myself, then come home, eat like a pig and lay on the couch. Today slept in, made pancakes for Rachael and I, did some yard work, then met up rode over to White Clay to ride some trails with Matt and Jay. I was surprised that I didn't feel that bad, plus i tacked another 2.5 hours on for the weekend.

I think I might like this afternoon ride time.
Cheers,
Buddy

Finally A Great Week Of Riding...

2010-03-21T13:16:00.002-05:00

It has been a long winter, trail riding since February has been scarce, now it seems spring is here. Rain early in the week had me on the road bike Tuesday with Steve, L Webb and Rob. Nice ride slightly mellow pace. Thursday I was able to hit the trails again, Jeffery and Jake came out for a nice ride at Fair Hill. The trails are dry but by all means not fast yet. Fells like you are riding on very low tire pressure. Wednesday and Friday were dedicated to yard work, Ugh. But this weekend was awesome.

Yesterday a group of us hit White Clay Middle Run. Slik Rik, Steve, and Rob joined me for a whole park tour. The only trail we didn't hit was the Judge. I was hurting a little towards the end, but lucky for me the ride home was mostly downhill.

Last night Rachael and I had a nice dinner with Rob had Liz at Homegrown. My favorite local. We were seated next to Marc and Diane, who were finishing up there dinner.

Today was an Original Matt production at Fair Hill. As promised he tried to rip every one's legs off. How a guy who only gets out a couple of days a week can ride that hard is beyond me. Huge group today, way to many to mention, could very well have been the best ride ever. Lots of shit talking going on, I know I took a lot of shrapnel, but it is all good. I was not feeling it today, but was able to hang in there. By the way Peaches, I still have my legs, but they do hurt a lot right now.

I think its time to hit the recovery drinks.
Cheers,
Buddy

I'm Shipping Up To Boston...

2010-03-15T17:23:00.005-05:00

When a few guys from work mentioned a trip to Boston for a concert I was intrigued. I had heard of Dropkick Murphy's, I knew they were an Irish Punk band from Boston. I had know idea how big of a deal this was.

The plan was to hop on the 11:36pm train on Friday night and wake up in Boston Saturday morning. Check out some of the town, hit the concert Saturday night and be on one of the first trains out Sunday morning.Sean, Dave and Jimmy the Kid.

We caught the train packing a few beverages and were off. It was a long train ride, the train stopped at every little station from Wilmington to Boston. I swear one of them was nothing more than a phone booth and a platform. I didn't get any sleep, no matter how hard I tried. We rolled into Boston and made our way to our hotel. Nice place, but our room wasn't ready so we decided to hit the Sam Adams Brewery. Awesome tour that was free, and came with free beer at the end.

The tour was great and they had a few beers you can't get anywhere but there. This all took place at 10:30 am.

After the tour it was back to the hotel for showers, then off to Quincy Market for a late lunch. Nice seafood place. Our next stop was a bar near The House of Blues where the concert was, this was also by Fenway Park.

The Cask and Flagon is pretty cool bar, we hung out there until about a half hour before the show. The show started a little after 7:00 pm. It was really freakin' good. Those guys know how to put on a show. If you have never seen Dropkick Murphy's I suggest you do, even if your not into Punk, you will not be disappointed. After the show we went back to the room for a couple of minutes then decided to hit another bar around the corner. The Asgard, awesome beer selection.

Finally after some pizza delivery it was time to crash at 2:40 am. This means I was up for 46 hours straight, and spent most of those hours with a beer in my hand. Needless to say I was pretty beat when I finally got home last night, but it was definitely worth it.

Cheers,

Buddy

Dropkick Murphys in Boston...

2010-03-14T19:32:00.001-05:00

Great Show, lots of beer, no sleep, and a long train ride.

More soon

Cheers,

Buddy

Let The Sun Shine In...

2010-03-07T16:31:00.002-05:00

After a tough winter, we finally had a couple of nice days in a row. I just wish Rachael was feeling better and could have enjoyed them. Turns out she needed surgery, and had it done on Friday. The surgery went well, but she is in a lot of pain, and has had an upset stomach to boot. This makes it tough to take pain meds, since you shouldn't take them on an empty stomach. Her friend Karen brought over a care package today. Rachael was able to eat a little, and chug down a couple of Pedia Sures. Hopefully she is turning the corner with the upset stomach.

I was hoping to ride 5 days this week, well that didn't happen. I did meet up with L Webb on Tuesday. The ride was going well until it started raining, the last 45 minutes were cold and miserable. We headed out again Thursday, this time Amazin' Andrew joined us. Andrew is coming of a 3 year break. I am happy to see him riding again.

Today was a nice group led by Matt's step dad Charlie. Charlie leads some awesome rides out into Lancaster county, and you can always count on a few tough climbs. Today was know exception. I have to say I expected to suffer a lot more today, but I actually felt OK, maybe even good a couple of times, like the time we had a 30+ mph pace line going. We were having so much fun we blew by the turn, a little extra is good for you this time of year.

Well it is time to hit the recovery drinks.
Cheers,
Buddy

Well I'm Glad That Week Is Over...

2010-03-01T18:14:00.002-05:00

Last week kind of sucked. Between the weather and the lack of riding I was pretty miserable. Work has been absolutely horrible. Not to mention the worst part was Rachael severely dislocating her shoulder on Saturday. For those of you who know Rachael, know sitting still and taking it easy are not in her nature. So the past couple of days have been tough for her. She has to keep her arm in a sling and immobile for 2 weeks, yeah right. It may even require surgery, let's hope not.

There were a couple of bright spots, we got a cool new stove. Which considering our old one was about 20 years old was totally necessary.

I even got out for a nice road ride yesterday. I am hoping to get in 5 days of riding this week, fingers crossed. My first race is only a month away, yeah, I am not going to be ready for that.

Other than that, all is well.
At least I have plenty of beer, and next weekend to look forward to. Dropkick Murphy's in Boston the weekend before St. Patty's day. Should be one hell of a party.

Cheers,
Buddy

Melt Baby, Melt...

2010-02-21T17:33:00.002-05:00

The snow is slowly melting, and roads are now clear enough for riding. After this weekend one thing is for sure, I have a long way to go, before I am in anything that resembles shape. Before all the snow I was starting to feel like I was coming around, then 9 days off the bike really set me back. Hopefully we are done with snow around here. They are calling for rain tomorrow and Tuesday. It should get ride of the snow, but where will all that water go?

Yesterday I met up with Steve for a nice easy 2-2.5 hours on the road. It was a nice loop and we didn't push the pace, but there were a few hills I could have done without, all in all a really good ride, felt good to be back on a bike.

Today I was supposed to ride with Peaches, but he was having pain from his recent loss of manhood, so he bailed. K Man and Jay Jay showed up. We decided to head into the hills of Landenburg to stay out of the wind. Again the pace was mellow, but my legs were feeling it from yesterday. But it was another good ride. Hopefully I can now start to build on this weekend and get some consistent riding in. The first race for me is April 3rd, which isn't that far off.

Time to hit the recovery drinks.
Cheers,
Buddy

Making The Best Of It...

2010-02-14T16:58:00.006-05:00

The 43.5 inches of snow we received in a 4 day span has put a damper on riding. Since I am anti-trainer, it's been tough to build some fitness. The other day I decided to go for a snowy hike and try out my newly acquired mountaineering boots.

Rachael suggested I take Brian with me, I thought, little dog, deep snow, bad combination, but he's tough so I took him along. It was tough going, but he didn't mind at all.

This is where the trail head is supposed to be, up and over.

Yesterday I went to K Man's place for a mountain bike road ride. Mike was shooting for 3 hours, throw in John Cleary, and it was going to be a tough ride. I had nothing but shovel snow lately, so I wasn't expecting much. I was surprised that I felt OK for the most part. That is until the snow drifts on Greenlawn. For those in the area, you know Greenlawn is a tough climb in great conditions, now cover it with snow. About 2/3 of the way up we hit the drifts. We could have turned around, but decided to hike through.

It was over knee deep for a couple hundred yards, by far the hardest part of the ride. It was good to get out no matter how shattered I was at the end.

Last night Rachael and I revisited the old neighborhood. We went to PRG to climb. I really miss that gym, so much that I would rather drive all the 30+ miles to Coatesville to climb than the gym 8 miles away. After climbing we went to Victory for dinner and Hop Wallop cask, so good.

Today was another mountain bike road ride. This one was local and with a different group. After yesterday's ride I was hoping for flat and mellow, that was how the first hour went, then it was, who can get to the top of the hill first. As bad as I felt, it was still a good ride. Followed by and awesome brunch at Kildare's.

Now it's time for homemade Buffalo burgers, and a growler of Victory's new Brown Ale.

Cheers,

Buddy

What Would You Do For A...

2010-02-11T18:23:00.009-05:00

Rachael and I grill a lot, usually all year round. This second big snow storm in a 4 day span has put a damper on that. Rachael had mentioned something on the grill. I decided we would do grilled chicken sandwiches. This meant I had to get to the grill.

No easy task, but I did start chipping away at it.

There was a shit load of snow on our deck, but I managed to dig out the grill.
Almost dinner time.

Time to eat.

Cheers,

Buddy

You Have Got To Be Kidding Me...

2010-02-08T20:47:00.002-05:00

Our area just got walloped with 25+ inches of snow. It caused all kinds of problems, not to mention not being able to ride, and major parking issues for our Super Bowl party this year. Now I find out we are supposed to get hit with 10-18 more tomorrow night into Wednesday. Our street hasn't been plowed from the last storm. Luckily my Subaru doesn't seem to mind.

More on the party later. Now I got to find me a snow blower.
Cheers,
Buddy

Deep Freeze...

2010-01-31T17:31:00.003-05:00

This weekend brought frigid temperatures, which was fine by me, because that brought frozen trails. We had a nice group at Fair Hill on Saturday. Keith G, Jay, Leo and Les. The trails were a little choppy from horses and idiots riding in the mud, but they were still great and plenty of Super Hero Traction. We ran into several groups taking advantage of the freeze. Marc was leading a nice sized group. Plus there were plenty of others. After the ride I chilled on the couch and watched a little hockey. Then it started snowing, which was going to make today's ride awesome. First though we were meeting Rachael's boss for dinner at Homegrown. After a nice meal and a couple of Arrogant Bastard Bombers, we went to Iron Hill for a couple more beers. Rachael's Boss and fiance are really cool people, I can see why she loves her job.

Today I rode solo. I was running late for a group ride so I did my own thing at White Clay/Middle Run. Just enough snow to make it fun and slick, I would have rode for hours but my feet got cold after 2 so I called it a day.

On a side note i recently got a new car. My 2002 140,000 mile Trailblazer is gone, in its place in the driveway is a 2006 Subaru Forester. I have to admit it was one of the last cars I expected to buy, that is until I drove it. I have to say I am a really big fan.

Time to cook dinner and enjoy some Nugget Nectar, Sooooo, Good.

Cheers,
Buddy

Money Well Spent...

2010-01-21T18:40:00.004-05:00

While eating my breakfast and watching Sports Center at 5:15 this morning, the power went out. The uneasy part about that was the loud popping noise that came from the area of the TV. Of course I thought, there goes the LCD. Nothing I could do so I went to work. I get to the corner and see why the power went out. Somebody ran into the pole on a dry deserted road.

I get home from work just after 2:00pm and find that the power is back on. I try to turn on the TV and nothing. I go to reset the surge protector, and find out it is fried. I plug the TV into a regular outlet and much to my relief it works. Next I check the computer, same thing, I check the TV down stairs, same thing.

3 dead surge protectors...

Not time to fix them because I have to meet Steve for a road ride. Two and a half hours later I take a trip to the Staples across the street, they are sold out of surge protectors, at least we weren't the only ones. I then make my way to Radio Shack.

Needless to say we are back up and running, and once again protected. I wonder if I can claim this on my home owners insurance?

Cheers,

Buddy

Soggy...

2010-01-18T20:55:00.002-05:00

The weather has been pretty nice, except for yesterday. The problem is that now the trails are not frozen and fast, they are muddy and not ridable. I did manage one last hurrah on Saturday. Met up with Matt and Jay for some fire road fun. It was actually a good ride, we even managed some single track before the thaw. I was pretty beat after the ride, but still managed to meet some guys from work for a few hours of paintball. And, I was still home in time to catch the playoffs. Not a bad day.

Yesterday I worked on the other bathroom. Rachael did the painting, I put down the new floor when she was done. All I have left now is some trim and putting up a new medicine cabinet. Today was more work on the house. I installed a new storm door. I thought it would be a piece of cake, and it would have been if the house wasn't 40 years old. Whoever put up the old door did a pretty crappy job. So that made my job way more difficult. I would have finished it today, but I ran out of daylight. Tomorrow is another day. Of course we are going to replace the whole front door soon, so I get to take it back down and put it up again, Yippee.

Hopefully we can get the bedroom done next.
Cheers,
Buddy

Noah's Ark...

2010-01-10T18:14:00.002-05:00

This past week turned out to be my first full week of riding, meaning I got out 5 days this week. Cold temps made for frozen trails and lots of fun on my Spot. The only draw back is that I have been battling a cold for the past 5 days. That and the Eagles really, really, Suck.
But I digress. I spent the week days taking advantage of my work schedule and riding solo during the day. But the weekend was a couple of nice group rides. Saturday we hit Fair Hill, shit I need more beer.... That's better. Where was I? Oh Yeah, a nice group rolled out at 9:00am hoping for 2+ hours, Wes even joined the fun since he was in town for some cross thingy. I think this was the first time Todd let me lead a Fair Hill ride, also along were Kurtee, Rotten Robert, Leo, Steve, Michigan Matt and Jay. It turned out to be a great ride.

On my drive home I saw Jay broken down in Newark. I stopped to see if I could help, He says, " you can take Noah to his skating lesson". I can honestly say with the exception of Jeffery, I have never had a child in my car, but if Jay trusted me who am I to say no. We loaded Noah into his booster seat along with his skating stuff and off I went. Luckily Matt Doyle was there with his kid as well so he would be waiting outside for us. I have to say Noah is a pretty cool kid. He was telling me all kinds of stories and never ran out of something to say. He may have been one of my favorite passengers. Plus, we got there with know problems.

Today's ride was a little more laid back. Smaller group taking on White Clay/Middle Run. It was a lot colder so I knew I wasn't going to last as long. We still put together a nice ride, but my feet got cold, once that happens i am pretty much done.
To finish off the weekend Rachael and I took the dogs for a walk on the Newark Greenway Trail. Its basically a nice paved path the runs about 1.7 miles. the dogs liked so it may be a once a week thing.

Time to get back to the game and more beer.
Cheers,
Buddy

AHHH...That's Better...

2010-01-05T20:41:00.002-05:00

I went from being a miserable asshole because I couldn't ride to a guy who is exhausted from trying to make up for it in a week. It seems like Old Man Winter has settled in nicely around here so now our trails are all frozen solid.

There is something special about frozen trails, they seem to have more grip that usual, they seem faster than usual, it could just be perception, but who cares, it just means I can ride my mountain bike. In fact I was able to get out to ride 6 out of the last 8 days, and there is no warm up in sight. The only down fall is that I can only handle a couple of hours, maybe 3, but then it just gets too cold for me, my feet just freeze.

I have also been getting out with a few guys from work and playing Paintball. Its a lot of fun and a good way to release some pent up aggression. It does kind of hurt in the winter though.

Well, not much else going on. Things around the house have slowed down since the holidays, but I have a feeling it will pick up again soon.

Cheers,
Buddy

It Was Good While It Lasted...

2009-12-30T15:23:00.003-05:00

Getting out on the mountain bike has been almost impossible around here. With the nearly 2 feet of snow one week, then 2 inches of rain the next. the snow is gone but a whole lot of mud is left. Until yesterday when the temps dropped and the trails froze. I made my way to White Clay/Middle Run after work for 2 hours of frozen trail goodness. I can't remember the last time the trails were solid and fast. It was sweet.

Tonight I met the boys for a almost year end ride. I was supposed to play paintball, Then ride, but I had to wait for our new mattress to be delivered instead. No matter, it was a good group and fast trails. Super Hero traction was thrown around a few times tonight. Barring a couple of flats, it was a great ride.

After we went to Timothy's for half price burgers and some tasty beverages. Now we are looking at a few more days of rain. I can't believe we are getting more rain, but it is the story of the year around here.

Hoping for more frigid temps,
Cheers,
Buddy

Too Much Snow...

2009-12-21T17:03:00.002-05:00

We got dumped on this weekend. Our house got about 20 inches between Saturday night and Sunday morning. This meant shoveling multiple times, 4 to be exact. I did manage to get out for a little snowy ride before it got too deep. I think there is a snow blower in my future.

I have to give props to the crew who spent all night clearing the snow inside and out of The Linc. I think it was in the neighborhood of 1500-1700 people. That is a lot of overtime being paid out.

Not sure when I will get to ride again, it seems like this stuff could be here a while.

Cheers,
Buddy

Mt Washington...

2009-12-14T14:56:00.013-05:00

This past weekend was my first attempt at Mountaineering. It was one of the most Difficult, Intense, Scary, and Awesome things I have ever done.

We rolled into North Conway New Hampshire Friday afternoon. By 8:25 Saturday morning we started our attempt of Mt. Washington.The conditions were not in our favor. They had received nearly 3 feet of snow the previous couple of days, and the winds on the summit were forecast at 75-90mph.

This was Lander's first time as well, lucky for us Bob had some experience and our guide was great.We started off moving at a pretty brisk pace. It was obvious Craig, our Guide wanted a shot at the summit. The first mile and a half wasn't too bad. A few people ahead of us had broken trail. We made it to the lean to shelter pretty quickly, but that was easy part. It's hard to describe what the rest of the trip was like. After the shelter the trail gets steep, I mean really effin' steep. Add waist deep snow and it was twice as hard. We arrived to the edge of tree line and it was time for summit gear. I thought I was ready for what came next, but I had know idea.

This is me at Lion's Head. I almost didn't make it that far. On our way to Lion's Head my goggles froze and I could barely see. I took a step slightly off trail and post holed to my hip. I tried to pull out of it but ended up stuck. It took all I had to get up and moving again. We rested for a bit, but I was feeling it now. Plus while trying to eat and drink i made the mistake of setting my gloves down and watched them start to blow off the mountain. Craig managed to catch one of them, but that wasn't going to do me much good. luckily I still had my mittens. We left the cover and hit the scree. This is where it got scary. This was my first experience with serious wind and cold. The scree is an exposed rocky, icy ridge where the wind gets amplified by the ravine. It was gusting around 40mph. We made it across and were set to try the summit. We could now see the guys that started before we did struggling to break trail through waist deep snow. We took an assessment of our situation. It was 1:30, we were over an hour from the summit, the wind on the summit was blowing over 70mph, and we would still have to get back down. We decided it was time to turn back. I have zero regrets with that decision.

On the way back across the scree the winds were gusting over 50mph, it was all I could do to not get blown over. On the way back we stopped at Lion's Head for a quick break, and Craig wondered off and came back with my glove. I couldn't believe it. The trip down wasn't easy, but we made without any problems.

We were all happy with how we did, and are already talking a bout a return trip soon. Hopefully the mountain is a little more cooperative next time.

Cheers,

Buddy

Mt. Washington Quick View...

2009-12-14T00:00:00.005-05:00

No summit, conditions would not allow it. More pics and info soon.

Cheers,
Buddy

Mud, Mud and More Mud...

2009-12-07T20:53:00.002-05:00

So, it seems like we are stuck with a lot of muddy trails from now on. We can't seem to get more than 2 days in a row with no rain. The problem is you can't, or should I say, you shouldn't ride the majority of our trails when they are wet our muddy. There are a couple of exceptions. Brandywine seems to hold up pretty well, Elk Neck is always good this time of year, for me though, its Rittenhouse and Iron Hill, simply because they are about a 12 minute ride from my house.

So that has been about the extent of my riding lately. I have to say I do enjoy Rittenhouse. I know it is only an out and back, but it is still a fun trail.

I did manage to commute today, but that might be it for this week.

My next big adventure is almost here. We leave Friday morning for New Hampshire and a trip to the top of Mt. Washington. Lucky for us winter has finally hit the summit. things were pretty mild up there until Thanksgiving weekend. It should be an awesome trip.

Well its time for bed.
Cheers,
Buddy

Stop The Train, I want To Get Off...

2009-11-27T17:58:00.004-05:00

It seems like the past few weeks have been flying by. I doesn't seem like I have had a moment to just sit down and chill. Between work and working on the house, I haven't had a whole lot of time for anything else. So, the few rides I've done I tried to make the best of.

Last Sunday I did manage a nice 4 Park ride from my house. A small group met at Matt's and John Williams and I rode from here. It was a great ride, lots of shit talkin' and great trails.

It was by far the longest ride I have done in months, it hurt but in a good way.

Thanksgiving is always a great ride. This year was looking to be in jeopardy with all the rain and damp weather we have been having. But someone had the idea of Brandywine. Brandywine holds up pretty good in bad weather, so I was all over it. We actually had a nice group come out for a wet turkey day ride. Peaches, Todd, Les, Matt, J.W. and Paul. The trails were actually not that bad. They weren't muddy, but like Les put it, they were just not dry. The slippery conditions made the ride all the more fun. I have to say it was one of my favorite turkey day rides.

On the house side of things we just finished our bathroom. This was the first interior project. I have to say it turned out great. I will post some pics later. Next up is our bedroom. I hope to have it done well before Christmas.

Well it is time for beer and take out.

Cheers,

Buddy

Worse Flat Ever...

2009-11-15T20:25:00.005-05:00

Finally the weather around here broke and we had two days in a row with no rain. Yesterday the ground was still pretty wet, so I went out on a short road ride. Later in the day Rachael and I went to Delaware Natural History Museum. They currently have a pretty cool exhibit, the Super Croc.

Really impressive up close.

Today while most folks around here went to Fair Hill, I made my way west to Lykens. Some of the best riding around. I met up with Keith G, Tomi, Buck, Old Man Withers, Bender, and a few other locals for a sweet ride. Lykens may be one of my all time favorites. Plenty of rocks a few tough climbs, but mostly rolling.

The ride was going well, until I shredded my sidewall. I ripped it from bead to tread. Never ride Bontrager tires in central PA. I pulled out a tube, took a boot from Bender and tried to fix my tire. Turns out I had a bad tube. Keith gives me one of his, while pumping it up with a hand pump, the valve stem broke off. So, Keith gives me his other tube, note to self, always bring more than one tube to central PA. I finally got the tire inflated and we rolled on. It wasn't long after we stopped and I realized the boot needed to be re-situated, so I let the air out again and set the boot. By now a lot of time had passed, my intention was to be back at the car by 1ish, so I had to bail on the last 5 miles of trail and take the road back. It was still and awesome ride. If you have never been to Lykens, you don't know what you are missing.

I am hoping to have a good week on the bike. My trip to Mt. Washington is coming fast, so I need to build a little fitness. Lets hope the weather is on our side this week.

Cheers,

Buddy

Gonna Try Something New...

2009-11-09T17:29:00.003-05:00

I am always up for an adventure. One sport I have always wanted to try was Mountaineering, but with the cost of clothing and gear it wasn't practical. That is until Bob found the EMS Climbing School. They offer a very reasonably priced beginner trip up Mt. Washington that includes all you gear, I just need the clothes. I jumped at the chance and signed up. I am really looking forward to this trip. It looks like it will Bob, Craig, a guide and myself making the ascent.

In the mean time I am going to be doing some long rides trying to get back some fitness. It may only be a 8.2 mile round trip, but you gain over 4000', that is pretty damn steep.

Other than that it has been work, try to ride, and work around the house. Hopefully I can find some company for these long rides.

Cheers,
Buddy

Perspective...

2009-11-01T17:53:00.002-05:00

I have been an Eagles season ticket holder for 11 years now. In those 11 years I have met and hung out with all kinds of different people. I also know several people that are, or have battled that dreaded disease, cancer. Today I met a woman from South Carolina, who is dealing with terminal lung cancer. After only a brief conversation, I came to admire this lady. She has not only come to grips with her fate, but she is doing her best to live every day to it's fullest. I have worn a yellow Live Strong bracelet for the past 5 years without ever taking it off. I gave it to her, hoping she could maybe find a little more inspiration. She shed the slightest tear and gave me a hug. I came away just hoping a miracle could find its way to her. The make a wish foundation gave her the opportunity to see her favorite team play, and they did not disappoint. the Eagles crushed the Giants today. I didn't get to see her after the game, but I know she had the time of her life.

After seeing a few friends battle this dreaded disease, I learned things are never that bad. It seems silly to let little things get to you when others are fighting for there life. I hope everybody that has to or is dealing with this awful disease, has some good fortune come there way. God knows they deserve it.

Go Phils,
Cheers,
Buddy

It's Been Awhile...

2009-10-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

Things are starting to settle down. Rachael is home safe from her really awesome trip to Jordan with her mother and sister. So we are starting to get back to normal around here. We even managed a trip to DRG, and we are going again tonight.

The house stuff has slowed down a bit, but I may get into the next thing tomorrow.
Last night I did my first group ride in a long tome. I met the boys at Brandywine for some rocks and fun trail. It wasn't our longest ride, but it sure was fun. I have to say, for not having ridden rocks in a while, we all did pretty damn good.
After the ride and a quick bite to eat we went to see, Race Across The Sky. A very well done documentary about this year's Leadville 100. If you get a chance to see it I suggest you do.

I have been commuting twice a week as well. Weather permitting I will try to keep it up.

Cheers,
Buddy

Scratch That Off The List...

2009-10-11T20:00:00.002-05:00

Thanks to the guys at Stoltzfus Fence, our fence is done. What would have taken me weeks, they did in 6 hours. Plus they did a very professional job.

With Rachael away, I have been pretty busy. I've tried to squeeze in some riding, but not much. I snuck out Saturday morning for a short ride before heading to the Kennett Brewfest. Always a good time, though they changed things up a bit this year. For the connoisseur tasting they had nothing but session beers. Nothing was over 4.5%. I look forward to the big beers during the connoisseur session and was a little disappointed, however, I was still pretty sober for the regular session. There were some pretty good beers as always, but nothing that blew me away. I will mention the food guy that was selling bacon on a stick. That was awesome, anything that bad for you has to be good.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. If things go OK I will be commuting to work for the first time. Hopefully I am not late, or even worse, too early.

Well time for bed.

Cheers,

Buddy

Another Project Underway...

2009-10-06T16:19:00.006-05:00

First off Sunday marked the first Official Anti-Cross ride of 2009. Todd, Keith, Les, Kurtee, and John showed up for a great ride at Fair Hill. Todd led us on a great, but hilly loop. There was plenty of good talk and the trails were fantastic. Along the way we ran into Stew. Stew has Lyme really bad. He is on the mend but it had gotten into his spinal cord, his face was even paralyzed. Everybody send your best wishes to Stew having a speedy recovery. After a beer break we rolled on. When we got to the covered bridge, Todd, Kurtee, and John called it a day. The rest of us rode for another 45min. to an hour. Really good time. Stay tuned for the next Anti-Cross ride.

Now to the current project. This is the old fence. This is no fence.

This is soon to be new fence.

Lucky for me we hired someone to put it up.

To be continued...

Cheers,

Buddy

I Get By With A Little Help From My Friends...

2009-09-28T14:50:00.007-05:00

When Rachael and first started looking for houses, we both a greed that we didn't want to do a whole lot of work. I guess things never work out quite the way you want. Turns out we have a few projects. The first big one is the new fence, which we are hiring someone to do. Next was the shed floor.

Half of the existing floor was rotted out. Since I am an electrician and not a carpenter, I called my Friend iPaul. Saturday morning we, mostly Paul, ripped up the bad floor. Then we rolled out of here, met up with Slick Rik, and had a nice ride around White Clay and Middle Run.

Then it was back to my place and off to Lowes.

It was a mess, but Paul was able to put it back together. And don't tell anyone, but he works for Pizza and Beer.Now my lawn mower has a stable home. Thanks a lot Paul.

Next up a new fence. Stay tuned.

Cheers,

Buddy

Hoping For Some Trail Time...

2009-09-21T15:23:00.003-05:00

With the move and most of the unpacking behind us, I am hoping to get some good rides in the week. The best part is I can ride from home and be on the trail at Middle Run in less than 15 minutes. Or, I could be at Fair Hill by bike in less than half an hour. I am looking forward to riding from home a lot, I may even start commuting to work.

Other than that there is not much to report. Hopefully we can get things organized and get the yard cleaned up and have some folks over while the weather is still nice.

Cheers,
Buddy

Settling In...

2009-09-14T20:02:00.002-05:00

It has been a crazy hectic week and weekend. But we are finally settling in. Sure we still have plenty to do, and more to unpack, but it is starting to come together.

More soon, maybe some pics as well.
Cheer,
Buddy

Where Did All This Stuff Come From...

2009-09-07T19:09:00.004-05:00

During this whole moving process, we have managed to get rid of a ton of shit. One trip to the dump, several bags of clothes and a couple of TVs donated, and we still have a lot of shit. Its amazing how much one can accumulate in 5 or 6 years. Things are moving fast, despite a few glitches it looks like we will be settling and moving Thursday. Its going to be a busy day.

We had to pass on our original plans this weekend. We were supposed to be at Wes and Reagan's wedding in State College. Congratulations to them both. Instead we were packing and getting ready for Thursday. I did however manage a solid weekend of riding.

Saturday was French Creek. We hit just about all of it, for a nice 3 hour ride. Yesterday I met up with Chuck, the guy that helped Rachael get her new job, for a 2 hour ride at White Clay and Middle Run. I capped off the weekend with a 4 park ride from Matt's place. A solid 4.5 hours of a nice steady pace. All good rides, but still not as much riding as the SM100.

Theses next few days are going to be a bit frantic, I just hope things go a bit smoother the rest of the way.

Cheers,

Buddy

Finally A Chance To Ride...

2009-08-30T17:59:00.005-05:00

The whole house buying thing has been sucking up all my time lately, so riding has been scarce. It seems there is some pressing issues everyday, whether it is documents to sign and fax, phone calls to make, packing and patching the walls. Friday I took care of everything I could. Yesterday Peaches brought over a dump truck and we filled it with crap and went to the dump. But today I was invited to ride Michaux. I have raced Michaux countless times, but I have never just gone there for a ride.

I was supposed to meet Elk, but him and Josh had car trouble on the way out and had to bail. Luckily I knew the rest of the Cupcake riders. Between Buck and Tomi we rode an awesome loop. The majority of the trails were not in any of the races. Joining us was Keith aka Bobby's boy, Old Man Withers, Travis, Cheryl, Lee, Pete, Dustin, and doctor John.

That ridge in the distance was where we were headed.

That ridge in the distance is where we were.

A nice place for a break. Since I haven't been riding much this ride hurt. I wasn't doing very well on the climbs towards the end. But I had a great time. I hope to make a few of these rides in the fall. Thanks for having me today guys/

Cheers,

Buddy

Its All Just A Blur...

2009-08-24T18:09:00.002-05:00

With settlement just around the corner I haven't had time for a whole lot of things other that packing and faxing paper work. Because of our fast paced settlement, things have been really hectic. Thank god for Rachael who stays on me to get things done. Without her things would not be moving along relatively smooth. Having said all that, we did manage to get to to PRG, which sadly we will be leaving. As much as I hate to do it we will be joining DRG. It only makes sense since we will be living about 6 or 7 mile from there.

Of all the things I am going to miss about where we are now, like The Half Moon, the good road riding, the solitude, I will miss being less than 15 minutes from Victory the most. To make up for it we have been going there quite a bit lately.

I also got out for a couple of rides. Thursday I met up with the boys for Fair Hill, it was a full on heat treaty night, but we still had a good ride. Yesterday I met Jay on the road for a mellow ride that turned into a hill fest, an awesome ride though.

We only have until September 10 to get things packed and organized, not a lot of time even though we have put a big dent into things. I hope we don't run into any major snags along the way.

Cheer,
Buddy

Big Changes...

2009-08-16T18:18:00.002-05:00

It is amazing how fast things can change in life. I had worked out of the same local union for 11 years, and this April I made the move to work at Amtrak. It's less money but considerably more stable. After being stuck in the house for the better part of 3 months this past foaling season Rachael has had enough and she to is moving on the a new job. So in the past 4 months we have both made major changes, now we just bought a house. Up until now we have always lived in a house that came with Rachael's job, which has its advantages, but we never really had any Independence. Despite the extra financial burden of being home owners we now feel like we are starting a whole new chapter in our life, and we are both excited.

For the past 6 years I have had a 45 minute drive to work every day, now I will have a 10 minute drive, best part is I get an extra half hour sleep. For now Rachael will have to do the commuting, but it wont be forever.

I did manage to get in some riding in between packing and bottling beer. I met up with Les and Sam's brother Jeff, plus a handful of his friends from Emaus area. We managed to hit every single trail in Middle Run and White Clay, mainly because we lost a guy and rode around trying to find him, which we never did. It was a really fun time with a great group of folks. It's always cool to show off our super fast trails.

Well I have to crack the champagne so we can celebrate our new adventure.

Cheers,
Buddy

Bombs Away...

2009-08-11T19:33:00.007-05:00

Like I said in my last post I am always up for something different, so when Bob asked if I wanted to go to 7 Springs to do some Down Hilling I was all over it. Yes it looks like Bob's roof is sagging from the weight. We were very fortunate to have Rick invite us out to his condo which we filled with bikes.

Bob sums things up nicely here. Here is my take. I started off pretty mellow, but by the 4th or 5th run was gaining confidence that was about the time I noticed this. I felt bad because it wasn't my bike, but I really think it was a bad design. So I was forced to rent a bike. I had a few issues with that as well, 2 flats and a broken saddle. Lucky for me the rental shop was a 100 yards from the lift.

Definitely the easy way up.

And this is the fun way down. The runs were everything from fast and flowy to big OH Shit drops and giant rock gardens.

What else do you eat after an hour and a half single speed ride and almost 6 hours of down hill fun.

We managed to have one magical run, Bob and I were totally in sync, and absolutely railed the nastiest trail they had. We went for one more, but it was obvious we were done for the day.

We did get out Sunday for another 4 hours or so, but then it was time to head fro home. I came away from this wanting more, much more. My first few runs were pretty pathetic, but by the end I was feeling pretty confident and riding well, I can see a down hill bike in my future.

For now it is back to the single speed, which is not a bad thing. Thanks to Rick and Wendy for having us, and Fitzy for letting me borrow his bike, and Bob for turning me on to this adrenalin enducing sport, and driving.

Cheers,

Buddy

A Taste of Something Different...

2009-08-03T19:11:00.002-05:00

I am always up for riding somewhere different, so when I got the chance to hook up with Chris and ride Potapsco, I jumped all over it. Despite a dismal weather forecast we went for it anyway. I made good time getting to Chris' house and we were on the bikes by 9:00am. Awesome trails down there, and Chris is pretty lucky to have that park practically in his back yard.

The first part of the ride was nice smooth rolling trails, the second part was knee buckling steep climbs and wet root and rocks, needless to say I really enjoyed the second part.

At one point we rolled up to a cliff face lookout. Someone had been there not long before us and must have left in a hurry because they left there bowl, lighter, weed and a 10oz. Coors light. We are not sure if they partied a bit too hard and fell over the edge or just absentmindedly wandered off. We left there stuff there just in case they came back.

The trails were starting to get a bit slick towards the end of the ride but for the most part were nothing more than wet. And of course the sun came out when we hit his driveway.

Where to next?
Cheers,
Buddy

Dinner Club,and The Smack Down...

2009-07-28T17:29:00.005-05:00

Good week last week. Friday night we had Dinner club at our place. Rob and Liz joined Rachael Wes and myself for some home made burgers and a fine pasta salad. We per took in a few beverages then watched some of the tour. Liz approved of my burgers.

Saturday I only got in a quick ride, I was trying to save my energy for Sunday's 4 park ride.

Les put out the 4 parker idea and brought his buddies down from Philly to join in on the fun.

Theo, Porno Pete, Big Bush and Josh came out to enjoy Fair Hill, White Clay, Middle Run and Carpenter with us. This was the first of many beer stops. In fact I think we had 2 in the first 2 hours, but who's counting.

I was feeling pretty good through most of Fair Hill, but as always the heat started to take its toll on me. I didn't crack or have any stomach issues, but I certainly ran out of spunk.

On our way back from Fair Hill the group got split up, Josh, Theo and myself waited at the water stop for a while, then headed back to the cars, where we found the rest of the guys sitting under a tree enjoying some beverages. They were heading back out, I called it a day. It was getting late, and it was really effin hot.

No racing for a couple of weeks, Not sure if I am staying local, or trying something different. We'll see.

Cheers,

Buddy

I Survived, That's About It...

2009-07-20T14:06:00.002-05:00

This was one of those weekends where I never got to sit back and relax. Saturday I had some errands to run in the am, then I brewed up my latest batch of beer. Plus I managed to sneak in a quick ride. Wes cooked up some pasta for dinner, since he was headed to the Midnight race At Marsh Creek, and I was headed out early for Michaux's Curse of Dark Hollow.

I was kind of excited since I missed the spring race. The weather was going to be pretty warm, but not the usual mid 90's and humid. I met up with Jay and Steve early in the morning and we made our way to the race.

Things started off OK, I was in a pretty good spot when we hit the trail, and the legs felt OK. About 5 or 6 miles in I found out the hard way that one of the bolts from my cleat had fallen out, when I couldn't click out I just fell over. I tightened the other bolt up and continued on. This didn't last long because I had to come out of the pedal again, and I fell over again. Lucky for me Jon Posner happened by and had a spare bolt on him. I fixed my shoe again and rode on.

I guess it was around the half way point when I started to come apart, right after the MF hike a bike. I managed to keep going, but I was seriously considering pulling out at the next aid station, that was supposed to be at mile 31.6. I came up to a big climb about 30 miles in and figured the aid station was at the top. It wasn't. After I finally got to the top and started riding again, I heard that dreaded hissing sound of my brand new Continental Race King tire going flat, you know, the one with the extra tough sidewalls. Guess what, I ripped a hole in mine. I got through the tire process pretty quick, but when I went to put the cO2 in, my dispenser was fucked up and just blew cO2 everywhere, but into my tire. Once again, lucky for me Keith G came by with a pump. Him and a couple of friends from Rhode Island were just riding at this point so I joined in. I knew I was at least going to finish now. I actually felt a little better after the aid station 34 miles in, you know the one that was supposed to be 31.6.
I knew we didn't have far to go, what I didn't know was how hard the last 5 miles was. Tight, twisty, rocky, loamy and slightly uphill, talk about energy draining. It seemed like it took forever, but I finished.

For the most part I was OK with how I rode, take away the troubles I had and I might have had a decent day. But, oh well, that is Michaux.

Cheers,
Buddy

I Went Climbing Instead...

2009-07-13T15:07:00.010-05:00

It was pretty close to this time last year that a group of us made our way to Hunters just outside of State College for a little bouldering. I got the opportunity to head up with Bob, and Christian and jumped at the chance.

Bob hooked us up with with his buddy Mike who let us crash at his place. A really sweet place.

We got a few hours on Saturday before the rains came, then had a nice long day on Sunday.

After Saturdays session we went into town for some much needed food and beverage, Otto's was the place, and Mike was feeling no pain. Saturday night did not go as well for Mike's poor dogs, who took off when let out and came home like this.

Even though we spent 5 more hours there on Sunday, we still didn't hit everything.

I think we were all wondering when we would get back there. I know I can't wait.

Looking forward to Michaux this weekend,
Cheers,
Buddy

The Mountain Bike Gods Must Be Angry...

2009-07-06T14:19:00.003-05:00

I have to start by talking about Rachael's birthday. For years I have been trying to get reservation's at Gilmores, an upscale restaurant in West Chester. This year it finally happened, and I have to say it was worth the wait. The food was spectacular, through in great service and a nice atmosphere, and you have a very nice night out.

Saturday I went for a short ride to try and loosen the legs a little before the Long Pine Classic, I felt pretty good and even through in a couple of efforts.

Later that night we went to a nice Fourth of July celebration, good food and good fireworks.

Yesterday was the Long Pine Classic race in Michaux. This is a new event put on by Fast Forward Racing. Not an endurance race, but anytime I can ride Michaux and only do 1 lap, I am there. Since this was a cross country race, a the start was pretty fast. Being on a single speed and running a conservative gear, I was quickly spit out the back. It wasn't before the course went up and I started to reel in a lot of people. The most amazing thing, was I felt pretty damn good.

I had to work around quite a few people,and at one point I tried to pass by going over a big log, it would have been fine except for the big rock that I stoved my wheel into. Over the bars I went, not a big deal, or so I thought. Turns out I managed to taco my rear brake rotor, it was so bad that I had to stop and try to straighten it, which was near impossible with out a wrench. I got it so the wheel would kind of turn and took off again. I managed to catch a bunch of people a second time and was still feeling good, when I noticed my back tire felt squishy. I stopped through in a cO2, and went again. Half mile later my tire was flat again. Now I had to stop and put a tube in. By this time I had lost well over half an hour, and had decided to just ride and enjoy the trails. Lucky for me Mike Yarnell was in the same boat, so we rode the rest of the course together. I think we came in just under 3 hours.

The boys at Fast Forward Racing did an awesome job. Zach was very organized and I thought things ran smoothly. Props to Larry Camp for laying out what I thought was one of the best Michaux courses I've done. By no means was it easy, with 3600' of climbing in 23 miles, but it was a lot of fun.

Next up is another trip to Michaux, for the Curse of Dark Hollow in two weeks. Still not sure if I am doing the 40 miler or the 20 miler, I guess I will figure it out soon.

Cheers,

Buddy