March 21, 2011

TDR 3 Day Mountain Bikepack training ride - Solo (almost)

Training for the 2011 Tour Divide has become more of a solo endeavor. My training friend, 2010 TDR finisher Shawn Sheppard, has taken a new job in Virginia and moved away. I continue on, accompanied in sunny weather by my shadow, aka Dickey.

Dickey
This weekend I needed to do 3 days and two nights in the mountains of SC/NC with a loaded bike to check out my bio-mechanical fitness (how well my knees will hold up) and soft tissue fitness and hygiene (ie saddle sore situation).
Link to video of --> Start report

My plan involved leaving from work in the late afternoon and riding to Saluda NC. Saluda is at the top of a major climb from the elevation in the upstate SC of 800 - 900 feet to the 1800 - 2000 foot level. Saluda is somewhat of a "Mayberry" town with its quaint shops and eateries. Most notable is the Purple Onion Cafe, which serves up a good pizza and has wonderful staff. After pizza dinner. I rode the final 4.5 miles to Orchard Lake campground and bivied under the stars to a huge full moon, listening to frogs and the sound of a nearby creek.

Saturday morning started before sun-up with a quick pack up of dew dampend equipment. My left knee had aggrivated me on the climb into Saluda and when it started again a mile out of the campground, I stopped and noticed my saddle had slid back and I was putting too much pressure on the top of the knee. I stopped and moved my saddle full forward, and continued on. The knee pain decreased. Lesson learned (again): mark saddle setback position with marking tape to detect saddle setback movement before knee pain starts.

Saturday's route traveled through gravel Green River Cove road, DuPont Forrest and Cascade Lakes road towards Brevard. Once in Brevard, the plan was to climb more gravel roads to Highway 215, then climb a 6 mile 6% avg grade paved climb to the Blue Ridge parkway and descend 25 miles back to Pisgah and bivy near the Pisgah Horse stables. At the entrance to Pisgah Forest, I was confronted with a huge flashing sign announcing FS 475 was closed due to a major wash out. Gravel trucks were running up and down the road, not a good sign for a guy on a 45 lb bike. After a quick stop at the closed Pisgah Ranger station, I rerouted and took FS 474  up to the Parkway, climbing steadily on gravel roads and Hway 276. The junction of 276 and the Parkway served as my rewarding milestone rest stop where I finished my SubWay sandwich in a swarm of flying things, while dark clouds loomed in the distance and the distant sound of thunder threatened. I put on my helmet cam and began the descent back towards Pisgah, only to get caught in the rain.
Link to video at Stop at Blue Ridge Parkway
Blue Ridge Parkway at junction with Hwy 276

Map location and elevation


Sunday started early. I needed to get back home to the wife and kids in Spartanburg, The good news was the weather was good: cool and overcast, but my fatigue level was higher and I missed the breakfast I needed because I started before the restaurants opened. Nothing like a Butterfinger Candy Bar for breakfast.

The road out of Brevard is nice. Little traffic, shouldered roads and gentle grade, My route had me taking a road through the area named Becky Mountain. The elevation profile showed Becky Mountain as a steep wall. I thought it was a GPS mapping error and ignored it as I planned the route. I was wrong.
Becky Mountain



Becky Mountain
When I turned off of 276 onto Becky Mountain Road it was an 8% 2 mile climbed, that I ended up having to dismount and push up. (I don't walk many climbs and can probably count the number of climbs I have walked in the past 15 years on one hand). I stayed positive and focused on the descent down the back side of the climb. It was worth it.


The next 50 miles consisted on re-tracing the same gravel roads I rode in on and dealing with the steady headwind back to Spartanburg. I finished the 200 mile trip with 13,000 feet of climbing by 3 PM.
Video of Finish report in Spartanburg

March 06, 2011

The contents of the mysterious, heavy old suitcase REVEALED !!!


It was full of cold war era Popular Science Magazines !! My Dad always talked about playing buried treasure. I'm sure he had fun hiding this old suitcase.

This is what the dog saw.