My shoulder continues to receive ART treatments with slow progress towards recovery of range of motion and strength. The good news is that it has not interfered with riding. I want to get it better and strengthened before Snowboard riding season starts.
Millstone Hill is a very special mountain biking venue. Over 60 miles of twisty singletrack trails that were recently built o
n what was once a huge industrial setting. Granite mining in Vermont at the turn of the 20th century was like the gold rush in California . By the 1920's it was over. What was left afterwards was a vast moonscape wasteland. Over 80 years of vegetative growth now hide the bare rocks. Over 20 deep quarries are now lined with trees.We left mid morning and arrived at our bed and breakfast by mid afternoon. After checking in, we set out to check out the trails. We followed what was called the "blue loop" which linked intermediate singletrack trails together in a loop around the Lodge. The loop started you out by going up to high
vistas like the one pictured above. As we got into the heart of the quarries, the trails put you right up to the edge of 100-plus foot drops into water.We deviated a couple of times onto the 'black diamond' trails and did the signature long black diamond trail called "TNT" on the last leg. After dinner we slept well and got off to another start mid morning the next day. Again we picked our way around a large loop selecting trails that looked interesting on the map. There were no long hard climbs, but plenty of short steep climbs and drops. Lots of rocks and roots to challenge your technical skill and plenty of great scenery. We both promised to return again, even if just for the day. We took a long, unhurried drive home stopping in Woodstock to shop and eat after buying some great food at a farm stand. A very pleasing two-day get away both relaxing and getting some exciting workouts in.
Terry and I have wanted to do some road riding together for some time. We finally got it planned and pulled it off on a Saturday. We met at Salem and rode the course that the Battenkill-Rubaix race is run on in April. Terry recently lost some weight and has gotten himself into great shape. He is a former Divsion 1 NCAA football player, so knows how to get into shape and is obviously a formidable athlete. He is new to cycling ways, however. So, it was great to give him some pointers and pass on some of the lessons I have learned over the years. We had a great day - high 70's to 80 degress and no wind. The 56-mile course is challenging with many longer and steep climbs, many of which are on dirt roads. We completed the course in about 3:45 minutes of riding - and stopping a couple of times to refill our bottles.
The following week marked the six month date of the Battenkill-Rubaix and the Cambridge-based bike clubs held a "cyclo-sportif," which is the Euro term for a non-competitive, citizen (non-racer) ride that follows a race course. I planned on doing the ride along with Donna, but did not tell her about this plan until the morning of. She quickly realized the great opportunity it was and before she knew it we were driving over to Salem for the start.
getting ready to ride --->
There were about 40 riders in all with abilities ranging from semi-pro racers to leisurely tour riders. We had a great
time. I started the ride with a pack near the front, but not pushing anything close to race pace. We stopped and re-grouped in Cambridge at the bike store. After restarting and getting to Willard Mountain I turned around and found Donna. Typically, she was assisting another rider that had mechanical issues with his cleats. We grouped up with another couple and a few others and road the remainder of the course together. restarting at the bike store --->
We wound up doing the course in about 3:30 and again I got to enjoy the challenge and the great roads that are so close to home.
