Father's Day — Some Tough MTB Miles — Doesn't Get Any Better

Father's day or not, it was a perfect one for getting out there and doing something outdoors. Hope the other dads had just as much fun, at least as possible. Nothing like riding with your kids.

Wind looked too feeble for much windsurfing fun, the beach probably crazy busy.  And folks were not moving quickly. But a perfect day for biking. 

Gordo was willing and able, and after a detour to the amazing Harbor Freight Tools in Huntington for a tow hitch adapter, we followed Jericho Turnpike a few miles back West, down to the Trailview State Parks trailheads.

Gordo stops for a photo break on the home stretch back to the Jericho Tpke. Trailview S.P. trailhead. Father's Day 2012.

Woooooh, tough one today. Five miles of rocks, roots, more rocks, roots, gravel, gnarly climbs, rooty climbs, gravelly climbs, rocky and gravelly climbs, concrete blocks, wood slat ladders, plank lined sloped, one-foot drop offs, pedal-catching stumps, more technical climbs — and a quick loop with some fast friendly single track.  I skipped a favorite part of the blue to avoid three favorite  heartpounding climbs. Energy conservation to be on the safe side. Next time we do them. 

Two-way trail, a quick loop and back to the two-way trail. First time under the train tracks in many years. The goat trail leading in and out is a challenge. Do it once and you never forget it.

First we went south, it was overgrown jungle down there, downed trees at head height across the trail, poison ivy, thorny rose bush vines.

We got the continuation of Woodbury road but G did not like the  "highway"-like look of the crossing, and decided that was as far south as he was going. The plan was to attack the steepest portion of the greenbelt. So now Plan B: Up to the Stillwell railroad tracks and then … what?

YOu can see some steep sections. They felt almost as vertical as they appear. Many more micro-steeps on the technical two-way trail. We did the easy loop to save time and water.

It was harder then I remembered and easier at the same time. Not as physically tough as last August, but the technical parts were just as challenging as ever. Hundreds of roots and rocks, gravel and more roots and rocks. Trail features that stop you dead in your tracks at the steepest moment.

Gordon was dogged about retrying the most difficult parts.

Decision time at the top of the hill before the tracks: If we go down we have to come back up.

Erm. When you forget to press reset, you get a lunchtime walk added to your MTB tracks...and time. Oops.

Holy crap this part is nuts. I haven;t done it in years, a goat trail with a drop off to the right toward the tracks, hairpin bends and sketchy gravel off-camber, with rocks to steer though in places. Nasty. Fun. 

A bamboo grove awaits at the other side. once through that we took the blue trail to the Stillwell main trailhead and the green for a quick and easy loop around.

I was well over budget for time ( or so I thought) and getting low on water. and we were only halfway done. 

Gordo mocked the green loop, but for me it was a welcome respite — energy conservation mode before we got back to the tracks and the climbing fun began again.

With time running short on my potential expire-ometer, and the day getting late, I opted to short cut the goat track (next time we do that too!) and push the bikes up the hike/freeride slope, to rejoin the bike trail at the summit. It was still a gasser. Once back on, some previously difficult climbs seemed a lot easier, and the main thing was to keep one's attention focused enough not to wipe out on the fast, technical and jaggy Jericho section. The home stretch.

Ahhh. Great ride. Hour and 27 minutes probably with stops for traffic and whatnot.

BIKE RACKOLOGY

With the new hitch on — Dodge installed the wrong one, the 2" inch, I slipped in the new adapter and cranked on the bike rack to test its roadworthiness. Moving it by hand moves the whole van, like the tail wagging the dog. There's a lot of play in the system, and a ton of leverage with the extension now so far out back you can open the back lift gate. The apparatus must weigh 50-60 lbs and with two 30-lb bikes that's 120 lbs. 180 with 4 bikes, all hinging on a 3/8 inch threaded steel pin. Hmmm. May have to get a dedicated 2" rack. The adapter on it's own is 1/4" thick steel and weighs about 6 lbs.

DAMAGE REPORT: BIKE: Seems to have bottomed out the shock a couple of times. Not enough air. Gotta keep the rear shifter cable from tripping the shock lockout. Not funny on a rocky rooty trail when you don't expect it. Cue the electrical tape. ME: Neck was sore for two days but improved. Some triceps burning from the cervical radiculopathy past, but faded quickly by Tuesday. Back T1 area was sore, as was the T1 neck junction area. Real aggravated post-rise asthma-like symptoms came on that night and worse the next day or two. All the pollen got the sinuses raging. PND. Coughing and whatnot.