The little one and I hiked Mt. Philo today. Trail on the way up, road on the way down. Its a steep climb – steeper with 30 pounds of Ava and kid carrier on the back. Rounding the bend on the top to head down a single speed mountain biker was just clearing the top of the road. Disc brakes and a low gear… and a faint ‘Hello’. The road must top out at 18% +. There are places to get a bit of rest… but its work on a bike. About halfway down he bombed by us through a switchback, knobbies humming on the pavement.
Smartphone, checking email after a quick breakfast this morning. Nice recovery spin. Out to the bay and back around the Intervale. Up through Riverside and a tour along the lake. Cold, but the sun is rising earlier each morning. Blue sky, wind, and purple orange mountains across the lake. Wednesday I need to rise earlier. More miles on quiet roads, perhaps early enough for a sunrise view to Mt. Mansfield.
Closing down for the night I watched the rain turn to sleet turn to snow. This morning there was a dusting of the white stuff – nothing sticking to the roads – but it was cold and wet. Certainly de-motivating to get in some decent miles this morning. Cyclists tend to complain about the same things – helmets, drivers, and the weather. I’m officially done with the snow and the wet and I’m complaining. I’m positive that once my new rain gear arrives we’ll have sunny skies and mild temperatures and I’ll never need to wear it.
A calm morning, drastically different from yesterday when the wind and the lake was trying to push the river back to the mountains. Recovery spin for breakfast along the lake.
Dirty bike... it needs a wash.Have I mentioned how much I love this cycling cap?
Took off for what was hoped to be a century – but looking at the weather report this morning we knew it would be a stretch. Jim and I worked ourselves northbound to the Islands into an impressive howling wind with snow flurries mixed in to keep it fun. Temps started in the low 30s and barely climbed into the 40s. Cold toes, hands, and a chill building under the plastic jacket (better wet weather gear is on the way).
Jim waiting in the wind. We followed the Lake Champlain Bikeway for much of the ride.
I added another notch to my RCP award training with a stop @ Hero’s Welcome. No cinnamon bun this week – but a chocolate pastry that was wonderfully washed down with some much needed hot hot coffee. Text to the wife and another with words of encouragement to Patrick who was 100 miles into the Old Saybrook 300k… then off south to enjoy a bit of tailwind, and then crosswinds, all the way into town. Another ~80 mile day. It felt like much much more. The last 10 were a struggle, into the wind near the bay, with a respite along the lakefront MUP.
Two snaps from this morning’s ride. I’ve been trying to get my miles in early – before the family is up and functioning. I went out for a hard 30, but there was no fire in the legs or lungs this morning, so I backed off and enjoyed the sunrise, turning my workout into a recovery spin.
~80 miles to North Hero in the rain and wind for a delicious cinnamon bun and coffee at Hero’s Welcome. This was my first training ride as I reach toward the coveted RCP Award (Randonneur Café Pâtisserie). Temps were cool on the way out of town, rain drops few. Wool layers worked well until the deluge started and then the plastic shell held off the chill for a bit. I followed the Lake Champlain Bikeways route from town up to the Islands, including a wind blown and dreadful stretch on a surprisingly busy Rt. 2. I brought the camera, only to turn it on and get an error for leaving the memory card elsewhere… so some blurry pics from the smartphone. This portion of the route is on the Celebrate Champlain 300k to be run July 26th.
Rolling on the MUP.Happy and dry...The Round Barn... apartment conversion?My first training ride towards my Randonneur Café Pâtisserie award.The death grate on the drawbridge to North Hero. I slid around here last year in the rain - this time I opted to walk.James Black cycling cap from Bicycle Fixation... a beloved piece of gear.
The sap is running, and this weekend is the Vermont Maple Open House Weekend. We took a drive for some lunch and to stop in at a sugarhouse just off the Dirt Road Permanent Route. Fuller’s Sugarhouse is a family run business in the shadow of Mt. Mansfield. The family taps 6000 trees and often boils for 5-6 hours a day when they have a good run. We watched the process a bit, rubbed the bellies of the family dogs, learned about their osmosis technique for removing water prior to the boil, and brought home a gallon of syrup…
Had a great foggy and relatively mild (temperature) morning ride. Rolled out along the lake with my headlight beam glowing in the fog and then took off for higher ground hoping to get a good sunrise view of Camel’s Hump. Worked the flats and worked the terrain. The big mountains were clouded in – so I rolled back to the lake and listened to the last bits of ice crunching along the shore.
