Daily Dose

So it has been tough lately finding time to ride, between weather, work and life itself. It's good to do other things other than mountain biking but when the opportunity arises I put it into action! I had just gotten home on sunday afternoon after spending an amazing weekend up in the green mountains with my beautiful wife for our 2nd year wedding anniversary. Since we had a nice long weekend monday was still free in the morning. I had planned an early ride so it would leave most the day free but when I heard the thunder and lightening strikes outside the window I knew my plans had changed. I slowly woke up around 9 and noticed that things outside were changing and the wall of weather I saw on the radar had passed an it looked like today was going to shape up. But I saw all the water and decided it might be best to stay home. About 11:30 the sun was out and it was getting hot out and I decided I was going to give case a shot. I arrived to a completely empty parking lot which is rare on the worst of days. I realized I might be turning around shortly into the ride. So I pedaled in and to my surprise things were very firm. Things were smooth sailing through just a couple puddles and surprisingly no mud was to be found. Lots of tricky roots and rocks that had me on my toes and once even over the bars. I have gotten quite good at casually going over the bars, I don't know if its the no suspension, the 29 inch wheels or ride position maybe....but I have gotten very good as not to panic while I am loosing the endo and getting to meet the dirt. I usually find myself catching both palms on the ground and pretty much doing a downwards pushup absorbing the force into the ground like a set of suspension. Any who we did a short loop while getting eaten alive by mosquitos and sweating my face off but a good time was still had. An hour and 10 minutes into it we were had and back at the car seeking refuge from the biting jerks. Bentley was pooped form the weekend in VT but he had a great time and it was good to be out.

Shorty

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Case Bites

Got out this evening and it couldn't be sooner! I had planned for a ride and it did come together thankfully, I have been working 11 hour days to make up for having friday and saturday off since we are going out of town so we got a 6:00 start. The day was perfect with party cloudy skies the temps were warmer than I would like at 83 degrees but summer is still welcome. A few minutes into the ride and I was feeling funny, I found out soon later that it was the helmet missing on my head...so back to the car I went and got it on and shook it off. Me and Bentley tore up blue and over yellow grey down to the river for a good drink for me doggie, and up the hills we went. I couldn't help but notice the bugs taking a liking to me, they were biting the crap out of me. We were making good time even with me swatting and rubbing off the mosquitos. Over to tinti and down the the reservoir we rolled solid and fast. Said hello to a few doggies and up case mountain to catch the sunset. we sat at the lookout and I wish I could somehow get a picture of the two of us. Down to the car soon later and to home we went.

Case bites

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Spring is here

The spring weather is here, I had not gotten on a ride in a whole week with the weather. I was more ready to ride than ever so me and Bentley hit the trails hard. Well I wish harder but I was feeling lazy unfortunately, must have been that quantity of pasta 30 minutes before the ride...none the less we showed up at Case pond lot and started to get ready for the ride. The sky was cloudy with patches of blue and warming sunshine. We headed up case mountain to do the normal blue out to tinti and reservoir and back and had a really good time riding. The trails were moist from the previous days of wet weather but they were drying as we tore it up. Bentley was full speed ahead, he had a good rest since I was avoiding taking him out since he came home with 8+ ticks on them that made their deathbeds on our bedroom carpet. So nasty I cannot stand those little critters, especially on my sons......Ticks aside I planned on Bentley going for a swim which might help if he got any I was thinking anyway. So we stopped at buckingham reservoir and for a swim he went! He was loving it and he swam quite good. We then headed back up case mountain where is proceeded to mist and minutes late POUR! NO biggy since the last 5 minutes were pretty wet. The pictures might not look like rain was coming but that's spring!

Spring case

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Case on the run

With these busy weeks and fluctuating weather patterns, saturday after work has become a good time to ride consistently. It also doesn't hurt to burn off that steam from the work week and try to relax the nest day and half. We were heading down to my parents for the rest of the weekend so it was necessary to ride a quick pace and somewhere close. So none other than good old case was the plan of action and as always it had rewarded me. It was an overcast day and managed to get home and grab bentley for the ride and we were off. Hit the trail and had a game plan for a lengthy but fast 90 minute journey. Made our way up blue and hit the river and bentley had a good thirsty drink form the stream and then back up the mountain we went and over to tinti trail. Tinti trail is a remade version of the old trail which had been destroyed by logging. Someone has gone out and rebuilt it and I am quite glad they did. It has a pretty cool look to it with all the scattered dead trees, also boasts probably the most single track Case has to offer. We mached through there and headed down to the reservoir where in the distance I saw a curly large white dog and it was none other than bentley the other labradoodle. He has the same name as my doggy and it pretty much the same breed. I was not in the mood to stop but could not help letting the two of them run around together. Bentley seems to enjoy his own kind for some reason, he seems to have had the best encounters with playing with his own breed for some reason. After 5 minutes of that we were back at it and headed towards the finish line. Tried to clear the rocks that stroll across the river and found myself in the injection seat. Caught myself swiftly and avoided any injuries and back up case mountain we went. The last 10 minutes were great, the sun was out and it felt sooooo good. Down case mountain and back to the car we were to be rushing home to get ready for the weekend. Thank you case you never fail me!

Case rocks

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Hale Rager

So thursday showed its face and I did not want anything more than to get out and pedal! My allergies were still being very tough on me but I was not going to let it get the best of me. I had suffered most the day getting by only with my inhaler, and as I was driving to the ride I questioned my sanity for going out for the ride. I held on strong and got to the lot and took a test drive and the lungs were feeling ready and so was my pal Bentley. Few familiar faces were at the trailhead and before we knew it off the four of us went flying into the woods like a bat out of hell. I was holding down the team in the back as usual, the woods were so incredibly green I wish I had the time to stop for a few pictures but these guys were flying! We got through the twisty's and down the hillside. It was feeling so good to be out and I was feeling good but not as fast as my fellow riders as they began to disappear into the thick woods. After we got through the technical mayhem I finally caught view of them and shortly after we spent a second stopped. I was looking around and caught to my eye a tick about to latch onto my leg and I peeled that sucker off so fast, I hate hate hate hate ticks, stupid little critters that latch onto us and spread they're nasty diseases, I wish death upon them all. I had already peeled one off little bowies belly and I was beginning to worry for bentley. Soon enough we were back ripping into the woods and had no time to think of ticks, up down and through the woods we went. Out to slick rock oooooh what fun, over to bipolar and on to scoliosis. Onto the rock trail and then wiggle back to the car. Good fun was had and at a seemingly fast pace, even the home stretch to the car I felt like we were still in a rush. Look at my phone and saw trip time was an hour and twenty nine minutes, wholly smokes! Seriously quick with the normal 2 hours it takes on most the days there. my performance was good for the condition I felt I was in despite playing catchup most the ride. Felt so good to be out that afternoon and headed home with a smile upon my face.

Hale rager

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Tuesday was an active day

The weather has been great and it has been a great motivation to get out and enjoy the spring weather. Unfortunately this usually means a suffer fest from my allergies but with all the prescriptions and products I have now it is somewhat manageable. I decided to start the morning off right with a bike ride and as I said I would try to get somewhere new every tuesday I stuck to that plan and adventured over to salmon river forest in marlboro. The air was cool and sun was warm and there was no Bentley to be joining my ride since he was still so pooped out from a weekend at my parents. I missed him allot and wish he was with me but I was able to make due by myself. After a bit of trailhead searching I came across the entrance which was a rail trail. It was a great way to start the ride off on a flat wide beautiful pathway. I found some single track off to my right and according to my research it should be what I am looking for. The trails had no markings which made navigation a little less certain but added some adventure to it. Was rolling on some really great single track and I was having a blast. I was kicking myself for not getting there sooner, I was also saying to myself this is the best stuff I have ridden since I moved. It did lack technical but it made up for it in narrow single track and smoothness. Made my to the top and found another trail I intended to ride and it was incredible, twisty, tight and all the good things that make a good trail. I rode it all the way back down to near when I started and got onto another new trail and goofed around on those trails and before I knew it I was back at the rail trail pedaling happily to the car. It was an amazing ride and am dying to get back there!

Salmon river forest awesomeness

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After the Bike ride I was able to talk LuAnn into going for a ride together on the rail trail near our house. I have seen and been on small parts of it but never as much as we had done before. We got to the trailhead which was so nice and close, and we hit the trail pedaling fast. The trail is very very smooth and quite picturesque. It was really thankful to be out together and I was lucky to have her by my side. We rode all the way to the objective which was valley falls which is familiar to us since we walk our doggies there every week. We did make it there and even pedaled a little further. We then took a couple pictures and headed back which was even faster. We made it to the car in no time and we loaded up the car and headed home to get ready for the next adventure.

We got home and headed right back out to walk our doggies at valley falls. The weather was still very nice out and it was very nice to be out as a family and enjoying the afternoon. We did our normal loop and by the end I think we were all pretty tired out and were ready to get home. It was one heck of a great day and so glad I got to spend it with my hot wife!

Valley falls walk

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