Lonely Week

Annie's been gone all week... which meant by the time she returned Sunday the house was left with very little in the means of food (I'd been scrounging - avoiding the responsibilities of grocery shopping).  It also meant I could set my bike up in the kitchen to finally get rid of the tubes and get back to a tubeless set up. With much dirt shed on the floor (from my ride on Wednesday) the HiFi is ready for some low pressure action.

I was itching to get back out this weekend and explore the trails I had to bail on due to darkness, but family matters called for my attention over the weekend.  Saturday I picked my mother up from Logan and drove her home to CT.  Sunday morning I came back up to Boston and straightened up the place before Annie's arrival Sunday evening.  I thought about a quick ride before she got back... but figured I should make sure the place was presentable after her long visit with her sister.

So that just means today after work (back in the 50s again!!) it's back to see how much further I can get into the new trails I started exploring last week.

On previous rides I have started in the Caryl Park parking areas and then gotten into the Noanet Woodlands.  The sign pictured above is new, as I've crossed into Hale Reservation (briefly) previously, but this was a very nice addition to that intersection.  I'm hoping I can eventually put together a nice long ride as I've seen many unmarked trails leading off these mapped areas.  Even driving to these trails I've noticed some nice looking singletrack running through the woods and crossing the road.  Who knows, maybe I can put together a nice epic ride around the area.  

But I'm super excited for what else I'll find in the Hale area... the singletrack I encountered was super tight, flowy, with some killer switchbacks.  The trails utilized the terrain well and made sure that rocks features were enjoyed... check it out.

I'm standing at the apex of the switchback

There is a cheat to the left if you don't have the power to go straight up.

I did find that with the switchbacks some features came up fast, so until I get a better sense of the lay of the land a higher cadence in a easier gear is probably the way to go to avoid stalling on any short climbs.  If the rest of the trails are as sweet and well designed as these this may just be a new after work favorite!