I gotta go ride!!

I so badly wanted to make my own version of bread and milk yesterday.

"I gotta go ride my bike, I gotta go ride my bike, they opened the trails! I gotta ride my bike..."

The Whitewater Center finally opened up the trails and I was giddier than a little school boy in those crazy school uniform shorts... you know, the ones where they are wearing a jacket and tie up top?

a gang of giddy chaps

I really should have done it... but I didn't want to look like a crazy man to all of my neighbors.  I was excited.

I noticed two things out on the trails.  First, it was hotter than dog balls under the trees.  Second, I totally see why they had the trails closed so long.  Complain all you want... I'll admit, I was starting to grumble as I missed riding there... but the fact that there were still some muddy spots just shows how messed up the trails must have been.  If they had opened them up any earlier the trails would have gotten trashed by bikes going through.  So, they did what they had to do - and kept the trails closed.

They even (in spots) threw some gravel down on the green trail to allow them to open up the trail now; rather than wait for it to completely dry out - so they've been doing what they can to help speed up the process and protect the trail.  So, for all the noise you've been hearing from angry bikers I want to say "thanks" to the Whitewater Center.

I rode the section of the Carolina Thread Trail that runs into USNWC for the first time yesterday, and it was a neat little out and back.  It had some deceptionally deep mud pits once you got out towards it's end.  I stopped when I came upon a log floating across the trail.

I looked at it for a second and ascertained that there was room to pull it further downhill - if it was lite enough for me to handle.  It was.  It was VERY lite.  It was an easy fix.

took all of 7 seconds

I really wish I had taken both photographs from the same spot... could have made a sweet vanishing gif with that... oh well.

My ride was riddled with stops.  Stops to clear the trail (look above), adjust my seatpost to stop the creaking, pee, answer the phone when my brother locked himself out of the house... you know, the typical things.  Add the heat along with that and I decided to skip Carpet, Goat, and Toilet Bowl.  It was just a quick in and out for me yesterday.  

But it sure was nice to be back out there!