On New Year’s Day we had an impromptu ride, assembled quite literally last-moment. Voris sent an email at 8:40AM about a ride starting at 11 at his house. I rode to Casa Voris and met with Hodges and Voris. Hodges did 50-miler (very similar route) with Voris the day before and then ran up Iron Mountain that morning!
From there we headed over to 7-11 and met with Ernst and Tony. Not bad for a 2-hour notice.We rode some new roads (or at least they were new to me) – check out strava. Let me just say there was a lot of 19% steep gradients, "No trespassing" signs and cursing of Hodges who took us on intentional up-and-down, out-and-back loop just for his own sadistic entertainment. It was warm, with the temperatures in upper 70ies, and since I just came back from single-digit temperatures in Boston, it was nice to enjoy summer-like weather.
Because there was only 5 of us, there was almost no regrouping, even after the steepest sections. Tony and Ernst are in excellent climbing shape and kept pulling away from us. We hit 67 and descended down to Mussey. Hodges immediately turned around while the four of us took a brief break. On the way back, Tony and Ernst separated on the climb, while Voris and I took it easy. Ernst waited and did a super-strong pull – we caught Hodges who kept going through HVR, while the rest of us went down 67 (Ernst wen back High Valley, the way we came).
Excellent way to start a New Year. Happy New Year!
You should have come, Oleg.