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I don’t know why I don’t call out for a proper group photo on these each year — just thought of that. Well one of my fav rides of the year is this one right here. minimal planning needed on my part to put it on — folks are self supported and I just get to ride along and yam about with the gaggle of them. I love showing off what I consider one of the top cycling destinations on the east coast — and the fact that I can put registration up 10 days before the event and it has no problem filling with familiar faces, and new “recruits” — we are always subliminally pushing our mud yourself in the woods saddle sniffing agenda — whatever that might look like. well on this day, it looked like this (these are pictures of it after all).

lots of bags — folks set up for camping the night before and after wherever they ended up on the course. Tyson, Brian, and Brian in this photo. where would they end up today?? all different places actually. several folks choose to cut the route short and take random country paths wherever they may lead, as long as it was back down to the Hadlyme Ferry Landing. hard to pick a bad road around here — just stay away from the ones with numbers.

a variety of bikes on display — there is no right bike for riding around here. Eric Roth in the left photo rides a DH bike for 60 plus miles on the reg! Joe Cruz in the other photo was on a Pugsley with 29er wheels. I was on my Alumax grav machine with 700×45 UD rosé race rubber. course designers choice — felt correct, but again as long as you had a good climbing gear, you were on the right bike.

advertisment: how cool is this bike???? thanks, I am just pleased with myself.

so things were pretty murky to start — the forecast was rain and thunder most of the day — but the sprinkles came early, right before the ride shoved off from the ferry landing. the morning mist really saturated the fresh spring colors abound. it was warm and inviting.

the cloak of green swallowed 100 riders whole. I was out front from the start, but stopped to catch up with others as they passed through. before I knew it I had found a nice crew to settle in with as they day got longer and the water drained from our bodies.

then the sun started to creep out around lunch time. the ferns had crept out a week before. I can’t describe the hallucinating effect the fresh ferns have on the brain when navigating single track through a forest understory of them, but it’s something I look forward to each year.

soon it was time to miss all the turn offs for amenities and drop to the point of no return in Hurd State Park. I had chugged a few pints of water right before leaving the house thankfully — I only brought 2 small bottles on this ride because they matched my bike best. thats more important than hydration to me! lol, but for real. a few folks in front of us found a nice maple sugar stand and got some candies and water along the way — smart!

by the time we made it to the edge of the CT river in Haddam Neck, most of us were pretty parched and looking forward to the proposed water pump — a spot I have not gotten water at in years, but figured it would be producing. after a nice lunch break riverside, we climbed up a narrow steep single track onwards.

then we made it to the iron “shake weight water pump” and nothing came out. we alllll jacked that thing off and just got blisters. welp, so much for that. luckily Danee of Jersey had a water filter and about 15 of us took full advantage in a nearby brook. Danee Bwoyyy saves the day from kidney stones!

with bottles kinda full we pushed on through the most remote part of the course.

shadows were getting longer, but distance to go shorter — still it would not be easy.

a certain elation came over us as we crested the top of Mt. Pernasus (not a mountain at all) and dropped back to the barn.

a long swim with lots of boiys in my hole, and then up to the barn HQ for some solid hangs and pizza from a Kosavari family nearby.

a day for the books; I mean BLOG!

xxRR