Adventure rides with Full Keg

When DKEG says he wants to try "something different" bring extra stuff. Tubes, food, water, lights, you get the idea. Then, when he says "been 'bout 7 years since I was here last", start questioning YOUR sanity.

Actually, when he says that stuff it usually means you're in for a good time. Might not go as planned, but, it's sure to amuse you and you're never bored. Had one of those rides last night. With more rain sweeping through the region the trails were out and skinny tires were called into action, again. The Kegger was rolling on his new Bianchi Roger (a very sweet bike) and we rolled out for yet another mixed surface ride to points north. It started out like most of our Sugarloaf adventures, hit all the usual roads, both paved and gravel. Then, when we got to the mountain, David said "let's see how the yellow trail looks". It looked wet, it was wet, but, it was also very firm. We kept checking to see if the 32's were cutting into the tread and surprisingly enough they were not. So we proceeded around the mountain on a trail that has little business being called one. Much like the Blue in the Shed, this is an old logging road someone blazed with a little yellow paint and called it a trail. A good 80% (if not more) is simply this old abandoned road littered with debris and gravel. After a heinous climb (walking) it levels out once more and rolls along towards the backside of the mountain. There is some single track and it was, admittedly, pretty damn fun. Very rocky and not the type of place you'd normally take a cross bike. Of course, we are anything but normal. If the rocks weren't so slimy and if I wasn't pushing such a steep gear, it really would have been a super ride. I flatted once on a small drop into a rocky puddle and was a bit "frustrated" with the situation. I pushed the negative thoughts out, after a cooling off period, and started to find the mo to go along with the jo. Good stuff on the back half and we were having fun.

Time was getting late and the sun was quickly falling from the sky. We were still on single track and had a lot of road in front of us. The last section of yellow went quickly and we commented how rocky this once buff section of trail was. DKEG's memory of this trail was one of fast flowing single track. What we found was rocky and technical. Fun to be sure, but, was not factored into the "plan". Back out of the road, we picked up the pace and tried to beat the sun before it retired for the night. The ride back was spectacular. A day that had seen driving rain earlier had become a beautiful evening perfect for a ride. We didn't quite make it back in the light, but, fortunately most to the route is on back roads that see little traffic. Back at my place we cracked a couple Peg Leg's and munched down on M&M cookies.

Damn fine ride!