Happy Trails
31 July 2009
30 July 2009
29 July 2009
321
It is hot and humid and I'm leaving in three (count them: THREE) days.
The pre-departure saga hasn't gained much in preparation. Some sunny days, some crummy days, some good rides and some bad, overall having a net zero gain.
I successfully recruited a friend to ride home to NJ. He's coming to Boston on the Eve and we're leaving as early as possible on the Day. I doubt we'll see any setbacks as far as getting to the starting line. So that's a plus.
On the downside, the bike's back tire mysteriously popped last week. I took it to a shop to get it changed and also to get a crash course on changing tires and the like. When I nonchalantly mentioned the trip, Bike Dude stops his work and mumbles something about getting a new bike. I asked him if my bike would make it all the way and he goes, "aueahh...I mean sure, why not? back in the day people did all sorts of trips on worse bikes...with fixed gears and...sure"
"Would you do it on this bike?"
"AhhhhhI'd get a new one."
So I guess that means filling half of my cargo with tubes, tools, and patch kits. I've also been running around trying to find a bike rack. Maybe I should just bring some cash to buy a new bike.....just in case.
I spent the rest of my morning typing up cues from the GoogleMaps and bikely routes. Paul has his GPS, but nothing compares to having directions on paper and tucked away in a sports bra. If all goes well, we'll be moving 80 mi/day and getting home on the third day. There'll be two ferries, one night of stealth camp, and one night at a friend's place in Long Island.
Oh, speaking of which...who knew Long Island was so.......long?
Wikipedia did:
Both the longest and the largest island in the contiguous United States, Long Island extends 118 miles (190 km) from New York Harbor, and has a maximum width of 23 miles (37 km) between the northern (Long Island Sound) coast and the southernAtlantic coast. With an area of 1,401 square miles (3,629 km2), Long Island is the 11th largest in the United States, and the148th largest island in the world. The land area of Long Island is larger than that of the state of Rhode Island and larger than any U.S. territory except Puerto Rico.
That would explain why 2/3 of the entire ride is in Long Island.
09 July 2009
Ouch
This post is not a storytale. Just a bunch of disjointed remarks, nothing more nothing less.
After 7 months of cruising on Beacon St, I decided to change the scenery- took the week off to go to North Jersey. Part of the reason why I bussed south was to visit the family and the other part was so I could take advantage of the trails that litter Sussex County. I figured I should comfort my inner woodland creature and bike through dirt and mud- as a way to reassure myself one month before takeoff.
But there's nothing more comforting than wanting to revert to the fetus position at the base of a nearly vertical climb. The flat, paved roads of Boston have spoiled me to the core. My thighs right now stopped responding. I've even renamed them. My left is Misery and my right is Anguish. So yes, "Ouch"...ouch is right.
Besides my new dependency on pain relievers, I had a stupendous ride today. I did an out-and-back of the Sussex Branch Trail- which follows what used to be a railroad path. The route totalled about 40 miles on dirt and mud, but it felt like 400 when including the route to and from the trailhead.
It took me a while before I found a decent route of the Sussex Branch Trail on Google, but I did stumble on some interesting sites:
www.traillink.com
But there's nothing more comforting than wanting to revert to the fetus position at the base of a nearly vertical climb. The flat, paved roads of Boston have spoiled me to the core. My thighs right now stopped responding. I've even renamed them. My left is Misery and my right is Anguish. So yes, "Ouch"...ouch is right.
Besides my new dependency on pain relievers, I had a stupendous ride today. I did an out-and-back of the Sussex Branch Trail- which follows what used to be a railroad path. The route totalled about 40 miles on dirt and mud, but it felt like 400 when including the route to and from the trailhead.
It took me a while before I found a decent route of the Sussex Branch Trail on Google, but I did stumble on some interesting sites:
www.traillink.com
Kittatinny Valley State Park (from the NJDEP)
For the record, let it be known that this post is also my response that cute thing people say: "New Jersey? What's in New Jersey?" The state has a HUGE backyard to its notorious turnpike. I'm almost ashamed to say that I forgot how many animals run around on the streets. A black bear greeted me on my first day home. Granted, it was in our neighbour's yard, but the last bear I've seen was stuffed and in a museum. I saw a generous number of deer...enough to make me wonder why we don't see venison on the market, Deer is delicious AND they don't know how to look both ways before crossing. I also saw a fair share of cute furry rodents. one red bird, one blue bird, four bikers and two cats.
I commend my dad's bike for its plushie seat, lightweight frame and smooth cruising. Its gears mastered the 90° inclines that seem to dominate the neighborhood. Great bikes like these almost make me think that my decade-old, $10, greasy purple Garage Sale mountain bike is obsolete. But of course, I'm just being seduced by this shiny blue one. I'm totally bringing the plushie seat back to Boston with me.
by the way...Berries are EVERYWHERE. They've saved me before and saved me again when I was becoming delirious. If you're ever spending time in the woods in the NE zone, look out for mulberries (June/July), blueberries (mid-June-August) and blackberries (July/August)
For the record, let it be known that this post is also my response that cute thing people say: "New Jersey? What's in New Jersey?" The state has a HUGE backyard to its notorious turnpike. I'm almost ashamed to say that I forgot how many animals run around on the streets. A black bear greeted me on my first day home. Granted, it was in our neighbour's yard, but the last bear I've seen was stuffed and in a museum. I saw a generous number of deer...enough to make me wonder why we don't see venison on the market, Deer is delicious AND they don't know how to look both ways before crossing. I also saw a fair share of cute furry rodents. one red bird, one blue bird, four bikers and two cats.
As summarized in these two pics, NJ is a juxtaposition of noxious chemicals and natural beauty.
and terrible suburban graffiti....
01 July 2009
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