what a beautiful buzz

I capped of the symbolic end of summer holiday weekend with a quick llittle 20 mile road ride. I took the flat roads out and back to the North Mills River Rec. Area. All weekend the forest had been a zoo of people but now it was deserted. Summer is over. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. It was kind of erie but yet still quite calming.

Anyway it all started on Saturday when I met Jonathon, who is now allowed to race, with his long term Double Dare partner Joe for a little Pisgah ride. We did:

475 > Davidson River > 475 > Cove Creek > 225 > Seinard Ridge > Parkway > 879 > Ivestor Gap > Flat Laurel Creek > 215 > Indian Creek Rd. > 475 > Davidson River > 475

It looks like this:



Lots of pics. See if you can both Mt. Pisgah and Mt. Mitchell in the same shot.





















Sunday is Runday so after a relaxing morning I loaded up the dog and we went for a run in Turkey Pen. Our route was:

South Mills River > Cantrell Creek > Squirrel Gap > Laurel Creek > Bradley Creek > South Mills River > 66 Jumps

Running up Cantrell was nuts. It was like the jungle was closing in on me but at the last possible moment we freed ourselves from her clutches and popped out onto Squirrel. I was once again amazed at how good of a run Squirrel is. The best stretch of trail I've run yet. Pure bliss! But Bradley Creek was slog if there ever was one. It just goes and on for much longer than it should. In the end we got back to the truck after running 13.1 miles. Our first half marathon. The dog is a trooper!