Hot and Steamy Ride On Oak Hill

In case you hadn't noticed, it has gotten hot here. Really hot...and humid. Yesterday the thermometer read 95 degrees and the humidity made it feel like we were swimming. We couldn't let that stop us though, so we waited until 6 PM in the hope that it would cool down some by then (what a misplaced hope) and then headed out to Oak Hill. The pace was kept around a nice painful level. Between that and the heat it was a shorter ride, but it was a fun and fast one on a day that made one simply glad to be outside.

The world is looking very green here now. Anson surfs through some green waves:

Rocks, Roots, and More

Another day, another ride. This time we went out to some of the more technical trails around and had a blast playing on the rocks and lurching over the roots. Technical riding can be hugely frustrating at times, but when one is in the right mindset it can be a joy. It becomes a sort of game or puzzle, trying to maintain balance and pick the right line through a section. This was one of the enjoyable times.

Scoping a line (can you find it?)

Recovery Ride

After an exhaustingly long but glorious day at Kingdom Trails, we woke up to a cloudless sky in Hanover. So much for a productive work day. Just as I was starting to motivate toward a day of homework, Tom called to go for a ride. I thought about declining, but then I came to my senses and agreed to go so long as it was slow and short.

Turns out that I got my first wish, nice and slow. Short: not so much.

We headed out down to find some less-ridden trails and found some picturesque bridges over some quaint New England streams.

Kingdom Trails

Last weekend we had a great trip up to Kingdom Trails. The trails were in great shape and everyone had a blast. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we were all thinking of our next trip there as soon as we were on our way home.

Here are a few highlights from the trip:

A Gnome Home! (on the side of one of the first trails we rode):

Sunny Day

The weather was nice and all signs were pointing towards dry trails. It was time for a favorite.

Why is it a favorite? Could it be the view? Maybe the sweet sweeping corners? The beautiful forest wrapped around the trail? You decide.


The view:

Return to the Dam!

The new trails were so good we could not stay away. We returned with a larger group and a little more preparation (still insufficient though).

Photos: Tom Collier

We were greeted by the remains of a previous ill-prepared visitor:





















 

Quick Ride

A short jaunt into the woods on some of my favorite trails. It was one of those days where it is hard to gather enough momentum to get out on the trails, but so worth it once you do. Sometimes technical trails hit just the right spot.

Photos: Tom Collier

Home...

...where many of us spend most of our non-riding hours:














 Photo: Tom Collier

New Trails!

We got the rare and wonderful chance to ride new trails near home this weekend. The weather was gorgeous.

First and Third Photo Credits: Tom Collier
Second Photo Credit: Alden Adolph

The trails were great. Here we were discussing the matter:

Introductions

One of my favorite things to do is introduce new people to mountain biking. The more people I introduce, the more fun. With 2 girls new to the sport and two who had never mountain biked, this Saturday ride looked to be a great one.

Photo Credit: Tom Collier

Excited to ride!

Mapping!

The local trail situation is typical of many places around the world. There is a lot of riding, and many of the trails are really good. Unfortunately, very little of it is both legal and public. Hopefully, that will be changing soon. One of our favorite riding areas is Oak Hill. The trails are normally closed until May 15th. However, this year has been incredibly dry. Looking to open the trails early Anson talked to the authorities and got them opened. Good work Anson! We took the chance to set out with a borrowed GPS to map the trails, as a hopeful first step in a trail legalization process. Photo Credit: Tom Collier

Anson Checking out the GPS: