Monday, June 25, 2012

RIDICULOUSLY HOT WEEKEND

Here we go! Rise and shine! Loaded and ready for a much needed road trip. 3 weeks of summer session classes are intense and there's only a couple of ways to blow off pressure; my choice bicycles!
It was already 76* at 8am and the forecast was for more hot and humid all weekend long. Where am I headed? AsheVegas for a little MTB short track action hosted by the Asheville CX guys then onto Clemson SC for a MTB race at the SERC series promoted by Goneriding.com.

The drive over was beautiful! I love the mountains and scenery I live in. I drove a 18 wheeler for over 20 years and I still like traveling on the interstate system.
Turnout for the short track was a little down. There was Jr Nats going on in Augusta, GA., Treeshaker in Charlotte, NC and several other things happening in our area so people were strung out. This was the hardest turn of the short track (pic below spider) . Just less than a 180* turn to the left and steep pitch with lots of loose gravel and dirt to wash ya out. This pic is standing at the base of the climb looking backwards. There were plenty of bobbles here, other than this it was a fast course!
I went to the park restroom in the camping area.... It's a nice park and the restrooms are kept very clean for a park. Whilst I'm doin' my bizniss on there I feel things, more than one, crawling up my legs! I don't panic, because of the obvious, and look down... I have at least 10 of these crawling up me on the toilet. Spiders don't freak me out that much especially grand daddy longlegs. It was creepy though. I finished my bizniss then shook these off me. I could only imagine the screams if these were in the ladies restrooms!!!!!





I made podium but didn't win. I did get a sweet pint glass and leather coaster for my troubles. The winner got a really sweet embroidered army hat. After watching another class race I jumped onto motovan and headed to Clemson, SC. It was already 90* now. I like camping but somehow I thought tonight may be miserably hot for camping.


I had a really nice flat spot, got set up and hung out and talked to alot of old friends I had not seen in awhile. The China2Nina drew alot of attention. I have ALL the decals removed now and its just carbon and red (which soon will be all matte black), people were asking what brand it was while we were all hanging out. I got so many different responses it was funny. There were a couple of guys shocked when they found out the truth.
This green jug is da bomb! I stopped at a McD's and filled this monster up with good ole sweet tea (it holds 2.5 regular sweet teas, btw) to re-hydrate with on the drive to SC. When I woke up Sunday morning it still had ice in it, wowzers!


This may be ghetto but it works! $5 for fiberglass screen material, $2 roll of duct tape, $4 roll off blue non-sticky tape = no flying skeeters in motovan while the windows are down during the night. Camping in the motovan may be sissy to some but I'm not full-blown sissy campin' like the RV'rs with A/C, generators, bathrooms and such. If there had been a breeze that would have helped! I tried to sleep but the heat never left the woods until about 2am, I hate trying to sleep when its hot.



The dirty leg shot! I really like these Mavic fury shoes! They're a little loud for me but so comfy. As you can see the trails were soooooo dusty. They (I don't know who) cut new trails in the woods for the X-terra race on Sat. We were to use the same trails on Sunday for our race (9.7mi laps). I wasn't impressed with portions of the new trails to be honest. It looked like they just went through a small pine section and zig zagged cutting small pines with a chain saw and leaving 3 in stubs all over. I wondered, while racing, how many ankles were twisted if the Xterra ran this course too. The real single track we raced on was totally awesome! We also got to finish, last 1/4 mi, on the DH section of the Clemson collegiate course which was a blast. Did I mention it was hotter than blue blazes??

Loaded up and ready to roll home. Wait! I'm heading back to the kayak pull-out on the lake again! After a 30 minute soak and entertaining the bluegills I waddled out and dried off. Fresh clean clothes on - now time to head to the volunteer state!
This week I have to concrete a few signs in the ground and finish up a few things at short track. The double jump will be just that, a double jump. It will be very difficult to roll it now with all the rocks and wood that is laying in between the take-off and lander, man up & jump it or ride around it girls! The rock garden is getting some logs and a few more rocks, I'm betting most will log hop or ride around. The ride-arounds have been redesigned as well. While it may be easier it will take more time, as it should!
David, a buddy of mine, sent me this picture from Augusta while they were at Jr Nats. I've seen pics of these but not in person. I guess you could call this super-motovan!








LAter G..................................

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