Rock and Roll Stop the Traffic!: Valentoon's Day Classic Mountain Ride

Monday, February 16, 2009

Valentoon's Day Classic Mountain Ride

and tons of inner body transfers to boot! Transfer you say, Billy what are you talking about transfer? Listen, it is something that I cannot quite define or wrap up in a package neatly with a bow and put on the shelf for you to see but transfer is real. A new age Social Engineering Term. There would be no way I could explain something that I cannot quite define unless you are like the one out of every ten that are consciously aware of this ubiquitous transfer process and have them regularly. Ask around, you are bound to talk with someone who is on transfer right now unless by some chance of synchro indeed you are and/or may be. Enough of the transfer side track, lets get back to Saturday's ride with Shannon of Rochester. We were riding upwards from the moss covered bridge at the bottom of the fire road below the dirt mounds on 181 by 0930hrs for Ginger Cake Acres and onto Raspberry Ridge. On the way up the first of many transfers came when along 181 in a curve I read the death marker of a youngster who missed the turn on his championship level motor cycle. His picture was attached to a cross with a note almost describing the soul who perished right there not too long ago. Onwards and up being pulled by the power of the mountain. Morale was great for this the first of 3 climbs as we turned onto Ginger Cake Acres for the traverse to Raspberry. Not far along we were passed by a 2 vehicle shuttle loaded with 10 big bikes and presumably 10 riders. By the time we got to the trail head they were geared up and ready to roll so we followed as the 11th and 12th after being asked if we were going on a big ride. About half way down just before the hard left we rolled up on 2 of the 10 working on a flat. Then around the corner the other 8 waiting patiently for their amigos. We rolled through and off Raspberry which was in fine condition. The sky was mainly blue by the time we reached Greentown Plunge. Down and out over to Raiders. At the bottom of Raiders the water seemed higher than the crossing at Greentown. I heard her say, "Are we crossing that?" Yes, of course. I could hear the big bikes coming and persuaded her to hurry. That was the last time we saw them. Down off Raiders and a quick'ish stop at the natural spring and then on to the final climb up to Sink Hole Saddle. It was 1520hrs when we reached that point and the morale of my coed duo partner was waning so we opted to skip Sink Hole and descend the fire road back to the Montero. On the descent transfer my vision became crystal clear. It was like I can see just fine normally, 20/20 or so but on that fast downhill at a certain point something happened with both me eyes and brain that turned up the clarity. Light was streaming through the trees casting a glow in the downward sloping forest. The tan color of the fire road seemed almost electric as it wove it's way down around the toes of the ridge we were descending. The stream on the left was clearly green, almost an emerald filter casting light to the rocks at the bottom of the slowly moving water. No sound just clear vision transfer. Back to the Moss covered bridge in around 5hrs(correction: 6hrs), I took a quick swim transfer in the cold water before the uneventful drive back to the Jar.
Table Rock NC from 181 and the start of the road climb.

The top of 181 about to turn of onto Ginger Cake Acres

The view from a spot on Ginger Cake

Fallen tree turned stunt on Greentown, I immediately thought that the Hucklebees were responsible. I tried to ride it once. Made it onto the log but my pedal clipped the right hand nodule and scared me so I bailed. It is a rather high log ride at the beginning but an easy one I know as well.