Back From the Undead

Last Wednesday night was the only time I was able to ride last week, so I thought. Dennis, Zach, David George and I got in 20 miles averaging over 10 mph in Dupont.

Friday came rolling around and I watched the weather like a madman waiting to plan an excursion into the unknown. It was going to be me and the dogs, so I wanted a ride to fit the bill.

It started pouring when I got home so I drank twenty four ounces of steel and watched the weather while swinging on the front porch swing with the dogs vying for “best petting” position. Then out of nowhere the rain stopped and the clouds looked slightly less ominous so I suited up and hit the road on the Stone Cold Sober Monkey. I was still pushing 34X19 as I am lazy to change the gear.

I ended up pushing my luck by riding all the way to the top of Paris but I didn’t drop in on the dirt since it had been raining. Instead I made my way to the very top and reflected on life as the fog briskly blew over the top of the mountain all around me. With vertigo from the clouds completely enveloping me I decided it was time to head back down.

Its good to know the local BP owner won’t even flinch when a blue and white flowered mountain biker walks into the store for 40 oz's of 211. All he said as he took my $2.00 was “Great night for a ride huh?” I replied “yes” ecstatic with my purchase.

Fast forward to Saturday, it is freaking Christmas in March. I got a call from the boys in blue to let me know SURLY had ponied up and resurrected the Drunken Monkey. So here is it is, a time to reflect. I raise my glass of hoppy goodness high into the air and toast this great company that makes awesome two wheeled rolling machines. Way to stand behind your warranty. I will be buying more bikes from SURLY in the future.

Did I mention I painted two walls on Saturday? All the while, the two dogs were playing “escape from columbia-trez.” Kristin and I are working on fixing up her house in Columbia so we can get it on the market. While we were out running errands Shade and Buddy dug a hole under the fence and went on a great adventure. Thank god we found them before they made it to the main roads. I am sure they were running towards the mountains.

Sunday I found myself driving to David George’s house so we could go on our great adventure. It consisted of 40 miles of pavement, dirt, gravel and singletrack to surmount 4,000 feet of elevation gain. It was a perfect afternoon with a cool breeze at the top of Pinnacle Mountain and a warm feeling in the woods.

Climbing up to the top of Pinnacle was one of the hardest climbs I have seen in all of Dupont or Pisgah. At the top you are rewarded this view taken from the hang gliders ramp, the idea of jumping off that ramp with some synthetic fabric manufactured to make someone fly gives me the willies down deep.

We hit two the last two marked trails I had never been on in Dupont. They were both gems. One with two small rock hucks that made me go back for more. It was a big day and we finished just before dusk, the perfect end to Christmas in March.