I was startled awake, frightened, a bit confused, unsure where I was, my heart racing.
You see the thing is I occasionally don't sleep well, I have been a better sleeper the last four or so years but the last two weeks has been particularly bad. My mind just won't slow down I toss and turn, I attempt all the classic cliches, somehow my brain pushes on. I designed a tree house, built a car from scratch, visualized an overnight bikepacking trip, designed the perfect van interior for tripping, just random stuff and it won't end.
So when I started Tuesdays ride I was tired, it was bitterly cold the fog full of tiny assassins assaulting my face with their daggers of ice. I thought about returning to bed, to the warmth and security offered by my down comforter, you cannot fail it is safe under the sheets. Regardless I rode on into the darkness, I wouldn't have slept anyways.
The sun having emerged from slumber much later than me began to burn off the fog, the temperature rose my hands and feet went into auto-defrost that painful yet somehow pleasurable time when blood flow returns feeling much like when you hit your thumb with a hammer. A mix of singletrack and gravel had brought me to Loveland Bay, here I stood for a bit as the sun beat on the last of the cold.
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| Loveland Bay |
Ice! Yes ice, as I rode on, I came upon a hollow, a particularly cold dip in the road where the puddles were frozen and again so was I. I struggled, should I stop and put on some warmer clothes or tough it out. I shifted up a couple gears rose from the saddle and began stomping on the pedals having decided I would stoke my inner furnace with effort. On the climbs I unzip my outer layer a light fleece top and vent heat on the descents I close everything up tight and shiver, still my mood is upbeat and like an audible "Ground Hog Day" "I'm Not One" by the Pop Punk band
BUM loops in my mind occasionally I sing along out loud, no one hears, no one cares. I pedal on.
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| The spot of the sugar low |
My route took me along an over grown road, dark and moody, mist hanging from the trees, I felt alone. And as I occasionally do when in the forest by myself, I felt very vulnerable and frightened, in the forest you can feel small. The forest does not know you are there, it cares not if you live or die, but it can make you feel alive, it can offer peace, it can offer a place of solitude where you can be strong or weak, I am humbled by the forest. I began contemplating turning back, I ate a few gummy bears, soon enough I was back singing aloud and I pedaled on. I realized in my excitement to ride I had left home with out eating my breakfast, coffee alone cannot power a ride!
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| Looking north across Mohun Lake |
I arrived at Morton Lake my destination hear I planned to change footwear and run some trail before a meal and the return ride home.
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| Shimano bike shoes |
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| Treksta running shoes |
I began my run with a forest ramble, just because, it is good to get off the beaten path sometimes, change things up, you know variety, once on trail the run was, well a run, nothing much to say. I was though getting hungry, the three gummy bears while riding and the two gummy Coke bottles before the run were not much assistance now, food was on my mind.
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| Cooking up lunch at Morton Lake |
For lunch I cooked up half a
"noodle meal" ate an apple, then I lade down on my back on the gravel in a spot the sun had warmed where it's rays could push the last bit of cold from me. There I lay eating gummy food feeling the sun. I was startled awake, frightened, a bit confused, unsure where I was, my heart racing.
I had fallen asleep and now bolted awake unsure of why I quickly scanned the scene for danger. There was none, my attention returned to gummy food and I noticed the bag now had a hole in it? A
Steller's Jay had hopped onto my belly and helped himself to my gummy food waking me in the process! How rude not to ask first!
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| Thief! |
Comfortable as I was I could not remain here conversing with the Thief, I packed up and hit the road home. These rides have a way of fading from memory and I struggle to believe I actually have completed a single one. After finally having a good nights sleep, and upon rising this morning I am unsure if this ride was a reality or a dream perhaps, a day dream?
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| Home is at the end of the road |
