2008 Six Gap

Hogpen is just brutal.

Accumulated time splits from my watch:

Neels Gap: 1:47:45 (17 minute stop)
Jacks Gap: 3:01:51 (8 minute stop)
Unicoi Gap: 3:41:38 (20 minute stop)
Hogpen Gap: 5:27:38 (40 minute stop)
Wolfpen Gap: 6:51:47 (no stop)
Woody Gap: 8:02:46 (11 minute stop)
Finish: 9:01:47

Tour de Georgia 2008

Joel, James & Meg. Mist and light rain in the morning delayed our 10AM start to 12:30 - leaving Crystal and Mary with no choice but to return to Starkvegas before today's ride. Camp Wahsega-Black Mtn.-Stonepile Gap Rd. At Stonepile Gap Meg fell over on the steep switchback, yelling "ZMPFR" all the while. James and turned back just as Joel arrived. Meg was fine, but the skies opened up and we found little shelter in the wet woods as violent rain shower passed through the mountains. We returned and then rode Wash Rider OAB, and then Wahsega to its paved end at the Ranger training camp.

2008 Tour de Georgia

James, Meg, Mary, and Crystal arrived last night and I cooked an Italian sausage and penne for plenty of carbo-loading and afterward we watched Brasstown stages I had compiled from the previous three years. Breakfast was granola and yogurt with strawberries - my usual. We had a relaxing depart this morning - caravaning three cars about 10:30 AM to the intersection of 180x129 - but had to park on the other side of the bridge because there were so many people already parked nearby. Meg started out too fast and blew at the first 10% climb to Jacks Gap. Crystal was dizzy but recovered with a gel, and later Meg was fine too. Climbed Brasstown to the wall, then turned aroun and watched the race below the 3km-to-go sign with Crystal and Meg, while everyone else made their way to the parking lot. Cary stopped to chat for a while, and we spent an hour or so with a course marshall, and good weather as the race came by in the afternoon. Fast return and then found out Meg had hitched a ride to the car while we waited.

2008 Tour de Georgia - Ride Report

Tour de Georgia Stage 5. Left the cabin at 11:AM riding south on Camp Wahsega Rd. Saw a few riders after turning onto Black Mountain Rd., who left us with directions to Stonepile Gap Rd. Climbed the backside of Woody Gap (a first for me and Joel) - a lot of fun. On top, before the race came through it rained and we sheltered with some new friends - Robert of Cummings, and Auden from Atlanta, both racers, and an older guy who offered us cookies, but had none to share:) The return was just as nice with the very long descent down Woodys to Stonepile Gap, and then on to the cabin for roasted salmon and basil pesto and pasta.

Six Gap 2007

First time to ride Six Gap, and first organized century ride with Escher. Met up with Billy D. at the top of Unicoi, and then rounded out the group with Mike M. on Wolfpen Gap. Perfect weather. The only thing I'd change is to not climb Hogpen (especially), Jacks, and Unicoi two days before Six Gap. Lot of fun. Total Times:

00:00:00 Start
01:41:13 Neels Gap
02:42:03 Jacks Gap
03:21:48 Unicoi Gap
04:06:23 Start of climb to Hogpen
05:03:10 Hogpen Gap (00:56:47 timed)
06:14:32 Start of climb to Wolfpen
06:38:04 Wolfpen Gap (00:23:32 timed)
07:41:11 Woodys Gap
08:39:43 Finish

2007 Birmingham Bicycle Club Century

Birmingham Bicycle Club Century. Di Anna, Joel and I drove to Alabama Friday evening, ate dinner in Tuscaloosa at the Mellow Mushroom, and stayed at Holiday Inn Express in Calera. Saturday morning we rode the metric century. Highlights: 15 mph headwinds for the first 34 miles; Di Anna surges past 50-rider pelotons to avoid yo-yo-ing pacelines; no rest stop at the metric turnaround; 15 pmh tailwinds for the last 50 kilometers!

Pedernales Falls

Borders and I were both non-motivated to do much of anything, while at the same time wishing we could do anything! So we drive out to Pedernales Falls SP, one of my all-time fave spots in the LStar state to hang out and watch some liquid nature refold itself into a pleasant swimming hole a few miles downstream. Drove on to the overlook and parked, and then against a wicked bit of southeast wind set off toward Highway 290, some 11 miles distant and over a swarmy succession of 8 to 10% stingers overlaid with dryland cedar and scrub oaks. Borders turns back a tad early leaving me to fend off the leather-clad motorists who are way lost and the ugly gusts on the last hill to 290. Turning around I made half the time and we were happy as two paddlers on a downstream shindig. Truly - these days a chicken leg is a rare dish!