Waywayanda Thanksgiving Day Ride 2008
The Thanksgiving Day ride is a mountain biking tradition that has been around since before I started riding the trails in NJ, and hopefully will be around for my daughter to enjoy when she is ready to come out on the ride. In the words, pictures, and links that follow I will try to re-create my ride experience for you. I turn left into the park Godsmack’s Dead and Broken is playing on my XM radio. I look down at the clock it is 8:15 I am actually on time for once. As I drive towards the boat launch where the group will meet-up for the ride I see some runners jogging on the path that run parallel to the road. Their breath is visible so I place my hand on the side window of the car to get a sense of how cold it is outside.
When I left my house it seemed pretty warm for an early November morning but Just an Hour north west of NYC it is considerably colder. I am glad I brought some extra warm clothes. As I pull into the lot I see a few familiar faces. I pull up alongside Doug’s white CRV, he is taking a test spin on his brand-new Santa Cruz Blur LT which he purchased to replaces his 2007 Blur LT. I am still on my 2004 Cannondale Scalpel 3000. It has served me well these last 4 years, standing up to full race schedules, winter rides, and countless training rides.
I go over to Doug, say hello and check out his new bike. Stefan pulls in and I go over and say hello. This past year we have ridden quite a bit together. Stefan and Sean (who is not on the ride today) have taken me down-hilling a few times at Mountain Creek, lending me a bike, protective gear, and providing tips and some encouragement for the trails we ride.
I go back over to my car, unload my bike. My chain looks dry so I lube it up along with the derailleur cables. I am all ready to roll out but the groups are still forming so I ride around to keep warm stopping to say hello to other riders and catch up with some of them. After a little while we are off. Our group is a pretty big with about 20 riders. There are a couple of other groups that make up the B and C rides.
We ride over the dam and then make a right up a steep rocky section. The trees are mostly bare and the leaves on the ground make this section a little tricky. I make my way up my rear wheel slipping every now and then. The riders who have dismounted are quick to move off the line, A courtesy that is appreciated I am barely staying upright and any additional obstacle would surely have me on foot as well. After we reach the top of the hill we are met with a gradual rocky decent. The rocks make for good launch points and I get some “air” off them.
We then enter a rock garden section that is part of the race course it is about 50 yards long the last 10 being the most difficult. I clear the rock garden and pick my line through the rest of this technical section. After the technical section we reach a clearing where the group reforms.
The sun is shinning now and after our last effort riders are starting to peal off layers to prevent themselves from overheating.
Someone is fixing a flat so we have an extended break. My breakfast is sitting a little heavy in my stomach and I feel a little nauseous so this is a welcome rest. After five minutes or so I am feeling better. I spot Ellen White and go over to say hello. I comment on her pink custom color hubs and spokes from Industry Nine. After a little catching up on this past year race season Stef and I take off a little bit before the rest of the group up a fire road climb that is covered with leaves and strewn with rocks.
At the top of the climb we make a right and run into Art White (Ellen’s husband) we confirm the route that the group will follow. The route takes us a little further down the fire road then left up some rocky single track that curves to the right and then makes its’ way down into another rock garden. I clear all of it until I reach a steep uphill and spinout on a root. To the left of the top of the climb there is a downhill section that connects with a trail along the lake. The rain from earlier in the week and the thawing ground has left this section extremely slick and is making the off-camber trail even harder to ride than usual. I manage to clear most of it with a “dab” here and there, but I am happy when I ride clean through a rock garden that in previous rides I had not been able to clear.
I get to the end of the section and pull out my camera. I take some shots of riders coming through and have a Gu energy gel before going up a newly cut single track section. We ride along fire road looking for the trail entrance someone finds it and we all enter in a line. The loamy trail is freshly cut and winds uphill the trail is dotted with pink plastic markers. At the top we wait for the rest of the group a few riders set out to check out an old cemetery that is no to far from where we are. The other riders get to the top led by Jim Clausen and then we all start down a trail called Rattlesnake the route seems different than I remember from last year with some new turns and rolling sections. The trail ends as I remember with rocky water crossing which I blow. There is also a steep uphill rock face that I have only cleared on one occasion today notwithstanding. After the Rattlesnake we connect to a new trail, a rocky out-and back ridgeline that Jim has been working on. This trail is made up of natural and built up rock. One section curves and forms a berm. To the left of the ridge there is a steep drop off. I catch a pedal and I am pushed towards the edge. I quickly look over the edge and then back to where I need to go. I give a hard pedal with my left leg and lunge the bike forward back on line. (Seems like I have learned something after ten years of mountain biking.) 
We stop at a Plateau at the top of the ridge. Jim has a few names for this trail but I personally liked Moab East. After a brief rest and some more pictures we start back out and connect onto split rock. The split rock trail leads ends with a tight twisty section of rhododendrons reminiscent of Tiger Woods at Allaire State Park. We end the ride on some fire roads at then hit the red trail for a final bit of fun. Jim, Stefan, and I are the last of our group we arrive at the lot and say good bye to one another and some of the other riders. I load my bike into the car and start my drive back. On the ride to where I will be having Thanksgiving dinner I reflect on the ride, the trails that various people have put countless hours into, and the people I have come to know through the sport of Cycling. I am truly Thankful for days like this.
Labels: Ride_Stories
