At Home In The Killing Fields
The Exceedingly Polite Version:
Today started out early with a full run of the MBM course (almost...). It seemed a little chilled at first but once the internal combustion warmed up the temps were perfect. I headed into Madison on the H8TR with the intent of rendezvouing with Lyle, Colin and Trevor on their way out. I was about 200 yards from Whalen Rd when I met Zack on his way out. We exchanged pleasantries and he said he'd meet us out at the tunnel. Right on. Said hello to the skunk and the two deer carcasses (not much left of the those two fellows) and stopped at the bridge over the Cap City trail to wait for my three co-riders. and wait and wait some more. I was starting to cool off so I thought I'd I'd start back out and maybe they would catch up.
Trail conditions despite the rains from earlier in the week were fast and with the wind at my back everything was in its right place. It goes without saying that I love the unfinished part of the H8TR and today the love was stronger than ever. From Whalen to Henry the speedway was open. A little slower out in the open past Belleville but by then you're almost to the tunnel. On the segment leading up to the tunnel there was a farmer feeding a massive brush fire with a Bobcat. Even 50 yards away I could feel the heat and it was appreciated as the sun hid behind the clouds. I got to the tunnel and switched on the headlight and aside from a twenty yard chunk of solid ice and then some canned ham sized ice deposits for another twenty yards, the tunnel is clear. I called Zack's name in the tunnel but got no response so continued on to the other side and then on from there. About another 75 yards on I saw Zack's bike lying by the side of the trail. Hmmm...suddenly I heard a voice yelling behind me to get the hell off his lawn and there was Zack sitting above the tunnel entrance. We exchanged pleasantries again and he came down. Then we went back through the tunnel and 2/3s of the way through we met what might have been last year's MBM Classic winner Scot Van Asten (it was dark and we couldn't tell but whoever it was they were on a mission). It had to be a H8TR though because who else would be on a road bike in the tunnel on an early spring day.
Crossing back over Tunnel Road we finally met Lyle, Colin and Trevor. There had been some technical problems with Colin's pedals hence the slow up. We all exchanged pleasantires and then went to ride through the tunnel again and then back. Whilst traversing the washout gullies paralleling hwy CC, Colin nutted himself on the saddle while trying to get unclipped from his errant pedal. The rest of us stopped and chuckled good naturedly whilst Colin good naturedly gasped for breath. Colin being the trooper and hard man that he is perservered and we continued on. There was a mild mild headwind from the southeast but otherwise again conditions were nearly perfect. Arriving at the outskirts of H8TRville I bid safe travels and good fortune to my companions and headed back to the Kitten Ranch for a respit. What a pleasant morning's ride!
The Usual Version:
ARRRRRGH!!! RIDE!!!! FAST!!! ZACK!!!! LATE!!!!ARRRRRRRGH!!!! KILL!!!!!!!!!! FIRE!!! TUNNEL!!! ZACK!!!!! RIDE!!!! LYLE!!! COLIN!!!!! TREVOR!!!! RIDE!!!! TUNNEL!!! ARRRRGH!!! RIDE!!!! NUTTED!!!! PAIN!!!!! RIDE!!!!! ARRRRRGGHH!!!!!! END!!!!!
Today started out early with a full run of the MBM course (almost...). It seemed a little chilled at first but once the internal combustion warmed up the temps were perfect. I headed into Madison on the H8TR with the intent of rendezvouing with Lyle, Colin and Trevor on their way out. I was about 200 yards from Whalen Rd when I met Zack on his way out. We exchanged pleasantries and he said he'd meet us out at the tunnel. Right on. Said hello to the skunk and the two deer carcasses (not much left of the those two fellows) and stopped at the bridge over the Cap City trail to wait for my three co-riders. and wait and wait some more. I was starting to cool off so I thought I'd I'd start back out and maybe they would catch up.
Trail conditions despite the rains from earlier in the week were fast and with the wind at my back everything was in its right place. It goes without saying that I love the unfinished part of the H8TR and today the love was stronger than ever. From Whalen to Henry the speedway was open. A little slower out in the open past Belleville but by then you're almost to the tunnel. On the segment leading up to the tunnel there was a farmer feeding a massive brush fire with a Bobcat. Even 50 yards away I could feel the heat and it was appreciated as the sun hid behind the clouds. I got to the tunnel and switched on the headlight and aside from a twenty yard chunk of solid ice and then some canned ham sized ice deposits for another twenty yards, the tunnel is clear. I called Zack's name in the tunnel but got no response so continued on to the other side and then on from there. About another 75 yards on I saw Zack's bike lying by the side of the trail. Hmmm...suddenly I heard a voice yelling behind me to get the hell off his lawn and there was Zack sitting above the tunnel entrance. We exchanged pleasantries again and he came down. Then we went back through the tunnel and 2/3s of the way through we met what might have been last year's MBM Classic winner Scot Van Asten (it was dark and we couldn't tell but whoever it was they were on a mission). It had to be a H8TR though because who else would be on a road bike in the tunnel on an early spring day.
Crossing back over Tunnel Road we finally met Lyle, Colin and Trevor. There had been some technical problems with Colin's pedals hence the slow up. We all exchanged pleasantires and then went to ride through the tunnel again and then back. Whilst traversing the washout gullies paralleling hwy CC, Colin nutted himself on the saddle while trying to get unclipped from his errant pedal. The rest of us stopped and chuckled good naturedly whilst Colin good naturedly gasped for breath. Colin being the trooper and hard man that he is perservered and we continued on. There was a mild mild headwind from the southeast but otherwise again conditions were nearly perfect. Arriving at the outskirts of H8TRville I bid safe travels and good fortune to my companions and headed back to the Kitten Ranch for a respit. What a pleasant morning's ride!
The Usual Version:
ARRRRRGH!!! RIDE!!!! FAST!!! ZACK!!!! LATE!!!!ARRRRRRRGH!!!! KILL!!!!!!!!!! FIRE!!! TUNNEL!!! ZACK!!!!! RIDE!!!! LYLE!!! COLIN!!!!! TREVOR!!!! RIDE!!!! TUNNEL!!! ARRRRGH!!! RIDE!!!! NUTTED!!!! PAIN!!!!! RIDE!!!!! ARRRRRGGHH!!!!!! END!!!!!
posted by djonnymac at 3:34 PM
2 Comments:
funny seeing you/not seeing you in the darkness of the tunnel, your lights were the only thing that allowed me to see the otherside of the tunnel (the return trip was an adventure), this weekend I will not forget my light.
Did you see the cat/kitten mauling the snake in the middle of the trail?
That was no road bike, it was my H8TR rig
see you this weekend,
sva
oh my god kitten on snake violence?!! this race has got everything!
it being dark I could only guess it was a road-ish bike, but knew it had to be H8TR related.
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