Skip wanted to grab breakfast so we hit a little Mexican place called Anita's he knew about. They had a spinach and chile breakfast burrito served with a side of refried beans -- not my usual breakfast fare, but it was really good -- and I couldn't eat it all (was a big burrito).
As we were waiting for the food we decided to re-look at the maps. As a result the ride to Charlottesville to David's local brewery -- where he usually filled his growler he showed up with -- was scrapped. Also, the Beer Run, a beer store Phil recommended, got scrapped since both were in Charlottesville. Now not only do we not have a growler of beer, but we haven't grabbed any bottled beers yet either.
The deviation from the plan was due to some idiot (me) stating that since we were going to be going near Elkton, let's just jump over the mountain then criss cross over and back that ridge. I have been wanting to run that stretch for years but never got to. So, that's what we decided to do. We would hop and skip (no pun intended across that mountain winding our way southeast (as we were in W(BG)V then). When we needed to get to the brewery we would beat feet on the slab if needed.
Until we hit US 211, we were on mostly US highways and was not slab, but still mostly connectors. 211 looked fun on the map and it did not disappoint. As much as I hate the People's Republik of Virginia, I will give kudos to the VDOT. They have the ascending side of the mountain two laned.
I had been following Skip, but when the road opened I grabbed the outside lane and figured we would run side by side. He fell in behind me and we just opened the bikes up!
This is the first time I have been able to dance on these new shoes. I got them mounted just before the trip but been slabbing the whole day yesterday. I am rolling along quite nicely through the curves, grinning the whole time!
THIS is why I ride! Man, that was fun! The surface was smooth, the road just weaved its way up the mountain left then right then left then right then ..... and the bandit's 1250 cc's were just singing a pretty tune.
From 211 I think we picked up a few miles of slab to get to 33 west of Elkton. Again, I have been wanting to run this for years. It's about 4-5 miles of straight through national forest then you hit the mountain.
I'm anxiously awaiting this road and up ahead dark clouds were looming. By the time we approached the first set of switchbacks climbing the mountain, the road was wet and it was sprinkling. New tires or not, I just don't trust wet roads, so not going to push it here. I guess I just need to go back through there when it's dry.
This slow, but steady sprinkle stayed with us the rest of the day. I don't like riding in the rain, but I don't let it stop me either. Skip, HATES riding in the rain. I mean *really* hates it! I find it less miserable when I have someone riding with me (misery loves company thing?). I don't think that worked for Skip.
The wet road forced us to slow down from what was anticipated had we been running this route when it was dry. It was a shame too because the roads could have been fun.
By now we have been in an hour of rain, and I am starting to get a chill. The past two days, I have been sweating, now have a chill. Apparently, Skip had also. We stopped at the very next store we saw. We watched it drizzle a couple minutes and convinced ourselves to gear up and get on down the road as time was getting tight.
Did I say that this could have been fun if the roads weren't wet? This is nearly torture to go this way on wet roads! What idiot decided to take this .... oh wait!
We finally get to I-81 and I am happy to get there. Oddly, last night I was glad to be done with interstate -- today I'm happy to get to it. Funny how rain changes the game. ; )
Besides, we have lost a ton of time tip toe-ing through the twisty wet roads. It doesn't seem like we are going to make it to the brewery on time. Luckily, those that said they might make it know of my propensity to be late.
We arrived at the brewery at 5:40. So we were 40 minutes late. It turns out, that the rain had also affected their plans and they scrapped it.
No worries, we still lifted a glass as we sat there shivering in cold and we were still able to fill the growler. Now we just had to find a beer store. It just so happens that Phil's local store was en route (or at least not far out of the way) , so we could grab some there. We get there and it's 8:07, they closed at 8:00. Gah!
Luckily, I knew of one other and we managed to find it. They have a good selection and serve food too, so two birds one stone thing. Problem is, it's now 8:00 on a Friday night at a popular campus hangout. It was nearly 10:00 when we left. That's not to say that hanging out two hours with my buddy Skip is such a bad thing. It was just late and I think we were both ready to be done with the miles and slip into some dry clothes.
We were only 40 minutes late to the brewery, but now we are going to be 4 1/2 hours late to the campground. Now granted, we stayed at the brewery for a while trying to shake the chill before taking off, but it's amazing how quickly that time thing gets away.
We slabbed it from there and not much to tell except that we were finally out of the rain -- Yaaay! A little mix up re-entering one interstate because I didn't read the sign and had to go up to the next exit and turn around.
Doh! I got off on this side of the interstate and blindly got back on what would logically take me back where I was, but, NO ... this interchange twists you all around. I think the civil engineers were bored and just wanted to do something different with this one.
Oh well, that was a short 5 minute delay as I blasted up to the next exit and back. Staged back up with Skip as he was wise enough to read the signage and didn't follow me. He told me he signaled me, but I was gone -- I could smell a cold beer by then! ; )
We got to the campground at 11-something, with a growler of beer -- it seemed fitting. Even though I didn't mean for it to be that way, a perfect tribute to Mr. Andersen to show up late with a growler of beer (which we didn't get to until Saturday, but as they say, that's another story).
I smiled and laughed the rest of the night. Good friends and good beers equal good times.
I sat there in my tent, without the rain fly, staring at the stars until my eyes closed just thinking about the day, and that tomorrow will be better as we should see no rain!
2 comments:
Glad you got to sample some of our local riding here, Ed. Not too shabby, eh? While 211 going west out of Sperryville is pretty good for that short stretch going over the mountain, 33 going over that range is a tad more exciting. And there's a lot of cool roads on the way. I would have suggested dropping down cresthill & fodderstack to 211/522 and then 231 out of Sperryville then 230 to Stanardsville and over on 33. (next time?)
Crossing the Va / Wva state line, on that mountain, that's where we do a lot of dual-sporting. You might have seen some of the mudpaths shooting off the sides or you might have been watching the pavement closely. There's a fairly extensive network of trails all up and down and around those ridges. Skip and I are looking for an opportunity to have him down for the weekend and do a little slipping and sliding in the dirt.
this wasn't my first rodeo. i had been on some of that before. that's why it was so easy to toss the plans out the window. that ridge between VA and WV is pretty nice. we got one here in TN/NC that one of my favorite rides crosses that ridge state boundary 5 or 6 times. FUN STUFF!
i did notice many little side roads when going through. many possibilities. keep me posted. doubt i can make it, but i may be able to crash that party for a day. ;j
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