With the leaves almost all off the trees, and temps in the 30s(F), this is a ride feeling more like winter than fall. I tried to convince the Princess Stoker that the ride today would be pretty cold, but she stuck by her guns, wanting to come along on the climb up Catoctin Mountain. She admits she got a little cold, but had fun anyway. She even brough along a friend from school, a stuffed doll that the kids bring home and write stories about.
As for myself, this was for me one of the hardest rides I've done this year. I don't know if it was the cold, the extra tonnage from the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner my wife had prepared two days before, the fact that the bike was shifting horribly (I just can't get the hang of multiple gears, why more than one?), or the knowledge that today was the first day of firearms deer season, with us riding up into a prime hunting area. Whatever it was, riding was as uncomfortable as I've been this year, and I was feeling sluggish, sore and out of breath as we struggled up the mountain. I even considered giving up, but I knew I would't have another good riding day this month. Besides, the Princess did help a lot, both with pedalling and by sharing the bag of halloween candy she brought along for snacks.
Catoctin Hollow Rd, and indeed the whole Watershed was as busy as I've ever seen it, with cars and trucks parked along it, hunters going out and heading back, and the occaisional sounds of gunshots off in the woods. We took several breaks on the climb, but eventually were at the top. I even saw three other riders on Gambrill Park Rd. We kept the stay at the overlook prety short to avoid interfering with any hunting, and paused at the trailhead to add more warm clothing for the ride down. We also talked to some friendly hunters who had just bagged a nice buck. The descent is why I think the Princess chooses to do these rides with me. "Faster Daddy!" is one of her favorite phrases. Soon we were back at the truck, the heater cranked on full for the short drive home.
| Gingerbread Fred hitches a ride. |
| The low water bridge on Blacks Mill Rd. |
| Ice on a branch over Little Hunting Creek. |
| Finally arriving at the overlook. |
| Staring into the sun with Fred. |
| A Panorama of the Monocacy River Valley. |
| A few minutes of play on the rocks before heading home. |
| Today's Map. |
| Today's Profile. |