If One Shot....

Foto by Tomi,...again.

If just one shot could define the year so far with bikes, and the great outdoors,...this would be it.
Last September I turned the big 4 "O" by coming down with Lyme's disease, lying around, and wondering what the hell was wrong with me.
Spent the fall and early winter hiking the region of the woods most people refer to as Southern Gas with the new pup,...trying to take it easy and recover.
By January, the line was tracked from weekend ski's. (Sp?)
By March, three grad classes were finished in three months as the snow began to melt away.
By April, I was learning to enjoy my now, very short commute through farm country.
By May, I was handing out beers at Maximus thinking I'd never come around.
June and July put me on Dawn Patrol almost daily if I wanted any riding time.
The Curse had me thinking.
Then the First Top Secret Michauxslovakian Beer Run combined with the Second Annual Buck and Tractor Ride had me riding with friends both new and old.
Rattling Creek was a very pleasant surprise,...I'll be back.
The Shando 100, for the first time in,...six years??? With the Cakes,...does it get any better??? Finishing with Doc, Theo, and Chad??
And last but far from least,...the Terror. Yeah, sure, I felt good. I could tell from the way I went up the first climb. But something happened between the start of Southern Gas and the end of Virginia.  Finally read the book as viewed by the author,...everyone roaming around,...within small distances of each other, but still far up the trail, talking. I remember turning on SG and seeing Buck, Churtle, Topher, Montana, all at the same time, droppin' knees and carving turns.
Virginia was even better. Everyone was visible. Keefer, Elk, Jay, MasterNater,... Buck Topher, Churtle again, Pedro and numerous other riders.
I was pretty damn happy to say the least.
As Buck, Topher, and Nate started riding away on Mackey, the smile got ironically bigger. They were killin' it. And behind,...I knew Wrenchy wasn't walking.
So my prediction was right,...the riders came out! It didn't matter where you finished, you were always in good company.
So that's it,...that's a wrap. Unless you find yourself on an invite to a Top Secret Michauxslovakian Beer Run, the next time you'll see me,...not like you care, is with a Cheshire Cat Smile hidden beneath  a scrubby beard handing you a beer or a Melt Down Cola at the last Maximus water station.
Until then, I'll be working on another Cupcake surprise.
See you in the woods.
The Tractor