Darkness Darkness

 

I set out on a short ride last night.  As usual I had trouble getting everything together and was rushed to get in the truck.  The OMTP called for an hour in zone 2-3 with no stops.  I am still sketchy about the Quincy loop after my Yukon run-in last week so I decided to do what I call the Farm Loop on my CX bike.

It looked like an easy hour when I laid it out on Map My Ride.  18 miles, mostly dirt roads, sunset at 6.  What could go wrong?  I had a blinky light on the seat post and a headlight in the truck just in case.  The route is mostly on private land, hunting season ended last weekend so the woods are deserted.  Nobody to chase me on 4-wheelers hollering "what da hell ya doin up har?"  I left the truck tucked down a little two track road at a little after 5.

The weather was perfect, 72 and cloudy.  The county road had just been graded so it was as smooth as pavement.  Apparently the deer hunters didn't do a very good job.  Deer were as abundant as squirrels.  I was concerned one might run me over.  Hey, it's happened.  I have never seen so many of those four legged bush maggots scurrying about.

 

Anyhoo I reached the northern most point of the loop and noticed it was looking a little dark.  Oh, no problem, I've got my..., oh hell, I left the headlight in the truck.  Which was by now a good half hour behind me.  If you're not over 50 you don't have any idea how hard it is to see in fading light.  I decided to do a reroute and take a power line road back to the paved road.  This road is usually wet but it hasn't rained in weeks right?

Not only did I miss estimate the amount of water on the road, I failed to correctly calculate how long it would take me to ride the mushy, muddy mess.  I finally made it to the paved road as darkness settled in completely.

Now folks up in these woods are not accustomed to seeing old white guys wearing Lycra with little flashing red lights on bicycles after dark.  Or anytime for that matter.  I could hear the roar of mud grips approaching, the driver slowed way down, then eased around me, I could see faces pressed against the window, mouths hanging open, as they passed.  The 3 foot law is apparently not enforced in Georgia, I was glad they were going so slow since they were so close.  I can just imagine how the conversation was going in that truck; "Deddy, why's that there ole man aridin hes bike away out har in the dark?"  "Ain't he got no brains?"

I managed to make it back to the truck ok.  Even if I did have to creep along the two track at a crawl.

 

San Felasco was great this year.  I enjoyed it more than in years past.  The single track seemed more fun.  No cramps except for in the restaurant after the ride where I almost knocked over the waitress jumping up out of my chair.

Cramps are sure fun for everybody who isn't having them.

And you can still have an adventure in South Georgia, just wait till it gets dark.