Pandora Pounding
We had nine start this ride, including Glenn.
Glenn had attempted the Soggy Bottom 100 MTB race down on the Kenai Peninsula on Saturday and it kicked his butt. He timed out of after reaching Checkpoint #1, 42 miles into the race. Dean, who also attempted the race, timed out after reaching Checkpoint #2, more than 70 miles into the race. In fact, more people scratched than finished the race. Tough one!
Oh, and Glenn led the Moderate Monday ride this week. It ended up being a pavement ride, but it was fast-paced. So no one was surprised when Glenn was lagging a bit on tonight's ride. After we climbed to the top of the Waterford Trail, Glenn decided to call it a night. He did the little lollipop loop on top and headed back.
The other eight of us continued on. We climbed the power line trail that parallels Old Murphy Dome Road. That one has been a bit challenging since GVEA cleared the right-of-way a few years back. They cut down and chewed up the brush. That's great, because it keeps the power line open, but all that chewed up brush now coats the trail. And it's mostly uphill. Uff da.
About halfway up I hit a log and had to step off. The timing was right. I hadn't put any bug dope on at the start of the ride and I was beginning to think I could get away without putting any on. The mosquito number have dropped off precipitously in the past couple of weeks. But the skeeters finally came out on the power line, so I doped up.
We dropped down the connector trail between the power line - El Dorado Creek and stopped at the turnoff to the O'Connor Creek East Ridge Trail, aka Spanky's. That was named by the late, great Rocky Reifenstuhl, who organized a race using that trail.
That trail is 4 miles of roots, roots, roots. A little over halfway in, after bouncing around on his bike seat for miles, Mike said: "Oh, Spanky's. Now I get it!" Or as Nikki said in her post-ride report: "So many showed up to get spanked!!!"
Finally, we got close to my neighborhood near the top of the Pandora Road complex. We got to the Decision Intersection. There, I give everyone a choice: Take the left (the blue pill) where we soon hit the road system, which we can take all the way to Goldstream Road and back to the cars at the El Dorado Creek Trail pullout. Or take a right (the red pill) and follow a trail (with more roots) all the way around the subdivision to the Cranberry Trail, take that trail down to a side trail and out on Pandora Road. Some years the cry is near unanimous to get to the road ASAP! Enough of the damn roots! But tonight, Ben B. wanted to take the red pill. Kurt was intrigued.. No one else voiced a strong opinion, so we took the red pill and went right around the subdivision.
Going around the subdivision is a mix of challenging and easy, but it's a fun way to get around the intersection and the payoff is the Cranberry Trail downhill, which is a blast! A bit rooty, a little curvaceous, total fun!
Then it was out to Pandora Road to Goldstream and back to the cars. There I pulled out the usual snacks, but they were outshone by the watermelon Nikki brought that had been leftover from the Drew's Angel Creek 50 trail running race on Saturday. It was a fairly warm night and we had worked hard, so we scarfed that melon down. Thank you, Nikki!
Great trails, great ride, great riding partners!
Pics by Eric and Nikki
