Pigging Out on HoBaltCo Dawn Patrol

Left the house at 5:30 sans lights to meet KR at Landing.

Farm Field>Belmont Woods (d'oh! I broke my right little piggy on a
downed log)>stop at Belmont Woods road to give KRs rear tire air and
rear derailleur a chiropractic adjustment for better
shiftiness>Rockburn Branch up the right>Water Bars>Swimming
Prohibited>Vineyard>CCBC>Pig's Run, baby!>Swinging
Bridge>Cascade>Lewis and Clark>Old Track (came down hard bunny hopping
the mud hole and heard a loud pop)>Log (exit KR)>Renegade (new sawed
log bridge in the swampy part = fun)>Nacho

Hot and sweaty out there so a dip in the pool on return was just the
ticket. While hosing off the Surly I noticed what the loud pop was.
I must have come down right on the rim joint. See photo for the
carnage. I'm surprised the bead held for the remainder of the ride.
Oh well, I know I've got at least one more of those Ebay lot rims in
the shop. Looks like I'm ready for a rim job again!

Oink, oink!  Not by the hair of my scraggly chin-chin.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/34725115

Our mini van has a tree growing from it:-)

BB

Check Out Jennifer, Pam, and Tracy at the Columbia Triathlon

See the full gallery on Posterous

Valley Views on the Fisti

Short mellow ride.  On the way down Belmont Woods two dudes were walking their Karate Monkeys up the hill.  One of them blew out his King rear hub.  It was still good as long as you like freewheel when pedaling forward and backward;-(

Rockburn Branch up the right, Ridge, down Valley View, up the Waterbars, Ridge, 2nd Valley View alternate, left on Ridge, Connector, right Rockburn Branch, up Belmont Woods.

Trail conditions were about 70% dry and 30% muddy skim coat here and there.

 

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/34617154

Dangerous Hicks "Beer Cans of Death" Stunt Bike jump

Kenny never gets old.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=daWbbdLBRhQ?wmode=transparent]
Do you have any 12oz cans?

Columbia Triathlon 2010 - GO AFC

Yay!

 

 

Longish BaltCoHoCo Ride

longish_loop.avi
Watch on Posterous

Baler and I started out and headed for BaltCo right away via Belmont
Woods>Rockburn Branch>Ridge>Valley View.
Once in BaltCo we hit Swimming
Prohibited>Gristmill>Vineyard>CCBC>Santee/Charcoal>middle Buzzards
Rock>Gristmill.
Swinging bridge back to HoCo and we checked in via phone with the late
group Bill S, Brian, Tony R entering via Belmont. Baler and I went up
Cascade>Lewis and Clark>started on Morning Choice (enter the late
group right near the bamboo forest)
Hello, hello, and then there were 5 single speeders....Old Track>Lewis
and Clark>Cascade>Ridge>enter George P halfway thru who decided to
turn around and ride with us...6 single speeders now>Rockburn Branch
v^v>Belmont (Bill S, Tony, and Brian stopped for a flat)>Nachoes (for
George, me, and Baler)>Renegade>(exit George) Farm Field>Belmont
Woods.
Good times. 20 miles in the park. First half was kinda zippy, latter
half was long-breaks-conversational.
A good mix.
BB

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/34182699

Moist Quick DP

Got a late start so I kept it short.
Slippy zippy casual. Moist Hour Loop
A few puddles here and there and some corners had a skim coat of
slippiness. Farm Field>Log>Morning Choice (thru both Belmont
fields)>Rockburn Branch v^v (someone sawed the thigh high log outta
the way after the bridges)>Belmont woods (maintenance here too...the
eroded root dropoffs ared filled in with packed dirt now)

See the full gallery on Posterous

Mismatched brake levers are wily!

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/33899922

Robins Obituary

Sadly the Robins hatchlings are no more;-(

Mother Robin either went out for a pack of cigarettes and skipped town, or maybe that guy standing on a lawn chair and holding his cell phone camera above the nest every couple of days spooked her into abandoning her young.   The fact that Abby climbs that tree and bounces on that branch a few times a day may have helped Mom decide to ramble on too.

Now it makes sense but at the time(s) I thought it odd that:

• I never saw the mother visiting the nest
  
• the last time I photographed the babies ~5 days ago they didn't stand up with mouths open as usual..I figured that they were frightened and they laid flat when afraid
  

Over the past weekend it became fragrantly apparent that the hatchlings had expired.  Nest and remains were reverently removed from the Japanese maple.  The circle of life continues for other Blandford-yard flora and fauna.

Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in the Rain

Had a work meeting in Cambridge, MD today so I figured I'd take the
fixie Huffy down and ride around Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge afterward.
Parked at the visitor center and donned the AFC kit in the bathroom.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Started the ride thinking that I'd do a 25 mile loop on roads around
the refuge.  Soon after I changed my mind and decided to do an
in-and-back on the paved trail inside the refuge called Wildlife Drive,
and then an out-and-back on Maple Dam Road through the east end of the
swamps. Still got my intended 25 miles in and saw some cool wildlife
along the way: big turtle with red trim (Slider?), many Great Blue
Herons, Ospreys, many Red Winged Blackbirds, Fox with a gimpy left
front foot, Bald Eagle.

Steady rain the whole time and a little wind. I can count the cars
that I shared the road with on my fingers. Very casual pace with
frequent photo op stops.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/33678357

Nice beaver

BB

Apple Should Make a Vacuum Cleaner

They could call it iSuck!!!!
It would look cool and sleek, but it wouldn't do Flash.

DP with Multiple Partners

YDT couldn't join us by Dr.'s orders.  One more week, hopefully.  Don't worry, YDT, I'm having occasional DPs with other partners, but these encounters are meaningless.  I'm still waiting for you;-)

First ride on the Surly 1X1 since Baker's.  Met XX and W at Landing around 5:45.  Baler was running late so we called him and told him we'd meet him on Nacho.  Renegade and Nacho both had some logs removed.  I went down on a crash into a log on Nacho and broke my left brake lever.  I switched the brake cables around so I'd have use of the front brake with right hand and rode with one brake for the rest of the ride.  On the way up Rockburn Branch I noticed that my front skewer had come loose...thank goodness for the lawyer locks on the fork or I coulda had a nasty fall.

dp_part.avi
Watch on Posterous

Rockburn Branch^v^>Ridge>Valley View alternate>Ridge (4 of us sped up the hill to Cascade by a dude on an old Rocky Mt who yielded to us...I imagine that he thought us pretty fast)>Cascade (tree cleared out by root section;-)>Cascade alternate to 4 way at top of hill>back down to Cascade>Lewis and Clark>Log (exit W and XX)>Belmont>home

 

See the full gallery on Posterous

Overall, XX coined the ride zippy-dippy-casual.

On Rowanberry Drive I stopped to take a photo of a fine looking family of Canada Geese.

O'Malley vs Ehlich

Vote by posting a comment.

O'Malley the Alley Cat
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFZc3gyBEOA?wmode=transparent]

Victor Ehrlich from NBC's St. Elsewhere
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KjgvGlI5Z8?wmode=transparent]

Hmmm...

BB

It's been a long time...

since i had a pork slap. hurts so good:-) yum!

Robin live feed

0508101830.3g2
Watch on Posterous

BB

Tour de Cure Howard County MD

Huge showing for AFC!  Group photo!

Ran into lotsa AFCers along the way.  Jay and 2 dudes I can't remember names(?).  Stacey and Cindy were looking strong on the way into water stop 3 at Mt. Airy Bicycles. 

Mostly I rode with Marc (CBC), Mike (W), and Jen (EJ). Weather was a few sprinkles under shining sun early in the ride.  Then it turned beatifully sunny and dangerously windy.  Marc was muscling the 48X16 fixie...ouch!  Jen was her usual beautiful-she-beastly self.  W was super-strong and pulling the four of us.  The last five miles I lost them all and finished solo.  I was starting to cramp a little near the end.  It's funny that I can ride a rigid mountain bike 100+ miles for 10 hours without cramping but I can't ride a road bike cramp-free for 60 miles. I was really starving near the end too. The slice of pizza for breakfast and the granola bar and Montana huckleberry gel during the ride didn't do much for me:-(

Best part was the Cosi food at the end. I ate <oink, oink, oink>:

• 2 chicken Caesar pitas


• One caprese pita


• One piece of roast beast sub


• One big meat filled pita???  (it was tasty whatever it was)


• 2 Pepsis

Overall, I had a much better time this year riding gears than I had last year riding fixed;-)  No numb hands either...

This year

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/32599836

Last year

This site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/408038" mce_href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/408038"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;here&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; instead.

Those Robins are Hungry

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Robin Report

Looks like all four fuzzy fledglings are still in the nest.  I wonder when they're eyes will open.

See the full gallery on Posterous

Vrrrrr!

BB

Finally!

Just in time! Had considered taking a sick day tomorrow to confront mail man. Phew, conflict averted:-)

<queue up Australian Outback accent> "Maybe the Dingo ate your Dirt Rag."

Wed Roadless DP

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HqdJkFM3pSM?wmode=transparent]

Nice to be able to leave the house at 5:40 sans lights. Felt rusty
and crusty as I entered at Belmont, but after joining up with XX and
JK at Landing things clicked. XX on SS, me and JK on gearies.
Counterclockwise loop. Threw in the Valley View alternate on Ridge
for fun. Brief stop to Tyvek Tape up my drop bar grip tape. The
plug had fallen out so I stuffed a chunk of stick in there. As JK
said, "Probably need a corkscrew to get that sucker outta there;-)"

The three of us rocked wheel to wheel thru the rock garden on Cascade.
Big tree top down right by the really rootsy turn on Cascade.
Hopefully the chainsaw crew will be out soon. Fun little bump and
jump on Log with XX on my wheel. Exit JK and XX at Landing. I rolled
Renegade and Notcho on the way out. Perfect conditions and the best
way to start a Wednesday I can think of!

This &amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a &amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/706378" &amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;mce_href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/706378"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;here&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;instead.

 

:-( still not on The Rag

BB

70 degrees and climbing!

come on over
BB

Robins have Hatched!

Don't they look tasty?
We will fatten them up and start the grill.  Red Robin Burger, anyone?
Mmmmm!

See the full gallery on Posterous

Brothers in Law Loop

Hit the clockwise HoCo loop with my brother in law, Keith, on
Saturday.  I rode the Fisti and he rode his Trek Fuel EX.   When we
got to Ridge we rode with a group of 4 that included Tony (a guy I
remember from MORE wed night rides that I used to do a couple of years
ago).  He was out with a friend and his brother in law too.  Both
brothers in law are Army and home from recent Afgan tours.  Small
world;-)

This &lt;br/&gt;site does not support embedded trip maps. View the trip &lt;br/&gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a &lt;br/&gt;href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/704914" &lt;br/&gt;mce_href="http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/704914"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;here&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt; &lt;br/&gt;instead.

Where's my flippin' dirt rag?

Nashbar catalog is here, but I want the rag!

BB

Pool time!

64 degrees already. up from 57 last night.
BB