Category Archives: Cycling

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The B Team Bringing Their A Game

You know, Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. And to see it from the seat of a bicycle along with riding to and through all the beautiful city parks is something very special. Cyclo X is the brainchild of Aaron Shafer who started this ride a number of years ago and it has increased in popularity. Aaron’s route changes each year for variety but for the most part, it encompasses all the parks with some mixed surfaces like road, gravel, and of course singletrack trails.

The founder of Cyclo X- Aaron Shafer. A Team Leader
The start at the Grist House Brewery – Millvale, Pa.

The ride can be done on a gravel bike, but the preferred bike would be a mountain bike. No chance on a road bike. There are some fairly technical trails in the city parks especially the Emerald Trails up on Mount Washington where having a mountain bike is an advantage. Sure, gravel bikes can be used, but unless you have some pretty superb technical skills, you really are better off riding a mountain bike which is fine on all surfaces.

The Emerald Trails- Mt. Washington.

This year the route began on the North Shore trail and made its way through the Northside up to the first park on the menu- Riverview. After an insanely steep climb from Woods Run to the top of Riverview, the groups were tested early. There are two groups- the A group consisting of mostly younger guys and gals who are still racing and riding at a high level.( I have socks older than them). And the rest of us, the B group, with less mileage and climbing. Everything is up from the rivers and thus the vertical challenge. The A group ride is usually 70-80 miles and over 5000 feet of climbing, the B group is around 50+ miles and over 4000 feet of climbing. Nonetheless, a challenge for either group.

From Riverview, the groups make their way to Point State Park and out to Oakland near the Pitt and CMU campuses. Riding your bike along the roads of Oakland and the Southside is interesting because you tend to see things and neighborhoods where you might not ordinarily go. But the real challenge was ahead on the climb to Mt. Washington.

The Shark making his way over the water.

Many people don’t realize that you can take singletrack trails all the way from the Southside up to the top of Mt. Washington. These lead to the Emerald Trails which yielded some really nice views of the city, but things get tight and technical real fast. And they are off camber making you pay close attention so as not to plummet over the hillside. All of this is rewarded with a lunch at Redbeard’s which is an annual affair. Sitting outside, both groups gather together for a quick lunch before hammering the Emerald Trails back down to the Southside and once again out to Oakland to complete the route through Frick, Schenley, and Highland parks. Frick Park has some technical riding and again, a mountain bike is preferred.

The view from the Emerald Trails
CMU Campus with University of Pittsburgh Cathedral of Learning in the background.

It is always amazing to me to see the kindness and friendliness of Pittsburghers. I needed some water and we saw these guys in Hazelwood sitting on their porch. Mike Connors, our attentive leader on the ride, asked them if we could get some water and they brought out bottles of cold water from their fridge. They were interested in where we started and would end up and were so engaging with our group. Pittsburghers are like that and even though most of us don’t spend much time in Hazelwood, we were grateful to the guys on the porch.

The annual lunch stop- Redbeard’s Mount Washington.
Our MVP Wesley on a vintage Rob Vandermark Merlin titanium frame – single speed. Tough climbing on a single speed. Not the burliest tires either.
The B group bringing their A game to Mt. Washington.

After about 6 and half hours of riding, our group made it back to the Grist House for a well deserved beer. The A group was still out but we all were satisfied with the effort that we made, and it was time to relax savoring another Cyclo X. These events tend to bring people together maybe that have never met or perhaps not seen each other in a long time. I was encouraged that it seemed to go well this year even though I was starting to wonder if I was a little “long in the tooth” for this event. But with the fellowship of friends, the beautiful weather, and the really scenic route, I am committed to do this ride until I can’t pedal. After all, I was the oldest rider at Cyclo X. Plus, Pete Hilton would never let me quit attending.

Steve Gurtner of B group bringing their A game fame.
Steve Gurtner, Mark” the Shark” Sauers, and Robb Alarcon- friends in winter and summer.

The nice thing about these kinds of events is that they are memorable for a number of reasons. One of them being a comeback for a guy who had some setbacks last year. The Shark had A fib issues and wondered if he would ever ride at a high level again. But with a lot of prayer, good medical attention, and some serious fortitude, Mark ” the Shark” Sauers, came back to ride strong this year and strong in this year’s version of Cyclo X. In fact ,he rode some extra miles, well, because he could. Stories of the ride, the mishaps, the fun and the climbs, all abounded at the Grist House after the ride and Cyclo X 2023 is now in the books. Hoping that Aaron puts together another interesting route next year. If you have any interest in a really fun but challenging ride, check Facebook for next year’s event. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to be a follower on the page. http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com It helps me a lot.

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Housekeeping

The one who started this whole thing. My wife Janet.

I am writing a little bit of a different post this week to kind of set straight my ideas about my blog. This is a hobby for me. I like to write but also, I like to share stories which my wife thinks should be written down and kept for our son and hopefully his family someday. In fact, I have used a company from Rochester, New York called Blog 2 Print that has published four volumes in a coffee table book format for me. Not that my stories are anything special. I have done nothing outstanding, but I do have some stories that have a purpose, are sometimes amusing and put forth a positive message for all of us seniors. Life is good and we can all be Younger Next Year.

Fall is coming

Most of my posts tend to focus on outdoor subjects like alpine skiing, hiking and mountain biking. These are my “go to ” activities and they all have something in common. They are enjoyed by all kinds of people from all walks of life. The cool thing about enjoying the great outdoors is that all the politics, personal biases, and differences are all left behind and everyone tends to enjoy each other’s company through these activities in the wild. People need to get away from the pressures of life and if they can enjoy it with an outdoor activity, especially with friends. That is something special.

Activities spawn lifetime friendships. The Flying Smittys.

So, as a bit of housekeeping, I have a favor to ask. Many of you follow the blog on Facebook and that is fine. But it would be good if you would go to http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com and look for the little white box in the column to the left, enter your email, and be a follower on the page. Or you can scroll down on your smart phone and the signup box is right below the post. You will get an email once per week or once every two weeks with no ads, and no subscription or bother. Be sure to click on the title to get all the pictures too. You can decline at anytime . I am trying to grow the blog a little bit only to perhaps spread my message a little more to an expanded audience. Again, I am nobody special. But I want to somehow reach some people to inspire them to get out of their comfort zone as a senior and perhaps try new things. I also like to verbalize my thoughts and would like to reach more people with some humor, perhaps some little inspiration, and maybe give them something to think about in a positive way- once a week or once every two weeks depending on my own inspiration.

Handling the shark took me a little bit out of my comfort zone too.

The blog will also get some potential sponsor advertising from some outdoor companies if I reach several thousand hits per month. Word Press will help me do that. I am close to that volume of hits and perhaps I can get to the goal line with expanding the follower base of the blog. I want to thank all of you who support this thing with your kind comments and friendships. Get outside, enjoy nature, and follow the blog. http://www.chroniclesofmccloskey.com Also spread the word to your friends and families. They can be followers too and help get this thing off the ground a little more. Thanks for reading.

Mammoth Mountain, Ca. One of my favorite places.
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The Moon Rocks

The Moon Rocks- Davis, West Virginia

Well, the old dudes are about to make a return to West Virginia late September to take in the UCI World Cup Mountain Bike Races at Snowshoe Mountain Resort. Lots of fun watching the pro men and women in cross country and downhill. Their skill is amazing and the atmosphere is electric with all the fans. But part of the fun is riding the uber challenging trails of West Virginia. I am currently plotting out our rides for the long weekend and the ride routes in Davis, West Virginia are etched in my mind. This would include the famous Moon Rocks as seen above. This interesting sandstone formation is very old and the pockmarked water spots make riding this section very challenging. This is an ancient rock formation that has surfaced over the years. Supposedly it is 480 million years old. Knowing that, it kind of commands your respect as you make your way onto it’s pockmarked surface. It is unlike any other area on the trail system in Davis but certainly a most interesting feature of the technical riding there.

The first time I ever saw the Moon Rocks was in the 24 Hours of Canaan years ago in Davis. I was warned about them as I slogged my way out of a portage in the river at the start of the race. I was totally soaked and the marshal said, “wait until you get to the Moon Rocks.” I was kind of taken back when I first came up on them and worked my way through them slowly but surely, so as not to crash on the sandstone/bedrock surface. Three laps later at about 3:00 AM, I came on them in the pitch dark of night. My lights illuminated the marshal who was standing there with a long coat looking like the grim reaper. It was kind of eerie making my way in and out of the rocks with no one else around at that particular time in the race. It is sometimes tough to make your way up and through the rocks, stay upright and exit without incident.

My posse back in the day at Davis, West Virginia

The race days are over for me but we still like riding down in West Virginia. We are staying at the Jerico in Marlinton where we used to stay years ago. We are utilizing their Lee Cabin which is a restored Civil War cabin. When we first went to the Jerico, the proprietor’s father asked us where we were from. We told him and he said, ” Yankee boys.” ” We have four of you buried on the hillside behind us from the war.” We laughed about that one, but I slept with one eye open. LOL!! The Lee Cabin is named after the famous Civil War general and the history of the Jerico will be on full display there. I will also drag out all of my old maps from the area and compare them with the Trail Forks app to come up with a good itinerary of rides before we get cleaned up to take in the races at Snowshoe. But the riding there is no joke and you have to be prepared for wet roots, slimy rocks, and generally difficult conditions. Just the way the West Virginians like it. We will have our doc with us to patch things up if anything goes sideways. That is if he doesn’t need patched up himself which is more likely the case.

We are also hoping for some dry weather. More often than not, we have experienced torrential rains when we headed to West Virginia. The Wild 100 days, the NORBA races at Snowshoe, the West Virginia Fat Tire Festival were often plagued with heavy rain which made the riding conditions even more challenging. Last year, the UCI race at Snowshoe had biblical rains and it was interesting to see the men and the women pros handle the really slick, muddy descents.

The finish line for the pros at Snowshoe after an incredibly muddy race.

Hopefully we will have a dry shot at the Moon Rocks in Davis on the way down. Perhaps a slice of whole wheat pizza at Sirianni’s or a burrito at Hellbenders then head south to Marlinton. It is always a great time in the Mountain State and we are all looking forward to a visit to the Moon. Thanks for reading.

Cheering on the racers with ………..more cowbell.
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Après

Après in the City
Après with the bride at Niagra on the Lake- Canada.

Recently I have been posting about the necessity to enjoy each day as we get older. Instead of always planning the next trip, adventure, or whatever, enjoy each day as it comes. You can’t get time back and it is important to grasp each moment of each day and enjoy it for what it is. Not that you can’t make plans or on the flip side, make everything spontaneous( I wish I could), but take the time to enjoy where you are and relish the good day at hand.

Après is a celebration of each day’s events. Usually accompanied by a beverage or two and involving all the folks with whom you did something with that day. These summer days, it is usually with my mountain biking group. We finish a ride, change clothes, grab our coolers and snacks, haul out the camp chair from our vehicles, and relax as the day winds down. The stories that come out are fun and relishing the day’s events with friends is truly the best part of the ride in my opinion.

Après is more famous in the ski setting as most people like to do the same thing after a great day of skiing. Sitting around a fire with a beverage or two and reliving the great conditions of the day, is a major part of the ski experience. The pictures below celebrate après and also our friend Tim Girone’s birthday up in Bend, Oregon this past winter. Janet asked me, ” we are going to sit around in the parking lot and drink beer and eat snacks in the cold?” She was the last one to leave. It was so much fun and an adaptation on the usual après ski venue.

Happy Birthday Tim- cold but fun.

I posted recently about one of my favorite après ski places- The Cottage up in Lake Placid. Another great venue for celebrating the day’s events.

Most often, one of the more humorous parts of après is how the day’s stories grow in size similar to the standard fishing stories. The size of the fish increases as the day wears on and the same with après. The stories get more spectacular the longer you sit in your chair. Like my dad always said,” The first liar never has a chance.” LOL! All part of the après scene.

Après is fun no matter what sport you participate in, and you should make it a part of your outing whenever you go riding a bike, playing golf, tennis, or whatever floats your boat. Celebrate the day and the friendships that you have made. They say if you go out of this world and can count your good friends on your right hand, you are fortunate. Kind of grim, but really drives home the point to take the time to enjoy each day on this planet, and enjoy the friends that make your days special. Après is like the icing on the cake to a great day. It is the signature of the outing, signed sealed and delivered. You always remember the great days of riding and skiing and equally, most of us remember the great après events that followed the days. They are etched in your mind forever when thinking about good friends. The memories, the pictures in your mind, will last a lifetime. Celebrate with après in whatever you do and most importantly savor each day as it comes. They go quickly. Thanks for reading.

Bob Kowalski – master provider of snacks for the post MTB rides.
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Ya Gadda Have a Laugh

I try to make Jan laugh every day. Usually, I am successful. LOL!!

Have you noticed how serious some people are today? Politics, the economy, and other daily stressors tend to make some people very agitated when really there is not much we can do about it other than try to be kind to each other daily. Part of that kindness is to get a laugh out of people and for a brief moment, they forget their troubles and laugh at the situation. In my case, I self- deprecate to elicit that laugh. Take last week for example. It was my nephew’s birthday. He was not happy about turning 31, but I told him I have socks older than him. That got a good laugh from him even though Richard tends to be fairly serious. For a brief moment, he realized that his Uncle Pat made him feel better. I enjoyed hearing him laugh.

In the last blog post, I talked about getting hit in the head with a chipped ham sandwich while riding my road bike. Not too funny at the time especially with what the driver had to say to me, but funny today thinking about it. And the best part- funny to all of you . Admit it. A chipped ham sandwich……..whack……right in the back of the helmet. With mayo!!!

Speaking of road riding- have any of you riders noticed how serious some road riders tend to be? I happen to be friendly on rides and when we pass a group of road riders, oftentimes they don’t say hello and kind of give you a scowl like they are in the Tour de France or something? I chuckle and think to myself, nobody is going to the Olympics on your ride…….lighten up.

Making Pete laugh is a daily occurrence.

I think the main reason a lot of people like to ride or ski with me is I make them laugh. We jokingly talk about mishaps on the ride or on the slopes. And I bring up some inane conversation that has nothing to do with the ride. I just try to make them laugh while we are killing each other up some hill. My friend Porter always laughs when he reminds me that I took out a whole PSIA clinic group one time on the ski slopes. They were all serious involved in a conversation about technique when I skied down to talk to them, crossed my tips, and took out the whole group like bowling pins including the examiner conducting the clinic. I was embarrassed at the time. But now……..it is one of the funny things Porter remembers. He always says” a level III certified guy cleans out the whole group!” You would think I would know better, but it gets a laugh every time Porter and Tim bring it up.

The makeshift meet and greet table at the World Cup in Snowshoe

I also like to create things to get a laugh. Like when Bob Anderson and the Shark and I visited Snowshoe, West Virginia for the World Cup Mountain Bike Races. Shark is a character and Bob and I saw a free table in the expo area. We set up a makeshift meet and greet so that the UCI mountain bike community could meet the Shark. People didn’t quite know what to make of it, but you would be amazed at the riders and their entourage who came over to meet the Shark. We had a lot of laughs about that. Especially since Bob A tends to be on the serious side……………until you get a big belly laugh from him. Doesn’t take much. LOL!!!

Specialized rider Haley Batten. She was anxious to meet the Shark. LOL!!!
Specialized rider Sina Frei didn’t quite know what to make of the Shark. LOL!!

I have a lot of fun riding mountain bikes and skiing because I don’t take things too seriously and a laugh on the chairlift or on the trail is well worth my effort. I like to brighten people’s day and getting a laugh out of them is always a fun pursuit.

There are so many funny things that occur during the day and if you take the time to capture them, have fun with them, and get a smile out of someone, you have done a good thing for people. I make my wife Janet laugh every day and even though my son Jack often doesn’t appreciate my humor, I like to get a laugh from him as well. Remember- dads are dorks and it is a challenge to overcome that. But oftentimes I relish my role as ………………the dork.

My buddy Dixon always gets me to laugh. He is a character. I have a lot of characters in my life.

Surround yourself with fun people and your life will be so enriched. Things are tough today. There is a lot of division, bitterness, and bad blood, but if you can make the best of it, look on the bright side of life, and don’t get hung up on the news, your life will be so much more fulfilling. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself either. So many people are insecure that they don’t like to make fun of themselves. I don’t know how secure I am, but I don’t have any trouble making fun of myself. It makes other people laugh, and for that………………I am happy. My mother always said, ” happiness is like a perfume…..you can’t sprinkle it on others without getting a little bit on yourself.” No truer words have been said and my mother was…………..a character. Thanks for reading.

I even had Greg Lemond laughing on some rides.
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A Tough Decision

Greg Lemond in the middle. JR Ellis and I were guests of Scott Weiner on this charity ride.

I was watching a really good documentary on the Tour de France this week on Netflix. If you get the chance to see it, watch it. Very well done. It brought up some thoughts of when I was real active riding road bikes. I started back in my 20s with a ride from North Park out into Butler County with Larry Cohen and Chuck Martin. These two guys, who are no longer with us, got me started and what a “ride” it has been. From long rides in the country, to racing the Allegheny Cycling Association time trials and criteriums at the Pittsburgh Zoo parking lot, to races in New Jersey and the Mt. Washington Hill Climb in New Hampshire. I also had the chance to ride my road bike in Holland, Ireland, and England as well as in many states of the U.S. Lots of good times riding along with lots of time on my hands.

Greg Lemond- our only Tour de France champion. Thanks again to Scott.

I always enjoyed riding in a pack in the races and also on long road rides with all of my friends. The road is so smooth and when you get in a good group and exchange leads in a counterclockwise rotation, you can really motor along and rack up some serious mileage. Road cycling was always my go to spring, summer and fall activity for many, many years, until it all came to a screeching halt 5 years ago. Not by any accident or traumatic issue, but rather from the circumstances surrounding the roads that I had cycled for years. I started to notice an aggressive behavior of drivers on the road who seemed stressed. I used to ride in the city a lot and never had any vehicle issues- well maybe a few, but I generally kept my head down and kept pedaling and didn’t get into any confrontations. One time I had a guy throw a ham sandwich with mayo at me and smack me in the back of the head. After a few expletives from him in his car, he drove off and I wiped the Teddy Bear sandwich from the back of my helmet and kept riding. But it was starting to make me nervous.

Not much room on the berm on Pennsylvania roads.

The years went on and the road cycling continued. I enjoyed my weeknight rides to Mars, Pa. and beyond, and my weekend rides the country north of where I live. Most of the time, when I got further north, the roads were not as crowded, and the scenery was great, and it was a pleasant riding experience. But as housing developments began to spring up, replacing the farms and wooded areas I once rode through, the traffic became more of an issue along with the aggression of the drivers. Even though road bicyclists can share the road with motor vehicles, there was a feeling from a lot of drivers that we did not belong there. I always tried to ride to the right of the road as far as I could and gave drivers the appropriate hand signals to alert them if I was turning. I never got into confrontations and always tried to be courteous. But things started changing.

Beautiful fall riding but no berm.

With the advent of car phones and then cellular phones, I noticed an increase in accidents, sometimes fatal on our roads. The ones I used to cycle on all the time. Different organizations put white painted bicycles called Ghost Bikes at the fatal accident sites as a reminder of what can happen. I came to the decision, a tough one , to sell my road bike and not leave my safety to the whim of someone not paying attention to the road and texting their friends. It just wasn’t the way it used to be, and I was thankful that at least mountain biking had taken over as a very good alternative option.

Ghost Bike.

I miss road cycling. I miss the friends that I rode with. I also miss the solitary times by myself on some country road seeing picturesque farms and mountain views. Technology with the phones, and the spur of housing development had deflated my passion for riding on the road. Watching the Tour documentary this week brought back a lot of memories of road cycling. I looked at those nice Pinarello road bikes that Ineos uses with a bit of nostalgic envy.

I don’t mean in any way to suggest that anyone stop road cycling. I miss it. But I am just relating my experiences good and bad which made me come to the decision to stop. Maybe I am getting more conservative as I get older, or perhaps a bit more cautious. But the time came for me to put my road cycling life in the past and focus on other pursuits. Be careful where you ride. Stay safe. Be alert to vehicles and their drivers and avoid confrontation at all costs. Thanks for reading.

https://fb.watch/lpjYpG610H/?mibextid=qC1gEa

Good Rules of the Road for Cyclists link from Lake Placid.

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More than Raystown

The Adventurefest Mountain Bike Group.

Last week I told you all about Adventurefest and the great time we had at that event. Part of the deal was to get a group together to ride at the wonderful Allegrippis Trail System at Raystown Lake in Central Pennsylvania. Now many of you know about the lake and the trails that were created by the Army Corps of Engineers and the whole facility is a testament to their hard work and planning for many years. Raystown is the largest manmade lake in Pa. and the trail system is really well laid out and lots of fun to ride. They have lots of flow and the views of the lake from the trails are spectacular. But I will leave that there. Lots has been written about Raystown and I don’t need to reinvent the wheel. But what I do want to talk about is the group of us that ended up riding together that day.

Raystown Lake from the trail system

We split the group into four of us who were pretty strong riders and the other group who were more casual and went off on their own. I rode with John Casuccio, Mark Sauers, and Bob Horrell. I ride with John and Mark fairly frequently and it was nice to connect with Bob who I have ridden with before and also ski with him. As we rode along, we were treated to a good route by Mark “the Shark” Sauers who knew a new route for us to try. Pretty good pace and nice dry flowy trails. But again, that is not the story here.

The Four Amigos.

The story that I thought about on the ride was the fact that all of us are different ages. That is the cool thing about mountain bike riding and skiing for that matter. The love of the sport transcends age and if you can keep yourself in shape, you can continue to ride no matter who you ride with. Bob is on the left here and he is 43, I am 68, John is 61 and the Shark is 58. I chuckled to myself when I thought that I was 25 when Bob was born. But when we are on the trail, age is not a discussion point. We all are mountain bikers and skiers and snowboarders for that matter, and we all bond together on the trails and on the slopes. It was interesting to have a conversation with Bob who is younger and to get his perspective on things. I like the younger guy’s perspective and as the Health and Safety guy at Seven Springs, Bob has a lot to say about the state of skiing locally. He also has a great perspective on life. Again , nice to get a young guy’s perspective on things. But the thing that united all of us last weekend was the riding, the camping, and the Adventurefest. Nobody thinks of age when you are pounding up a hill. You all just get in the rhythm and ride. The experience unites all of us no matter the age. That is why it is so important as you age, to stay in shape. You can enjoy the experience with all kinds of people in all kinds of different age categories. As long as nothing catastrophic happens with your health, you can continue to enjoy your outdoor activities for a long time.

John the Bear whisperer.
Dan and Steve Gurtner at Laurel Mountain. Dan is one of the fast young guys who is gracious enough to ride with all of us. Steve is his old man.

Now I don’t kid myself. I can’t ride with the fast, young guys anymore. I have to know my limitations. But the thing I have found as I age, is to enjoy the experience. I always tell my crowd that no one is going to the Olympics and there is no need to fly out of the parking lot. Just ease into the ride and enjoy your friends, the conversation, and the beauty of the trails and not focus on the back of some guy’s shorts in a heated pace. I am one of the oldest guys on most rides, but I love being in the fray. You can level the playing field if you have a good perspective on your time on the trails. Enjoy the ride, the scenery, and the company of people who are diverse in background and age. So no matter what your sport is, golf, tennis, running, road cycling, or whatever floats your boat, keep at it. Stay in the game. Thanks for reading.

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Adventurefest 2023 “Enter Through The Narrow Gate”

Our first visitor to our camp site.

“John- look who is coming your way to welcome you to Adventurefest 2023!” We chuckled at the inquisitive reptile who seemed to be quite interested in John Casuccio’s blue rubber boots. Due to unforseen circumstances, I missed Adventurefest last year but was determined to attend this year. We had a great group of guys setting up our tents and settling in for the weekend at the annual Christian men’s outdoor festivities at Agape Farm in Shirleysburg, Pa. 167 guys settled in for a weekend of camping, mini-bike riding, fishing, drone flying, Harley riding, and mountain bike riding at the Allegrippis Trails at Raystown Lake. Greg Nass is a pastor who organizes the weekend with a really responsive crew and his diligence makes the schedule and the weekend flow as smoothly as possible. We had great weather this year as well.

Greg Nass and the uber positive Mark” the Shark” Sauers

So what is Adventurefest actually and who are the Adventuremen? Tough to put your finger on because it is such a diverse group. But most of the guys are normal Joes who call themselves Christians, and generally have families, are happily married, and seem to like to congregate at Agape Farm every year for many reasons. Some are trying to get their lives back together after a background of alcohol abuse, drug abuse and some crime. Sure, it is great fun to camp and get away with a group of guys who have like- minded interests. All the activities are great and there is always something fun going on. But where the rubber meets the road is when the Assembly of God preachers take the stage after some great music by the Morgan Dolan Band. The theme of the weekend was the passage” enter through the narrow gate.” Most people take the wider road or path, but to take the narrow gate takes conviction and is not easy to do in life. Matthew 7-verses 13-14. Look it up for context.

Friday night……..

After camp set ups, the men all assembled for opening remarks by Greg Nass and Pastor Michael Ragozzino took the stage. Now most people would think that a pastor would be a quiet, pious type with a poignant message spoken in a demure way. Not Michael. He freely shared his background growing up on the North Side of Pittsburgh. 32 rehabs, prison time, heroin addiction at 16, armed robbery for a $500.00 a day habit which put him into several years of incarceration. Finally at the suggestion of his mother, he turned his life around and learned about the Christian faith. He became a pastor and now has a wonderful wife and family and serves in a church in Somerset, Pa. His passionate message to us was that it is never too late. Everyone has a mission no matter what their background is. We left the long building marveling at his faith, his passion and his willingness to be open about a very tough background.

Lights out at midnight.

Saturday…….

John suggested to me that we had another visitor to our camp early in the dark morning. He heard a large movement right outside his tent and a deep measured breath of a large animal which John in his silence thought was definitely a bear. For some reason the turtle, and now a bear, seemed to be sending John a message or was inquisitive about this guy from Moon Township. We laughed about it over our breakfast with our group of ruffians camped near the little lake on the property.

The affable John Casuccio- musing about his nocturnal visit from the bear.
Bob and Gus manning the cooking stations. Fortunately, all the food was in the trucks each night.
The Adventuremen Mountain Bikers at Raystown.

After breakfast and before the group headed to Raystown ( more on this ride next week), we listened to a message from Pastor Duane Goodling who gave an informative talk about the validity of the Bible. He gave us all a sheet with some interesting talking points. Things like- read the Bible. Know what is in the Bible to know what not is in the Bible. There are normative and prescriptive passages in the Bible which can explain some fundamental misunderstandings. Things that were written for the people of the time and things that were written that are timeless. We all were glued to that sheet and were really locked into the message from Pastor Duane which seemed to answer many questions and led to the conclusion that the inspired word of God is the truth. It is not subject to interpretation other than to understand the difference between the normative and prescriptive context.

After a great mountain bike ride at Raystown, we all headed to a delicious meal at Little New York in Huntington, Pa. ( Don’t miss that one if you get there.) Great Greek and Latin specialties. We then returned to the camp and ate a little more before we headed back up to the long building to hear what turned out to be an inspiring message by the Evangelist Tim Bennett. Look him up on Facebook or Google him. http://www.bennettministries.com He and his wife have an amazing evangelistic ministry based out of Mt. Morris, Pa. With great exuberance expected by an Assembly of God pastor and evangelist, Tim flew all over the room with relentless energy as he told us all to “raise the standard” in our lives. There are so many things going on today that are in total defiance to fundamental principles and the message to all of us as Christian men, husbands, fathers, and heads of households was to raise the standards and make a difference in the lives of all that we encounter. Don’t be judgmental. Be welcoming but speak the truth in love. Tim talked about financial troubles and said that if ” you go about your Father’s business, your Dad will always cover the bill.” “Your talent is a gift from God. What you do with it is your gift back to Him.” He was like a machine gun with all of these sayings and really lit up the room even though most of the men were tired from all the day’s activities. But Tim lit a fire under all of us and if you have never heard a Pentecostal message from an evangelist, put it on your list of ” to do”. You will not regret it and you will never forget it. Tim didn’t want us to leave from the weekend without considering what we would do to honor the Lord in everything we do from this day forward. He ignited the room and challenged the Adventuremen. People need hope these days and the timeless message of Christianity fits that bill. Providing hope and comfort in a world full of division, angst, and troubles. Tim challenged the group to put it out there and provide that message of hope. Don’t be afraid. You are giving people good news.

Pastor Dwayne Goodling.

A lot of people think that Christians are above it all, judgmental and condescending. Nothing could be further from the truth. Fact is we all acknowledge our sinfulness, limitations, and shortfalls and although we all may not have stories like Pastor Mike and his Northside days, we all have stories where we need redemption. We are all just normal Joes trying to get along in this life as husbands and fathers. All of you who know me, are aware that I am just a normal guy. I have a good sense of humor, I care about people, and I am interested in bettering my life and also hoping to make a difference in this world among my family and my treasured friends. Adventurefest and the Adventuremen do that for me. If you are interested in the organization, please go to www. Adventuremen.org I am honored to be on their board of directors. Come to Adventurefest next year and maybe try one of our Dirt Church mountain bike rides. We get all kinds. Believers, non-believers, good riders, not so good riders, but we have a good time with great food afterwards with a good message from Greg and The Shark. Come on out! Thanks for reading.

Beautiful Raystown Lake

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Expand The Present

Syed on the rocks at Laurel Mountain
The recently retired Sandy McKee in great shape pounding the rocks at Laurel.

Dr. Syed Hyder is not only my physician, but also my really good friend with whom I like to ride mountain bikes. He and Sandy McKee and I rode Laurel Mountain the other day on a truly glorious day. Syed and I usually ride up together in my Jeep and we have really great discussions on a myriad of topics from healthy eating, to planning the next mountain bike trip together with our pals. Looking at the beautiful sunshine on the way up through Rector, Linn Run and up the mountain to the parking lot at the ski area, we remarked how great it is to take advantage not only of a great day, but a truly spectacular venue with the mountain laurel just about to burst forth in full bloom. Then per his usual custom, Syed became philosophical which is where he truly shines in my book. He said it is so important to ……….” expand the present.”

Sandy and Syed at Wolf Rocks.

I like to listen to Syed and although I am a talker, I make it my business to listen when Syed speaks. I asked him to comment on “expand the present” and his logic was insightful. He said, we need to really enjoy days like we had at Laurel. Enjoy the moments, and really try to get as much out of the day as possible. Little things like enjoying the cool temperatures, the absolute perfection of the trails, and the challenge of Spruce Run which always takes a backseat in conversation to Wolf Rocks. As we pounded the Spruce Run rock section, Syed remarked that he thought it was as challenging if not more challenging than Wolf Rocks, especially where it comes at you at the latter part of the ride. But expanding the present in that sense, is to really enjoy the challenge, enjoy your body working to maintain balance, and relish in the aftermath of making it through a tough part of the ride. Syed likes to ride every tough section, and in his mind, he is expanding the present through his experiences. He and Sandy and I really enjoyed the scenery out at the Wolf Rocks overlook and I observed Syed looking off into the distance truly reveling in the moment. He said to me later that not only is it important to expand the present, but to “retract the future and the past.” That meaning that you really can’t do much about the past other than learn from experience, and nothing can be done about the future so why worry or spend time on what will happen. Enjoy the moment, enjoy the day you are given, as it is all really a wonderful gift. Too many of us worry about what will happen tomorrow, next month, or next year, and let the current state of affairs slip out of our hands. Enjoy each day as it comes and make the most of it. Expand the present.

Thinking about what Syed said, as I write this on Memorial Day, I think about expanding the present and thinking about what a great country we have. The opportunities are boundless if we enjoy the moment and the days as we get them. Freedom is not free and when I think about the guys that made it possible for us to truly enjoy our freedom and make the most out of our daily lives, I can really” expand the present” because I have the freedom to do so. I can ride in the Laurels on a sunny day, I can worship when and wherever I choose, I can enjoy my family without any dangers or issues that arise in countries that are not free. They don’t have the chance to expand the present.

Think about those veterans who gave their lives today. Think about the great opportunities we have as a result of their sacrifice. We can enjoy our days because of what they did. Enjoy your day today. Thanks for reading.

Cemetery of the Alleghenies. Honoring those who served.
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Vertical

Summit Chair- Whiteface Lake Placid, New York

Vertical is a term that skiers and mountain bike riders use when describing their day on the hill or trail. Vertical drop is generally described as the measurement from the top of the mountain to the base lodge. Particular ski trails are listed with a certain vertical drop, and you can track these statistics on a number of apps today including the popular Slopes app. It gives you information like how many runs you made and what total vertical drop was achieved in your day of skiing. My friend Mark Hutchinson and I used an app called Alpine Replay which was the forerunner to Slopes to track our runs at Northstar at Tahoe one day. I have posted before that we achieved 57,000 vertical feet that day and the next day at Mt. Rose in Nevada, we achieved 52,000 vertical feet. It was kind of fun to track our runs and see how many we made and what the total vertical or vertical drop we had achieved skiing. Plus we totally honked off a French guy who held the record up to that point. A couple of old geezers took him down. The app developer loved it. LOL!!

Summit of Mammoth Mountain, California. 11,000 Feet

Another fun statistic is to see how high the summits are at different ski areas and to see the total vertical drop based on those summit elevations. When you ride the Summit Chair at Whiteface as seen above, you will see markers on the chairlift towers that show your elevation and also how it compares to similar resorts in Vermont and New Hampshire. The summit at Whiteface is actually higher than a lot of New England ski areas. So, elevation vertical and vertical drop are used a lot when describing your day on the slopes at any ski area. How much vertical did you ski and what is the vertical of the summit? Cool statistics that are apres ski conversation pieces.

Climbing for some vertical while riding a mountain bike.

Similarly, mountain bikers rack up vertical while climbing up a trail. We all have devices that track different statistics like heart rate, distance, time on the ride and vertical. In this case, vertical means what is achieved when we climb on our mountain bike. My Garmin Fenix watch tracks these efforts, and I can log how many miles I have ridden, on what trails, what was the distance and other metrics that are interesting to see at the end of a ride. I can compare them to my friends’ metrics and see how we do in comparison to each other’s efforts. Gaining vertical on a mountain bike ride takes some effort and it is what usually gets you in shape when you have to climb a hill on a bike. This time of year, the effort is making us stronger with each ride. No pain – no gain. When we climb hills on a mountain bike, we sweat, breathe hard, and fatigue our legs to the point of exhaustion. So vertical in this case is all uphill effort with trackable results.

The rocky trails and ascents at Rothrock State Forest in Central Pa.

So, thinking about this the other day while looking at my Garmin statistics, led me to some conclusions which will show you a little bit about how my mind works. This winter, I always thought about the vertical on the summits where I skied. I thought about how many vertical feet I had skied and how it felt to achieve those metrics. Usually, I work hard at making clean turns and I learn something new every year. But the effort is assisted by gravity and even though sometimes I am breathing heavy at times due to altitude, or working the turns, the effort is not as difficult as when I am riding uphill on a mountain bike to achieve vertical feet in climbing. It occurred to me that the two different efforts are really like what goes on in life. Some days we flow downhill through the day, with little effort and appreciate the beauty of the world similar to a ski run on a sunny, groomed slope. Gravity is our friend as we make our way through the day with no encumbrances. But then there are the other days where it is tough. Like climbing a steep hill on your mountain bike in 90 degree weather. The sweat is pouring, you are breathing heavy, and your legs sometimes feel like lead. Those days, while achieving vertical feet of climbing, can be tough. But here is the good news. The effort most of the time yields great rewards. You get in better shape and the adversity turns you into a stronger rider and the no pain no gain axiom is found to be true.

The Rock Garden at Seven Springs Resort, Pa.

There are those days when you think that there is no way you are going to make it. Like riding that mountain bike, you think you cannot make one more pedal stroke ……..but you eventually do. You don’t give up and you get to the top. You look back at the ride or the day, and you realize that life can be tough sometimes. But when you summon up some effort, learn to accept the pain and the adversity, you can achieve many things – a lot more than vertical feet. There are downhill days and uphill days, but when we learn to appreciate both efforts of gaining ……………..vertical………….we can see how it makes us a stronger, better person. Right? Thanks for reading.

Even World Champion Nino Schurter in his white championship jersey suffers on climbs. He has tough days too.