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.
“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.
Syed on the rocks at Laurel MountainThe 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.
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.
Well, even though most of our crowd has ridden mountain bikes all winter, it is nice to see the weather change and ride some dry trails for a change. We try to ride responsibly during the winter but even though our choices involve trails that drain fairly quickly, it is still dark, and winter, and it takes some effort to get out. That’s why when the time change comes and the weather starts to improve, all of us are excited to see each other. Some of us have not seen each other due to a lot of us being skiers or snowboarders and the weekends and trips are generally reserved for sliding on snow. So the guys who do not partake in the winter sliding don’t see much of us and it is nice to reconnect in the spring.
Doc Syed and Pete Hilton
One of those guys is our doctor- Syed Hyder who rides all winter and is always patching someone up on the ride. Last Saturday it was Pete who fell in a hole and Syed attended to him during a real dry ride in a local venue. Syed is funny. Not only is he entertaining and a real good rider, but he also has some interesting things to say including the details of his recent trip to Morocco. I always laugh when he tells me I am his only patient who rides a mountain bike and skis while on Coumadin. But he is not worried because I have been on it for over 30 years due to a DVT and a pulmonary embolism years ago. Syed monitors my bloodwork monthly and he monitors all of us on the rides. He is good to reconnect with in the spring.
I always think about riding hills again and how I will respond to the early conditioning that takes place after a winter of “maintenance” riding. Nobody kills themselves in the winter but when the spring comes, we like to get back into shape and that involves some climbing in the hills of Western Pa and West Virginia. My wife, son and I are plant based eaters now and it is interesting to see how some weight loss has seemed to help my early season preparation. Plant based eating is not for everybody but it seems to work for us. We watched “The Game Changers” on Netflix and also “What the Health” and were convinced that a better diet that eliminates meat and dairy would work well for us. So far, so good in the spring riding preparation.
Our gang at Rothrock State Forest near State College, Pa.
Lots of events coming up and it will be fun to switch gears from skiing to riding and have fun with some really great people. Like skiing, riding mountain bikes brings together some really interesting people who enjoy the outdoors. Some of us do both, but for the non-skiers, or non-snowboarders, it is always fun to see each other in the spring to ride again, and talk about what we want to do this summer and fall. The post ride comradery around some beers and snacks are what I miss in the winter ( thanks Bob Kowalski), and the post mortems on the rides are always fun to rehash with each other. Mountain bikers are fun people and being with them always is a good time which creates a lot of good memories. I am 68 now and have elected not to go the e-bike route. Again- it is what works for me as I need all the exercise I can get. But to have this crowd push me as one of the older guys is really gratifying. Spring has sprung for sure and another new season is upon us. Thanks for reading.
Time to put away the winter kit. Another Chetlin sighting on single track no less.
It is amazing to see the improvement in technology over the years with regard to night MTB riding with lights. Back in the day, we used Night Sun lights with rechargeable batteries in a water bottle. At best, these gave off a yellow light and the life on them was sketchy. We moved on to Night Rider equipment and the lighting was still kind of yellow but it was an improvement. In fact, at the 24 Hour Races in Canaan, West Virginia, Night Rider was a sponsor of the event and brought their charging stations which made recharging between laps convenient and it took half the time to charge compared to the time it took at home. The cost of these lights was always around $300.00 and it was limited to handlebar lights with the water bottle batteries.
Night riding with the guys at our local North Park
I have experimented with lots of light options over the years. Lately I have used a product from Wuben Light Systems called the B2 with a rechargeable 3.7 volt battery which you can order as an extra. http://www.wubenlight.com The B2 can be adapted to mount on your helmet as well as your handlebars. I recommend using the 4800AH 21700 heavy duty rechargeable battery. I would replace the stock battery with these and order an extra for your pack as a spare. The whole system is $39.00 and the extra batteries are in the neighborhood of 20 bucks. A considerable improvement from the old days and the best is……………..they are wireless. No more dealing with light cords. Rechargeable and cordless. Super convenient. And they provide a nice white bright light with plenty of lumens.
24 Hour Racing- kind of a lost event these days
Another improvement has been clothing. Riding in the winter takes fortitude and the last thing you want is to be cold. I use Endura products for general riding. http://www.endurasport.com These shorts and items can also be found on Amazon but the winter riding outfit of choice is the MT500 jacket and pants. A great outfit for winter riding. Pricey but definitely worth it. Keeps you warm and protected from the wind. I can thank my buddy Bob Kowalski for the tip on this product. The Endura MT500 takes a lot of punishment like the shorts that I use in the summer, and do very well with multiple washings.
Ok, now to the heart of the matter. I don’t like to be inside for exercise. I am not a gym guy and I like to be outside all the time to exercise. I have ridden mountain bikes since 1987 and lights have always extended the season for me and it can for you as well. Fat bikes are popular for when the snow comes and you would be amazed at how much traction you can get on snow packed trails. I personally use a 29er plus bike with 3 inch tires- my winter bike. My friends use studs in their tires when it gets icy. But I am not that hard core. When the trails ice up- I switch to hiking with Yaktrax ice spikes- but that is another story. The bottom line is you can be outside all year long if you want and get that clean, cold, fresh air all the time.
Riding in the winter is also very peaceful especially when it snows. Our local trails are quiet and the skies are filled with stars that help light your way with a cooperative moon cycle. Most of the time the trails are just frozen and dry. But the occasional snowstorm makes things interesting. Lots of funny stories out there too with breakdowns, battery issues, and general malaise that takes place when you do things in the cold at night. The innovative ways our guys work through issues are well remembered during our summer and fall rides with laughter around the camp chairs with the beers. ” Hey, remember when what’s his name lost both lights on a downhill and wiped out in the snow?” Funny stuff. To most people this may seem like a cold, fruitless activity. But for those of us who ride most of the year, night riding is fun and can keep you in good shape when most people retire to their couch for the winter. If you can hang in there during the winter, the spring “get in shape” time doesn’t have to be so painful.
Usually never too much to ride. Bob K always ready.
So, if any of you are contemplating an alternative form of exercise this winter, consider extending your season by night riding. I have always enjoyed it and if you have the right equipment and clothing, you can too. Thanks for reading and ……think snow!!!
Kind of a Yoda like title but really- it’s true. Where you are…….it’s happening. Just like this fall for the last three weeks around these parts. The fall colors have been spectacular, the weather sunny and cool. So many people have remarked how wonderful the fall weather has been in the northeast and no matter where you are………it’s happening. Enjoy it, relish it, and get lost in the moments.
My last stretch of this fall weather and spectacular colors began three weeks ago in Bradford, Pa. Driving up through the Allegheny National Forest was nothing short of breathtaking. The sun was out, and my wife Janet and I took in the drive and also our time at one of our favorite places up there which I posted about last week. Whether you are a hiker, a road cyclist, or a mountain biker, all of these activities have been enhanced by the spectacular fall season around here.
Fall hiking has been unbelievable.
I even had the opportunity to see two black bear cubs on one of my rides up there that had me jazzed for days.
The cubs scampered to safety.
The next week at Laurel Mountain was again – perfect weather, riding mountain bikes with a great group from Pittsburgh Off Road Cyclists and the group from the Laurel Highlands Off Road Bicycling Association. 45+ riders and all taking in one of the last fall weekends in the Laurel Highlands. Miles of smiles and a fun after ride party in the lot up there.
Weekday rides at our local parks have been really scenic too. The colors even in my own neighborhood have been brilliant and the riding and hiking locally has been cool, clear, and colorful.
The leaf covered rocks make you pay attention.
Finally- this weekend I ventured south just across the border into Wild Wonderful West Virginia. A place where I love to ride and a place that holds so many wonderful riding memories for me. This time it was at Cooper’s Rock State Forest.
Really cool rock sections in Cooper’s Rock.
The group I was with this weekend were the Adventuremen. http://www.adventuremen.org. Adventuremen or Dirt Church is a group of really fun guys from Western Pa and West Virginia who not only are good riders, but also love the Lord in an outdoor setting. We can all appreciate the Creation with the fall scenery and the Adventuremen make it happen. This was the second Adventuremen outing this fall and Dirt Church was in session at Cooper’s Rock and also at Laurel earlier in the year.
The Adventuremen- Roger Evans put together a great time. Plus his post ride chili got rave reviews. Roger is the tall guy in the back. The Overlook at Cooper’s Rock
Aside from all the ravings about the leaves and the weather, the point of all of this is – where you are……..it is happening. I hear so many people say” I wish I was somewhere else, I wish I was out west or down south.” The fact of the matter is all of those folks are enjoying their weather and their fall seasons. But we have a lot right here in Western Pa. and West Virginia. We just need to appreciate what we have. Sure the west is cool and other places in the country have their appeal. But everyone needs to appreciate their home turf. I am sure some of them are saying what a beautiful fall it is out east right now. But no need to do that……..enjoy where you are.
I watched the World Cup ski race from Solden, Austria this weekend and as much as I am wanting to ski, I love the fall. I am in no hurry for this to end and I hope we can get some more of this spectacular weather for a little while longer. Enjoy what we have, get out in it, and take in a huge breath of cool, crisp, fall air. Thanks for reading.
I have always liked gizmos. I had Polar heart rate monitors for many years as well as sports watches and devices mounted to my bike to tell me my mileage. I regularly entered information into Velo-News logs about rides, who I rode with, maximum heart rates, and all kinds of information that was interesting to me as a weekend warrior. I had the first app on the I-phone for calculating vertical feet when skiing, and when the creators of Alpine Replay( the name of the app at the time) saw that my buddy Hutch and I had broken the one day record each for his app( 57,000 vertical feet in one day at Northstar at Tahoe), they texted me wanting to know more about us. I had a backup battery in my parka so as not to lose any data and to make sure I collected all the vertical from 8:30 AM until 4:00 PM that day. In any event, I have always liked these things and they have been of particular interest to me with their amazing technology.
So at the suggestion of my friend Mark ” the Shark” Sauers, I recently purchased a Garmin Fenix 6 X Sapphire watch. It was available on the Amazon Prime sale and I got a good deal on it. I had not purchased anything like this in a while and have been amazed at the data and information that it provides. I am only using a fraction of that data because I am not a real techie. But what I have discovered is very interesting but the watch is starting to make me feel bad. It is subtle in it’s insults and I am hoping that the information I entered as an aging athlete would have tempered it’s comments. But to no avail. This thing in a subtle way admonishes me, and I am starting to think it has a personality all of its own.
The Aging Athlete
To give you an example, it tells me I am a poor sleeper and I need to focus on getting better rest. I think I have had a decent nights sleep but I guess with the frequent trips to the bathroom as an older guy, it senses that I am not getting enough REM, and deep sleep. And it lectures me. ” Although you slept enough, your sleep was restless.” ” Try a white noise machine or earplugs.”
There is a measurement called load focus which tells me I am balanced based on my running Vo2 max trend. It tells me that my training load is sufficient to maintain fitness but I need to work out longer and more often to improve. WTH- I am riding four days a week on my mountain bike. I don’t race anymore and ride to ride again. I use my mountain bike for exercise. But this thing says I am loafing. Come on!!! Guys I went to high school with are coming home and getting a hot bath and watching Fox News. They have one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel but my Garmin won’t give me any slack.
When I look at the training effect measurement after a two hour weekday ride, it says,” This activity enhanced your ability to maintain a moderate pace for a longer amount of time” ” You gained a slight anaerobic benefit from this activity” My heart was pounding at 169 beats per minute on many climbs. I would argue about the moderate pace. I thought it was a pretty good pace at close to 8.5 MPH moving average speed. Come on Garmin- I am an old dude. It did say I had 64 minutes of vigorous intensity and 22 minutes of moderate intensity, so what gives? I think it just likes to insult me.
This winter, it says that there are over 2000 ski areas mapped into the Garmin. So wherever I am , I should be able to map how many vertical feet I log without going to the standard I-Phone app for vertical feet. I wonder if it will tell me I am lazy or not making enough turns? How will it insult me on the slopes? The watch has an app that connects to on my I Phone called Garmin Connect. It takes the data from the watch and downloads it to the app. So both the watch and the app double team me. Admonishment from two sources.
The watch- motivating or insulting?
Speed, Timing, Heart Rate, Training Effect, Elevation, Nutrition and Hydration, Temperature MTB Dynamics, and Intensity Minutes. What did I do do deserve this? TMI if you ask me but I was the one who bought the watch. So buyer beware!! If you sale for one of these watches and you are an aging athlete like me, be ready to be humiliated by a device. I am sure in its own little way- it is trying to motivate me, but my giddup and go for a lot of these measurements has gone up and left. I just need the basics to give me the data on the rides or the slopes. I don’t need much more than that. But I will still look at the watch. Heck, I sleep with it to get the after hours measurements. It is part of me now. Thanks Shark!!! Thanks for reading.
So it’s a rainy day and I am surfing around You Tube and I happen to see Phil Gaimon’s coverage of the Mt. Washington Hill Climb. Phil is a former professional in road cycling and has raced all over the world. He now has a You Tube channel where he continues to chase records on STRAVA and tours the country riding in the most iconic places and chasing records for climbs. When I saw the coverage, it brought back memories of when my pals Eric Durfee, Jack McArdle and I did it back in the mid-80s. Eric, at the time was a Category 1-2 road cycling racer and extremely fit and ended up in the top 5 overall which was a huge accomplishment. Jack and I were not in that category but I recall being respectable at the finish.
A young Pat back in the day at the start in New Hampshire.
Thinking back on that day, it was a bluebird sunny one at the bottom of the mountain and as I recall it is about 7.6 miles to the top on a road that was part asphalt and part gravel and dirt. The road today is paved to the top but at the time, it was definitely a cyclo-cross tire on the rear wheel. A fairly large group at the time started together and people started to settle in for what was a grueling climb to the top of one of the highest mountains in the East – topping out around 6,000 feet. I recall settling in and at about the halfway mark( reported to me by a bystander), it was about 46 degrees and a heavy fog. Typical weather for Mt. Washington that can change rapidly at any moment. It was windy. The highest winds recorded on earth are at the top of Mt. Washington because of its location as the epicenter of weather patterns roaring across the US and Canada. My friend Jack was behind me and he reported later that he stopped several times to get a drink out of the rain barrels that were used to cool down radiators on the descent in a vehicle. Pretty nasty stuff but he was thirsty. LOL!! Coming into the upper sections, I was able to see the summit weather station and just kept my head down and grinding the gears to approach the last several switchbacks that were reported at a 20 percent gradient. Lots of people cheering us on as I struggled to finish upright and came in with a time of 1 hour and 25 minutes. Respectable for a guy from Pa. My pal Eric from Vermont was top 5 and he was a little over 1 hour and three minutes, just to give perspective. Don’t remember what Jack’s finishing time was, but he made it and immediately stripped down at the top to his Superman briefs which garnered laughs from the crowd as he shivered to change clothes in the parking lot and put on a wool hat and parka because it was 41 degrees and sleeting.
The course marked in red. Todays racers finishing on the 20 percent paved grade.
The interesting thing is that there is a running race up Mt. Washington as well. The winning times for the bicycle race and the running race are within a minute of each other. Phil Gaimon’s winning time this year was 51.38 which was a record. Sure he had the advantage of paved roads all the way and also the good fortune of technology of light bike design, training improvements and nutritional expertise. But nonetheless, an excellent time, and speeds up that mountain are getting faster every year. Athletes today are just so much better. But back in the day, my buddy Eric made a statement. Today there are a lot of entrants with many of them making the top to the cheers of their friends and family in 2 hours, 3 hours, or whatever it takes. Many of them ride it just to see the scenery and to say that they finished. One guy rode up there this year on a unicycle. Amazing!
As we made our way back down the mountain in Helen Durfee’s van, we were amazed that we could not ride our bikes down the hill. Even with today’s disc brake technology, you would not want to negotiate that road on a bike downhill. Even many of the parade of cars descending the Auto Road have to stop to cool the brakes. It is that steep. So happy to have seen Phil’s recording of the 2022 event as it brought back many memories of an interesting day a long time ago in the White Mountains in early fall. Thanks for reading.
Organized mountain bike rides are usually a lot of fun, especially when they are in the Laurel Highlands. Great trails, sunshine, beautiful state forest greenery, and challenging rock sections. But this day was special among the scores of organized rides at this time of year. http://www.adventuremen.org was the host with the founder Greg Nass at the helm. Adventuremen is an organization of Christian men who enjoy the outdoors together. The signature event is Adventurefest which is a camping event the weekend before Father’s Day. Great speakers, bonfires, mini-bike riding, fishing, Harley riding, mountain bike riding at Raystown, basketball, air cannons, drones, and a plethora of other activities that make the weekend a blast. The venue is at Agape Farm and I have posted on it before. Great group of guys and a great event. But Greg and I decided it was time to branch out from the fest and perhaps schedule some outside events like the ride at Laurel Mountain. It was special on many fronts.
Our fearless leader- Greg Nass.
First of all, my pal Jeff Chetlin came with his wife Julie- even though technically it is a men’s event. Julie rides the rocks better than anybody though, and she was a welcome addition. Jeff, as I have posted before, is returning from a stroke about a year ago and this was his first ride back on some technical trails. Our buddy Pete and Jeff rode together and it was amazing that Jeff has made the comeback due to a lot of hard work on his part and answered prayer. Julie rode the rocks with us. Jeff will ride them soon.
Next amazing story was my pal Tom Tiernan. He has come back twice from cancer and was in terrific shape. Tom pays a lot of attention to his fitness and it showed on the ride in the Laurels. He is an amazingly enthusiastic guy despite some pretty major health setbacks. He enjoys life and really likes mountain bike riding as well as road cycling. He is back and his health and fitness show it. And he talks the whole ride- can’t figure it out. He must have lungs of iron. He and I wouldn’t let anyone else get a word in edgewise. LOL!!!
The group was rounded out by the dentists- Steve Gurtner, and his pals Brad and Sean. All great riders with whom I have ridden many times. Along with Steve’s son Dan who decided to ride with the old guys this day. Julie and Jeff were in the dental field as well and if any one of us had any issues with our teeth on the ride- well we were covered. Roger Evans brought his posse up from West Virginia. Roger and I ride at Adventurefest every year at Raystown and it was great to see him again. My pal Sandy McKee came along and all in all- 16 riders of different backgrounds, faiths, believers, non-believers, and general good guys all hooted and hollered as we left the parking lot after a thoughtful prayer by Greg asking for protection. Greg also asked for prayer requests which were numerous in coming.
The West Virginia Boys and Pete.Steve and Dan at Wolf Rocks- watching for rattlers. Sandy taking a breather.
The cool thing about the outing was that even though it was sponsored by a faith based outdoor organization, there was nothing uncomfortable about it. Everyone, no matter if you have faith or no faith, likes to have a prayer said on their behalf. Greg handled it with grace and it was well received. The misnomer about a lot of Christian men is that they are extremists, right wing, condescending when nothing could be further than the truth. Real Christians recognize that they are sinners and in need of the Savior. There was no uncomfortable discussion, no shoving anything down anyone’s throat, just plain fun in the mountains on our bikes. Christian guys are not weirdos. Just come to Adventurefest and see for yourself. They know the good news of the Gospel and are willing to share it, only if asked. Just normal Joes like the most of us. No need to be intimidated by Christian men whose battle cry at the front of the pack was “Halle……….then the back of the pack responds ……..lujah.” And the whole group chuckles and keeps riding.
Mountain biking is a cool way to get 16 guys together and 1 cool lady for some exercise and fun in the woods, with some great dialog. People have issues, or have friends and family with issues, and no better people to discuss them with than the guys from Adventuremen at what they call ” Dirt Church.” I am happy to be associated with them and in fact Greg asked me to be on their board. I was truly honored. So guess what he gets out of me? An enthusiastic guy who organizes fun rides or as I call them Pleasant Pat Peddling. I am going to try to organize some more rides, hikes and even a ski day or 2. Check with me or http://www.adventuremen.org. Adventuremen on Facebook and Dirt Church on Facebook. If you have interest, join one of these FB groups and get all the latest information on rides and events. Greg, Shark, Pete and I invite everyone and it is amazing who God puts together. Normal people – mountain bike riders – in the woods, discussing life and its ups and downs, and how faith in the Lord can fuse it all together. Thanks for reading.
chroniclesofmccloskey 