Sasquatch Ride 2019

I love all the types of cycling I do, but I grow to love dirt road riding more and more over time.  My favorite thing about where I live is the outdoors and all the activities it affords.  It's gravel grinding paradise.

The Sasquatch Ride is a lot of excellent dirt road riding in a great, chill social setting.  Ray and Tina Egan do a fantastic job of putting it on.  There are several route lengths (30, 60, or 100 miles), the food is delicious, there is live music, and it's just good people.  Last year I had fun but wasn't feeling well at the Sasquatch Ride and didn't get to fully partake; this year I felt great and had a blast!

Saturday

I opted for the 100-mile route.  About 10 miles in, I had the chance to turn onto the 60-mile route.  It was slightly tempting, given the near 100% chance of rain that afternoon.  However, I had set my sights on 100 miles, and the rain didn't look too bad (only about 1/4 inch was predicted).  Besides, it's always easier if the rain starts during a ride rather than having to start in the rain.

I was very happy to get with a group of five other riders: my friend Monte; Bill from Warner Robins; and Canaan, Chad, and Mike from Louisiana.  We headed north on the extra loop of the 100-mile course, which allowed us to see much more of Jasper County (my home county).

Although I didn't take many pictures myself, someone posted these beautiful photos from the ride:

Several earworms stuck in my head throughout the day.  It started with Cake: "He's going the distance...He's going for speed..."

We approached the first rest stop at about mile 27 at the northernmost part of the route.  A high school mountain bike team (NICA - National Interscholastic Cycling Association) from Warner Robins sponsored this rest stop.  They greeted us enthusiastically and provided much appreciated refreshments.  Also, they were playing Christmas music!  Before Thanksgiving!  Jingle Bell Rock became my new earworm as I continued riding.

As we rode through Monticello, my hometown, we made an extra stop at CVS.  I chatted with Chad.

He described riding to the North Shore.  I assumed he was talking about New Jersey because of his accent.  It turns out he was referring to the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, and he's from Louisiana!  I love and appreciate Southern accents in all their varieties, but this Cajun accent was new to me.  We both had a good laugh later when I told him about my misunderstanding.

At this stop I also learned Canaan's name.  Up to then, everyone had referred to him simply as The Kid.  He's only 14 but has already made quite a name for himself in cycling.  This summer he did Trans North Georgia (TNGA), keeping up the whole way with Mike.  Canaan/The Kid finished something like eighth overall!  That's insane.  When I was 14, I was doing well not to trip over my own two feet.

As we left CVS, I had a new earworm: Land of Canaan by Indigo Girls.

We rejoined the 60-mile route on Smith Mill Road in western Jasper County.  From there, we rode south, parallel to the Ocmulgee River.  The next rest stop was at the public boat launch on the river.  This was a party stop.

Bill's bike in front of the wanted posters

They had margaritas and scotch.  Sascotch, to be exact.

The snacks were outstanding, too, including homemade jerky and these blackberry and raspberry bars that were just delicious.  The bars had a hint of salt, which made them extra flavorful and provided a few electrolytes.  Apparently, it's some kind of pro cycling recipe.

As usual, the hourly forecast from The Weather Channel was right on.  The rain started while we were at this rest stop.  It was intermittent at first.

Mike, Chad, and Canaan between rain showers

The rain picked up as we approached the lunch stop (mile 71) at the boat ramp in Juliette.  It was after 2:00 PM, the stated end time for the lunch stop, but Ray, Fred, and several other volunteers graciously waited until we 100-milers showed up.  I think they had determined early on that we weren't going to make it by 2:00 because of our 9:00 AM start.  Tina's taco bar hit the spot!  Too bad we missed seeing her there.  She had just left, taking the Fireball with her.  Probably just as well after the margaritas and Sascotch at the previous stop.

Although it wasn't a cold rain (the temperature was in the 60s), I was getting chilled as I sat under the pavilion at the boat ramp.  Monte and I rolled out before the others so we could get our blood moving again.  The hardest rain was over about the next 10 miles.  Then it let up, and the rest of the ride was great.

The creek crossing was at mile 85.  At least I knew to expect it; last year it was a surprise!  Monte asked if I wanted to walk through the water or try the rocks, a shallower spot slightly downstream.  I chose the closest spot through the water.  Creek crossings on bicycle rides generally don't faze me.  Besides, I was already wet, and I thought the rocks might be slippery.

The final rest stop was at the top of the hill just past the creek crossing.  To be festive, I split a Fat Tire beer with Monte.  Also, a cute little girl, about four years old, gave me a bag of chips.  I wasn't hungry after the excellent tacos at the lunch stop in Juliette, but you don't turn down such hospitality.  I stuck the chips in my jersey to eat later.

I enjoyed and appreciated all the rest stops.  I wanted to award all of them the trophy:

Neither Monte nor I was interested in the last part of the route, which included some single-track through Dauset Trails.  So we took a slight detour back to Indian Springs.  The 100-mile route was actually about 94 miles, and Monte's and my detour reduced us to 88 miles.  I had already planned to ride six extra miles to get 100 miles.  Now, I set my mind to riding an extra 12 miles.

I did an out-and-back stretch on nearby Mount Vernon Church Road.  The sky was clearing, and the sunset was glorious.  I didn't mind the extra miles a bit.  I got back just as it was getting dark.

I waited until I got home later to take shower, but I changed into warm, dry clothes in the meantime.  The rest of the evening was fun and relaxing: BBQ, visiting with old and new friends, and live music by Kurt Lee Wheeler Music.  He was a great singer and guitarist, sometimes accompanied by a harmonica player.  I especially liked his unique rendition of Gimme Shelter by the Rolling Stones, even without Merry Clayton's co-vocals from the original.

Also, I won a T-shirt as a raffle prize!  I really like the Ride Local motif.

This was on top of the totally cool ride T-shirt:

I headed home relatively early.  Robert was already in bed, reading, and so I'm glad I at least got to say hi to him.  I missed riding with him and the other guys at Peach Peloton that morning.  However, they sure missed out on a great Sasquatch Ride!

Sunday

I headed back to Indian Springs the next morning for a shorter ride.  Sunday was much less structured.  I didn't want to ride single-track at Dauset, and I didn't want to do the ride to Fresh Air.  I can have Fresh Air BBQ anytime, but it's not often I can get Tina's delicious gumbo.  I had really been looking forward to Tina's gumbo for Sunday's lunch.  By the way, as I chatted with Chad the previous evening, I mentioned how much I was looking forward to Sunday's gumbo.  Then I stopped, looked at him, and said, "Oh, I guess you're not as excited about having gumbo here in Georgia."  We both laughed.

I'm glad I had uploaded the 30-mile Little Squatch route to my Wahoo before I left home that morning.  Another guy named Andy was looking to ride a similar distance, and so we joined forces.  Both of us were glad for a riding companion.

Although it was cooler than the previous day, the sky was bright blue and cloudless.  It seems like it took a long time for the leaves to turn this year, but since they did, they have been spectacular.  It was truly a beautiful morning to ride.  The route was about 50/50 paved and dirt.  We finished it in just under two hours.

I changed clothes, and just as I was entering the amphitheater meeting area, the gumbo arrived!  Tina had made some with shrimp and some without.  I chose the batch with shrimp.  Fish and seafood are my favorite meats.

Several of us discussed over the weekend the fact that registrations for the Sasquatch Ride were down this year.  We don't know why.  Everything about this event is wonderful - the riding, the food, the people.  Could it be the price?  $75 for five meals, snacks, and free tent camping seems very reasonable to me.  Also, the net proceeds go to charity.  I suggested to Ray that he advertise to cyclists who do the Bicycle Ride Across Georgia (BRAG).  If any of them like dirt road riding, the Sasquatch Ride would be perfect for them because it's like dirt road BRAG.  See how much fun it is?

Fall Festivities

Although I’ve been riding a good bit in the past month, work has been extra busy.  So, I haven’t had time to write all the ride reports I’d planned on.  This is a compilation of some highlights from recent weeks.

Fried Green 50

The Fried Green 50 (FG50) is one of my favorite cycling events of the year.  It’s mostly dirt road riding in the Piedmont Wildlife Refuge (PWR).  I love the PWR!  It was a smaller-than-usual crowd at the FG50 this year.  I’m not even sure how many people were racing it.  The fastest guys dropped me regardless, but I didn’t see any other women nearby.  So, I set a goal of riding tempo the whole way.  Perhaps an even bigger success, I rode across all six creek crossings without stopping!

At the finish I had my taken picture with the perennial FG50 witch.

Which witch is which?

Thank you, Monte, for another excellent FG50!

I skedaddled home because I had planned a Halloween picnic for Robert and me that evening.  Although I love picnics, I’ve never thought of having one in the fall.  Because the weather was still pretty warm and Daylight Saving Time had not yet ended, conditions were perfect for an early evening outing.

Robert has been working on a trail behind our house.  He took me to a beautiful hillside covered with beech trees.  One of his relatives had the foresight several decades ago not to turn this area into pasture like much of the surrounding property.

We hiked in with a backpack and basket - a real picnic! 

Our menu included Bloody Marys with Eyeballs (garlic-stuffed olives), Monster Muffaletta, Yummy Mummy (pumpkin/cream cheese dip) with crudites and pretzels, Bat Fruit Salad (all ingredients rely on bats for pollination), and Ashes Cookies (named for Ashes the World's Best Office Cat).

I took my menu inspiration from elementary school lunches.  Every year on Halloween, my elementary school cafeteria served Ghost Meat, Witch's Hair, Dragon's Tooth, and Green Eyeballs in Blood.  It was so exciting!  Well, the names were anyway.  It was really spaghetti with meat sauce, potato triangle (like at Arby's), and green grapes in red Jell-O.  Elementary school lunches were legendary for being an incongruous combination of items.

Deer Dash/Deer Festival

My buttocks wasn't completely healed from the SEGA 5K in early October.  I had tried running a few times since then, mostly unsuccessfully.  Therefore, I decided to walk the Deer Dash 5K with Allie and Fleetwood, the same as I had done at the SEGA 5K.

Part of me really struggled with not running the Deer Dash competitively as I always have.  If I had been in my usual running form, I would have won my age group and perhaps women's masters.  On the other hand, it didn't seem smart to force myself through the pain.  So, I made the best of the situation, enjoyed the beautiful (if chilly!) morning, and just had fun.

I have two ideas about why it's been so difficult for me to run this year.  One is that I've emphasized endurance cycling so much this year that it was harder to transition back to running.  The other possibility is that I'm getting older (gasp!).  It's probably a lot of strain on my body to pick up running in August each year, giving myself only two months before I start racing my annual 5Ks.  Because of PBP this year, I didn't start back running until September, even less time than usual to recondition myself.

Next year I'm determined to be back in good racing form for the SEGA 5K and the Deer Dash.  I'll start training in July.  My athletic goals have always been in cycling, but it's good to have a running goal for next year, too.

I went home after the Deer Dash, took a shower, and then headed back up to the square on my bicycle.  This is my usual order of operations on Deer Festival Day.  It's a lot easier to handle traffic and parking by riding my bicycle to the festival.

My first order of business was the Venison Cookoff.  I love venison, but Robert doesn't like it.  The Venison Cookoff at the Deer Festival is my once chance to enjoy venison each year.  For $10, you can sample all the items the contestants have prepared.  The trick is that you have to get there pretty early.  I arrived at 11:45 AM, and two of my favorite dishes were already gone: Liz's Mexican venison casserole and Jimmy's venison chili (almost like a chowder).  Next year I'll hightail it back to the Deer Festival after the Deer Dash so that I don't miss out on any of the venison entries.

I always buy something at the Deer Festival.  Not that I need any more, but this has been the year for cool T-shirts.  Before I bought this one, I checked to make sure the coordinates are correct.

On my ride home, I passed this sign:

Two great things about the South: festivals for just about everything and signs for fresh vegetables for sale.

Robert's cousin Joel and Joel's son Ben were visiting.  We all walked around the trail Robert has been building behind our house.

Robert and Joel

Flat Rock

Robert showing how he plans to build a bicycle bridge over the barbed wire fence

After our walk, I took my mountain bike out for its second ever spin.  I rode on a portion of Robert's new trail.  It was much more technical than I anticipated.  I still need a lot of practice.

Sherman’s March 200K Permanent

The next day I got back in my more familiar groove and rode the Sherman's March 200K permanent.  With no November brevet on the Audax Atlanta schedule, I needed a permanent to complete my R-12 quest.  The R-12 award is for completing a 200K or longer randonneuring event each month for 12 consecutive months.  The events can be brevets and/or permanents.

This November permanent marked the completion of my sixth consecutive R-12.  I have a long-term goal of achieving the Ultra R-12 award, which is ten R-12's.  Only four more R-12's to go!

My friend Julie rode the Sherman's March 200K permanent with me.  She also recruited Beth and Tristan, two of her cycling friends from Atlanta, to join us.  It was cold to start, but it warmed up a good bit, and the four of us had a very enjoyable day on the bike.

Peach Peloton

Although I'm not a fan of cold weather, Peach Peloton is a big warm spot during the fall and winter months.  We usually kick of Peach Peloton on the first Saturday in November, but this year several of us regulars had conflicts that day (Deer Dash for me).  Therefore, we started Peach Peloton the next Saturday.  We also made it a thank you to Mt. Zion Baptist Church, asking all the riders to make a donation to the church.  Mt. Zion lets us use their parking lot year-round for Tuesday and Thursday Worlds as well as Peach Peloton.

I hadn't ridden with my Macon cyclopeeps in a while, and it was so good to see them again.

By the way, when Robert and I were heading home from Peach Peloton that day, we stopped at Bowdoin's Store in Juliette for gas.  On the weekends, a guy hangs out there selling fried pork rinds.  Our friend Monte highly recommends these particular pork rinds.  So, we decided to give them a try.  The pork rind chef has five kinds: plain, lemon pepper, sweet BBQ, spicy BBQ, and salt & vinegar.  We got spicy BBQ - light, crispy, and just right on the heat.  They'd be extra good right out of the kettle.

MTB

The next day, Robert and I rode our mountain bikes again on the trails near the Ocmulgee River.  I shredded a little more gnar than the last time.  That's my goal each ride.

Sunday afternoon is turning into mountain bike practice.  This past Sunday, Robert met Monte in Juliette at noon for another Ocmulgee River trail ride.  I would have joined them, but I had already committed to being the liturgist at church that morning.  (I am the liturgist.  Goo goo g'joob.)  So, I grabbed a quick lunch after church and then headed south on my mountain bike.  They were going to ride at least a few hours, and my plan was to meet up with them along the way.

I rode on some of my favorite roads in the PWR.  Usually, I ride them on my cyclocross bike.  Riding them on my mountain bike felt like riding a tricked-out mo-chine.

I did take one trail that definitely was better suited to MTB.  I encountered a mud puddle that stretched across the entire path.  Wanting to hone my technical skills, I thought, "I can ride through that!"  I sallied forth and came to a standstill midway through.  The water was about two feet deep.  I toppled over - splorsh! - and my whole left side got wet and muddy.  No harm, no foul.