Well, part of my father's day was a "free" 3 hours to go out
and kill myself on some new (to me) trails at a place near
here called McKeldin State Park. It's part of the Patapsco
State Park system here in Maryland. There is a popular area
that is maintained and is multi-use where hikers and horsey
people are literally all over the place. If the weather is
warm enough you can cross over to the lesser maintained
quarry side of the park. You need to ford a branch of the
Patapsco River which is usually about knee deep but is
actually rideable from time to time. I've crossed when it
was FRIGID and thigh deep (bike on shoulder of course!).
This day I knew from the time I left my house with my bike
on the CJ-7 that I was crossing and going to hit the
lesser traveled trails. I got to the park and was
unloading my bike when this older gent (about 60-ish)
rides up on a single speed. He'd just finished an 8 mile
trip on the dry side (he didn't cross) and told me that
there were LOTS of people out there and to be careful. He
has a FS but has his SS today because he was coming off
some rib injuries and figured that the SS was easier to
handle. I probably had a WTF look on my face but I didn't
ask what he meant.
Anyway, I load up and ride down to the river. I passed a man
and two younger kids on bikes and had a momentary twinge
that I should have brought my boys but it passed (insert
small grin here). At the crossing I see these two young
studs standing there pondering the crossing. These guys have
spandex and some skin tight shirts with lots of logos and a
couple of really shiney looking rides. Now this crossing is
about 40 yards across and fast but you can see it's not deep
(actually a ranger came through while we were talking and
rode her horse over. It was about 8 inches or so). The other
side has a nice patch of mud but rises to the forest on the
other side. My few minutes with them was spent telling them
it was worth it and that they honestly would not melt (said
with a grin of course, I'm not a TOTAL ass). Now you have to
understand that I rode up in baggy shorts, and a sleveless
white cotten Nike teeshirt and a well worn camelbak
Bottomline is that I took off and made it half way before I
dabbed and walked the rest of the way. They never came over.
The ride was through nice forest and hills with nary a
soul to be seen. One and a half hours later and covered
with sweat, mud, and a little blood where a branch caught
my arm I stagger back to the Jeep and there they are nice
and clean at their cars STILL talking about Lord knows
what. They were quiet for a second and I looked at them
and said "You guys should have crossed over".
I think I had a better time! Happy Father's Day!
Marty