Fall Gravel

Nice ride today.  55 miles, 55 degrees, 3200 ft vertical and plenty of quiet back roads.  You need days like this, especially after the Thanksgiving orgy.   It is wonderful to spend two lovely days with family and eating yourself silly.  But it is nice to balance that with some alone time out on the hilly gravel.

I mapped out two new-to-me gravel roads: Hidden Springs Rd and Witches Hollow Rd.  With names like that, it is impossible to resist.  How cool is it to have a road named "Witches Hollow"?  You just know a road like that has to be (1) gravel, (2) hilly and (3) scenic.  And it didn't disappoint.

We were blessed with temps in the upper 50s and bright sunshine.  It has rained buckets for 3 straight days, so this nice weather day is well deserved.  Still, we don't often get sunny warm days like this on the verge of December.  At this point last year, we already had snow on the ground.  The day did have brisk winds out of the SW which made the return trip a chore, but I really can't complain.



I honestly do get the point of Thanksgiving.  I have a lot to be thankful for.  A wonderful family.  A nice quiver of bikes and beautiful places to ride.  I wish I had more time to ride, but I do treasure and enjoy the time I get.  I am thankful to have my health and a body which can carry me 55 miles through the gravelly hills of Ohio.  And a wife who stays home with kids and puppy while I am out and about.  We do trade -- she gets her time too, but she "gets it".  I don't have to explain why I need to disappear for 4 hours on a Saturday or why I need yet another bike.  Yes, a lot to be thankful for.