Kimby Bikes

THE PEEPS!

 The last weekend in August saw me saddled up on my mountain bike supporting my best friend since kindergarten in her Bike MS ride along the Greenbrier River Trail in West Virginia. After 3 years of tests and suspicions, she was finally diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis this past spring. I had already promised to raise money and ride long before her diagnosis. But knowing for sure she had MS made it a little more real. I wasn't just riding for my friends' reasons for donating to my ride, but I was riding for her: because it was meaningful to her and because she rides with MS.

1st rest stop. Me: Hey, this ain't so bad! (HAH)

The trail trek is reportedly 60 miles. But when you start at mile marker 14 and end at MM 80 that math doesn't compute. A check on Map My Ride confirms the trail trek is approximately 66 miles. But the route is well stocked with some nicely placed rest stops. And Blake and Mandy's aunt are able to SAG for us. Day 1 of the trek starts in Anthony, WV and ends in Cass.

It was a right eventful first day. Mandy's uncle hit the side of the tunnel while trying to turn on his light and busts open his tube and tire wall. We frankenbiked him as best we could and reach the next rest stop 7 miles later. Next, it's my turn to have a flat. We pump and pump the new tube to no avail. It obviously had a puncture in it as well. The 2nd tube works thankfully. Also, we only have 1 tube left for all 4 of us. After a quick brake adjustment we're off again. But slow since the pressure on my tire is low.

The origin of Frankenbike

We're 1.5 miles from the finish when we have to slow down for a group of horses. After passing we try to get back up to speed and Mandy's uncle clips my rear wheel with his front wheel. This sends him skidding across the trail on his shoulder. We're all so eager to finish he brushes himself off and we push forward. We finish with forced smiles. Mostly because we're done. Until we realize Mandy's uncle's phone had fallen off his bike when he crashed. Mandy and I stay behind as her dad and uncle head back down the trail to look for the phone. They return in less than an hour: success! Overall it had taken us 8 hours. We head up the mountain to Snowshoe to clean up and eat dinner at the banquet.

Day 1 finish at Cass Firehouse. Look at that sexy helmet hair!

After dinner we head to the hot tub to ease our sore muscles. I'm pretty spent and so are the others. Bed time is early as we need to be at the breakfast around 6:15 the next morning.

So...many...bananas...

Oh, haiiiii!

After breakfast we head back down to Cass to pick up our bikes and hit the trail right before 8AM. We're cooking at a great pace to the first rest stop. However, the 2nd stop is 18 miles away. I'm struggling to keep the fast pace. I'm starting to bonk. We reach Marlington and the next stop. I take some time to refuel and make sure I can make it the rest of the way. As we pull out of the rest stop I hit a soft patch of gravel and try to stabilize myself by setting my foot down. But I'm clipped in. And I fall. Right over. In front of everyone. I pick myself up and in perfect stubborn manner say, "I'm ok."

My knee is stiff the entire way to the lunch stop. I take a shot of pickle juice and pain killers after the first aid guy helps me clean up my bloody leg. It's not as bad as it looks, but it looks pretty bad. Somehow, I get my second wind at lunch, and I'm ready to go! We hop back on the bikes and take off. The last half of the ride we keep our pace and I don't pass out from exhaustion. There is less chattering than at the beginning of the ride, but everyone is in good spirits. Our last stop is where we decide to finish strong by riding up the mountain to the official finish line. It's an extra mile and mostly up a mountain road. When we reach the bottom of the hill I down shift to granny gear and Mandy and her uncle quickly get ahead of me. I'm completely satisfied with sitting as long as I can since my quads are all but shredded.

Yay for being 30!!!!

Finishing was a great feeling. High fives, sweaty hugs, big smiles. And knowing I can sit in a car seat instead of a bike seat for the next 5 hours.

There were times during my ride (mostly on Day 1, surprisingly) where I felt like quitting. Where it hurt. Where I was tired. Every time I had these thoughts I forced myself to think about my overall situation. I'm healthy. I don't have MS. I am able to feel this pain. I am able to ride. And that's what kept me going. Knowing that I was able to raise money to support education and programs and research to better the lives of those with MS and those who will be diagnosed with MS in the future.

And I can't wait to do it all again next year. :)

Yay!

So buff!

Trip Report: Joyce Kilmer Round DOS

Imagine my surprise when I tell Blake the backpacking trip he's agreed to come along on is back to Joyce Kilmer and his response is, "Ok."

That's right. I used my womanly charms to somehow convince him to step back into the Joyce wilderness.

Liz and I had been planning another trip for a short while. Always in the back of our minds was to return to Joyce Kilmer and "do it right." Once we became serious about planning it seemed the only logical choice. Let's go kick its butt this time!

The new plan: let's do the first trip backwards since we will now (in theory) know which trail to take out. Liz suggested taking Jenkins Meadow Trail out since we'd already done Naked Ground Trail. Then we could check off another of the wilderness trails from the list. Also, let's bring Amber!

We'd leave a car at the Jenkins Meadow trailhead and drive up to start at Haoe Lead trailhead. We'd follow Haoe Lead for a mile or so and then hop onto Deep Creek Trail. We'd summit around 4 or 5 PM and find a spot to camp. Then we'd check out the Hangover. The next day we'd hike over to Naked Ground and set up camp. Then we'd go out to Bob Stratton Bald without our cumbersome packs. Day 3 we'd head out of the wilderness down Jenkins Meadow and on to Asheville for pizza and brews.

Really? You want to go back? OK!

A 4 to 5 PM summit is difficult when you get on the trail at 3PM. But we're all happy to be laced up, loaded up, and hiking up because the weather is beautiful. You can't beat a mere 80 degrees for an August backpacking trip. Liz starts her hike armed with a road soda and a spider web whacking stick since she's in the lead. As with most trips I've taken with Liz, there are almost as many dogs as there are humans. Lego, Masi, and Jandro are all packed down and ready for adventure also.

Jandro is so ready for adventure. Liz falls on some slick rocks and he comes back to "check on her" by stealing her spider whacking stick and running away. Many laughs were had. Then the laughs turn into yells as we realize we haven't seen him in awhile. With the rain beginning to pour, Blake and Amber de-pack and head back down the trail to look for him. Liz and I stand still as a point of reference. Within 10 minutes we hear him come bounding down the trail behind us...with no pack. We can only assume he had gotten wedged in something and had to slip out. Lego and Masi grudgingly offer portions of their food for the next 3 days.

Here's a pro tip: always check your gear before you leave for a trip. Blake and I did NOT do this and found that our water pump was not working while we were on the trail. Thankfully we always bring iodine tablets. And you should, too.

The trail is right gorgeous and pretty similar to Naked Ground in terms of difficulty. The beginning sections mix slight grades with moderate pulls. And closer to the summit (relatively) the tougher sections beat your quads. But oh, is it worth it. We turned right at the summit to head toward the Hangover and find a place to camp. We drop our packs and Liz and Amber go on to check for other sites. That last thing I hear from them is, "OH WOW!" and mumbled excitement. They had found the Hangover.

Never have I been so rewarded for working so hard. As the sun set behind the ranges, the shadows in the valleys grew. You could see it all. Stunning.

Being that it was 8 or later we needed to set up camp and cook dinner. Amber won camp chef for this trip as she brought hobo meals and eggs that all smelled delicious. We hung the bear bags and extinguished the fire. Once situated in our tents I noticed something haunting. SILENCE. Absolute stillness all around us. No wind. No bugs. No critters. It was eery. Of course I didn't sleep well. A few times I had dreams a bear was attacking us. Those sucked. But dawn came and 4 humans and 3 dogs emerged from tents unscathed.

Sunrise at Hangover is a must. So we trundled out and I had a morning brewskie. Liz sipped on her wine. A nice way to start the day. Liz goes off to pick blackberies we saw the day before down the trail. She comes back with teeny, delicious berries and a bumble bee sting for her efforts. Breakfast was made and then we all went back to the Hangover to just sit and watch the clouds roll over the valley below us.

Sunrise at Hangover

Around noon we decided it was time to pack up and head to Naked Ground. We met a guy headed the opposite way and told him he should camp where we had the night before. Fifty minutes after leaving the Hangover we arrive in a familiar flat spot...

"OH! This is Naked Ground!" It was almost unrecognizable with all the greenery. We set up camp and ate some snacks. Then decided to head to Bob Stratton Bald.

View from campsite at Naked Ground - lots more foliage this time!

It wouldn't be a proper backpacking trip if we didn't take a wrong turn. At the junction we went right. We should have gone left. The bumble bees are out enjoying their day when 4 humans and 3 dogs come crashing their party. Liz is stung 3 more times near her tookus. And, for the first time in his outdoorsy life, Blake is stung by a bumble bee. Everyone rejoiced for him as he is now able to be tested to see if he is allergic. HOORAY?

It's a little hot, and with the growing number of angry bumble bees we're all done with hiking. We get back to camp and laze about the rest of the afternoon. It was glorious! This is the kinda backpacking I think I'm REALLY into. Hike in and then laze about for a few days. Blake goes to bed early, but the ladies stay up and chat about what I imagine most women chat about: farts, drinking, and dudes. At least the women I like to hang out with.

As in the first time we stayed in Naked Ground, this night greets us with howling wind that rolls up the mountainside. But being as tired as I am, sleep comes quickly and easily. I wake up feeling more refreshed and craving pizza and beer.

More Hangover!

We pack up and head back down Haoe Lead Trail. We reached the Jenkins Meadow Trail junction and start our descent. We appreciate the new signage the volunteer group has spent hours and hours installing. We're feeling pretty good and the trail is nice. A few times we question which trail is the actual trail, but the detailed guidebook never fails us. This trail gets a little hairy at times. Not in the "I'm going to fall off this mountain," kind. But the rhodo-hell kind. A classic Class I Rhodo-hell lasts for what seems like miles. We'd pop in and out of the rhodo-hell, but it's still tough going for most of the time.

There's also tons of poop on the trail. Tons. Liz frequently calls back, "Briers on the left! Poop on the right! Poop on the left! Briers....everywhere!"

After a few hours of hiking and poo dodging we begin to hear the rushing sound of water. We're all a little giddy because it means we can de-pack and rinse off. AND get our beers we've left in the car. Once we reach Amber's truck we pack into the bed and head up to get my car. We get back down to the stream and have the most glorious stream rinse off I've ever had. The beers were ok...kinda warm...but still a nice reward! Amber needs to get back early, but the rest of us are so intent on beer and pizza in Asheville we decide to part ways soon after our dip.

Mission Accomplished!

And thus ends a very successful 3 day, 2 night trip into the Joyce Kilmer wilderness. We've figured out the best combo of hiking trails and have some favorite hiking spots. And we know which trail never to take ever again. Our next NC adventure will hopefully be this fall in a new location. But Joyce Kilmer will be a special place that I'll always be willing to return to.

One last Hangover sunrise