Michel not entirely understanding American picnic tables
The Annadel Quartet
Fuzzy rolls across the accommodating trails of Annadel
The September moonride began with lots of commitments then slowly dissolved into four takers for the Lunar Event. Michel was able to briefly force open the shackles that bind him to a real life. His attempts at freeing himself of all earthly duties has thus far failed. His rare sorties into the realm of Fools have caused occasional wobbles in his otherwise steady orbit around good sense, a beautiful family and a real job. Eric (Fuzzy) and Lorna were in town anyway for a wedding, so their commute was nil. The other Eric (A.D.) filled out the quartet.
Hiker on the dyke at Spring Lake
The ride started smooth and easy on the pavement along Channel Drive. This start gives the intrepid bikers some time to get warmed up and prepare for the two mile climb to the top of the terrain. The group elected to park on Montgomery Street in case the ranger dudes felt the need to spoil someone's evening who may have parked on channel drive. This added another half mile to the warm up. The moon appeared big and strong over the eastern horizon. The air was cool and nearly perfect for mt. bike riding.
Michel holds a light saber to ward off evil spirits
The ride started in earnest when the riders contacted the Richardson trailhead. The trail climbs moderately on a jeep road. This made for easy riding, especially due to its northern exposure and minimal moonlight at the beginning. Michel climbed with the vigor of his fellow countrymen on the original Bastille Day. Lorna showed no signs of lagging. She mashed the cranks all the way to the top. Fuzzy was in good spirits, having consumed his share of the same during the wedding reception. The four had the entire park to themselves.
The Rolling Deli fuels the event
The ride progressed easily to the higher terrain. The trail flattened and the speeds increased until they came to the junction at Ilsanjo lake. The four decided to take the northern route to the dam. This turned out to be longer than anticipated but provided a minor extention to the ride. It seemed at one point that the turn was made in error, yet it eventually made the correct turn back to the dam and a convenient picnic table for the evening's repast.
La Luna's image shimmers in Lake Ilsanjo
The air temperature cooled considerably as the group extended the venture into the night. A.D. brought just enough clothes, but worried about the motorcycle ride home. Once moving, the air seemed perfect. The plan was to end up on Cobblestone, yet some enroute changes put the group on North Burma. This delightful trail descends through dark woods and offers some specacular crash possibilities on the very steep slopes. The descent was slow due to darkness, but all transited the trail without major problems.
No questions here
The four road back to the vehicles once back on the pavement. The night had stayed clear and bright. No fog appeared and the stars were available for gazing. It was a rare Saturday that coincided with a full moon. It was not an epic ride, but rather a pleasant, satisfying ride into the night with special friends. All of the elements conspired to make the evening an enjoyable event.
Brrrrr........
