Annadale anyone

Annadale anyone?

When the question arose; "where to perform the moonride for July 08", it was suggested that Annadale State Park be visited with a brewpub finish. The ride was chosen in part due to the indication that the heroes from CBO would be able to make the ride. There were three riders interested. However, by ride time they, one by one, canceled. It was left to six hard core lunatistas to carry on the tradition of quirky events under the guidance of Lunacy.

Mike, Lindsey, Jim K., Auriah, Dr. Die and Eric found themselves as the takers for the event. Lindsey had indicated earlier in the week that Friday was not a good day for him. However with the combination of another slow start and Lindsey's best rendition of NASCAR Hero he was able to slide (literally) into the event. He would pay a little NASCAR tax later in the evening.

The ride started just after sunset. Two days after the full moon meant the moon would rise well after the sunset so it was desirable to try to get to the top of the terrain before the twilight disappeared altogether. There would no light for an hour or so. The ride was proceeding nicely until Linz's chain came apart. He made a fix in record time. Yet when the crew returned to riding, the light had faded immensely. It was darker than usual, yet the trail always seemed to glow in the darkness.

The moon eventually rose and beamed a faded cream color. There was still much smoke in the California atmosphere. The sky was hazy with no clouds. Unfortunately most of the Ridge Trail was on the north side of the terrain and in the woods, a situation that conspires to hide the way. The energy was subdued. The night lacked luster and excitement. It did not lack the beauty and serenity of the experience. Even a mundane ride under the moon becomes extraordinary. The plan was to ride the entire length of the park starting at the Lawndale entrance. Lawndale is nearly ten miles from Santa Rosa and the Russian River Brewpub. Last call was at 12:45.

The ride reached the ridge about the same time as the moon rose from the horizon. There were several stops but no fire. Dr. Die did an admirable job of steering the event towards the promised pub. The trails were pleasant for the most part and very little climbing was required after the initial grunt to the top of the terrain. The magic path through the forest continued for miles before descending to a fire road, two locked gates, someone's back yard and eventually the pavement. Linz sensed closing time was drawing close and put the Bo-ti into hyper drive and smoked the roads to the RR Brewing Company.

The sprint to the finish paid off. It was 12:40 when the lunatistas arrived at the brewpub. After several pitchers of RR's finest the event drew to a near close. The riders were about to leave when a stranger approached. He mentioned mountain biking and soon discovered he was in the company of the (in his mind) legendary Bikin' Fools. It turns out he was a fan. This was a first for the moonrides. He insisted on buying the group another pitcher.

Finally all that was left was the car shuttle and a solo, heroic performance on the breathalyzer for Linz. He successfully proved to the authorities that he was NOT in violation of anything but having too much fun. And it settles the debate once and for all, that breathalyzers simply don't work.

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