My daughter posted this on her Facebook page on Thanksgiving.
"I am thankful for who I am and who I am becoming.
I am thankful for the amazing people in my life who love me, support me, and inspire me.
I am thankful for where I am and the opportunities I have been blessed with.
I am thankful for an able, healthy body.
I am thankful to be a part of a community which encourages me to be the best person I can.
Even though there have been trying times this year, I have lead a charmed life and for that, I am grateful."
I couldn't have said it more eloquently.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
End of Season
So, to burn off some of the Thanksgiving calories, the intrepid three (Paul, Stuart and the Hammer) set out on a journey second only to those of (the late) Sir Robert Falcon Scott and (the late) George Mallory in terms of sheer heroics, bravery and stupidity. Yes, in freezing temperatures we pedaled out from Rockwell Lane down the rail trail toward glory and destiny. Or New Paltz, whichever came first. To begin with, two words accurately describe the conditions on the first two miles of the trail: They suck. Ice choked potholes, slick mud patches, frozen crunchy spots, downed trees. Its at times like these that I really see the value of a mountain bike. Or an armored personnel carrier. Anyways, after the first two miles or so, the trail improves and it is better riding. We passed around Williams Lake and the really neat rock caves then out onto the Rosendale Trestle. The view up there is really stunning and went a long way towards making the ride worthwhile. We stopped for a bit and I snapped a few pics of Stuart, all done up in his full-cover face mask. It was reassuring to know that if we were gassed by the Assad regime, Stuart would have made it out to tell the story of our tragic fate. I swear, it was like biking with Darth Vader...
We pressed on for a few more miles below the trestle hoping to get to the bridge over the Walkill just north of New Paltz but the rapidly dropping sun told us otherwise. At 10 miles out we tried to consult the cell phone map but really couldn't get a fix on how far we were from the bridge so we prudently turned around and headed back. I thought it really sucked that the worst two miles of the trail lay at the very end when we would be tiredest and the sun would be gone. If only we were that lucky. We did pretty well up to the Rosendale Trestle then up towards Binnewater and Williams Lake but I got a bit dehydrated and had to call for time out to drink a bit and let the cramps pass. We set out for the home stretch with Rich starting to lose feeling ion his feet and toes so he sped up to try to get back to the car to warm his feet. At the same time, Stuart started having trouble keeping pace with me, a fact explained by the flat rear tire he had developed. The Hammer was out of sight and Stuart and I forged on slowly, the light fading none too slowly. AS we came upon the worst of the icy potholes Stuart and I decided to trade speed for safety and got off and walked for about a half mile. By now, Rich was starting to worry about us. After about a half mile the last mile of the trail seemed smooth enough to ride so, flat tire and all, we got back on. As we approached the end of the line, we could see the lights of Rich's car shining down the trail to guide us out. We dismounted, told rich of our misfortune on the trail and gave each other a warm round of hugs, chucks on the shoulders, laughs and general guy-oriented gestures.
It's been a great season. We've had great biking, good weather and excellent camaraderie. Me, Burzine the Knife, Maletta the Hammer, Tommy Fishes, Scotty Dog and (Darth) Stuart have all made for a memorable summer and autumn. I only regret we did not make it to the bridge in New Paltz...
...I always felt it was a bridge too far.
We pressed on for a few more miles below the trestle hoping to get to the bridge over the Walkill just north of New Paltz but the rapidly dropping sun told us otherwise. At 10 miles out we tried to consult the cell phone map but really couldn't get a fix on how far we were from the bridge so we prudently turned around and headed back. I thought it really sucked that the worst two miles of the trail lay at the very end when we would be tiredest and the sun would be gone. If only we were that lucky. We did pretty well up to the Rosendale Trestle then up towards Binnewater and Williams Lake but I got a bit dehydrated and had to call for time out to drink a bit and let the cramps pass. We set out for the home stretch with Rich starting to lose feeling ion his feet and toes so he sped up to try to get back to the car to warm his feet. At the same time, Stuart started having trouble keeping pace with me, a fact explained by the flat rear tire he had developed. The Hammer was out of sight and Stuart and I forged on slowly, the light fading none too slowly. AS we came upon the worst of the icy potholes Stuart and I decided to trade speed for safety and got off and walked for about a half mile. By now, Rich was starting to worry about us. After about a half mile the last mile of the trail seemed smooth enough to ride so, flat tire and all, we got back on. As we approached the end of the line, we could see the lights of Rich's car shining down the trail to guide us out. We dismounted, told rich of our misfortune on the trail and gave each other a warm round of hugs, chucks on the shoulders, laughs and general guy-oriented gestures.
It's been a great season. We've had great biking, good weather and excellent camaraderie. Me, Burzine the Knife, Maletta the Hammer, Tommy Fishes, Scotty Dog and (Darth) Stuart have all made for a memorable summer and autumn. I only regret we did not make it to the bridge in New Paltz...
...I always felt it was a bridge too far.
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