15 October 2011 Ride: CORD 38 - Take 4

Since we were traveling on my birthday and made it home late last Sunday, my birthday was postponed until Saturday, the 15th when we would go out to eat (yeah! I don't have to cook!).  I also thought from a while back that doing a century ride would be a good way of celebrating the day.  So, with that in mind, I took off at 7:20, a few minutes before sunrise and a temperature of around 45 degrees, to meet up with the Roadies at Drake airport for the ride to the newly discovered CORD 38.  I made sure to get there in enough time to take everyone's picture.  So, here, in no special order than the order they were taken, is what turned out to be an interesting array of portraits.

 It was crucial that I got everyone's picture in the beginning as that would be my only real opportunity.  Once the pack took off, I probably wouldn't see them again until they passed me on their return.  And, true enough, it only took a mile before the group pulled away and almost completely out of sight.

 But it was still fun riding in their "essence" or wake.  And I was glad that touching base with the group was part of my century ride for the day.

 

 I did end up riding with Jane for a bit and that's only because she stopped to keep Mike company as he fixed a flat so I was able to catch up with them.

And, in Winslow, Jane turned back and then Mike and I rode for awhile along CORD 38. 

Hwy 71 was busier than usual probably because of a yard sale that stretched from Greenland to Winslow.  At one point, there was a pick up truck pulled off on the side of the road.  Jim was standing looking over two black pups that seemed to be abandoned.  Off in the bushes was another gold pup that didn't seem to want to have any human contact.

 Jim stood there for a while, worrying about the fate of the pups but fretted over not being able to take them as he already had three dogs.  I spent a few minutes chatting with him.

 CORD 38 is like a work in progress; every time I go down it feels like another new experience.  Yet, the paradox is that it remains so unchanged, so quiet and peaceful.  From a distance, the guy stays above, almost appeared like meteors streaking through the sky.  Interesting to see the details of the rollers in the photographs. 


 I passed the group returning about two miles from where the pavement ends.  We exchanged waves and I made my way to the end and stopped where pavement met gravel/dirt to have a snack and take in all the quiet activity.  Indiscreet gray grasshoppers sat on the pavement and then would take to the air about two feet above the ground and hover, their yellow backed wings now revealed.  It seemed to be a mating call, perhaps.  I tried to get a shot of one hovering against the blue sky but was unable to prop myself underneath one for a good picture.  A pair of large yellow butterflies skirted by.  Smaller whitish ones fed on the wild flowers on the side of the road.  And then the quiet.  It was hard to leave the tranquility.

This little terrier lived at a house at the very end of the pavement.  A little skittish but he eventually let me come close enough to give him a rub.

On the way back, by the road side attraction I've mentioned before in earlier posts, I saw Tim West with his bike.  I stopped and asked if this was his place.  Yes, it was.  Based on some of the pieces in the yard which seemed to have a dark side, I expected the owner to be aloof and not very eager to talk with strangers.  But Tim was very affable and was very glad to talk with me.  He was born in 1939 and lived almost his entire life in a house down the hill on the other side of the road except for 11 years when his family moved to Illinois.  He moved back in 1969 and has been there ever since.  I'd like to go back another time and take more detailed pictures of his sculptures and other art pieces.

After I left Ted, I had about 40 more miles to reach 100.  Fortunately, the wind was from the south so the ride back up Hwy 71 went smoothly.  This was a very good thing as I did not have a good night sleep and was working on less than 5 hours of rest.  The last 15 miles was rather trying as I left the push of the wind and wound my way through the bike trail and then country ways that were always moving slowly upward.  But, yes, when I got to the T in my neighborhood, I did take the right turn for the extra 8/10th of a mile encore.

15 October Ride:  8hrs 12mins (Actual time: 9hrs 20mins)  100.75 miles   45°-76°   Miles YTD:  7,396.31

Number of miles per day needed to reach 10,000 miles by the end of the year: 33.81

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