I took advantage of the warm temperature and dry ground last Wednesday to continue measuring and marking the Great Glen to Bretton Woods Nordic Adventure course on my bike. Last year we had signs made up for every five kilometer interval distance: 5, 10, 15, etc. Since quite a bit of the course isn’t accessible by car, and I have an odometer on my mountain bike, I decided to measure out the sign locations via bike. I did it in two parts, as I didn’t have a shuttle vehicle and pretty much had to bike back the distance I measured each day. The last mark from day one was at 15 km, along the Pinkham B Road. So I parked at the intersection of Pinkham B and the Rail Trail and headed uphill to the tree I’d flagged at 15 km.

     I kept my effort level down on my way up the hill. It was about 32 degrees and I would soon be in for a fast downhill, with plenty of wind chill.  I didn’t want to get too sweaty, only to turn into a Popsicle coming down.

     The downhill was fun. My face was exposed and it was definitely refreshing. I wondered if I’d get an ice cream headache, but was happy not to. Then it was into the private forest road leading to the power line.

     The first part of the power line had some low lying spots with standing water. I picked my way walking my bike through these, trying to keep my feet dry. The gore-tex shoes I’m wearing are beat, no longer waterproof. Despite my efforts, it’s not long before my right foot is damp.

     Some of the power line was really pleasant for riding. Tony and Allen have been out mowing down the brush, so it takes less snow to cover the course and make it skiable. They’ve done a great job. This is their third year brushing this seven kilometer section.

     Aaaaahh! I’ve been fooled. The surface looked dry! But my front tire just sunk into the swampiness lurking underfoot. I catch myself with my right foot as the bike jolts to a stop. Well, so much for keeping that foot dry. 

     I come to the first brook crossing. Thin ice coats some of the rocks. I try one spot and find myself marooned with too wide of a jump to the other side. I look upstream and see a more promising place. Carefully, slowly, I start stepping from rock to rock, holding my bike upright in the water below me. Without the bike, this would be a breeze. . . . .

The next step is a stretch. I reach out with my left foot—there, foot’s on the rock . . . slip . . . splash! . . . oh RATS! I’m in the water, my left leg submerged to my knee, leaning back against the rock I just slipped off of, holding onto my bike, desperate not to fall in deeper. Doesn’t matter now, I wade through the rest of the distance, and reach the other side. So much for keeping dry. There’ll be no stopping me now—I can slog through anything! What is it we say?? “It’s an Adventure!”

 

Sue Wemyss  

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