Longest post ever

The end of the year is rapidly approaching, which means three things.  We are done with our "real jobs" soon, we get to go home soon, and we get to start racing/participating/hanging out soon.  I am very excited for the summer and the new job next year, but I am also on the verge of soiling myself at the prospect of so many things being able to go wrong or not work out.  I know that worrying won't help, but it doesn't mean I am not going to worry.  

Anyway, Last week we headed down to Bear brook, a 10,000 acres state park in New Hampy that has a bunch of trails for running (Aliza) and biking (me).  We can both leave the car at the same time and be out on trails for 3-4 hours and meet back at the car.   The big bonus is there is a really good burrito and smoothie restaurant on the way home, so we can stuff our pie holes before returning to school.  

Aliza is very excited to have her picture taken. 

My last trip to Bear Brook ended 2o minutes in with a broken chain.  This time I was ready to ride.  I headed out on the fire roads and snowmachine trails, and then hit one of the best trails in the park, hedgehog ledge.  It is built under a huge boulder, with smaller boulders that the trail winds through and a lot of flakes that are used to step the trail up and down the hills.  Lots of fun on a rigid single. 

 After the rock maze, the single track is tight and flowy, with lots of rocks to fling yourself over and ride off of.  After the single track, you head past Bear Pond, which is quite picturesque.  

I usually head out from the main parking lot to the end of the main road (I believe it is called podunk road, but I am not sure) past bear pond, past the 4-h camp to the best section of single track in the whole park.  It is rocky, rooty, twisty, turny, fast, flowy and about seventy more adjectives that I don't have the patience to write out.  It is a lot of fun and climbs steadily to a nice rock outcropping that is the end of the trail.  I could ride out, stop and eat at the rock, and then bomb back down the single track back to the car for a nice 3 hour ride.  Much to my dismay, the majority of the trail now looks like this. 

Some of the best single track is now lost under slash and stumps from the recent logging.  I know that the state uses the park for logging and research, but this ruined my ride.  You can also see the winged harbingers of death, the black flies.  I stopped long enough to take this pic and then jumped back on the bike to head home, rather pissed that this section of trail is done. 

In happier news, I found a new favorite trail near my house today.  There is a certain hill, with lots a very techy climb, to a techy ridge trail, to a very techy descent near my house.  Part of the trail was shut down because of a land owner, but new trails have been springing up on top of the hill, and they are fun.  I spent three hour riding back and forth, getting lost on top of this hill.  I found this

which is one of my new favorite trails.  Although, any new trail can easily become my favorite.  I am easily entertained and have a very short term memory, so I can be easily won over with shiny new things.  Or even just shiny things.  

I also found this.  

Although it is neither shiny nor new, I thought it was very interesting to find an old tractor on top of a mountain.  (I told you I was easily amused)  The ride ended with a sprint home to get ready to help out the father-in-law with yard work, and left me tired and excited to get back to VT and be surrounded by killer trails right out the door.  Hopefully the end of the year will come quickly, my new-to-me frame will get here soon, and I will have something to entertain myself with for the rest of our time in NH.