Feral Pigs, Disc Brakes & Squelch of a Chicken

Kelsi and I hopped on our bikes and headed out the the western edge of Union County. It was quite nippy on the toes. It was nice to fit in a 25 mi. ride because the Holiday food slug was hitting me. My brakes did not like the cold and sounded like feral pigs chasing me on occasion. As I approached my neighbors house I belched several times really loud. I thought the neighbor was imitating me with his own belch. Evidently the combo of feral disc brakes and belches got the one of the chickens upset and screaming. It was a multitude of screaches! Or mating call?

Shoes Tell About the Type of Person or Is It The Other Way Around?

Look down........

I have really been thinking about what shoes tell about a person. My uncle was a shoe store owner/buyer/salesperson, as well as my cousin, and his brother became a Podiatrist. Oh, I was also a shoe salesperson in my Uncle's store - even starred in a commercial! No, there isn't a foot fetish here! Actually feet gross me out and toes should always be hidden! Thank God for Keen Footwear!

Here goes another confirmation that Shoes tell a story about one's self. When Kelsi and I were in Slippery Rock and we entered North Country Brewing. Kelsi held the door open for two women leaving and I entered glancing at a middle aged couple sitting at a high bar table to my left. As we were seated, Kels said, "Did you hear what that couple said?" I said, "No". I knew they were looking at us. She said, " The man said to the woman as he was looking at our shoes, "You know....Shoes really tell a lot about a person." I had on Garmont Naughty Trail shoes and Kelsi had on Keen Mary Janes. As we left the establishment, a runner coming towards us was looking down at our shoes as he went by us.

Would you rather be with someone who is cultured, artsy, outdoorsy with trail sneakers, supportive quality shoes, or hiking boots vs chic high maintenance with heels, click clanking sandals, wing tips or basketball shoes that will fall off if one tried to run. There are times when we can't buy new shoes, shoe shabby state is comfortable, transitional times into another a non typical type of shoe depending on the occasion or hobby.

One thing that is disgusting are gals wearing look-alike, sheepskin UGG boots. They are gross , no support, smell, worn heels that turn in, and need peeled off to go to bed . EeeeWH! Guys need to have laces tied and wear the right non scuffing size.....this goes hand in hand with some of the laziness facing the generation being educated right now.

Be ready to walk the extra mile at any time!

Halloween Bar Crawl

I went to W PA in Beaver County somewhere to visit with my college roommate. Some things never change. It was a hoot of a time! There was a Halloween Bar Crawl on bikes with the biking community. Tin Man and Tornado Woman - http://snitgersbikes.net/We went from bar to bar with a 15 minute time limit at each one. Blind Ref & Sheriff - Denali Cycles .

Beautiful Day in Pennsylvania

Kelsi and I went to Eagles Mere to do a little sealing up of the cottage for winter. Oh! how I wish, I could live here forever! Headed out from Eagle Mere Park to the shared use link trail Loyalsock Canyon Vista and LT trail to the look out over Worlds End State Park and visited the Rock Garden. I am liking this trail more and more.

Wheel dodger to Save a Life

On Sunday, Dagny and I went on a beautiful afternoon bike ride around Penns Creek. I dodged a little 1" snapper with my front wheel. I stopped and ran back the road to make sure I didn't back wheel smash it. Poor Snapper would have died on that black macadam in form like a prune. From Dag's H2O bottle, drips of water slowly brought life. We were overreacting like parental figures for an appropriate home but none suited.
I took him home and my husband had never seen one that small. I played with him a bit and then he was released to his upscale pond away from civilization - see his beeline to the water.

Journey to his Paradise

Body is getting thoroughly used

Whew some relief! Relief! The pain was really intense for the last two months and started many years from my shoulder to the trapezoid jaw area. I thought my neck was spewing more disc space. Zach (his ball doesn't sit in the socket right) & I went to the shoulder OS today. Kelsi went last week after she endoed in a race and my brother wrecked the other week when his pedal came off.

The injection is only temporary and it WORKED for the area of intense pain into my side of the neck !!! I have something wrong with the AC joint which will require surgery at some point. PT exercises for my neck for my cervical DDD may have irritated it. Sad to think I have an Ortho Surg for almost every joint in my body.

Many years ago, I hit the pavement running on my bike and had a direct blow to the shoulder and jaw and some MTB falls to avoid falling my fixed knees.

The FIELD was looking nice for being SHOT !

Pine Creek Rail Trail

This year we decided to bypass the Tour de Shunk. On my way to get Kelsi , I had a text message from a friend 5 minutes before the start saying, "Help Me, I am in this alone - What am I doing?" Kels and I went to Pine Creek Trail and rode 54 miles - from White Tail Access to Hilborn Fields. For some odd reason, this ride hurt, because there was no variety in motion. There was resistance on the wet, crushed limestone and wind gusts making it difficult to go over 13 mph. On the way back, the butt and neck hurt sooo bad which entailed the vertical hands free ride back.

It was quite a beautiful ride with ease but at the same time whooped our sore saddle buttsides worse than any ride or race that we can remember.

Negro Hollow Trail

Today, my venture started from home, up Stone, Bartley and Buffalo Mts and around the fields home - 25 mile day!

How the trail got its name - not sure?! It has changed on the DCNR maps from Nigger Hollow Trail to Negro Hollow Trail in 2000. Porcupines chomped on the sign , but will it be replaced with terms more appropriate to this day? This is the first place I hit three months after my ACL/meniscus surgery years ago. Tons of massive mud holes - of course LEAVE NO TRACE and ride through them!

What's the purpose of these markers found going down the mountain?

2008 10th Annual Shenandoah Mountain 100

There were 436 finishers out of 5XX registrants! Click Click Boom! There were quite a few previous racers that did not make it to this 2008 event. Harlan, Keith, Michelle, Ray A., Ray C., Buck, Harry, Paula, Jeremiah, Quadzilla and........

Gwadzilla http://gwadzilla.blogspot.com/ rantings. Kelsi was so elated she got to meet him and got one up on me!

Overall results

Bob Popovich's PhotoGallery

Jonathan Bruck Photography

Our Photos K&K collection

Saturday we drove most of the morning to get to Stokesville.

1st SM100 for Gunnar and Betsy?!!

Super volunteers and racer Chris Wurster http://chriswurster.blogspot.com/ 69 and Beth. Aloha pint glasses!

Registration and setup all evening with Jimbo, Lynn, Kelsi, Chris & Beth and a couple of others. Kerry Combs http://ifchicks.blogspot.com/relief was welcome, which allowed us to get something to eat.

In the reg tent was Jon Meredith http://drj0nswanderings.blogspot.com/from Scotland. He was at the SSWC08 http://sswc08.blogspot.com/and flew across the states to attend the SM100. I remember this smiley pleasant fella from the W101 years ago and I don't know why.

Stayed with Lynn for the duration. I wish I had my camera when it was daytime pit stop to feed: It was like a FUNNYFARM !!!with 2 Colorful Roosters, 2 Llahmas, a long hair bull with bike bar ends on his horns , and a beautiful show horse and four cats.

Pre sunrise we headed to Station #1 in which I was "the manager", set up stuff at the campground for the finish, cut some stuff in the kitchen, go to station #5 to drop off sweeper bikes, Station #6 and found three riders going the wrong way, at the expense of local hoodlums with nothing else better to do.

Alex Kopko http://kopko.blogspot.com/was hanging there, evidently he has a class at SRU with Josh....hmm things are coincidental.

Each and every rider and their hellos keeps me going in my life venture.

Eagles Mere Time

Nice to be here but a bummer all the brothers did not show........Rode over to World's End lookout and the Rock Garden.




Always wonderful to be here!

Eagles Mere on my Mind

Last Friday, I went up and cleaned the cottage necessities, such as the toilets, sinks, floors, kitchen all and bedding because we will be up for the 2008 EM water carnival. It was nice to see Steve and Jack up there - extended stay from Kirk's Bday bash in July. Steve and I concurred how we love it up here. The "SMELL" of Eagles Mere is distinctly peaceful and can't be quite replicated elsewhere. Damp dew on the ferns and dead debris of the forest floor? Trigger like a childhood smell that brings back memories. Such as, Toxic plastic toys, Barbie heads or Playdoh from the late 1960s.
Then on Tuesday, after Kels was done with her BSA duties at Camp K, she wanted to go immediately to Eagles Mere - make the 125+ mile RT. Skeptical at first, but she said I am 19 and Josh is 22, we are adults. Me=???!!! Josh met us in his hometown of Hughesville. If I was younger - oh yeah. Opportunity (mountain biking, backpacking, hiking, caving, kayaking, rock climbing) for Kels to do these things. I hope to get on some of the trails and bike over to Worlds End State Park on the Loyalsock State Forest shared use trail, relax, visit with the Virgin Islands group who are all in town.

Aug 8 EMFC One Day Carnival
Aug 9/10 EMVI Art & Crafts Festival
Aug 9 EMAA Water Carnival "States"

Weird today, a girl at the gym said she was leaving for James Madison in Harrisonburg. Josh verified he wants to go to the Shenandoah SM100 on Labor Day weekend with me or a group from SRU.

Hammertime Wilderness 101

Beautiful weather and steady stream of riders flowing through the woods floor at Station #5 sparks me! Kelsi did not race because of her diet at camp and brought along a friend who I adore....just like Chris Scott. Always amazed by all the Single Speeders! Great to see Greg, Lynn, Julia and Chris's parents, Judy & Courtney. Hoohah to the volunteer coordination of Cathy D follows through so smooth!

The winner of the Wilderness 101 in Coburn July 26, 2008 was Jeff Schalk! RESULTS

Thanks to the riders who took time to thank me throughout the day...you give me reason for this in my life...always glad to see you!

Directed Bob to the tunnel for post Station #5 pictures. I hope his day turned out a pleasant one with his extra baggage!
BOBS PHOTOGALLERY
Collection of SMT and Bob Popovich Photos with subtitles

My Collection
See you at the SM100 (NUE series also)on Labor Day weekend! Also, a pit stop on Dirt Rag's World Tour!

Fourth of July Mountain Bike Ride

Dag & I went on a 20 mile mtb ride "In the Woods" across Paddy Mountain. It was about 2175' of climbing by foot and wheel. We rode out to the mountain, dismounted, hiked-a bike, and rode. It was sooo sweaty humid on the east and sooo cool on the west.

Prize of Low Bush Blueberries on top. Bear...look out, she was goin' in! Explore this area!

We had a handful to snack on later. Watch out for launching deer off banks along the road.