Great Pumpkin Ride 2017

Thirteen hundred riders came out for this late season event. I wish I'd thought to take a pic of the start. It was mobbed! I waited in line for the bathroom for about 15 minutes before the ride started (considered skipping that line but figured I'd regret it--and I would have).

It was festive: they had a DJ, lots of people were in wacky costumes (not me, of course), and it was an absolutely beautiful fall day. Chilly, sunny, puffy clouds, turning leaves.

Our first rest stop was 15 miles in and it was "spartan" as one man put it to me as I filled my water bottle from a spigot on the outside wall of a small school house. I wasn't actually hungry but I still felt a little put out - where was the food?

Then I got to the second rest stop which was just 8 miles down the road. It was full of people, and had more food than I've ever seen at one of these events.

Second rest stop. 

No shortage of bakery, esp. of the pumpkin variety. I ate two blueberry scones and they were amazing!

One of many costumes of the day. 

The church that housed the rest stop.

Along the way, I saw quite a few crazy costumes. One guy was dressed as Jason from the movie Halloween, but in addition to the mask, he had the whole hockey get-up, including cardboard hockey sticks hanging off the back of him like arrows in a quill. I don't know how he rode with all that stuff!

Costumed riders leading me up the hill.

Some wicked witch of the west socks. There were quite a few of these. I kinda want a pair myself.

I was behind these three women for a long time. They all had balloons. One was a dinasaur, the other a ballerina maybe? the other I don't know. But they rode 70 miles with balloons on their backs!

The one on the left is a lady bug. Couldn't tell if the other had on a costume or just Halloween green.

I could smell the paint on this house as I rode past!

Pretty windswept blue sky along the way.

My signposts.

More great sky.

The middle rest stop had just as much food. I waited in a huge line--maybe 10-15 minutes long? As I  approached the line I thought it was the bathroom line and said to myself, "Wow, I'm glad I don't have to pee." Then I realized it was the food line. Couldn't skip it with pumpkin soup and pumpkin pie on the menu!

Costumed riders pulling up to the rest stop. Did these people all notice I was taking secret pictures of them?

Um...pumpkin soup, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin pie, pb&j, banana, and chips. I spread my treats out so it looked like I had friends who were sitting and sharing with me. 

I was so enamored of my lunch, I got discombobulated and left my sunglasses lying in the grass. I rode back, sure someone would have stepped on them but they were there unharmed. Wew!

Dinosaur lady was in front of me for the final 25 miles back. She could crank--especially up the hills-- even in that thick cumbersome costume. I was really impressed.

The final rest stop was at Old Bust Head Brewery. They had a food truck too. Lots of folks stopped to drink beer and eat...again! I was tired by now - just 12 miles to go - so I stopped to take a phone call then got back on the road. No way could I have drank a beer and finished the ride. Besides, beer isn't on my hydration schedule!

I finished up at 70 miles/15.3 mph. I was initially disappointed with my speed and with how tired I felt (I dropped from 15.7 earlier in the ride). But then I found out the last 25 miles were uphill, so not too shabby!  

I met Deidre and Christian for a beer at the brewery afterward (had to drive 20 minutes to get there!). It was good to see them after a day alone on the road (they rode one of the shorter routes so our paths hadn't crossed). I had a Wildcat IPA, which was delicious and cold. Nice end to a beautiful day!

70 miles

15.3mph

Lorton to Old Town Alexandria--and Back

It's October 1st and we could feel fall coming on. Laurie and I met at Starbucks in Lorton with a plan to ride to Old Town Alexandria and back. We expected the ride to be 45-50 miles. I just love finding a new ride! And I should have been excited, but I spent the day before nursing a rare hangover and hadn't decided yet if I was quite recovered or hydrated, it was 45 degrees, the sun was barely up, and it seemed much more appealing to just sit in the Starbucks and drink a big fat hot mocha...with whip cream.

We set off on the new bike path along Furnace road. It's not picturesque, but the bike lane (and road) are beautifully new: smooth, no debris, and at 7 a.m. on a Sunday, no traffic.

The only problem was that I could barely keep track of Laurie in the glare of the sun rising in the distance. Since we were riding East toward the Potomac, we would ride into the rising sun for about 12 miles!

We took Furnace Road (which becomes Lorton Road at some point) past 95 South all the way to Route 1, which also has a brand spanking new bike lane. I did a similar ride with Deb L., Lisa, and Katie years ago--Deb's China send-off--and this part of the ride was sort of awful. Back then, we took Silverbrook to Lorton Road to Route 1 and rode in traffic with no shoulder the whole way. Route 1 was so bad Lisa negotiated our way into Fort Belvoir so we could cut through the base to the Mt. Vernon Parkway to George Washington's house. 

With the new bike lanes, Laurie and I just sailed up Route 1 to the Mt. Vernon Parkway.

No traffic on Route 1--and a bike lane as far as you can see!

Mount Vernon Parkway 

The Mount Vernon Parkway was also brand new (a lot of paving going on in this area lately!). So we rode the few miles it took to get to Mount Vernon where we picked up the George Washington Parkway trail. It was about 12 miles to Mount Vernon from Lorton.

It was a relief to turn north and not have the sun directly in our faces. Plus it had made some progress in the sky and was no longer glaring at us from over the horizon.

Laurie riding through the dappled trail

The sun gaining some height over the Potomac

Morning serenity

National Harbor in the background. That's the edge of the Wilson Bridge to the left of the ferris wheel.

I suggested that we ride up onto the Wilson Bridge to look back down on Old Town. Laurie was not certain about that plan at all.

Laurie plunges forward to conquer her fear of heights 

Looking down on Old Town

It's not so bad up here after all!

Laurie gets her bearings enough to snap a photo of me with Old Town in the background.

The ride back to shore.

Our reward: the coffee I wanted 22 miles earlier! 

It was 22 miles from Lorton to Old Town, but we'd also added a mile by riding up onto the bridge. So we were at 23 miles and had a 22-mile ride home. It's mostly flat (and even a little downhill to get there) so we were feeling good--right Laurie?!

Ready to head back

I didn't take many pics on the way home. Just a few wooden bridges over the marshes by the Potomac. 

It was slightly uphill back to Mt. Vernon, slightly more uphill going up the Mount Vernon Parkway, then very uphill on Lorton Road. 

A mill at the Mount Vernon Parkway just before Route 1.

A good morning. 45 miles at a leisurely 13.3 mph. Back to the car by 12:00 pm and off to the rest of the day. Next time: we start at my house, ride down 123 to Lorton, to Mt. Vernon, to old town, then back up the W&OD to my house. That should be about 60 miles--and a loop!