You came up from the ground - and apparently will end up back there

Because I'm visiting my Mom and Terry, I had decided not to do the full 300-mile ride this week. I thought I should actually see my parents while visiting them. So, this morning, I left for a "pretty short ride, exploring the roads around Carpenter Lake" but took two bottles of water just in case. I also packed two bars since I hadn't had any breakfast, and also grabbed that dang felted gnome lady that Anne made and gave to me years ago as a good luck charm. I figured I'd ride around 25 miles or so, taking photos of the gnome, and do a longer ride tomorrow. 

I had ridden down West Carpenter Lake Road yesterday. Apparently a tree blew down in last night's very brief, but windy, storm. I am no stranger to hiking with my bike, and maneuvered over/around it to the other side. I'm glad I noticed that I somehow put a big log part in between my spokes before riding. As I climbed over the log and then took a photo of the mischievous gnome that possibly was responsible for the mess, a deer just sat there, watching me.

Tree across the road? No problem.

I found a tennis court/basketball court that must have once been part of a resort property. I assume the tree growing out of the middle of the court means that it has been abandoned. I thought the gnome lady fit in with the scenery there, as well as the forest notification sign. It isn't entirely a welcome sign.

Always check your spokes after climbing
over a mess of broken branches, is the lesson, I guess.

So, I was still in the pretty low mileage territory and decided to cross over Highway 70. On West Bass Lake Road, I saw signs for the "Northern Wrights" and the "Wrights in the Middle," but not the lesser, or lower Wrights. I thought since I was over in the area, I should check the dirt/gravel road conditions on Nine Mile Lake Road, in case I wanted to ride there tomorrow.

The road was so pretty, I figured I should just keep riding on it, and go further east.

If a gravel road is this pretty, I will deal with it on a road bike.

I was hesitating stopping at the boat landing on Nine Mile Lake because I distinctly remember riding there in June 2019 and thinking of my Dad, who was still alive, and taking a picture just for him. Now, there's just a bittersweet memory. I decided to go, though, for him. As I was taking in the scenery, before taking the video below, Cloud Cult's "Everyone Here is a Cloud" was on my playlist. 

"If there ever was a time
Now would be the time to see your time here is limited. . . 

You came up from the ground
From a million little pieces. . ."

And, so, there I was filming the lake with tears streaming down my face, wishing that I could show my Dad this video.

That dang always-crooked helmet.

So, in for a penny, in for a pound. Since I'd gone that far and would have to ride on sand or gravel either way, why not just ride to my favorite lake? Confession: I can never remember if my favorite lake is Luna Lake or White Deer Lake. They are connected and share a trail system. I like the SE-oriented one, which I'm fairly confident is Luna. But I will never swear to that.

This required another short gravel stretch with one kind of fishtail-ish moment, but then I was on the scenic, smooth, beautiful, rolling blacktop roads of Divide Road. I stopped at the very-full-of-water, but not-a-soul-to-be-seen lake, and ate a bar, drank some water, and stretched out my starting-to-get-sore back. I also, remarkably, had a cell signal and texted my mom to let her know that although I had anticipated to be back by then, I still had many miles to go before I got home.

Luna (or White Deer) Lake: my favorite. Huge mushroom,
loon alert, gnome on a ring, and the pristine lake.

I rode along Highway 70 back to the house, and it was windy and I was hungry and thirsty. I ate my second bar, and drank my second bottle of water at an ATV trail parking spot. By the time I got back to Carpenter Lake Road, the tree had been removed. I decided that since I was close to my 60-mile goal, I'd stop at the house to get some food and water and just finish 'er up! 

My Mom, the BikeMS volunteer who fed me at Rest Stop #3!

I rode around "the neighborhood" to get to my 60 miles. I was at 59.5 at a curve where a sand road comes off a curve in the paved road. The sand always feels fairly packed there and there was grass growing through part of it, so I figured I could make it through upright and do a wide u-turn. Uhm, nope! It would have been very hilarious to watch me trying to stay upright, almost falling, staying up, and then finally, slowly falling. My shifter thing on the left handlebar got rearranged (although I was mostly able to bang it back into place after repeated hits with my fist). I have a bruise on my leg. I was covered in sand. Oh, and I did actually hit my head, despite it being a slow fall. Things feel better after I came back to the house, swam around in the lake (in shallow water, just in case!), took a shower, and ate some real food.

Darn sand! I'll be glad to get a new helmet, though.

I ended the night eating ice cream on the dock. What an unexpected day!

The ice cream in this mug did not last long.

Tomorrow, I think I will go for a short ride. Famous last words, I know, but I am hoping to get in the canoe on this trip!

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