January Feels Like March

Hopewell Valley from Province Line Road

7 January 2019

Yesterday's rain had almost dried from the roads when we set out. We were dressed lightly for January 6; it was almost 50 degrees out at 9:00 a.m.

My plan was to go up Province Line and get to the top of the mountain and under the trees before the 20-mph wind gusts kicked in.  Ricky started with my from my house; these days I feed him coffee. Racer Pete was just rolling in when we approached Twin Pines.

Chris and Martin were parked in the lot. Pete G rolled in and said he would cut off early. He'd been down with the flu earlier in the week. He stayed with us to the top of Pennington-Rocky Hill Road.

I generally don't stop for pictures while I'm climbing a hill. However, the rays of sun poking through the cloud cover over the Hopewell valley were enough for me to pull over on that part of Province Line just north of 518 where it turns west before the real climbing begins. It was worth falling behind everyone for this shot. Chris didn't think it would come out, but I always look over my polarized glasses when I take pictures, so I knew it worked.

We stayed up on the ridge, protected by the trees, all the way to Rocktown Road. At the top of Gulick we got hit with headwinds; at the bottom, along Route 179 and Queen Road, it wasn't so bad.

I waved the guys on when I saw the horses on Alexauken Creek Road. The sun was out now, and it was messing up my shot.

We stopped at Rojo's in Lambertville. With as many tables and as much space as they have, we still had to wait then cram ourselves around a small one.

And now for the tailwind.

I stopped at the top of Rocktown-Lambertville Road, the spot right after the climb out of the valley, where there are corn fields mowed down for the winter.

I managed to keep us out of the wind for most of the ride home. Our return trip seemed easy, so easy, in fact, that I went into autopilot and blew right past the entrance to Twin Pines. I didn't even notice until I was well beyond it and wondering where the driveway went. Chris and Martin had long since peeled off. Ricky and Racer Pete had been too polite to question their leader.

I apologized to Chris and Martin by email when I got home. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's going to be a while before I live this one down.