Rolling Around

 

View from Higginsville Road

23 January 2023

Starting from Skillman Park was Blob's idea. It was a good idea. It got me out of my route rut. 

The Raritan/Neshanic valley north of the Sourlands is one of my favorite places to ride. The terrain is open and rolling. 

Maybe it wasn't the best idea to go up there on a cold, blustery day, but I have to maintain my nickname somehow.

Word has it that the bridge on Long Hill Road, the one that was under repair before Ida and washed out during the storm, is finally going to see some work. We approached the hole from the east, where we spent a few minutes deciding whether or not anything has been done here since the fall. The only difference was that the fresh lumber sitting on top of the culverts isn't there anymore.

We took Long Hill north towards Neshanic. I stopped partway down, pulling into a driveway, to get a view we can only see in the winter.

After we got over the mountain, we were in endless rollers for the rest of the ride. I dragged the group up Higginsville for the view.

To make the distance work out to something reasonable for mid-January, I'd chosen the Wawa on Route 202 as our rest stop. Across the highway is the Vacchiano farm store. Jim wondered it might make a better rest stop. My experience with places like that is mixed. Usually we can find something, but mostly these places are better visited by car. From their website, it appears less than ideal for a mid-ride break.

As with the rest of our rides this month, the sun went behind clouds after our break. I always feel colder after the rest stop anyway; the lack of sun adds to it. 

On the other hand, we had a tailwind most of the way back.

I was sporting one of my new pairs of leggings from Running Funky. I'd been expecting comments from the rabble, but there were none. I guess people are used to my oddball dress code by now.