After watching the tour this am, I embarked on my long training ride in preparation for IMC. My route would give me 80 miles total with about 4500’ of climbing. It was fairly windy but warm and sunny. At the summit of the first major climb, I turn on to a paved forest service road that goes 16.5 miles into the nat’l forest before it turns to gravel. This road is basically a bike path as I rarely see cars on it (2 today) but the peek-a-boo views through the trees and the challenging terrain makes for a tough, but scenic out & back.
My first race was with a range calf/yearling (maybe a stretch for wildlife!). Not much of a contest but she gave it a good effort for about 100 yards.
A few miles later, a black bear tears out from some bushes and starts running parallel to the road. That bear could scoot but I dropped into the 11, and it was no problem, win #2.
I finish the out and back and start my descent back into town, I am starting to pick up speed when a deer jumps into the ditch next to me and starts running. I am doing about 30 at the time. I slow down letting the deer get a slight lead and then, as deer are prone to do, he crossed the road and then I swept past him. win #3.
So now I am undefeated and self appointed master of the forest. May I have a long reign. However, all bets are off with the mountain lions (they frequent the same area).
“You know you are getting old when you see your father in the mirror.” anon.
What a country!