'21 Trans-Sylvania Epic: Stage Four

Tussey Ridge.  Fond memories.  2005 SSWC Worlds.  A stage win back at the 20(something) TSE.  The Happy Valley Brewing Company keg party.  Just good times on the ridge with frands.

But this time it's different.  No chance of a win.  No friends to hang out a keg with.  Just me and a course that confuses me because it's different...

Oh yeah, and that start.  Going downhill in a pack of tired, sketchy mountain bikers at 40MPH+ do anything to test your trust issues?  Then so much gravel and road that I'm way further back in the geared rider pack than ever.  We get to this loop around a lake that we used to do last but now we're doing first.  We come to the pinch point of a stream crossing and line up for our individual turns to tp toe across the rocks.

I follow.

But then there's a second queue waiting to do the same at the next similar crossing, and I realize the insanity of the process this time.  I jump off my bike, hop into the creek, and Baywatch myself to the other side.  I sense the riders standing on the rocks watching me and thinking "Look what Zog do."

I give it something special on the flowy lake loop to justify my watery pass, and then I'm back out on the roads again.  Over to the challenging John Wert trail for of rocks and boulders and chunks of hate.  What an evil man this John Wert must of been.  His friend Lonberger (who also has a trail named after him) musta had a certain amount of disdain for mountain bikers as well.  

I think the Three Bridges Trail was next, and while I once again walked the bridges, I did clear the infamous rock garden that followed... and was rewarded for the effort by the beer guy from Stage Two... so okay.

Unfortunately, Scott Rath caught me after I paused for my beverage, but on the climb over to Tussey, I went ahead on my own.  Into Tussey and all the pain and joy that it brings, I went into that place inside myself where it's just me and the rocks and some forward motion and some occasional frustration.  I thought I was going to have a buddy up there, but after she had a few moments where her stubbornness to clean all the things wasn't paying off, she let me around to have a clear and very lonely shot at the entire ridge by myself.

Srsly.  Did not see anyone...

until Scott Rath caught me at the very bottom of the pleasantly surprising addition of Rattlesnake Canyon.

From there, it was the sorta familiar roll back towards camp with that one little dick puncher trail thrown in for good measure before climbing back up the same hill that I was going 40MPH+ down just hours ago.

GAWDAMMIT, I love Tussey Ridge.  Very far from my days when I was able to win this stage, but it's soooooo much every reason I ride a mountain bike.  Highly, highly, highly recommendo.