Waterdog - First time on the Advanced Ride
Yesterday, Dave, Roe & I did the Advanced Ride from Passion Trail Bikes. This loop combined part of the fire roads from the Easy Ride with a lot of singletrack we had never ridden before. I didn't know what to expect but I was looking forward to trying out some of other trails at Waterdog. What I found was something that challenged my skill and fitness levels more than any other ride so far this summer.
We started up a singletrack trail from the end of Carlmont Drive. It wasn't too bad until we got to a set of over 10 switchbacks. Dave & Roe were fit enough to make it up but I had to walk up most of that part. Everything after those switchbacks seemed easy in comparison. That doesn't mean we cruised for the rest of the time. There were still a lot of narrow climbs, decents and some more technical parts. I was able to ride most of the trail but chickened out on a couple of the steeper bits. As usual, part of the reward was the view at the top. :)
For me, this was a technically-challenging and power-sapping ride. I was so tired that I was surprised that I had the energy to finish. However, I'm glad that Roe suggested this ride. I guess I had gotten too comfortable with the Easy Ride loop and the level of effort needed. This advanced ride showed me that I still have a lot of room for improvement. I'll catch up to Dave and Roe one day!
