Wolf Head Road is total garbage and If I can get rid of it I will. I mean it was even worst then the last time I rode it and it sucked then too. Regardless, I did some hiking, and some riding, and some conserving my energy and was motivated by the sound of the cars off in the distance. I passed over the yellow gate and got on the road, taking a moment to dump out about an ounce of sand out of each shoe.
I took off up the road. It had been awhile since I had been on this part of the course and I made a pact that I needed to keep it moving so I could get to Hancock and eat and relax. It was already getting hot and I had a dozen or so big hills ahead.
I'm pedaling along and look and see two riders coming around the corner fast in full on road racing style effort. Not long after another rider came along dipped in Tri Gear and on a Giant Cycles Time Trial bike, seemingly giving chase. I thought to myself, what a dramatic morning on the road. These guys are serious about riding!
Up and Over one hill and as I start the next, a rider comes flying by. Normally I am a cannibal. I give chase and refuse to be passed. But today I was humble and determined to stay steady and not pop. I had made a goal for myself for a cool drink at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain. For as long as I can remember there is a residence that puts out ice cold water coolers that you can pour cold water from. Lately on my rides some of my biggest craving and desire fantasies have to do with Ice Water.
I saw all kinds of people. I mean, like thirty riders when it was all said and done. People parked and gathering at spots that I have never seen them gather out. Not only riders but runners which at the time I thought nothing off, but in retrospect it seems weird. Usually when I'm riding Clermont in the fast curvy downhills I might scrub some speed for safety, but not today, I was hell bent on getting as much free forward movement as possible. I was hungry. And really wanted to get to refuge.
I got my drinks at the top of Sugarloaf. Making every climb, no walking. Roll up Scrub Jay and into Grassy Lakes and before long I was at Minneola Trailhead. Up onto the bike path I go, I can almost smell my temporary finish line.
Up and down and under the road I went, one more Lil up, o here comes another and then right before the final little crest so I can roll downhill for a minute into the Starbucks. I just decided I'm tired of pedaling and walk the tiny little last hill.
I walk into Starbucks. Although I'm so hungry and so tired of the bright sun I have no motivation to eat. I order a drink and then sit and order out some food, sitting inside till the delivery person shows up and I go outside and have an impromptu picnic. Anyone that knows me reasonably well, knows that when it comes to eating I can finish a dish FAST. Well, not this day. It was small bites and chewing and it took me nearly an hour to finish something that usually takes me a minute. I had to put effort into eating, stay on task, and work at it, It was not a fantastic experience to say the least.
After I finished eating, I still had half my drink. I made a new plan. I didn't think it was smart of me to keep pushing through the heat of the day. Figured it was smarter for me to sit and wait and let things cool off. Plus I had heard that there were chances I may have to deal with a tropical storm. I wasn't too worried about the storm, because I know what the environment looks like when a storm like that is approaching. BUT, I also know that a storm like this will push rain in all directions and know all too well that if it rains, the outside temps can drop sometimes 20 degrees which would make a long push across Green Swamp even easier.
So I waited and charged my phone and slept. I basically used my left over in school class sleeping techniques to undercover catch a snooze inside the air conditioned coffee shop. It was actually kind of nice. I rested, and started getting ready to go again, when a person I know from my previous Career who heard I was at the shop came by to chat a bit. I admit, it was nice to talk to someone I had been on my own and in my own world for hours and hours. And sure, that is a great thing to experience, but I have done so much of it, that I think I am burnt out on being alone and doing long long miles.
We wrapped up our chat and I packed up and left, choosing to restock a few miles down the road just to get the legs moving again. The air was indeed cooler and I felt strong again. I made my restock, grabbed lots of liquid calories and kept the pace steady. It was actually easy and nice pedaling out of Clermont. I thought about how one more town was in my rear view mirror and grew ever more anxious about crossing Lake Louisa state park.
Before long I passed the walk in gate an made my way up and through the old orange groves. I hit some very sandy spots and instead of battling the sand I did some hike a biking, choosing instead to save my muscles for what would be the next two big challenges getting to ridge manor and getting across croom.
Once I got to the fence hop in Lake Louisa I took a moment to put some calories in the system. I sat with my back up against the gate. In the distance I could hear the thunder. Up to this point I had not been rained on and I thought for sure by the sounds I was hearing that the rain was gonna catch me this time. I got over the fence and half way to the next fence when I noticed something pinging my front wheel. I had forgotten to put on my headphones and once I retrieved them they were in four pieces. I then backtracked searching for my red mp3 player but had no luck. I really needed the music as I had gone all day before Starbucks without it and found it was giving me strong steady legs. I had no choice but to play my collection from my telephone on speaker and continued my forward motion after the search turned up zero results.
I was on dirt, hard clay for awhile. Then I was on pavement, for what felt like forever. The roads that take you to the intersect of Van Fleet and then into Green Swamp seemed so so long. It was starting to get dark. I made it to the Van Fleet trailhead and took another break at the little pavilion taking a moment to layer up as I felt a chill in the air, and stretch my back. I could see big tall 4 x 4 pick up trucks rumbling into the swamp and it made me nervous thinking that I would be back there with all the rift raft. I thought briefly what I would do If I encountered confrontational people, but dismissed the thoughts and took off.
On the my Dakota GPS it says Logging road. It was a piece of garbage today. If there had been rain, the green swamp hadn't seen it. I walked for several miles through here. Eventually having to swap the lights in my Princeton tec push which lasted incredibly long. The new batteries made the light super bright and eventually I got on to Center Grade road which is limestone and I was done with the hike a bike.
I rode across the forest quick, several trucks passed me, but no one fussed at me or yelled or started any problems. That was good. When I got to the start of Richloam I took another break, and then rolled out into the jeep roads that make up the tract. This place had seen rain and it had been very recent. I could still smell it in the air and the ground was still wet with puddles in places.
Somewhere on Trail number 6 I spotted what I thought might be a baby alligator but thought it was weird that it didn't have any scales. In fact if anything it had lizard skin, and just as I got closer to take a look, it took of like a bullet shot so fast that I screamed like a woman and veered my machine in the opposite direction. Yeah, that wasn't cute!
Anyways, I can see on my GPS that the road is getting closer and just as I am about 1/4 mile away, a truck springs to life in front of me and takes off really fast. I guess they were spooked by my approaching lights. There were LOTS of teenagers out in Ridge manors in their big trucks and in big numbers again, making my spidey sense go crazy with plans and ideas on how to handle any conflict. BUT the conflict never came. I got on Old Ridge manor road and then went to the Circle K for food and restock. I wasn't much for hungry. I was more tired then anything, but I choked down some food and then topped off the charge on my phone and slept on the hard dirty concrete for a bit while I waited. Eventually I got my stuff and took off, deciding I would stop at the first withlacoochee trailhead and sleep there till the morning.
It was hard for me on this trip to figure out what the magic bullet would be to make me feel better and make me want to push farther. I would eat, but then my stomach would hurt. I would drink, but then I wouldn't feel thirsty. It seemed as if satisfaction was always too far away. Instead it was sleeping that would recharge the batteries and allow me to push in earnest, and by the time I made camp I had it calculated at four hours of sleep before I got up and took off into the Croom Forest. At the ridge manor coochee pavilion I laid out my clothes hoping they would dry off a bit and slept on the concrete next to my bike.
It wasn't a deep restful sleep. It was uncomfortable. I didn't set up my hammock out of fear that a policeman would show up and give me a vagrancy ticket. I didn't go away from the pavilion cause I was concerned that the rain would show. So I cat napped on the hard concrete right by my bicycle.
Last Part next,
Take Care,
Laters,
The NaKeD InDiaN
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