I thought today might be a nice day for a ride.  After all, I had Friday off, and I'd hate to see a three-day weekend pass w/o a bunch o' miles.

 

So I met the Wheel Base bunch at the shop at 8 am and headed N to Thurmont with Tom, Derek and Roger Musser.  They turned back - I headed further on to Emmitsburg.  I stopped at the Grotto - such a lovely hill climb and view from the top among the heavy snow flurries blasting down.  I was looking for some guidance, but should have asked for a tailwind all the way home. too.

 

I caught a great tailwind to Taneytown - straight across MD 140 - I got there in no time, raising my avg speed to a whopping 15.3 - and dined with pleasure on Sheetz cinnamon rolls among good memories of the Century stop there last year.

 

Then I went into the wind southeast on MD 194 to Frederick.  The wind was relentless.  I hit the wall just 4 miles out of Taneytown and limped the next 20-ish miles home.  I felt as if I'd climbed a 20-mile mountain.

 

70 miles down, 14.8 avg, I reached home, got inside, and laid on the floor for ten minutes observing how nice it was to see the ceiling - even though it kept moving around and doing wobbly things.

 

I should've gone Easter Egg hunting.

 

-Bill Smith