Good night for an umbrella

Soggy mountain biking couldn't compete with the gripping excitement of Peter's Chutes and Ladders tournament. Hopefully we'll get a game report from the many FT3ers who attended that.

NoHandle and I formed the rarely occurring two pack. We carefully prepared in the Knott Lott, guzzling prebers as the storm clouds built. He outfitted himself in a suit that would make an astronaut envious.

Spirits were high as we rolled the Qualifier at a conversational pace. Turning down the wedding march the need for caution became obvious as I nearly took a high speed skid into the trees on a slick layer of deposited silts. On to the Rock Garden, where a horse had kicked a large rock into the middle of the path at the crux move, robbing us both of a clean ride. Continued around the lake looking for snow. About this time the carbon stumpy developed a wicked case of chain suck. The Spot freshly anointed with new lube ran smooth all night.
Finished the lake and turned up through the equestrian parking lot to MET and Blue Gouge mine road to Fleming. The rain, which had maintained a consistent rate, pounded us once we were out of the cover of the trees. At this point my less than Arctic expedition worthy layers were well soaked and the cold began reaching up from my hands and feet. It's probably best that attendance was low. There would have been some whining.

We climbed the low rise of Fleming CCW, to get some downhill teaser before Palin's Plunge. For fun we counted off. One, two, all in. The air thickened into a cloud that reflected our light. Palin's was surprisingly dry. We crossed a patch of snow, so perhaps she wasn't dry, but frigid.

Climbing out, NoHandle, as any good rideleader would, proposed a long ride option. When I admitted that I wouldn't mind taking the more direct route, he was all too happy to comply.

We were welcomed with open arms into the Knott Hole. Easing onto stools in front of a vast selection of sauces, Mother brought out our beers one at a time to keep them cold. The bar was empty and we got the low down on the latest goings on in The Pines.