It's great having a forest like Yankee Springs nearby. It's only a 40 mile ride which was a snap on Sunday, the temps were in the 70's most of the day. The wind was steady from the south pushing me along and the temps higher. The campgrounds were full for the weekend but I managed to get one of the "bicycle" sites at the modern campground. Staying there is not my favorite but the bike sites are separated from the trailer park most call a campground.
As the temps climbed, I reached it in time to get setup and head a couple of miles around the corner to The Sandbar restaurant for an excellent burger and a couple beers. Being Sunday on a holiday weekend, the place was a frenetic madhouse,but it was friendly madness. After eating and stopping for supplies, access to the showers proved a luxury before going to sleep.
Thousands of acres of forest and small lakes provide a great resource for hikers, anglers, horsemen and hunters, but I was there for the infamous
gravel route winding around in the woods. The gravel was very well packed and as exciting and exhausting as usual. The shade kept the creeping temperature at bay for the ride through the trees to Hastings. Being the holiday, the town was closed and empty. Getting onto the pavement I could begin to suffer the rising heat. I wound my way back towards the campgrounds
past one of the many lakes in the woods. Stopping at a convenience store for evening and breakfast supplies, I had an opportunity to easedrop a humorous conversation in the parking lot.
a man complimented a Harley girl on the exhaust she had, she said she had to have "more bass" on her rig. I thought they were joking but they got into a serious discussion about the proper tuning of their tailpipes. I guess it's important to rattle everyone's windows. "It's all about the bass, 'bout the bass, no treble."
After churning away through the gravel all day, the showers and a couple beers were really welcome. Another biker staying in the campgrounds came by to chat for a while before I crashed for the evening.
I've done a lot of rustic camping over the years, especially with my son's scout troop, but I wonder at the families in these" modern camps." Do the parents explain the preservation of the forest as an historical monument? Do they say "Look, in the olden days they let trees and flowers grow wherever they wanted. " Nah, probably not even that. Just leave kids to whine about the phone reception
The ride home was uneventful except for the increasing heat and wind. It was one of those days that really test patience, with slow speed and frequent stops. But the first trip of the year is done and felt great.
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