Gr@sshoppers GMR report

[gr@sshopper]

So GRR is still closed, but is in better shape than last week. 3 or 4 18" wide strips of ice across various parts of the road, only one is pucker inducing, cause its not actually in contact with the road.

Nice day, even if the sport bikers were trying to kill me. Oh, and still painfully stinging cold for maybe 2 miles before the village.

A bunch of cyclists coming down GMR at 2ish?

No ski lift report this time, i'm afraid.

Oh, forgot to add. My new twin six "speedy" jersey was easily 12.7% faster than my old performance gear.

[merider1]

Thanks for the update, GH! :) Glad you had fun out there. I'm headed up soon myself, but not on any ice. :eek:

[ovoleg]

So GRR is still closed, but is in better shape than last week. 3 or 4 18" wide strips of ice across various parts of the road, only one is pucker inducing, cause its not actually in contact with the road.

Nice day, even if the sport bikers were trying to kill me. Oh, and still painfully stinging cold for maybe 2 miles before the village.

A bunch of cyclists coming down GMR at 2ish?

No ski lift report this time, i'm afraid.

Oh, forgot to add. My new twin six "speedy" jersey was easily 12.7% faster than my old performance gear.


isnt this your hill? like you live nearby>??? thats what you said last tiem we rode together

[gr@sshopper]

I've moved, so instead of being 2 miles from the base of baldy mountain road, I'm 4. I try to get up there once a week or so.

[Sewellymon]

This maybe a good place for a Highway 39 update.

Went as far as possible Sunday. The road past the Crystal Lake turnoff stays mostly dry for perhaps 1 1/2 miles. Once the road winds on Mt. Islip's north west (shady) side, the road remains plowed but it mostly wet from snowbank run-off- but is rideable for an additional mile. Further passage is blocked by a substantial land-slide.

Road up to the Crystal Lake Store and Campgrounds is nicely plowed and mostly dry. Fun to ride through a still-snowy landscape.

[gr@sshopper]

Well, GMR and GRR were open and clear today. Good ride, first time I'd been out with company in a while. Makes the time go faster - talking, and that little competition you get going. Good ride.

[bitingduck]

I went out of GMR and GRR today with a friend who's been getting into riding (anybody have a 50 or 52 for sale cheap-ish?). I'd only had her out on the SGRT before (several times) and she rides pretty strong but kind of psyched herself out of thinking she'd be able to climb because when she hits the dam on the way back she goes full blast and blows herself up before the top.

We went out kind of late-- I hate early starts, and fortunately she does, too, so we started up around noon. It was chilly, but otherwise nice for a first ride of GMR-- not much traffic, and very few motorcycles. The clouds were actually really pretty. We got to GMR just fine and it got a bit chillier up GRR. At about mile 7.5 stuff started coming from the sky. It looked like a few drops of rain, so I figured we'd go to the crest at mile 8.5 and call it a day, but by mile 8 it was actually tiny little chunks of ice, so we turned around there. On the way down it turned to normal light but cold rain and we took it easy going down. It was steady light rain to the intersection, then not so bad until about 3 miles from the bottom, when it suddenly got much darker and much colder... rain coming soon. We got back to the car just as the rain picked up again down there.

So I got a nice easy ride up GMR, and my friend got her first real climb and almost epic ride, which she handled quite well. She's riding Jay's road bike right now, which is a little small, and when Jay is in town it puts Jay either on the fixed gear or skates (which she doesn't seem to mind) if they want to go together. But she also lives way over on the west side and needs a bike for riding from there.

[merider1]

So I got a nice easy ride up GMR, and my friend got her first real climb and almost epic ride, which she handled quite well. She's riding Jay's road bike right now, which is a little small, and when Jay is in town it puts Jay either on the fixed gear or skates (which she doesn't seem to mind) if they want to go together. But she also lives way over on the west side and needs a bike for riding from there.

Nice, Chris. :) I'm glad you and your friend got up there. I know, I sound like such a damn dork, but it really does always bring a smile to my face hearing of others' first rides up GMR. I love that road and that mountain. I feared it would be stormy and cold up there today, but I guess the early bird catches the worm. ;)

Grasshopper - glad you had a good go of it too! :D

[bitingduck]

Nice, Chris. :) I'm glad you and your friend got up there. I know, I sound like such a damn dork, but it really does always bring a smile to my face hearing of others' first rides up GMR. I love that road and that mountain. I feared it would be stormy and cold up there today, but I guess the early bird catches the worm. ;)

Grasshopper - glad you had a good go of it too! :D

We decided last night to wing it and see how it was when she got over here this morning. It was cloudy but warmish, so I figured why not, and that if there was precipitation we'd turn around, and if we encountered snow up close we'd think about it. She did way better than I expected, and I think it helped her handling skills a lot too. We go for spicy food reasonably often, so I'll send you a note next time if you're interested. We went to Golden Deli after the ride today.

[merider1]

We decided last night to wing it and see how it was when she got over here this morning. It was cloudy but warmish, so I figured why not, and that if there was precipitation we'd turn around, and if we encountered snow up close we'd think about it. She did way better than I expected, and I think it helped her handling skills a lot too. We go for spicy food reasonably often, so I'll send you a note next time if you're interested. We went to Golden Deli after the ride today.

Yes, please! I'd love spicy food and to meet your friend. :) I know she was with excellent company, Chris, as I've gone up that hill with you before.