A Bit Of Turkey Burn

Looks can be deceiving. It was cold!

It used to be that there was a few of us that would plan on a get-together at the old North Side of The Camp to do a bit of mountain biking the Saturday after Thanksgiving. It was dubbed the "Turkey Burn" ride, and we'd always have fun doing that. Generally, it would mark the end of riding out there, as it was either just getting too snowy, or it would by about a week after the ride.

This was before fat bikes were widely available, so when it snowed more than a few inches, and stuck, we were done for the season. The Turkey Burn rides served as a kind of a send off, or a celebration of riding all Summer and Fall out there. Either way you looked at it, I thought they were a great idea.

Now, I am not sure exactly what happened, but the Turkey Burn thing stopped, and we haven't gotten together to do that for several years now. I know folks are out riding this weekend, but it would  seem that everyone is on their own schedules these days. Me? I purposed to partake in my own Turkey Burn ride, but it almost didn't happen. A toilet bowl flapper valve decided to "crap-out" on me Friday during the night. (<===HA!)

Well, once the stores opened up Saturday, I had to go get all the necessary repair bits and make repairs. That took up the good hours of the morning, and then there was lunch with the family, so it wasn't until after 2:00pm that I did finally leave the house.The weather was sub-freezing, so I had to take time in layering up. Fortunately, the wind was minimal out of the Northeast. The funny thing about this time of the year is that when you leave for a ride a bit after 2:00pm, you have minimal light time ahead of you. The Sun was already Westering pretty hard by the time I made my way down South on the bicycle path. I figured on doing only the shorter, Southerly route I do, to make sure I didn't get caught out in the dark.

Turkey Burn Ride- 2009

Well, even if I had wanted to, or had the time to go further, I soon was reminded that I wasn't in top form at all. It was a struggle to go fast, and any ups were met with a lot of effort. I was sweating bullets, and my head was producing a lot more gunk than usual. Ugghh........this wasn't pleasant at all. The thing is though, I was out on a bicycle, in the country, and it was rather beautiful out for a late November day. I was complaining to myself at first, but then realizing how fortunate I was, I reversed my attitude the best I could and trundled onward.

So, it wasn't a "real" Turkey Burn ride, with dirt, friends, or challenging twists and turns on a fat tire bike, but it was a nice, peaceful, much needed ride in the country instead. It was a good enough Turkey Burn ride for me, where I am at. I certainly was burning up some energy, as evidenced by my sweat soaked clothes by the time I arrived back at home. The Sun was just kissing the tops of the roofs along my street. Soon it would be quite dark. Late Fall has a way of dropping the night curtain rather quickly. Besides the temperature, as well.

I'll take what I got gladly, and a bit of a "turkey burn" was better than none at all.