The badlasses hit Mulberry Gap!!

Twice a year a small group of us hit the trails and bring lots of wine for a fun get-a-way weekend. This fall we decided to head to Mulberry Gap, because 1. we love it there. 2. we really want to see these ladies succeed in their business venture and wanted to offer our support 3. fantastic food, soft beds and awesome hot tubs. 4. super cool trails that drain well all year long 5. okay, so there are a ton of reasons......


We have been doing this for 5 years and it is the best therapy I have found.

Friday: I left later than I wanted to, since I was not carpooling and did not need to meet anyone at a specific time. So, I skipped the orchard I had wanted to stop at, picked up some apples at Panorama, printed copies of a good map for the ride, and headed out to Mulberry Gap.

I got the scoop on the accomodations from Ginny and Diane and changed quickly so I could squeeze in a ride. Kristen drove up from FL and showed up just as I finished changing, so she threw on a kit and hit the trail with me. Well, we were talking, so we actually passed the trail and were almost to 52 before I realized it and then we turned around and headed up Pinhoti 3.

Alison, Molly, Anet and Linda arrived and we had a fantastic meal. Bruce made an appearance, but was mainly confined to the kitchen. He was an awesome waiter and it was good to see him moving around after his knee surgery.


Then we stayed up until after midnight, drinking wine and cocoa with kahlua in it and telling funny stories about friends and family. This group is a riot!



The fire in the dining hall was perfect, so we never got around to lighting the bonfire outside.



So, I think we had enough wine, ya' think?.....and my dad's famous kahlua.




I always sleep so well at MG. I love their cabins.....but, love their food even more.


Saturday:



We climbed fs roads, then hit bear creek, pinhoti 1, pinhoti 2 and finally the hot tub.





Mo crossing a stream.
Molly, Anet, Linda and Alison at the overlook.

Anet and Kirsten doing trail maintenance.



Buffet style on Saturday night. We had some free riders and a group of hikers join us for a meal, so it was a full house. I think we were the hungriest group, though!



More wine and kahlua were consumed on Saturday night, then we all hit the hay after sharing many more stories and saving the world.

Sunday:

Super Mulberry Gap breakfast.

Some of us went for a very hilly run, some went for a ride and others hiked, before heading home.

I don't know why she didn't just hurdle this tree.......I mean, she IS super Mo.

Be sure to ask Kristen about her weekend....lot's of stories there.......



Molly, Kristen, Jackie and me hanging out after a hike. In that box is the super-duper lemon cookies that Anet drove out of her way to get for us!

This is a picture of butter for Aimee. Kate, I didn't add sparking water to my wine. You would have been so proud. Missed you lasses!

There should be more pics coming along soon, as Kirsten kept speeding ahead to take photos of us all.

GA State Championship Cyclocross Race Savannah

(all pictures courtesy of Kindle Lord)


While I was gone to the mountains, the guys headed to Savannah for the Georgia Cyclocross Series race and State Championship Cyclocross race on Saturday and Sunday.


Jansen decided to race both days along with Shey, and Everett supported.

Shey, Everett and John (being his mature self) I definitely miss the Johns.


Thanks goodness we met Adam! What an awesome friend and cross racer.




Shey always seems to steal jackets. That is Jansen's. Get your own, man!



Start of the CX3.


Jansen at the start. It sounds like he was smart and took it easy during the Saturday race, since he wasn't sure who would show to race for state on Sunday and he still has stitches. Then on Sunday his Fulton Flyer teammates did not come out, so it was a bit more relaxing than he expected and he could watch out for his arm. I think all the guys had a great time!


Jansen and Brian.


Adam and Jim? Looks like Jim has an evil grin, as usual.

Shey and Everett.....waaaay too much alike!


Fashion tips from the Caffeine guys?


I am addicted to the coffee and cocoa these guys create, for sure!

I have not heard about Kindle's race, but she has been tearing up the road and grass this year, for sure! These are all her pictures, too.


Brianna showing off her six pack.


Dunno what to say......

Aimee's Baby Shower

We had so much fun throwing a baby shower for Aimee. I normally avoid these things like the plaque, but this was Aimee......so I wanted to be a part of it. Luckily, Alison, Kate and Molly made it lots of fun to plan the thing and I had a really great time picking out the invitations. (I told Aimee they would have a mtb and a stick of butter on them, so she was a bit worried.)

Fortunately, it wasn't your typical baby shower. First, it was mostly cyclists and paddlers, who are also really amazing cooks and bakers! Fun and yum!

And......Aim has received really cool stuff from her various showers like, a pfd, timbuk 2 bag and stroller that you can put cross country skies on. (Rob has hollowed out an area in his kayak for the baby to cruise while he paddles.)


Alison and Shanon were gracious enough to let us invade their home for the shower. Only one glass of wine was spilled.


All the hostesses. Alison, Martina, (Aimee), Patti, me, Kate and Molly.

Kate, Aimee and I did our first 24 hour race together in 2004. Then Alison and Mo joined us in 2005. Alison wore a crown and veil and Molly drank her coffee while on the trainer! Good times.

Me and Kate. Old badlass buddies.


Super Mo and Aimee.

This is why you shouldn't give the camera to Sarah.

Seriously!!
Me and Kate.

The food was amazing and we must have had 30 people come to share this time with Aimee. It was pretty cool.

Custom Thomson anyone?

From the top secret lair somewhere in the wastelands of Macon Georgia.

2010 SSUSA here I come!

Thank you Mike http://www.ninerbikes.com/

Thank you Hodge addictivecycles.com

Thank you Alex mtbtandems.com

Psycho Cross and the ER

The Velodrome held a cyclocross race on Halloween this year. Fulton Flyers volunteered to help out on the day of the race, so we headed in to Atl in the morning. The course was really cool and the weather was cold and very wet....perfect for cyclocross.

The boys and I helped set up the course, then Jansen went out on the course to warm up for his 1pm race, while Everett and I changed for a road ride around the area. Shey showed up in the meantime, as he planned to race at 2:30.

I registered Jansen and was taking his number to him, when I saw him walking up the venue while holding his arm and telling Shey not to look at it.

The course was wet, muddy and slippery and Jansen went down on the cement. We think we must have fallen on something because there was the typical road rash, but also a deep hole on the inside of his elbow. I didn't think I could tape it up, as it was just a hole with no tissue for me to pull together. Jeff, the race promoter, was very helpful and got a first aid kit for us, to clean up the lesion.


Waiting in the ER.

Everett kept us entertained. We are thinking of starting an entire scrap book of the Lindners sleeping with their mouths open.


Jansen really wanted to take the cool gown home with him.



So, we spent over 4 hours in the emergency room and Jansen got six stitches. I think the worst part was that we all ate lunch really late. Those two boys look pretty bad when they miss a meal.



Let's just say the emergency room had some interesting characters in it and we stood out a good bit, even without our shiny cycling kits.......

Then we headed back to the race to see Shey race the A's. He skipped the masters as he was pretty queasy from seeing Jansen's injury.

Oscar was flyin' around the course.



Shey and Tinker Bell road very strong.





Jafer has a new name, thanks to Bruce. I think he will start a new lingerie line.



The Roman slid down the concrete embankment on his bare back. It was brutal to watch. That will be a great story to tell the grandkids.

All in all it was a good day and Jansen will have a super cool scar to show. We saw many great friends that we haven't seen for awhile and that totally made it worth the trip.

HIghland Games

We like to visit the Highland Games at Stone Mountain in the fall. It is a gathering of Scottish clans.

They have scottish dance, bagpipe/drum and athletic competitions.

They also have all the bands play together in the field. There are handmade knives, lots of kilts and wool items for sale along with sheep dog and falconry demonstrations. It's pretty cool and the three of us have a great time wandering around the grounds. 98% of the men are wearing kilts on that weekend.

We love watching the guys throw the huge poles and heavy weights.

Off to Colorado Again

Jansen got the chance to attend the USA Cycling National Camp for juniors at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs this year.



There were many more flights into Denver, so we decided that Everett, Jansen and I would fly in to Denver, rent a car and drive down to the camp to drop off Jansen.

No, they didn't make the guys carry around one of these balls!


Everett and I then spent the next 4 days hiking around the area and sleeping in the back of the car which we parked in the national forest.

Nissan Pathfinders make good warm sleeping quarters......



So, the pictures of the guys' buddies who were at this camp last year, were all sunshiny and warm looking. This year it was 19 degrees at night and 27 during the day! Brrrr......



Jansen called each day to tell us the scoop on what they did. It was pretty cool. No, he didn't just mention the cafeteria....he actually talked a bit about riding, tests and seminars.





Everett and I:

hiked through Garden of the Gods, a fossil reserve, and a few state and national parks,
we couldn't get up to Pike's Peak due to the weather, built a fire (wahooo), checked out some cliff dwellings, found an amazing coffee shop, ate at the best diner in CO, found an old used book store where I bought some 1994 Alaska magazines that were fun to read in the evenings and listened to the wolves howl at night.


Lots of fun!

This little guy wanted out Payday candy bar, really, really bad.

The Hungry Bear Restaurant was our favorite place for brunch.

The food and local discussions were amazing! All the food was from local farmers.


We saw a coyote on one of these trails.


Petrified redwood tree.

Oh, I was so excited that I got to build a fire!

Cliff dwellings.
The ancient one.


Minus one amigo......

Garden of the Gods trading post.

Frozen spider web.

Ice on the waterfalls.
Hiking....somewhere far away. Aspens with black marks from where the elk have eaten the bark.
We ended up on a long dirt road.

it had a couple tunnels on it.....Everett had to check them out before we drove through.
Hot chai tea and apple pie at Agia Sophia. Excellent!


We saw lots of huge mule deer.




Jansen was pretty sick by the time we picked him up, so we headed home early and he went straight to bed. He had a great time meeting some new guys and seeing old friends at the camp.