Lotsa Saddle Time

Yesterday I met up with a new rider with Babes on Bike and we headed west on the W&OD. The weather was perfect -- just cool enough. Just west of Leesburg we left the trail and headed through the countryside on 2 lane roads.  Fortunately, Vanessa was familiar with them. Unfortunately, one of them had a KILLER hill.  Oh my goodness. There were other hills which I managed, but that one was a bear. And here I thought I was in shape.

We rejoined the trail and headed back east. By the time I got back to where I had left my car (I had come from a meeting), I had ridden 38 miles. This is the elevation change:

We rode from Mile 24 to about 38, then did major hills, came back to the trail at 41 and then headed east. You see that arrow that says "highest elevation Clark's Gap" -- the road we were riding on was Clarke's Gap Road.  Yeah...I pretty much came home and collapsed.

This was our route if you want to see it:

https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zNUDCGUXye1M.kzf44fUJRp80

Today I rode my older bike 5.7 miles to Herndon where I helped with a Boy Scout geocaching outing. It was fun and an easy ride after yesterday! The boys meet at a nearby Episcopal church. It is one of the most beautifully, and natural-looking landscaped church properties I've been on.

Can you believe this tree STILL has these beautiful leaves?

On the grounds of a church, so perhaps someone is praying for them to last...