Vale Barry Higgins
1 week ago
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Una Buena Despedida del Ano
A winter storm this week wreaked havoc on the New York streets and the schedule of departures from the San Juan airport. Four days after the storm, it appeared that Jet Blue wasn't yet back on track as our return flight was cancelled. This afforded me the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful ride with Lizzie, her friend Miguel, her coach, and his son.
We started at the coach's home in the hills to the west of the city of Ciales and headed down into Utuado for another lovely view of Lago dos Bocas. We had a good sightseeing pace and the weather was cool (for Puerto Rico) and sunny. Next we enjoyed a smooth ride along the river to the town of Utuado. Then some nice slow climbing and a visit to another lovely lake with a name like Caonillas. It was quite senic because of a high green headwall behind the bridge. It's been raining here, and we saw several waterfalls as well, one small ribbon of a waterfall on the headwall and several others on the roadside. More climbing from the lake with views as we followed the edge of the lake. Pink flowers grew by the roadside and were lovely to see as we pedaled up. I don't know the name but the flower is ubiquitous in the moutains here. I also enjoyed looking at the brightly colored little houses in the countryside and the holiday decorations. Next we entered an incredible valley . We had crossed over the moutain ridge at this point and the jungle gave way to grass. A tall pampas grass grew down by the river. With the sun on our backs, it really was paradise. Traffic was minimal. We were on the kind of road that I might had doubted actually led anywhere had I been doing this route alone. The road was narrow and clung to the hillside. Water flowed over the road in several places. In others, there were many holes in the road and the pavement was destroyed. In others, sand covered the road. Rather than dangers though, these were mere annoyances as we were spinning slowly and able to ride through all sections. I did nearly hit one of the many small dogs which ran out at us, fortunately it dodged the wheel. We arrived at the town of Jayuya and headed for the church. Lizzie is collecting photos of churches which she visits on her bicycle. This particular church was on a quiet plaza and very cute. She posed in a life size nativity scene set in front of the church. The town is very small and after just a little pedalling we were back in the countryside and able to appreciate that the town is surrounded by green mountains, so there was really nowhere to go but up. More sweet climbing and we returned to jungle scenery and riding through cool tunnels of bamboo. We started a long descent a bit after regrouping at an intersection with signs for Florida and Cieles (we headed towards Florida). I took it easy on the descent because there were a few occasional cars and bad pavement and many blind turns. Also, I was trying to catch a view of the landscape below. The karst formations in the area of Cieles were visable as small bumps way below and the ocean was on the horizon. After a descent long enough to give a few muscles in my upper body a reminder that I'm not as fit as I'd like to be, we hit a section of rolling hills. This gave way to to the home stretch of about 5 miles of steady climbing. By this time, it was afternoon and several small children were out and very excited to see a women riding a bicycle by their house. In total we covered over 60 miles and literally the only sections which were flat were the town streets of Utuado and Jayuya, a short stretch of riverside in Utuado, and the dams on the two lakes. This was one of the most beautiful routes that I have ridden - what a treat for New Year's Eve.
We started at the coach's home in the hills to the west of the city of Ciales and headed down into Utuado for another lovely view of Lago dos Bocas. We had a good sightseeing pace and the weather was cool (for Puerto Rico) and sunny. Next we enjoyed a smooth ride along the river to the town of Utuado. Then some nice slow climbing and a visit to another lovely lake with a name like Caonillas. It was quite senic because of a high green headwall behind the bridge. It's been raining here, and we saw several waterfalls as well, one small ribbon of a waterfall on the headwall and several others on the roadside. More climbing from the lake with views as we followed the edge of the lake. Pink flowers grew by the roadside and were lovely to see as we pedaled up. I don't know the name but the flower is ubiquitous in the moutains here. I also enjoyed looking at the brightly colored little houses in the countryside and the holiday decorations. Next we entered an incredible valley . We had crossed over the moutain ridge at this point and the jungle gave way to grass. A tall pampas grass grew down by the river. With the sun on our backs, it really was paradise. Traffic was minimal. We were on the kind of road that I might had doubted actually led anywhere had I been doing this route alone. The road was narrow and clung to the hillside. Water flowed over the road in several places. In others, there were many holes in the road and the pavement was destroyed. In others, sand covered the road. Rather than dangers though, these were mere annoyances as we were spinning slowly and able to ride through all sections. I did nearly hit one of the many small dogs which ran out at us, fortunately it dodged the wheel. We arrived at the town of Jayuya and headed for the church. Lizzie is collecting photos of churches which she visits on her bicycle. This particular church was on a quiet plaza and very cute. She posed in a life size nativity scene set in front of the church. The town is very small and after just a little pedalling we were back in the countryside and able to appreciate that the town is surrounded by green mountains, so there was really nowhere to go but up. More sweet climbing and we returned to jungle scenery and riding through cool tunnels of bamboo. We started a long descent a bit after regrouping at an intersection with signs for Florida and Cieles (we headed towards Florida). I took it easy on the descent because there were a few occasional cars and bad pavement and many blind turns. Also, I was trying to catch a view of the landscape below. The karst formations in the area of Cieles were visable as small bumps way below and the ocean was on the horizon. After a descent long enough to give a few muscles in my upper body a reminder that I'm not as fit as I'd like to be, we hit a section of rolling hills. This gave way to to the home stretch of about 5 miles of steady climbing. By this time, it was afternoon and several small children were out and very excited to see a women riding a bicycle by their house. In total we covered over 60 miles and literally the only sections which were flat were the town streets of Utuado and Jayuya, a short stretch of riverside in Utuado, and the dams on the two lakes. This was one of the most beautiful routes that I have ridden - what a treat for New Year's Eve.
Monday, December 27, 2010
Wonderful riding on the island
I enjoyed two wonderful rides in Puerto Rico this week, thanks to my friends Connie and Lizzie and their coaches. The first ride with Connie was one of my favorite routes when I lived in Manati, Barceloneta to Lago dos Bocas through the mountains and back on the beach from Arecibo. It was even better this time though, because her coach knew two great senic and car free roads that I had never seen which we threw in along with a stop for pollo, arroz con habicuelas, guineo en escabeche, y yucca. It was a slow climb out of Utuado after a lunch like that. My riding partner was a junior time trial champion who was a good motivator to watch zip along the beach. All was fantastic except for my poorly chosen combo of bibs and pit stop location. Let's just say ants in the pants and biting.
My second wonderful ride was with Lizzie and it was a blast. We rode with a group from Guaynabo to Florida which allowed for a great run through the small hilly and twisty roads of Montebello. That was a dream! Almost as good as Lizzie (former time trial champ) pulling our group into the wind on the coast. The woman can put her head down and go!!!!!
My second wonderful ride was with Lizzie and it was a blast. We rode with a group from Guaynabo to Florida which allowed for a great run through the small hilly and twisty roads of Montebello. That was a dream! Almost as good as Lizzie (former time trial champ) pulling our group into the wind on the coast. The woman can put her head down and go!!!!!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
What a joy!
First ride on the studded tires this winter. Stepped into my boots this morning to find that in my rush to catch the start of the elite women's cross national race on the internet Sunday - I'd pulled the boots off wet and neglected to dry them. Chilly toes to and from work today.
Riding home in spitting snow in the dark was a bit of a mental chore. I'm finding a new deep appreciation for Christmas lights this year as a positive aspect of riding in the dark. If only they lasted through Feb.!
Thank goodness for the pick-me-up today when I read the new issue of Bicycling Magazine!
A full glossy page was devoted to a portrait of Julie Lockhart from our own NEBC. On top of another master's national cross championship - what a treat for Julie!
Another long article for the issue featured William Medina's Vuelta in Puerto Rico. Great article that made Patrick and I laugh remembering our Vuelta two years ago. I'm happy to see how successful William's Vuelta has been the past few years. The event is bringing enjoyment to so many people!
And two cycle / recycle calendars arrived today with photos of people world wide using their bicycles for transport. Order yours today.
Riding home in spitting snow in the dark was a bit of a mental chore. I'm finding a new deep appreciation for Christmas lights this year as a positive aspect of riding in the dark. If only they lasted through Feb.!
Thank goodness for the pick-me-up today when I read the new issue of Bicycling Magazine!
A full glossy page was devoted to a portrait of Julie Lockhart from our own NEBC. On top of another master's national cross championship - what a treat for Julie!
Another long article for the issue featured William Medina's Vuelta in Puerto Rico. Great article that made Patrick and I laugh remembering our Vuelta two years ago. I'm happy to see how successful William's Vuelta has been the past few years. The event is bringing enjoyment to so many people!
And two cycle / recycle calendars arrived today with photos of people world wide using their bicycles for transport. Order yours today.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Pumpkin Season
It has been a wonderful season of pumpkins.
The season started with a disappointment. I was keen to complete a ride of 6 gaps with other female cyclists, Anna McCloon and Jessica Echhardt. The day prior was cold and windy. There had been mutterings in the preceding week regarding backing out due to concerns about the weather. I was determined to press on regardless, until Anna showed me some webcam footage of accumulating snow on Killington. That convinced Anna and I to seek a less icy riding alternative. We enjoyed a loop through Mass and Southern New Hampshire which Jessica recommended. We enjoyed a full day of views of the leaves and a brisk October breeze. About the time we decided to contemplate the map and how to cut soem miles off the route to compensate for our slow progress in the wind, we came apon the pumpkin fesitival in Keene, NH. It was wonderful surprise. We watched a marching band go by in costume and pushed our bikes through large crowds of costumed children. The pumpkin soup was great and so were the views of many, many, many, creative jack-o-lanterns. Even a marriage proposal spelled out in pumpkins. What a celebration!
A few weeks later, Patrick and I shopped at our neighboring farm stands to get ready for our own celebration. We had a pumpkin carving party with many jack-o-lanterns and seasonal foods including Patrick's butternut squash soup and Jonathan's pumpkin cheesecake. Delicious! Afterward, we headed out to a haunted corn maze. It was fun in the full moon but Anna and I decided we will go for the non-haunted version next time.
A few weeks later, I decided to turn some of the pumpkins left from the party into dinner. We made a great soup and also breads. Plenty of pumpkin in the freezer for later winter treats.
Also, another great year at the costume race! My favorite costume was friendly NEBC rider, Karen who dressed as an oven, complete with a metal grill and bun. What a great way to tell folks why they haven't seen you at any cross races recently! We look forward to seeing a new tiny cross fan next fall.
The season started with a disappointment. I was keen to complete a ride of 6 gaps with other female cyclists, Anna McCloon and Jessica Echhardt. The day prior was cold and windy. There had been mutterings in the preceding week regarding backing out due to concerns about the weather. I was determined to press on regardless, until Anna showed me some webcam footage of accumulating snow on Killington. That convinced Anna and I to seek a less icy riding alternative. We enjoyed a loop through Mass and Southern New Hampshire which Jessica recommended. We enjoyed a full day of views of the leaves and a brisk October breeze. About the time we decided to contemplate the map and how to cut soem miles off the route to compensate for our slow progress in the wind, we came apon the pumpkin fesitival in Keene, NH. It was wonderful surprise. We watched a marching band go by in costume and pushed our bikes through large crowds of costumed children. The pumpkin soup was great and so were the views of many, many, many, creative jack-o-lanterns. Even a marriage proposal spelled out in pumpkins. What a celebration!
A few weeks later, Patrick and I shopped at our neighboring farm stands to get ready for our own celebration. We had a pumpkin carving party with many jack-o-lanterns and seasonal foods including Patrick's butternut squash soup and Jonathan's pumpkin cheesecake. Delicious! Afterward, we headed out to a haunted corn maze. It was fun in the full moon but Anna and I decided we will go for the non-haunted version next time.
A few weeks later, I decided to turn some of the pumpkins left from the party into dinner. We made a great soup and also breads. Plenty of pumpkin in the freezer for later winter treats.
Also, another great year at the costume race! My favorite costume was friendly NEBC rider, Karen who dressed as an oven, complete with a metal grill and bun. What a great way to tell folks why they haven't seen you at any cross races recently! We look forward to seeing a new tiny cross fan next fall.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Leaf-peeping
Patrick sang the following this morning on our drive to Westfield Mass. Tune is Winter Wonderland.
In the snow, Clara's pedaling
coffee drunk, breakfast settlin
she's riding today, a cold randonnee
biking in a winter wonderland
This was inspired by the weather forcast which predicted sub - freezing temps at the start of today's ride. It turned out to be fine temperatures and a relaxing ride with views of the river, yellow leaves, and a lot of uphill road.
Yesterday wasn't bad for leaves either. I explored the trails from my house to Ipswich on the mountain bike and I think that I found a nice loop. Our friend Taylor came along and was a good motivation for me to not be such a wimp. He was taking on some good challenges. A few times, I unclipped, only to need to pull my bike to the side so Taylor could charge headlong at whatever I was trying to avoid.
In the snow, Clara's pedaling
coffee drunk, breakfast settlin
she's riding today, a cold randonnee
biking in a winter wonderland
This was inspired by the weather forcast which predicted sub - freezing temps at the start of today's ride. It turned out to be fine temperatures and a relaxing ride with views of the river, yellow leaves, and a lot of uphill road.
Yesterday wasn't bad for leaves either. I explored the trails from my house to Ipswich on the mountain bike and I think that I found a nice loop. Our friend Taylor came along and was a good motivation for me to not be such a wimp. He was taking on some good challenges. A few times, I unclipped, only to need to pull my bike to the side so Taylor could charge headlong at whatever I was trying to avoid.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Hay in the hair
Well, it's not a good day on the bike when you end up with part of a hay bale in your pony tail. That's what happen to my friend Susanne at our last road race of the season today. I haven't been feeling comfortable in the corners at crits all season and hmmmmmm, I still don't. Something about those corners that likes to eat bikes and spit out the riders. Susanne ran a fantastic race last weekend, the Portsmith Crit, and it's a shame that we weren't toasting the end of the season together this evening. Also sad to see Anna Milkowski, a wonderful and inspirational rider, also go down and become injured. I hope that these ladies are feeling good and back on their bikes soon.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A lesson on post crash inspection
Lap # 2 of Quadcross, my wheel slid out in a turn and I crashed fairly hard, moving myself from nearly last to dead last. I checked the the hoods were still straight and hopped back on. Only to hop back off again when I realized that the chain had come off. After getting up a good amount of speed, I crashed again in the next corner. Clearly, there was a problem with the bike and it didn't take to long to find a completely flat front tire. A little attention to detail after crash # 1 would have been smart. Fortunately, bruises and road rash were the extent of injuries from that day.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Change of scenery
I could use a change of scenery. The link is to a photo I took about 10 years ago on a road trip.
Today Patrick found the linker trail between Georgetown state forest and Willowdale forests. I tried unsuccessfully about 4 times last winter to find that trail, and Patrick found it no problem at all. We had a nice time riding our mountain bikes around there. Now that we found the trail, we can go all the way to Ipswich on trails which should be a nice ride. Today was my 2nd time on the mountain bike and it went well except that my wrists hurt and I had to upgrade the shoulder injury from "just fine, thanks" to nagging. Maybe that is to be expected? I was on the bike for about 3 hours. Next time I will work more on my posture.
My first time on the mountain bike was Monday. I mostly pushed the bike around Herold Parker park. Patrick end-o-ed 3 time. Our friend Ben showed us how to jump the bikes (need to practice) and demonstrated some amazing riding up and down some seriously rocky trail.
On other change of scenery topics....I saw a warning sticker on the top tube of a Huffy on the bike rack at work. 1. Wear a helmet. 2. Check brakes. 3. Don't ride at night. I found #3 to be a bit amusing. I rode two nights this week. The white line is my friend. Rain, not so much.
I'm reading about Shackleton. When you think you need a change of scenery, he just might be your man. Based on the first few pages, it sounds like some of the crew spent about 2 months huddled under lifeboats on a nasty little guano covered island. I've got my issues, but boy do I have it good compared to Shackleton.
Today Patrick found the linker trail between Georgetown state forest and Willowdale forests. I tried unsuccessfully about 4 times last winter to find that trail, and Patrick found it no problem at all. We had a nice time riding our mountain bikes around there. Now that we found the trail, we can go all the way to Ipswich on trails which should be a nice ride. Today was my 2nd time on the mountain bike and it went well except that my wrists hurt and I had to upgrade the shoulder injury from "just fine, thanks" to nagging. Maybe that is to be expected? I was on the bike for about 3 hours. Next time I will work more on my posture.
My first time on the mountain bike was Monday. I mostly pushed the bike around Herold Parker park. Patrick end-o-ed 3 time. Our friend Ben showed us how to jump the bikes (need to practice) and demonstrated some amazing riding up and down some seriously rocky trail.
On other change of scenery topics....I saw a warning sticker on the top tube of a Huffy on the bike rack at work. 1. Wear a helmet. 2. Check brakes. 3. Don't ride at night. I found #3 to be a bit amusing. I rode two nights this week. The white line is my friend. Rain, not so much.
I'm reading about Shackleton. When you think you need a change of scenery, he just might be your man. Based on the first few pages, it sounds like some of the crew spent about 2 months huddled under lifeboats on a nasty little guano covered island. I've got my issues, but boy do I have it good compared to Shackleton.
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