Bucks Lake, Fire Lane, Wagner Road (trail), Perch Lake Loop

I loosened up for about 45 minutes on the trainer Sunday...it was a nice and easy recovery spin session after the previous day's 5 hour Blue Hills Inn loop. After finding out Monday morning that Brent's car wouldn't start, which turned in to a day off from work...I also had the day off and we figured we better hit the roads/trails. We threw the bikes on the rack and shot out of town for a nice Blue Hills loop starting from Bucks Lake road.

From Blue Hills Biker

There were some really neat photo opportunities at this creek...and there happened to be a parking space (actually a campsite - note to self) there as well. We planned to be riding on hard-packed snow (dirt roads) all day so we pumped the tires up to about 40psi. We both assumed this would be a nice and easy loop - not too grueling as we were still sore from Saturday's ride.

From Blue Hills Biker

We were cruising along making good time on the roads while snapping some pics. We get to Wagner road and conditions start to change. It started as a hard-packed road, but little by little we notice more and more snowmobile tracks and less and less hard-packed snow. Eventually it's not plowed, it's only a groomed trail...and not nearly as hard-packed as we would like. Soon enough we're spinning on what are nearly mashed potato-like conditions...but, at this point we're over halfway through our loop, so there's no turning back!

From Blue Hills Biker

We drop the psi down to about 20 just to stay afloat. The sun begins to go down...pretty quickly...and we are still nowhere! With the awesome scenery around us we didn't mind so much.

From Blue Hills Biker

What an awesome sunset!

From Blue Hills Biker

However, the real problem is...it's getting dark...and really cold, really fast. My toes are starting to feel like ice cubes. We continue to spin, spin, and keep spinning the granny gears on the trail with our big fat low pressure tires back to the road. I cruise with Brent for a little while, but eventually choose to hammer back to the car as quickly as possible.

From Blue Hills Biker

It's now pitch black outside except for the slightest starlight reflection on the snow...and the batteries are frozen on my headlight. So, I follow the blurry white tunnel in the dark, pushing the heart rate up to over 200 bpm for about the last 40 minutes. I begin panting, grunting, then yelling and screaming at every hill not knowing when I'll be to the top of any given one, likely scaring away any wildlife within a 5 mile radius. All I really had on my mind was getting to my sister's ASAP for some burgers and a Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA! I finally round out the loop and make it back to the car in just over 4 hours. Yo BKM...next time we leave earlier mother lover!

I'll leave you with the last picture taken for the day. Brent's camera fails after this...its batteries have also frozen...

From Blue Hills Biker