Uncharted Territory

Well, I guess it's not really uncharted because I had a map, which I guess is a kind of chart. But it was a section of trail I hadn't ridden before. I parked at the NCT crossing of Chandler Hill Rd. and headed south. The first part of the ride to Thumb Lake Rd. was old news. Been there, done that. Beyond that, I had to consult my trusty map and the blue blazes along the side of the road. I rode south all the way to the end of Map-04 and turned around. In case you're thinking about riding down there yourself, don't get too excited about ripping up sweet singletrack. There really isn't any. It's mostly a fifty/fifty mix of dirt roads and primitive two tracks with some serious elevation changes. All told I ended up with just under 25 miles in just under three hours with a little over 2200 ft. of climbing. I was going to ride a little longer, but my heart rate was stuck about 10 to 15 beats below my normal endurance pace. I could get it up a little on some of the bigger climbs, but anytime I was on the flats or going downhill it plummeted. My legs felt okay, but I know from past experience that this symptom is a clear signal that it's time to call it a day. Now it's just recovery, rest, and light training until the Lumberjack. WNR change: 6:30 @ Boyne. Be there or be square.