Humans show resolve

I ended last month 60 miles behind the pace set last year. I have ridden all four days so far this month probably hoping to get back to close to even with last years pace. The problem with trying to gain on last year's pace at this time of year is that EVERY year in June I ride lots. After yesterday, for example, I was STILL 60 miles behind the pace set last year.

But today is Monday and under the new plan Monday is stretch day. Today's stretch involved a ride out to and into North Oaks.

Considering wisdom offered elsewhere on the internet I intended to make today just a simple two rides of 18 miles each. I had pretty much the same result. It turns out that North Oaks is, like, really hilly. It is a scenic road but it goes around a lake in a manner probably preferred by the robber baron who was the first European descendant to claim ownership of that property out there (James J. Hill for those who don't want to have to look it up). He used the land as a retreat from the city, as an experimental farm and as a hunting lodge. Most likely if you were in his position you wouldn't want to do the enormous amount of engineering typical of modern road building to create a nice flat street circling the main lake. Instead you would have a nice country lane going mostly up and down. In fact, pretty much always up and down. North Oaks is hilly.

I completed the first 18 mile ride at about this point. That's a picnic shelter in the woods, a pretty nice spot.

The problem for me is that the person who rides out there regularly with me and probably others will recognize that the picnic shelter is at the top end of Sucker Lake, the usual turn around spot of the 8 lake tour.

Did I mention that North Oaks is hilly? I know I didn't mention that today for the first time on a bicycle this year it felt HOT.

I made it home without having to call for assistance but I did come up a few miles short of 18 miles on that second ride of the day. I got another 14 and that was PLENTY. I am now 54 miles behind the pace set last year.

*sigh*

I was out there on the north end and all rides to the north end pass through this area. The humans are not giving up any more easily than the beavers. Today the work crew had returned and this time was taking a much more aggressive bite out of the beaver dam.

I chatted with the work crew again. The truck driver recognized me from last week and we had a long strategy session about the task ahead of them. Again he and I both agreed that this is a really good task. He is getting paid to be out there in the woods on a beautiful day with heavy equipment doing the hard part of the job.

I gave him what information I had about beavers (they are nocturnal, there is most likely more than a single pair of beavers out there in the vast beaver pond created by this dam, and that they will be back tonight for another session of dam building).

The struggle continues. It is good to see human persevering but I really MUST get out there tomorrow and see what the beaver response is.