Red Bluff Ride

Note:  I forgot to indicate when the GU giveaway would end.  I will announce the winner on Monday, August 16th.  You can leave a comment on THE POST up until Saturday, August 14th at midnight.

This past weekend we went west. We drove west to Morgantown, MS to ride ‘the bluffs’. This area is known as Red Bluff but White Bluff is actually steeper. Now, these are not ‘grand tour’ mountains. The can best be described as large hills. But to flat landers like us, flat landers who happen to live on a rails to trails, these hills were substantial.

Getting ready for the ride

Getting more ready for the ride

It kind of a last moment ride and I was surprised at the number of people that turned up. I think we had a good dozen or so riders from Hattiesburg and the coast. We had planned on doing two 30 mile loops. There was a little posturing as we headed out. People were trying to calculate if we should break into two groups or wait for each other at turns and all of that jazz. We decided to just to the first loop at a comfortable pace and wait at the turns.

Waiting at the turn at the bottom of White Bluff

As soon as the hill started and it started about a quarter mile into the ride the group started to get splintered. We rode had and the pace line would bunch up and then get pulled tight like a piece of twine. After cresting the first of the large hills and seeing how spread the group was I knew that a second loop was highly unlikely. Don’t get me wrong. All of these riders are tough and fast, we just don’t know hills.

A fine example of erosion

Raland, who is generally towards the front and very fast on the flats, was off the back quick. Come to find out he had just returned from 8 days in Mexico and was suffering from all that Mexico entails. He was in bad shape and turned around at the bottom of the second hill.

I was wishing we had a zip line

Towards the end of the loop there was a breakaway that developed. This group consisted of Chris, Ron, Butch, Andrew and I. It was a strong pace and we started to splinter. First off the back was Andrew and then me and finally Butch was gapped by a few lengths. The ride was so much fun that we have decided to put this on our monthly calendar.

I guess this is whu they call it Red Bluff

After the loop we cooled down for a few minutes and drank some ice cold water. It felt wonderful in the heat of the Mississippi summer.

Actually very pretty except for all the trash

A heck of a drop off