It’s a great day to get out! In the 50’s. Winds from the North West. Perfect for a ride to Keene n Back. I wore arms, knees, head cap and jacket. It turned out to be the perfect combination. I made it to the top of the descent in good average time. I cruised the downhill and put in two moderate digs over the risers. I stopped once to take photos of a group of deer. I made it to the base in good average time. From there, I headed back. The pedals were making that weird chirping noises, so I cleaned out the cleats and pedal by spraying them with water. That did the trick. The climb went quick. The morale felt good. The body was responding well. I kept the tempo steady and was doing in and out of the saddle efforts. The landmarks went quick. As I was approaching the lower loop, I noticed that there was some smoke lingering in the area. I could smell it too. I kept my eyes open. A bit passed the lower loop, near the Keene n Ranch, I noticed some logs burning on the ground. I looked around and could not spot anybody. After getting my bearings, I decided to call 911. I was able to report the fire. Shortly after the conversation with the emergency agent, I got back on the road. (I managed to take a photo and pointed the GoPro at the fire). The photo came out great, I’ve yet to see the video. From there, it was non-stop climbing. I had to re-warm up the legs. That took a few moments. After that, I was good to go. The morale got better as the ride progressed. I was thinking about the emergency call. Something I haven’t done in ages. Nonetheless, I made it to the top and kept my momentum going over the top. I was near max. Shortly after, I recovered and then headed back home. I shut it down at the top of Weston.

Concentration was good. I was in the zone most of the time. I was thinking about work and applying for a job listing I found. The morale felt good. Balance and form was good. Gear worked flawlessly. Although, my cleats were making chirping noises as I was in the saddle while on my way to Keene. I ended up cleaning them out with water, that seemed to help. Odd that the squeaking only happened while in the saddle and not while out of the saddle. Nutrition was good. No hunger signs. I went through most of my sport drink. Ailments were minimal. Some hand numbness while out of the saddle. Primarily at the top of the climb. The right knee hinted on soreness, but cooperated on the climb. Other notes. Other than the fire hazard that I reported. All went well. No cyclists today other than a casual rider as I was making my way to the top of the descent.