4th of July Ride - Still Learning

Michael Griffith, Darryl Bagwell, Michele Jackson, Stephen, Tom Vaughan, Scott French, Michael Burgess, Trace Nabors

It's 2011. It's July in North Georgia and the only way to beat the heat is by going to the mountains. Early in the morning. Before the rest of the world is aware. Before the motorcycles and the sight seer's. Before the beautiful people in my house even turn over in bed. It has traditionally been a time to hang out with a select group of friends that ride and train at the same level I do. But events in the past year have changed my group riding philosophy. My family prefers that I stay with big groups. I love them more than I love riding so despite my desire to hammer away I resigned myself to the fact that I'd be in a perpetual state of "re-grouping". As it turned out, I had one of the best times on a bike in the mountains ever.
I joined a large group organized by Michael Griffin at 7:30AM from Turner's Corner. My good friend Trace Nabors showed up and we began climbing Neels Gap and talking. Once we reached the top we sat there for a long time waiting. So long in fact that a bunch of us decided to ride back down and check on the rest of our group. It was then that the epiphany occurred. We rode up with the "laughing group" and loved it. So on the next climb, Wolf Pen Gap, we did the same thing. It was like climbing hard, making friends, and then going halfway back down to make more. And we still got a great workout! Who knew! Of course the people we rode with we not jerks. They were awesome folks. That helped. The lone female in the group, Michele Jackson, kept us all in line. She was loads of fun. A great guy named Michael Burgess had a really hard time on the climbs but then bombed the downhills like a maniac! It was a route I've done a hundred times but I can't remember ever having that much fun AND getting a great workout.

After that I joined my family and the Pattillo's for some more fun that I just have to mention. We went to Braselton, Georgia where they had an 80's tribute band named Moby Dick perform before the fireworks. How great is that!! It was the best 4th of July! You should have heard the singer's voice crack like a bad karaoke singer on GnR's Sweet Child of Mine. Priceless memories. People watching taken to all new heights. Can you say "mosh pit of thirty somethings". God Bless America!

I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend and your family's were kept safe. This is the land of the free and home of the brave! If you can read this thank a Teacher, if you can read this in English thank a Soldier.

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Chad