Sunday New Albany Ride

My expected start temp of  40 degrees, for the 10:00am start out of New Albany, was off by about 5  degrees.  However, the cast iron lady who can weather the worst of weather,  Kenda Janet. showed up. Mostly to let everyone know that not all of the replies  in the "Who is Kenda Janet" were her own, which is true.  Note the fashionable  cap she is wearing, acquired at a very upscale New York retailer where only high  powered executives and the ultra wealthy, shop.  Janet was disappointed that she  was the only female in the group but it can be said of Janet that she is  completely comfortable in a male dominated peloton.

There were 11 of us  rolling out, Rich Lewis, Kenda Dave and Janet, Steve O, Dustin, Kyle Wingler,  Dan R, Grand Poobah, Larry P, Blair Beavers and then we picked up Doug McConaha  on the road for 12. 

We mostly hung together until Stone Quarry, where the lead group discovered the bridge was out and we retraced our route, making a left on Raccoon Run, which has an opening hill paved in dirt.  We followed a path without ice until Dustin mucked things 
up and those behind this amateur had to dismount, pushing our bikes too.  We hung a left on Corner and got back on the route, entering Granville with 30 miles.  Janet had dropped off the pace a bit but I waited on the main street tomake sure she knew we were headed to the coffee shop on River Road.  On the ride  in, I saw Franz, Ross and a couple other cyclists and then later at the
coffee  shop, Frank S, Rich R, Joe G and one other arrived.

Upon entering the  coffee shop, we were at the end of a long line but I heard Janet murmur, "Lines  were not meant for a high powered executive" and she strode confidently to the  front and instructed Poobah to order her a coffee. Emboldened by this, I meekly  asked Poobah to order a drink for me too and then I quickly shirked out of sight  of the line of disapproving patrons.
  
We departed the  coffee shop and headed on a circuitous route toward New Albany, finishing with  53 intense miles.  I made sure to repay Poobah for the cost of the drink and  snack but Janet, accustomed to people feeling privileged to buy drinks for a  high powered executive, may or may not have given a thought to paying  poor Poobah. 

Oh yes, we had a good hike on Saturday but given the long drive to Old Mans Cave, only 7 of us participated, headlined by Todd and Julia.  Julia is the real deal as a hiker, setting a blistering pace.  We shoved off from the cave, took the upper trail over to Cedar Falls, slid down the ice covered stairs to the bottom, picked our way carefully out of there and then proceeded on to Ash Cave.

As usual, both Cedar Falls and Ash Cave had great scenery but the trails were so dangerous, we kept our heads down to pick our way through the ice.  Finished with 10 miles.  Todd was whimpering at the end but he too made it out.