Sunday Blue Jay; Searching for Cooks

Gus & Peggy put out a good route, beginning from Granville but starting at 7:30am. I drove to the Newark Y and shoved off at 9:00am.  Mt Perry would be at their mile 54 so I calculated with a stop in Z-ville, that would put them at or near Mt Perry at 11:00am.  Arriving there, I proceeded east on Coopermill until 11:20ish.  Checking radar, ugh, storms coming so.....

....assuming the group had changed their route or had a mechanical, I turned around.  There they are, around 2 minutes from me when I gave up!  I turned north on Mt Perry Road while they proceeded to 668, which parallels my road.  However.....

.....upon reaching I-70, discovered the bridge is out and there was no way over it.  I did not want to turn around and then come back on 668 so I walked down a hill to the edge of I-70, ran across the east bound lane with bike, climbed over a fence, waited for an opening on the west bound lane and sprinted across!  I clambered up an embankment and shoved off. With about 1 mile to go until hitting Brownsville Road and heading north, it began to rain so I.....

....entered Flint Ridge Park and took shelter there with some fine people who offered me food and beverage.  I declined multiple offers, using my familiar excuse that I have to look out for my girlish figure.  They thought that really funny. Meantime, while watching radar, the Cook group arrived at the adjoining intersection and kept going.  Not that I would have left the comfort of the shelter to ride in the rain with them but sorry I missed them.  After 20 minutes, the rain relented and I headed to Newark.  Finished with 51 miles and 3000'+ of climbing.  Fun time.