ALL TRAILS LEAD TO ICE CREAM

A couple of years ago, Mark and I were mountain biking near State College, Pennsylvania.  We began our ride from a parking area in Penn Roosevelt State Park .  I'm not sure if Mark's car was the only car there when we began our ride...but for some reason, as we wrapped up our day on the trails, I took notice that it was.    Mark Lentz and David Raymond riding near State College, Pennsylvania.  We began this amazing ride in Penn Roosevelt State Park -- June 28, 2014 With the bikes on top of the car and with less sweaty clothes on, Mark and I walked down below the parking are to explore the near empty lake and the dam that contained it.  I remember Mark walking towards the lake and I headed out to the dam.  All around me I saw empty picnic tables and signs put up by the DCNR which were meant to educate the  public on the plant life and wildlife which is native to the area.  My mind raced back to my childhood and the amount of time m...

Glenn and I met for dinner at a local Thai place this past Tuesday.  It was great to get together and catch up with each other.  I've not seen Glenn (and most of the other guys...with the exception of Mark) since my surgery in November.  Dinner with Glenn is always a good time and the conversation is easy.  On Tuesday we talked about school (we're both teachers), about our health, and...surprise, surprise...Glenn's new mountain bike. (We all knew, after he rode Kristain's bike for short while back in August, that Glenn would be upgrading!) As we talked mountain biking the conversation naturally included a lot of reminiscing about places we've been and the amazing friends who shared those experiences with us. Without friends there would be no mountain biking...for me, the two things go hand in hand and it's why I love it so much.   Yes... GROUP THERAPY  is, in my opinion, the best kind of therapy. Almost a year ago I wrote about this subject and I post...

"Here eat this..."  With that, I devoured the mashed up marshmallow and peanut butter sandwich that Mark had pulled out of his Camelbak.  It was, to the best of my recollection, the only time that I have ever truly "bonked."  Halfway up a seemingly endless fire road on a mountain near State College, Pennsylvania I got off of my bike and laid down.  No mas!  I had nothing left and I needed something to eat...now.  In those early years of what would become our "big rides" I really didn't have much of an idea of how to properly eat before a ride and what to pack for the ride.  Hence...there I was lying wasted on a dusty fire road eating my friend's peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich! Like bears in the woods, we all have different ways of finding sustenance on the trail.  Pictured from top left to right (top row first): Glenn Medice, Tim Sindlinger, Mark Lentz, Kristian Hains, Dave Raymond, Mike Nardelli, Bill Graves, Matt Linnane, & Kevi...