Jun-18-2021: "IvaHawk Special #1"

When Covid hit, IvaHawk went exploring (via motor vehicle) looking for roads with low-low traffic and the opportunity to avoid potential contagious interactions.  He "discovered" a series of "new roads" perfect for cycling.  ["perfect" meaning low traffic, up-and-down, back-and-forth, with some possibly interesting scenery or historic places or otherwise notable sites] 

 

Those that know the two of us best, that would be the "Irregulars," know that when Irregulars rides were sorta' regular Saturday events, Iva had at least one time indicated that although he grew up in North Carolina, I was leading the group onto roads and to places that he had never previously seen.  With the "IvaHawk Specials," Iva turned the tables and led me to roads and places I had never been. 

 

The main point of "Iva Special #1" was to introduce me to Rassie Crabtree Rd -- a road I had ridden past many times while doing the rando "Leesville - Leasburg - Leesville" Perm and other mostly non-rando rides.  My conclusion regarding Rassie Crabtree:  I love it!  [As for why, I invite you to join Iva or me some day or go ride it yourself.]  

 

The east end of Rassie Crabtree T's into Bowen Rd, which I had also never ridden AND which fits the up-and-down, back-and-forth criteria. 

 

When we got to the north end of Bowen (where it crosses Helena Moriah Rd and becomes Stoney Mtn Rd), I talked Iva into continuing onto Stoney Mtn even though he had intended to turn onto Helena Moriah.  Iva indicated that he thought Stoney Mtn was rather non-descript and perhaps boring, maybe even more-or-less flat.  In actuality, although not necessarily impressive, the climb up to the main elevation on Stoney Mtn does get up to at least a 5.6% incline, which is not something that either Iva or I would scoff at. 

 

I include this rather plain "story" because it is the first of the "IvaHawk Specials" that have become a staple of our non-rando rides.  And, for any rando that might read this, as a result of those "Iva Specials," all of which start and end at Gazebo Park in Butner, I hope to develop a brevet-pop or two that start and end at the Gazebo Park. 

 

My stats: 

• 23.6-m commute in 1:40 to Butner, 
• 43.6-m for the main ride in 3:19 w/ Iva, then 
• we had lunch at "El Rio" in Butner (or at least I recall we did).