Audrey Mace

Started the day late a little after 11, but the weather was perfect all day in 70s (and super humid) after storming the night before. Roads were wet and slippery for the first 10 miles of chunky gravel, and there’s a big tree down right in front of the Rough Creek crossing. Took me a while to get over it! I stopped at Mulberry gap for a coke and water and ice cream drumstick and it was hard to leave the AC. West Cow Pen was in good condition, not too slippery and rutted out as it could be. I saw a mama bear after that descent on Old Highway 2 and we made eye contact, then I saw 4 more baby bears separately going up Big Frog. I rode that last hour ish in the dark but I felt like my new bear friends were protecting me.

I rode my Litespeed Toscano gravel bike with a 2.0 Race King in the front and 45 Gravel King X1 Plus in the rear, SRAM Red XPLR with 40T chain ring, 10/46 cassette. I drank a 1.5 L hydration pack with Skratch High Carb, 900mL bottle with maple syrup, 750 mL bottle with Skratch hydration mix, which I refilled all at Mulberry gap. I ate Skratch rice cakes and GF brownies that I made, rice crispy, nutter butter, and a Belgian waffle.