LSD Fun March 20

[barton bourassa]

First Day of Spring! How about a nice little 95 K hilly ride around Metchosin and East Sooke to celebrate?

Here is the route: https://www.strava.com/routes/4392121

The usual start time and place: 7 AM Fairfield Starbucks.

The usual pace, around 24 K/Hr average.

The usual Tripleshot philosophy. We all know what it is but it is still worth repeating, as I do over and over again! Group ride, no one gets left behind! We ride as a group and take care of each other.

Hope to see you there.

Barton

[barton bourassa]

This was a really good ride. No rain. No wind. Just lots ad lots of hills. 96 K, 1450 m of elevation gain, 24 K/Hr. Eight of started out and 6 finished. Me, Mary, Mikael, Roxanne, Paul C and Alan C. A great group. And primary objective was reached. We stayed together and finished together.

Next week, Lands End.

Barton.

[myboys]

That WAS a great, hard, ride. Thanks to everyone for helping me keep it together. Pastry never tasted so sweet at the end!

Mary

[Alan]

It was a great ride, made even better by the camaraderie of the group and the superb landscape of Metchosin which included the incredible bucolic springlike freshness of blossoms and sheep and vivid greenness of the forests and pastures. This ride didn't lack anything but it would have benefited from a Rolf to film it.
I want to flag an idea for summer, where we are already talking about including a swimming portion to the Barton Heart of Darkness Metchosin tour. This involves simply tucking your bathing suit into your jersey pocket and after tooling around the backwoods of Sooke and Metchosin for a few hours, we find our way back to Matheson Lake for a dip. We did it once last summer and it was divine!

[Claire]

Great idea, Alan! I am a big fan of dipping in lakes during and/or after a good summer sweatfest. Extra points if the dip(s) can occur au natural (i.e. because the swimming hole of choice is otherwise deserted). I had a most memorable trail run a couple of summers ago wherein a small group of us hopped into no fewer than five water bodies in the Sooke Hills (including the Sooke River) and all we carried was a water bottle and a small pack towel. It was devine... I suppose locating deserted swimming holes on a road ride may present a greater challenge, but with enough planning, I bet you could do it. Know anyone with property on Maltby, Teanook (Lost), or McKenzie lake? Those are all surrounded by private property. I could probably put a word in with my friend on McKenzie if you wanted to jump off his dock...