Last weekend, an impromptu gravel and dirt adventure came together from a friend's new Airbnb. The unpredictable shoulder season turned into a perfect day for riding around Seeley, WI and Mt Telemark and a perfect night for breaking in a new sauna in the woods.
2 weeks before our ride, I was nearly certain it wouldn't happen. Mid-November weather is unpredictable and it seemed most likely that the dirt and gravel would be soggy and that the air would be cold and wet.
Most of us in our group chat had never ridden the Chequamegon 40 race route and someone had the idea to try to squeeze in one last late fall gravel/dirt adventure and ride part of the Cheq 40 route on a weekday.
I penciled it in and took off work for the upcoming Monday but assumed that it would be cancelled for soggy and cold pre-winter weather.
As the day got closer, the weather held steady. Our riding would be sunny and the route would be fast, firm, and fun.
A friend recently got a new Airbnb cabin, The Seeley Hills Chalet, and a group of 5 of us went up there a night before our ride to try out the new sauna and assemble some activities for a new game room.
The next day was perfect.
It was a cool fall day in the 40s. The sun broke through the sky and spackled our entire ride through the bare trees.
I'm blessed to have my health, some good friends, and a flexible job that allows me to get away. It was a beautiful day and a really nice way to close the fall riding season.
Have a beautiful Thanksgiving,
Josh
