Stagecoach Ride

The Ride: Stagecoach

Miles: 40.0* Season-high miles for one ride

Time: 3:05

Ave. Speed: 12.8 mph

Weather: Sunny, 86, wind, 5-10 mph SUMMER!

2018 Season Outdoor Miles: 686.0

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The Story

Today would be all about the ride. I knew from the minute I woke up that today would provide an opportunity to put in some serious saddle time. And that's exactly what I did. Three hours of soaking up the sun in the saddle I have this story to share.

Even though I checked a map ahead of time to get directions squared away in my head, somehow, once again, maps failed me.

On the map I was sure of how to get to that stagecoach I once rode past on Steeple Hill Dr. at one point last riding season.

I had tried once before this year but ended up taking a wrong turn and missing it. I vowed to myself then that I would try again this season.

Today I ended up on "G" dead-ending up against some water at a boat ramp outside of Allenville. Somehow I had screwed this up yet again!

But as you can see, eventually, and quite accidentally, I got there.

After being lost and giving up on finding the stagecoach, I got myself onto County II and headed up a rather long, steep hill into the town of Winchester. As I rode easily through town looking around, I could have sworn I saw a street sign that said Steeple Hill on it. So I turned around to investigate.

Sure enough, it was Steeple Hill Dr., the very road I had been looking for earlier. Somehow I had come up on it from behind. Oh well, what the heck I told myself, let's take it and try finding that darned stagecoach, which I think is actually owned by a PhilCast listener who had mailed me about it last year.

No mile or so in there it was. I stopped for a picture and a drink from my water bottles. I had done it. Accidentally, but hey, I did it! I found the stagecoach on Steeple Hill.

Then came a slow and steady effort home in 86-degree sunshine. There were a lot of rolling hills on this stretch too, so I even used the small chain ring just to make sure I would not cramp up, which I am prone to do on these longer rides.

In the end, 40 miles, the longest ride of the season and one I am proud of. It was a stagecoach ride I took without ever actually getting on a stage coach.