What a bangarang, Howie nearly lost a sexy leg! This happened on Sunday October 4th, 2009, when on our way to Hermitage Dam, we stopped in Norbrook for Stefan, Penny and Zori to join us. Well whenever we see an open gate, it is a sign that we are welcome to enter.So our brave leaders Michael and Howie tried to do just that, but alas, they were stopped in their tracks by the baying of two huge , fierce looking, black dogs rushing towards them with teeth bared.
While Michael had the presence of mind to close his side of the gate, Howie stood transfixed, his skinny, quivering leg saved only by the commanding voice of the master who with one word, stopped the vicious canines, Castro and Nax in their tracks. It was with a sigh of relief that we had a good laugh before we started the challenging ride up Long Lane.
At Red Gal Ring, Barry demonstrated to us how easy it had been for Eve to lead Adam astray, thus condemning all generations to eternal damnation. (I hope you do not believe that myth!) Anyway, religion aside, being the slowest rider I had moseyed along when Damit got a flat and the others stopped to help him. I had seen Heather ahead of me but as usual was unable to catch up with her. I was however surprised to see Barry cotching on a fence up at Red Gal Ring when I got there, as I never knew the Bolt of "Fun and Thrills" had been way ahead.
In the meantime, Heather had continued riding up towards Stony hill Square apparently not realising that we would not be taking that route. On confirming that she was going astray, Barry said he would go and get her and bring her back. I was surprised to see him catch her up, yet they continued riding! For about 15 minutes I neither saw nor heard anything of either of them. Then Heather came riding back down the hill all by herself! On inquiring what had happened to Barry, she laughingly confessed that she had convinced him that she had been on the right path. However after a while, on asking directions, she realized that she should indeed have turned at Red Gal Ring and turned back, but Barry had continued riding. It was probably another 5 minutes before a red faced Barry came back admitting that once again, he had been led down the garden path by a woman.
After Red Gal Ring, it was serious up hill riding but it was cool and scenic as that road is abandoned and the trees create a beautiful covering all the way up. By the time we approached the last third of the journey I was starving and contemplating whether I would live long enough to get breakfast since the plan had been to go to Stony Hill on the return journey, to have breakfast there. Then Stefan had the brilliant and life saving idea that we should send Chris, who was driving the support vehicle, to buy breakfast and meet us at the dam.Quite frankly, in all my years of riding that is probably the best suggestion I have ever heard.
The road to Hermitage Dam is no longer paved. It is narrow and full of pot holes but the saving grace is that it is level so we had no more hills to contend with. The area is sparsely populated but we did find a small shop where a Rasta man had some cane leaning up. Happily we bought one and he peeled it for us and we reasoned with him for a while. Hermitage Dam was just around the corner from there and was it ever a welcome sight.
I learnt a lot on Sunday. First, Hermitage Dam is much smaller than Mona Dam but according to Michael, the two dams are joined by a pipeline so when one runs short of water, it can be fed by the other.
Secondly, the dam is fed by the
Interestingly too, people actually do commercial fishing in the dam. While we were there, a fisherman by the name of Emroy along with his young companion, jumped on one of two rafts that were in the dam and poled their way over to where their net was set. They later came back with a good amount of black perch. According to Emory, sometimes they even catch a fish called Grass Carp which can grow up to 15 pounds and which is quite tasty.
The area is absolutely lush and beautiful but just as our breakfast arrived the rain started to pour. However there is a caretaker's cottage there and we got shelter and had a wonderful meal of delicious liver, ackee and codfish and run dung.
On the way back there was separation of the MTR's and the STR's.
Zori and I fell into the latter category since we were not about to ride back in the rain and mud so while she slept in the back, I watched my MTR colleagues getting wet and soggy as they made their way gingerly between the potholes full of water barely seeing in front of them because of the thick fog.
At Red Gal Ring, they told me how wonderful the ride had been but I certainly felt no jealousy,only anticipation at the thought of speeding off the hill that had given me such problems during the ascent earlier. I got my bicycle out of the pickup and was not disappointed.
According to Barry and his fancy equipment, we rode 27.80 miles (not me but the MTR's!) at an average speed of 8.6 mph.
Anyway, as usual it was a great day of riding and camaraderie as we prepare for the real long haul to Negril on Sunday 18th October.
No comments:
Post a Comment