Post Paranormal Inactivity

Someone told me the other day that the 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays, and 5 Mondays that we're having in October this year only happens once every 823 years.  I'm pretty sure that's not true, but for the time being I'll allow greater minds that have had more sleep to debate the nature of that topic.  But I will affirm that, whatever the rarity of a 5 weekend October, we've had some pretty amazing weekends to celebrate the proverbial Chinese "Moneybag" year. 

And by Moneybag, I mean, our local moneymaker K-rod, who threw down 9 laps at the paranormal and presumably  won himself a big wad of cash. 

Ah yes, another Paranormal came and went on Saturday.  I can affirm that a modest amount of sleep deprivation only enhances the confusion of racing singletrack at night, even when it's in your own back yard.  Several photos here that I felt really captured the spirit of the paranormal:

pure joy, Cowboy. 

dude's trail got a little banged up

the manchild owned the holeshot.  madness followed. 

 Although my prediction of C-Ham soloing to victory by a full lap doomed him to late race cramps and 5th overall, I did pick two things right in my annual pre-race nostradamusness:

1)  There was, in fact, a faster men's duo team lurking in the peripherique.  Pro Roadie, Ben King and his little bro Jake, showed up with their genetically superior fast twitchiness (not to mention a penchant for fast, dirt turns that I hadn't anticipated) and dominated.  

2)  Fastest lap?  Ben King in 30:20.  So for another year, no one goes around the loop in under 30 minutes.  OK then. 

riding with the King.

Paraphoto credits here to Mr. Panzaboonen who will be forced to use a bike instead of a camera next year.  And, on an important side note, now that I understand the real depth of Mr. Panzaboonen's photo-artistic talent, I would like to gauge the collective interest of you, blog reader, to commission a really provocative photo series of The Dude my brother, calendar poses and what not, set against an autumnal background.  Think the annual sorority issue of Playboy.  Artistic, tasteful, yet fully nude.  Consider it. 

Full Paranormal results?  Forthcoming.  Check back.  Or do what the Big Man in Asheville does to make the wrong world right and turn off your computer and go ride.  It's a 5 weekend October, Grover, and the seasonal Pisgah trails are open for business.

what I couldn't rumble with calves like these. 

What happens next?  Fall languishes a little, and the highly contagious pre-winter letdown sets in.  People race "Cross", whatever that is.  Afterwork sunshine goes South on vacation.  Blah.  But, with all of the indoor time I'm currently afforded, I'm scoping out a big route for a gigantic, trans-county, Sunday epic set for sometime in January when the leaves are down, the bugs are gone, the air is crisp, hunting season has ended, and the anarchy of fence-jumping point to point disorganized Winter racing can return to Virginia and remind us that life and riding do not end when Daylight savings does. 

Until then, get out and get after it while the gettin's still good. 

Bennet Gap, Pisgah. 

Think Skyward. 
Think up, up, up.