Just say no

After last weekend's longer-than-necessary ride, I feel it's appropriate to tell any riding partners to simply ignore my suggestions on route changes or riding back a different way or any such nonsense. Just tell me no, fugedabowdit.

Last Sunday, Tom had a great ride suggested. Going up and back on the on the east side of the Hudson to Peekskill, a 60-mile ride that would have us back by noon. We made great time the way up. Few cars and cool weather. Then I got the bright idea that it would be nice to go back a different route, like on the Putnam Valley Trail. Problem was we didn't know exactly how to find the trail from where we were. Neither did the locals we talked to. For some reason, this did not deter us from our senseless quest. Ok, my senseless quest.

We eventually found the trail after a lot of climbing - miles of it, miles and miles - and a few wrong turns. A local rider helped us find the right route and we jumped on the trail. This was about 11 a.m. and we realized it was quite a while before we'd find food. It was a good 30 miles home - a couple hours - and we knew we'd have to have food and drink before then. We wound up stopping in Elmsford, a little more than halfway home (so we thought).

By the time we finished lunch, it was after 1 and in the mid-80s, warmer temperatures than we've seen since oh, last September, maybe August. Then I had another bright idea. Since it was getting late, I knew there would be traffic on the last 9-mile stretch when we divert from the path. Let's stay on the path, I said, since I know the route between the end of the path and mile through residential streets where it picks up again. Big mistake.

We did that and found a bridge out and a detour instead. It took more than an hour to get home from there, after Tom figured out how to get back. We arrived 3 hours later than planned - at 2:45 - and 76 miles instead of 60. Long day indeed. I dropped off a six pack at Tom's on Wednesday as partial penance, but I think I'll be paying off that mistake for a while.