Beer Day

I've obviously been very pleased that I'm able to ride my bike again.  And not just riding a bike, but riding a mountain bike in the actual mountains.  I still hurt quite a bit and all that, but the joy of being able to pedal up in the hills makes it sting quite a bit less.

Continuing from yesterday, the little lady and I were having a most excellent time.  A good ride followed by great beer at an awesome bike shop wasn't quite enough though.  We heard from some of our South Carolina friends that they were in the area, and we planned to meet up with them.  With Little Miss Sunshine by my side and friends on the way, I basically wanted a repeat of what I did the previous weekend, with people around me this time of course.

And that meant a trip to Oskar Blues again.

 
I've obviously been there before...

Who gives a shit.

Our SC friends were still riding, and when they finished I got a text saying not to wait on them.  I said I didn't mind, because hanging around at a brewery was a very non-shitty thing to do.

The little lady didn't mind one bit either because we were having a great time.  It was relaxing, but that was probably because of the beer.  There was a band playing too.

They were okay, but honestly I just wasn't really into their sound.  I watched a little of the guitar playing to see if I could pick up a thing or too and that's about it.  My mind wandered towards thoughts of playing my own guitar there one day.  Maybe that was beer thinking for me. 

It was a prefect day for sure, and even though we waited a while for our friends it wasn't a big deal.  We watched as kids ran around having a great time, and even saw some people hang up a hammock in the middle of the crowd for some reason.

Not a great place for that, but whatever.

Our friends showed up after that, moar beer was consumed, and the shit was shot.  We had a great time for sure, spending about six hours there.  I knew we had been there far too long when the little lady started playing with the kid's toys.

Yeah, we finally had to get out of there.  It was a really long day, but worth it in so many ways.  The drive home was tiring, and for a second I realized why we know so many people that have an additional residence up there in the hills.  We don't plan on doing that, but I definitely see where it could be beneficial.

I can see us being up there full time though.

Hey, it could happen. 

Beer Is My Only Friend

So after completing my first "real" mountain bike ride I was pretty damn happy.  I'm not fully healed though, and I imagine that this constant pain and discomfort is gonna last a long time unless I stay off the bike and do absolutely nothing for a while.  That shit ain't gonna happen, so I'll just put up with it for as long as I can.  It feels like I'm healing, so it must be true.

Anyway, in an effort to get things back to normal, I decided that I would do some of the usual shit I do after riding up in the hills.  Since there was race happening nearby in The Pisgah, I decided to head over there to see if I knew anyone like I do every year.

I talked to a few friends at the start/finish line, then took a short hike up Lower Black to see if I could recognize anyone riding by.  With only a few finishers in at such an early hour, I spent quite a bit of time waiting, and trying to entertain myself.

 Probably the best accidental photo I've ever taken.

I cheered on a few people that I saw, and eventually captured a blurry photo of Watts and Dicky.  I chatted with them for a few minutes after that, but they were so worn out that the conversation was mostly grunts and head nodding.  I took that as my cue to exit, so I snuck out of there to check out the new and improved Hub and Pisgah Tavern.  They just moved into a brand spanking new building across the street and it's um, massive.

And the inside is rad too, with the main improvement (to me) is moar room to drink moar beers.

I wandered around a bit, looking for someone (anyone) I knew.  I saw no one.  I no haz friends.  I did however, see a nice display of DeFeet socks.

With no friends in sight (I mean with everyone I know still suffering in The Pisgah), I high-tailed it outta there to get moar beers at another one of my usual post-hills-ride spots.

I looked around, and still no friends (I don't talk to strangers.)  I decided to belly up to the bar anyway.

Just as my beer was poured, I heard an overhead announcement about a brewery tour.  I decided to take it for the nine thousandth time.

Still no friends, but who gives a shit.  I was enjoying myself.

Even though I was pretty much by myself the whole day, I still had an awesome time.  I'm not ready for The Pisgah just yet, but an easier ride in the hills followed by local beers has me back on the right track.

One day, I'll have some friends and healthy ribs again.

Or not.  Either way I'll be on my bike, which is good enough for me.

After The Ride

When we finished riding at Rocky Knob, the little lady and I decided that we needed to stick around the mountains and get into some shit. For some reason I wanted to shop for western wear, so she went for another ride.

I didn't pick up any fancy duds, but I did find this sweet bottle-opener/belt buckle.

After that short stop,we headed over to the nearby Appalachian Mountain Brewery for some post-ride refreshments. We bellied up to the bar and I went right at it.

It was sampling of their finest brews, although I didn't care for all of them. This one in particular had a name that's well past its prime.

Seriously? Stop using that. No one gives a shit about the Honey Badger anymore.

I drank it anyway, and the rest of them of course.

My favorite out of the bunch was the 71 IPA, which was plenty hoppy and made me feel quite special. This was, dare I say, the perfect IPA. Plenty of bite and super bitter (not to mention high in alcohol), and I couldn't get enough of it. Although they do sell growlers of their beer to take home, they didn't have any of the 71 available that day. Instead, I had to settle for the Little Red IPA . Not as high in alcohol, but plenty hoppy nonetheless.


I was happy to take something home at least.

You know me. I love beer.


They brew their own right there on site, which makes this place a must-visit if you're ever up in Boone.

They have something for everyone, including beer snobs like me. The IPAs (my favorite) were great, but I even enjoyed the stout and the porter they had. It's a shame that they aren't a little closer to me, but that just means that a few more trips up to the hills are in order.



My bike wants to go back anyway.