Rapha Rising Finale

Last night, I finished the Rapha Rising challenge by doing some repeats up Sauratown Mountain. Sauratown Mountain stands guard over the piedmont like a benevolent old man. I knew that I wanted to do something unique for the finale, and I decided on doing some climbing in the dark and enjoy a frosty adult beverage at the summit. I made my way out to the area via car so I wouldnt have to ride home the 20 miles in the dark on roads where it can be less than wise to ride even during the day. I got in a warm up and started on the way up the mountain.

Moore's Wall as the backdrop



The second go round had me ascending into the dark, but not before I saw a number of deer in some of the lower slopes. I kept a mental note of this because on this section of the descent speeds can easily reach 45-50mph...not tonight though. I got to the top and made my way through the dark woods to get an overlook to the south. Sauratown stands about 1400 feet above the Piedmont below and on clear days affords views of three cities; Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point. Tonight, the only city that was visible was Winston-Salem about 25 miles away as the crow flies.



I stood alone in the dark at the top and cracked open the beer I brought along and enjoyed it thoroughly. Reignited the lights and set off down the mountain at a snail's pace so as not to have any unintended interactions with wildlife. At one point I had to let loose because I could hear a dog chasing me. This was unsettling, because I only had bar mount lights mounted so I couldnt turn to see how close it was. All I could do was release the brakes, tuck and hope that it wouldn't latch onto my ankle. After a short distance I felt safe again and sat up and descended the rest of the way in relative comfort.




When initially setting out to complete the Rapha Rising, I honestly didn't think I could accomplish it with doing some travelling. I was able to net some big days in the saddle here in North Carolina that afforded me a little breathing room heading to the midwest. Even while there I was able to find some decent hills on which to accumulate the necessary climbing. I became friends with suffering during this challenge, and also became acquanted with the chilling goodness of Biofreeze. Thanks Rapha for putting this out there, I look forward to the next challenge!