Mountain Trails and Hay Bales

"Goals are a huge driving force for Kyla and I"

They are a huge part of our lives and our training, and we had a goal of accomplishing Mohican State Park’s 24 mile mountain bike loop on our 3rd anniversary this past June. I mean what better way to say, "here’s to us," than with sore butts, tired legs, and a healthy distain for any sort of incline. Not to mention, this would also be round 2 for us (we went on our 2nd anniversary but only did a few miles before calling it quits). The low mileage could have been a lack of preparation…or possibly the fact that my wife just had our first baby not 5 weeks earlier. What a beast! However, we definitely wanted a rematch....

Mohican State Park is nestled on the line of eastern and central Ohio where the hills and country side sneak up on you. Amish country is alive and well, and the allure of a giant, beautifully crafted, Amish made donut constantly lurked in my mind. Our destination for that night was The Barn Inn B&B in Millersburg, Ohio. The Barn Inn is known for its Amish breakfast, and if you know anything about us, food or nearby food is a huge consideration when we pick accommodations. We felt ready, we were prepared this time, and we knew a night of luxury and eating whatever the heck we wanted was awaiting us...

Riding Recap:

Apparently taking a pic with the gnomes is a thing.

Miles 1-11: Kyla and I hit the first 11 miles and then decided to stop for lunch. We absolutely destroyed it. I mean we were flying, we were cocky, we were sassy, and we were lovin’ it. Not to say there weren’t some tough climbs and some burnin’ thighs, but we were on top of it. After we refueled, got reset, and saddled back up, we were off to finish out the rest of the 24 miles.

Miles 12-15: Anger about the obnoxious amounts of gradual but lengthy climbs started to show. The jokes and laughter started to dissipate, and a little more grit was necessary.

Miles 16-21: The questioning of what we were thinking set in. A little bit of buyer’s remorse, if you will, lingered in our demeanors. The sight of roots and hills were simply depressing.

Miles 22-24: Pretty quiet....we both just silently focused on our intense will to finish.

Trail Review:

For those of you who like to mountain bike and are interested in the trail review, for serious, here we go:

Pros:

- Great Setting

- Great nearby attractions (Amish Country)

- Clearly marked trails

- Clearly posted mile markers

- Some fun downhill at points

- The ability to pick how many miles you’d like to do on the 24 mile loop (clearly posted mile markers, and a bail out trail around halfway)

Cons:

- A lot of roots

- Some decent climbs. Nothing to crazy but it will take its toll over the course of 24 miles.

Food Fun and Caffeine Corner.

Food: The winner for this category would be our breakfast from The Barn Inn B&B. It consisted of 1. A fancy egg thing with thin pastry crust, bacon bits, and a sweet salsa. 2. Sausage with bacon pieces made into it. 3. Pancakes. 4. An amazing cinnamon roll with maple icing. 5. Strawberry short cake in a cup, and 6. Two big ole smiles from Kyla and I.

Caffeine Corner: Jitters. The name of a great coffee shop in Millersburg , Ohio and exactly what I got after downing that bad boy to the left. The place was really big, very nice inside, and had great iced coffee. I went in chasing that caffeine buzz, and that's exactly what I left with.

In conclusion, it was a very successful trip. We set our sights on a goal, and we nailed it. We made a goal together, we trained for it together, and we accomplished it together. Happy 3 years Kyla! Here's to many more to come! #mountainbiking #fattire #vagabondfit #fitness #mohicanstatepark #millersburgohio #berlinohio