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Re: [RC] Man vs. Horse speeds & Shermans Gap at the OD - Flora HillmanActually,
there are plenty of places with fabulous footing along the OD trail --
principally in the level valleys and coming down from Skyline Drive in
Shenandoah Nat'l Park on Land's End at the start -- where you can
REALLY book it, and make up the time spent having to walk the rocky
stretches of the Massanuttens.
The prior
year that I did the OD 50, my guy probably hit Mach 5 coming down Land's
End, enroute to McCoy's Ford. The descent was several miles of a wide
gravel vehicle-worthy road leading into wide soft dirt woodland trails
interspersed with quiet (public) gravel roads and open fields -- custom made for
a downhiller to really show it's talent! My friend told me she
blinked as my pony went into downhill gear at the crossing of Skyline Drive
.... and I was gone. That was the last we saw of one another on the whole
ride.
Of course,
you had to climb that multi-mile rise heading back home. :-)
Nothing is
ever a giveaway on the OD!
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