Sep 23 - a new plan ?

Out of idle curiosity, I was looking at the 1001 Miglia website, not sure why.  That's the website for the ride that I did in Italy in 2010.  1001 miles = 1600 kms.  The website had OpenRunner links for the stages, which I then browsed through, noting that there've been some minor route and Control changes.  As I clicked on each link, memories came back of wonderful views, grinding climbs, awesome descents and I started to think to myself ... well ... perhaps ....

Up until that point, I'd been thinking of 2016 as a U.S. domestic 1200k year, knocking at least one or perhaps two rides off my bucket list.  Both the Cascade (Washington State) and Colorado High Country are being offered in 2016, neither of which I've done.  I think that the Rocky Mountain 1200k in BC will also be on tap, but I can't get confirmation of that.  The Tour of Tasmania in February sounds interesting -- apparently a huge challenge in climbing terms, usually coupled with wet, wet, wet weather.  That would be a climb-fest / rain-fest / punish-fest for sure.  Hamid is also talking about something later in the Spring in Japan. 

When Abby was alive, Tasmania (Australia) wasn't realistic in February, without a lot of prior planning with Jim and Sheryl for her care.  With the new puppy, it's impossible. 

Oh yes, as an aside, we're still working on names.  We have submissions from me, Sandy, Sara and Lauren (a huge bunch of names from Lauren).  Some we've discarded outright.  Others are being ranked.  We were talking about this at dinner last night -- Abigail / Abby was so "right".  It was my suggestion and it seemed just so automatically the right name.  I don't think that we even had a list, but we must have.  We're planning on visiting the puppy on October 4th, so perhaps when we see her and mentally match her up with names, the conclusion will be more obvious.

So, back to 1200k's ...

Sandy is keen on spending some time in southern Italy.  How far south ?  Who knows, that could include Sicily.  We talked about me doing the Miglia and her flying over around the end and then taking 10 days, plus or minus, to do some touring.  The more we talked about it, the more interesting and possible and likely it became.   We even started looking at maps and distances, assuming that we would fly in/out of Milan.  I'd thought that the Miglia started on August 10 with registration opening in October, which I'd heard from Hamid.  Apparently he exchanged emails with the organizer yesterday and it runs Aug 16-22 with registration opening January 10.  That gives us some time to think about this. 

I did get out for a ride yesterday, still on the Litespeed.  I may or may not even get the True North rolling again before we head south.  There's no need other than "just because".  It's harder to get in and out of the car anyway.  I'm planning on doing a 200k on October 3rd out of Grimsby, the Casablanca Road exit.  If the weather looks wet, I'll use the TN with fenders.  If it looks REALLY wet, I won't do it. I'll find some other way to squeeze in a 200k before October is out.  I'm not looking for a punish-fest. 

Sandy went out in the Kayak to what was the Whip-poor-will Lodge, now the Dollars Lake Island Resort.  Although there was a NE wind on 522/69, it was almost flat calm here.  The Lodge/Resort is pretty quiet.  Whether they'll make a go of it remains to be seen.  She also went for a walk on Osprey and down the new driveway under construction at the end cottage.  She exchanged emails with Bonnie -- no dog, no-one to visit, depressing.  Yup.  It's pretty quiet here right now.  Some of the orange men are setting up their hunt camps on 522 but that activity isn't in evidence on the lake yet. 

Jason et al (Lo, Kim, Gavin ?) are coming up today in time for wine, so at least we'll have our little corner of the universe bustling.  It's really too bad that the puppy won't have some time at the cottage before we head south.  Of course she'd be on a leash ...

Onward ...