TNGA 2022 began this past August 20th. Too much injury and illness all year for me to have any hope of riding, but I figured I'd at least head out to the start and see everybody off.
As usual, I got up at like 4AM to get going. Unusual though, was that I was doing it alone. Every year that I've gone to the start, aside from the years that I actually rode, I had at least one kid in tow. Not this year though. Both of the kids are off living their own lives these days. From driving all over the mountains scouting the route, to camping and running the event, to seeing folks off at the start, in my mind at least, they're a big part of the identity of the event. I noticed their absence this year, more than I expected to.
Mais, a vida continua...
...and it wasn't like I didn't have a good time.
I arrived in Clayton just as everybody was loading up to leave the Days Inn.
Awesome! I'd have even more time to hang out with folks.
I ran into everybody that I expected to from the Mulberry Gap crew, as well as Mike Rasch, who, somehow, I hadn't noticed was signed up. Everybody was really relaxed, just getting their stuff together. I've mentioned it before, but it's worth mentioning again... Any event that Mulberry Gap is involved in has that kind of vibe. They're so well organized that it doesn't even feel like there's anything exceptional going on - just a bunch of friends getting together for a ride. It just so happens that getting this particular ride togeher involves multiple vans loaded with dozens of riders, pulling trailers loaded with dozens of bikes, transporting everyone 100 miles to stay overnight, then get up and leave at 6 in the morning... But all that feels as casual as throwing your bike on your truck and heading up to the mountains yourself. Here and there, you might see someone associated with the event running off to do something, but you'd have to look to notice that. In general, the vibe for a participant is always super relaxed. I love it.
Right about dawn, they got going towards the border, and I followed along.
On the way in, I saw a guy on a mountain bike, also headed toward the border. He looked familiar, but I didn't immediately recognize him. It struck me as odd that he was chosing to ride to the border, rather than shuttle. Got to get those warm-up miles in, I guess.
At the border, everybody was getting ready, and it was starting to take on much more of a race vibe.
Rasch was looking strong, and cool in that kit he's always wearing.
After chatting a bit with the folks on the far side of the river...
("the river")
...I ran back over to the other side, where I ran into Jeff Williams and we talked for quite a bit.
Right as I was about to head back over to the start, I ran into Wild Bill Riddle!
I had no idea he was signed up, and I hadn't seen him since like 2011. Man it was good to see him! We talked for a bit, but he had to get going, so not for too long. He looked super strong, fit, and ready. It was his first attempt, and as it would turn out, he would go on to finish. Yeah, Bill!
Pretty soon, everybody gathered on the bridge.
That's Tom Kessling at the front, talking to Rasch. I didn't immediately notice him, and I kicked myself for it later. We rode together for quite a while in 2019, and he's a really great guy. When I finally did realize who he was, it was like 5 seconds to the start and all we had time for was "Dave!" "Tom!" He would also go on to finish.
Like 30 seconds before the start, Chad Hunderford rolled up, spun around, and lined up next to the guys at the very front of the pack. HE was the guy I'd seen riding in earlier. Nobody knew he was riding this year, and you could hear a collective groan from everybody, realizing that most of them were about to lose a place. It turned out though, that he was just trolling everybody. He wasn't signed up. He was "just" out doing a 100 mile loop and figured he'd work it out so that he could ride with the group up through Warwoman. I didn't hear him do it, but he apparently explained or at least indicated this just before or after the start, but not before making everyone panic first.
Well played, sir.
There were a few last minute photos...
...and they were off!
I got a video of the start, but somehow failed to upload it to youtube, and then deleted it from my phone, thinking that I had.
Genius.
There were some folks at the start that I expected to see, and had seen all morning. Darryl and Graham often volunteer, and they were volunteering again.
Unexpectedly, Brad McLeod had driven up from Tallahassee to hang out! I last saw him for like 5 minutes during the Tally Tango. He and some friends of his had joined the lead group just after the start, and rode about half of the route. I happened to be right there as they joined.
The biggest surprise, though was Norma and Johnny! I hadn't seen either of them for a few years, and not seen Johnny the past few times I'd seen Norma.
We had so much to catch up on, and it was so great to see them.
Monty was there too, of course, and also great to run into.
He might now have the record for most finishes. Maybe. Hightower might still have him beat. I should look that up.
Kate invited me to eat breakfast with them at Chick-fil-A in Clayton, so when the festivities were over, I followed them back.
Jeff and Brad:
Andrew, Kate, Chad, and Darryl:
I realized that I have many photos of Kate and Andrew individually, mostly while they were doing some random thing, but none of the two of them together. So, together:
As we all got in our cars to go, Graham noticed that Kate's truck had a "Walton Subaru" label on it. I forget what state Walton Subaru is in, somewhere in the midwest. Kate happened to buy that car from that dealer because of some deal on the internet. I don't remember the whole story, but I remember they almost didn't, then it worked out, and it was kind of a pain to go get it because it was so far out of state, but it was still worth it, so they did... I think somebody at Walton Subaru somehow knew about Mulberry Gap already too, even though nobody specifically knew anyone from the dealer. Something like that. I wish I remembered the details. At any rate, Graham somehow knew the Walton family that owned the dealership. He'd grown up with them. The dealer label was familiar to him, and he just happened to notice it on Kate's car. Such a small world. Amazingly small.
I think I had work of some kind to do later that day, so rather than hang out all weekend and stalk people on Trackleaders, I headed home. I did take the scenic route, and stop by Brasstown Bald on the way back, but that is another story.
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