A Perfect Fall Day

It could not have been a better day for a ride. It was cool - temps in the upper 30s - but clear and with a promise of sun and a warm-up. The bike club in Bucks County in Pennsylvania sponsors an annual event that is probably my favorite ride of the year. It starts at the edge of the Delaware River and covers 63 miles inland through the rolling and rural countryside of Bucks county. If we are lucky we get weather like yesterday: sunshine coming through the filters of the golden, reddish hues of the turning leaves, no wind, and just cool enough to stay comfortable with just a couple of layers. The ride is called the Covered Bridges ride in honor of the six historic covered bridges that the route follows - I looked for Clint Eastwood but apparently he never got out of Madison County. And the fall colors were truly spectacular. We had long roads of woods and turning leaves that were just about at peak color. And we had hills. I had forgotten how many and how long - lots of 14-16% grades and the final tally was something well over 5,000 feet of climbing for the day. A great day!