PSR wrote in from United States (75.68.nnn.nnn):
WHOO - HOO!! , I LOVE Full Moons at a little bit past midnite in these nor-easterly parts! I got out after work (I work until 11pm), and used a nice piece of Obama-Infastructure-rebuilt highway near the Conn. River in N.H tonite with my wife's 48" longboard, my Vintage Turner Summer-Ski, and lastly with my trusty Buttboard. A nice, flowing Down+up+down straightaway two-lane with fresh tar going about 1-1/4 miles thru the farmland towards the river, with three tasty smooth, decreasing radii corners just before the bridge, and moonlit most of the way (a few scary-ish dark shaded spots), and absolutely no cars (this time). I skated the Longboard first, going up only about 3/4 mile from the bottom, just to get a feel for the speed (it coasts out, in the car, at 45 mph), and the traction, too. No Petzl on that run, just enjoying the quasi-light and total silence. Very Surreal, almost spooky, but, nah no Icabod Crane here (I hope not..). The fog was hovering in the corn fields, growing in the moonlight, just a few yards down and to the side of road. Cool scenery!
I rode the Turner next, going up a bit further, bringing the Petzle light along for a bit of safety in the shaded zones. Got a surprise with bouncing, glowing dots ahead on the steeps, but it was a Fox out hunting varmits. I kept my turns rythmic, and across the fall-line to keep the speed down, the ABEC 11 Slashbacks (modded Flashbacks, w/ Tunnel-like lip) making very nice SHhhWoosshhh noise on every turn. Plenty of traction, very buttery, smooth, and predictable, nice stuff when you can't quite see everything your gliding over. I dug out buttboard with a little trepidation, as I hadn't been on it in a month, and hadn't run it on this hill in 8 years. I hiked it up, way up, past the Farmhouse, probably 1-5/8 mile, where it flattens out at the hill's crest. This hill swoops in on a slow curvature, like the first riser on a Wooden Rollercoaster, but gets steep quickly. At night, it's then you're in the Dark, as the trees block the moonlight, as does the curve of the hill. Probably 8% right before in bottoms out, then heads up the 1st gully, you can feel the G's push your legs down, and then over the next crest (and into the moonlight!) as the hill rolls into a brief flat. Then, you unweight quickly as the grade goes from near-flat to 9% for a little bit, and you plunge back into the blackness for a few seconds. The next pitch change is very abrupt, and presses you down hard onto the board as you go UP quickly, then you're weightless for an instant as you crest a small knoll.. Into Light, and into a steady 5% grade with the nifty, flowing corners down towards the bridge. The fields glisten a frosty white, with the roadway being a darkened snake-run slicing the lowland in two. Gotta focus on your line as the corners get tighter, but the view is distracting. There's my car, whoops, went past it... Gotta put the Vans down for some braking before the bridge. Good, stopped in time. On my way back to the car, towing my board, I see a Porcupine waddling across the road. No eyes, but the prickly sillouette is easy to pick out. Glad I didn't run into that while I was on my board!
It took me an hour all told to get my runs in, but it's the kind of thing that defies timetables and work schedules, and gives my spirits a much-needed little lift at the end of my day (er, night).
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