| Date | August 11, 2013 |
| Hosts | Susan Nicolich and Dave Snope |
| Where | Snope house, Califon |
| Who (else) | Caren and Mike Bianco, Dawn Casey and Joe Scheneck, Dale and Bill Fisher, Brenda and Larry Isherwood, Jane and Paul Kimmel, Mary and Ron Lessard, Cheryl Prudhomme and Mark Cook, Harriet and Robert Voysey, Linda and George Wells |
Ten teams participated in the 2013 Edition of: "Dave's Hot Ride and Cool Pool Party." Participating were: Teams Isherwood (Larry & Brenda), Bianco (Mike & Caren), Nicolich/Snope (Susan and Dave - our hosts), Wells (George & Linda), Casey/Scheneck (Dawn & Joe), Kimmel (Paul & Jane), Lessard (Ron & Mary), Voysey (Robert & Harriet), Fisher (Bill & Dale), and Cook/Prudhomme (Mark & Cheryl).
First of all, we welcome Dawn and Joe to the world of asphalt. They are active Dirty DOGS and now, roadies, as well.
This ride is a new one for the annual Hot Ride, but with very comfortable temperatures this year, and, as advertised, it was hilly. The first big climb started at just about four miles in and just kept going up and up and up. It finally crested about a half mile later but it felt a whole lot longer, because the respite was small and the climbing continued for another two miles. The initial climb, while pretty steep, was doable at a decent cadence in the granny gear. The rest of the ride saw a host of short-steep ramps that belied the overall grade of the total climb. At one point, on a particularly steep ramp, the driver of the pickup truck behind Team Wells, shouted: "You Made It!" as we completed the ramp. To put it simply, we worked our granny gear today. Team Wells did not hammer the ride, we just rode tempo and enjoyed the views. There were, of course, a few thrilling downhill runs that were the payback for all that climbing.
The post-ride gathering was, as is common with all DOGS post-ride gatherings, a wonderful mix of conversation and food and a swim in Dave's pool for many. If you missed this ride, there are more to come. Next up on the calendar is Sunday, 1 September, hosted by Team Dittmar, on Long Island. Of course there is always the opportunity for any DOGS team to share a favorite ride with the club so...
Linda & George Wells
Leaders – Doubles Of the Garden State (DOGS)