Drumlin Ramble, Ride # 94

A drumlin, according to one online dictionary, is "a long, narrow or oval, smoothly rounded hill of unstratified glacial drift." Fair enough.

There's one in nearby Lancaster at the base of George Hill Rd and across from the campus of what was once the Atlantic Union College. Called the Dexter Drumlin, the huge graceful mound swells upward like an earthen great blue whale.

The Drumlin

I like to ride by there from time to time. Any ride that takes in the Dexter Drumlin I call a Drumlin Ramble. Ride #94 on a sunny, not exactly warm, but bright Saturday afternoon was one such ramble.

Earlier in the year, maybe late April, I'd ridden the Crust over there and ridden right up to the top and, though it's a very gradual slope and doesn't appear, from the base, to be that high, from the top the view is sweeping and far. This time, though, on my road bike, I contented myself with a view from the base.

As I type this entry a day after the ride, I'm looking out on a covering of snow that came overnight. And, it's 21 degrees F outside and blustery. It may warm up some this week and rain but seeing the snow cover this morning suggests to me that I may not manage another six rides before Christmas. Nevertheless, on yesterday's Drumlin Ramble I was dressed perfectly so wasn't cold at all and didn't mind, for example, slogging into a head wind across the wind open expanse of farmland that takes you over the hill and into the town of Sterling.

The shaggy Scottish Highland cattle didn't seemed perturbed by the gusts or chill either and grazed without looking up to acknowledge my shouted "bonjour!"s.

Farm of the Scottish Highlanders

Heading Toward Sterling

The gusty wind combined with a lot of climbing (a Drumlin Ramble, like a Sholan Loop, takes me west of Lemonstar and into hill country), made for a slow average speed (just about 14 mph). About three quarters of the way through the ride, I started to get chilled; not badly, but my fingers got pretty numb. No surprise why; I checked the temperature after returning and it had fallen to 36 F.

 Ride Stats: Ride # 94, 28 miles (45 km), 14 mph, 2 hours in the saddle. 44 degrees to start and 36 degrees at ride's end.