The Massanutten Ring, aka Taking Ribbit on a Long Walk in the Woods
The Massanutten Ring has been on my radar for some time now, but I knew I needed to up my technical game before I made a go at it. The Ring is 67 miles and 12,500' of climb consisting of the gnarliest singletrack around. The Shenandoah Mountains, and the Massanutten Ridge in particular, have been the backdrop of my earliest endurance endeavors. I completed my first 24 hour adventure race here, climbing up and over Veach Gap for the second time at the end of the race in the pouring rain, tears rolling down my face as I pushed my bike through the water running down the trail. Years later, that climb seems so much shorter! Fast forward to 2020, a year of so much uncertainty and an entirely blank calendar. I felt compelled to unplug for a day and immerse myself in nature and a challenging effort. With Jen and Maya as my support crew, a 0255 wake up got us to the Signal Knob lot and ready to roll at 0400. Jen would be waiting for me at the Kennedy Peak trailhead 1/3 of the way ...