Red Wing Roots Music Festival

Last year I attended the Red Wing Roots Music Festival for one day, and I liked it so much I told myself I would return the next year and camp for the whole weekend. And that's what I did two weeks ago.

I took Friday off work to pack up and get ready (which always seems to take longer than you'd think). Finally I left town and drove the hour+ to Natural Chimneys Park in Mount Solon, Virginia. I schlepped all my stuff from the overflow parking lot to the "no frills" camping area (thankfully they had a golf cart shuttle to help with some of that), and set up my tent. It was pretty hot out, so when that was finally done and everything was stowed away I headed to the music meadow to sit in the shade and listen to some tunes. John Moreland and Kuinka were great. Trampled by Turtles were also fun but I was getting pretty tired by the end of the night so I cut their set short to shower and hit the hay. I needed a good night's rest because I had a bike ride coming up! Who doesn't love a music festival with a bike ride?! (They also had organized runs and yoga.)

The natural chimneys lit up at night.

Fun lights in the beer garden

Saturday morning I woke up and ate some breakfast in my tent, then got ready for my bike ride. That meant walking a long way in one direction to fill my water bottles and then walking an even longer way in the other direction to my car and bike. I ended up starting the 8am group ride about ten minutes late, but luckily I figured out which way to go. The first fifteen miles or so (I don't remember exactly) was through rolling farmland, and then we headed into the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest. Which means we also started heading uphill. At about mile 17 there was a water stop, and the intermediate ride turned around there and headed back. But I decided to attempt the "intermediate/advanced" ride and head another 6.5 miles straight up to the top of Reddish Knob. It was a slow and painful climb, and I'm so proud of myself for making it. I passed some other riders, and one guy commented "you're fast!" but it's all relative because at one point I was logging 13- to 15-minute miles, which is pretty darned slow. I had heard we'd be riding along a ridge at some point, and I looked forward to that flattish ridge so badly. When I finally got there about four miles in I was feeling pretty spent, and then I spied a spur road making a steep and immediate left turn up to the top. I couldn't make that turn right away, since I'd psyched myself out so much about the flat ridge. So I stopped and ate a snack and drank a lot of water and then actually rode a little ways out on the flat main road just to get my legs spinning again and to gain some momentum. Then I turned around and headed up that dreaded last two miles. I saw some of the people I'd passed earlier make that turn without stopping, so in some ways I feel like I cheated. But I still made it (and re-passed those riders). I made it to the top just in time to hear the bluegrass band play their last song before packing up. I ate some snacks and enjoyed the 360 views of Virginia and West Virginia. (I knew I was seeing West Virginia somewhere, but wasn't sure in which direction. And it wasn't until I got home and looked at a map that I realized the state line was actually right up there on the knob, and that some of the rode up actually crossed into West Virginia a couple of times. So I was in another state without realizing it.) Then it was time to head back, which was pretty miserable. You'd think having several miles of downhill would be relaxing, but it wasn't. I clenched my brakes almost the whole time, which was actually kind of painful for my hands and arms. Not to mention the general tense stressful feeling of not wanting to crash and die. And then it was a strange sensation to have to start moving my legs again when the road actually started to level out. Overall it was a forty-mile ride and definitely the hardest cycling I've ever done. It was also my favorite part of the weekend.

Virginia? West Virginia? Beautiful either way.

Parking lot at the top, with drinks and snacks (and musicians packing up).

Back at the festival, Patrick arrived to join me for two days of music in the mountains. Saturday some of my favorites were the Secret Sisters, the John Stickley Trio, and of course my favorite performing artist of all, Josh Ritter. He didn't come on until 10:30, but he was also the only set of the weekend I actually stood up front for. I love him. Patrick and I also made the short hike up to the top of the natural chimneys to check out the sunset.

Yes I bought a fanny pack for this festival. It was perfect. And it wasn't cold, that's just the newly-purchased festival sweatshirt Patrick bought me that I didn't want to carry all the way back to the tent.

Josh Ritter!

Sunday morning I had originally intended to go for a run on my own (since the group runs were only on Saturday), but I didn't have it in me. So I hung out in the music meadow enjoying a dirty chai and watching a man make giant bubbles. Then it was more music. Favorites included David Wax Museum and the Steep Canyon Rangers. 

Giant bubbles!

Enjoying a set from inside the shady beer garden.

The whole weekend was amazing. Yes it was very hot, but other than that I loved being outside all weekend, camping and biking and listening to great music. I love Red Wing Roots and definitely want to go back next year.