Topic: Croom...one of the 10 hottest places on earth?

[Alan]

Last weekend a friend and I went to Croom.  Trail conditions were excellent and the weather was beautiful (not too hot). We were so impressed that we decided  this weekend we would explore the other part of Croom we hadn't ridden before (north blue where the pits and drunken monkey are).
 
I watched the weather this morning and saw heat index warnings.  "WTF is this b.s.?"  I thought to myself.  I've lived in FL for practically all my life and never heard of such a thing. 
 
Approximately 6 miles into our ride it literally felt as if I were breathing through the hot side of a hair dryer.  Never in my life have I ever experienced temps like this (I've hiked out in New Mexico and the heat was never this stifling).  We came upon the 8-mile bailout on the blue loop and made the executive decision to cut and run.  End of the day we still got in just over 18 miles of the hottest, most miserable riding ever.
 
Is it always this rediculously hot out there, or is it just these odd weather conditions we are having lately? 
 
On a side note...that part of Croom is TONS of fun!  Drunken Monkey and the pits area was a blast.  Can't wait to head out there again.

[Garry]

Is it always this rediculously hot out there, or is it just these odd weather conditions we are having lately? 
 
On a side note...that part of Croom is TONS of fun!  Drunken Monkey and the pits area was a blast.  Can't wait to head out there again.

We have that big upper level high over the entire region so even the breeze coming off the Gulf isn't too much of a help.  This causes unusually high humidity which is killer for outside stuff.  At the end of the workday at Boyette today (1:00p.m.) the parking lot was empty.  It's Saturday!  Usually it is full and overflowing.  Hopefully by next week this high will have moved on and we can get back to more normal weather.

[Darrinw2001]

it was that hot at WTA today as well. We did trail work for 2 hours and then rode for 1 hour, it was miserable. I saw Gregg post on Facebook that San Felesco was just as hot, so it is not Croom, it is everywhere....

[SandPine]

hurricane advisories, tornato advisories, snow advisories, high wind advisories, and NOW HEAT Advisories.  I saw that announced when thinking about going to San Felasco.  It was a predicted 95 but no wind and high humidity with a "feels like" tempeture of 105...  no crap..

[Garry]

  It was a predicted 95 but no wind and high humidity with a "feels like" tempeture of 105...  no crap..

Tomorrows FLT is 110!

[Gregg]

San Felasco felt like 147.4 degrees..............really friggin hot.....

[ClintonRH]

At the end of the workday at Boyette today (1:00p.m.) the parking lot was empty.  It's Saturday!  Usually it is full and overflowing.  Hopefully by next week this high will have moved on and we can get back to more normal weather.

I pulled in shortly after that after getting a brief reprieve from Washington Mutual. 2 trucks in the parking lot when I got there, one other than mine when I left.
Was thoroughly disgusting but I rode anyways. Only saw one other person the whole time, there was a guy in a Swamp jersey with a carbon hardtail sanding and finishing the two benches on South Abyss.
Felt like I rode particularly welldespite the heat. Breezed right through a bunch of sections that have given me issues in the past. Was riding fairly slow though. Think I averaged about 9 mph. Any faster than that and it felt like I was inhaling fire.

[Alan]

Forgot to mention the best part of this hot ride:  I flatted for the 2nd time in a week today.  Evidently the Specialized tube that I put in it last week had a defect...no puncture it separated at one of the seams in the tube.  I'm almost an expert in changing a tire on a SS now. 
 
 
I've been watching the weather and I think this crap is supposed to clear out in the middle of the week.  Hopefully next weekend will be better for riding.