schnauzers.ws

It's me, Shawn, Gary, Matt, and his friend Garrison. Panic sets in as I am now flanked by Matt (Rocket Man), Gary (Legs of Steel), and Garrison (19 years of no fear and few beer years). At least I have Shawn to back me up, at least until the downhills. I'm not even going to guess at the trail names, but as usual in Colorado they are mostly up. I watch Matt do what he is famous for, climb.

The trails are actually sandy in a Colorado way. It's the tiny pea stone stuff and finally my new tires prove their worth. I wouldn't consider the trails steep and I would really like to try them in a singlespeed when I get the gearing changed.

 

Matt takes up position on the hill to scout out the enemy territory.

We continue to climb and the trails become a little more rocky. Even with the rain, it's an enjoyable time on the trail.

While Shawn can certainly kick my ass on the downhill, I do manage to climb a little faster. I think we can work out a plan here. Teach me the downs and I'll teach him the ups.

We reach the top and the damn weather ruins my picture!

Now the fun starts. Time for some slippery downhill, but first Garrison shows us what rubber bones and no fear are all about. He pulls off a smooth two foot drop landing it like butter. Not to be out done, we talk Matt into trying. Little does he know it's really a plot to slow him down. He hit's the drop but on the tranny it looks like he snags the strap of the Camelbak on his seat (my observation of Shawn's picture). It's a rough landing but he's still on the bike. The only problem is the rails of his seat snapped. Ha! The plan worked! Well, maybe not as Garrison works in an LBS and fashions a quick fix from a tube and zip ties. Damn! Even with a broken seat, Matt kicks out butts all the way back to the car.

 

This is what is called salvaging a raining day ride! Great fun with great people!

Gary and I say our good-byes and head to his cabin (well, trailer for now). On the way we take a detour through Florida. Well, it seems like it given the wind and blinding rain. We drive and drive, and then head up a dirt road to about as far from civilization as one can get. Nice! Yeh, I make a few jokes but in reality it's a really cool piece of land and he had the forethought to purchase it at a steal years ago. Kudo's to Gary!

 

It's still wet and raining, but we head into Ridgeway to BBQ the rib-eyes I brought with me at his friend's house. Once again a pal pulls through and let's me stay on the couch in the trailer instead of sleeping on the air mattress in my car. It was very comfortable.

 

Sunday's plan was to meet up with Craig Brossman and friends for a ride in Durango. Once again, rain in Colorado was to put a damper on that. 320 supposed days of sunshine and I pick one of the weekends that fall within the 44 days of rain. Sucks! We try to salvage the day with a ride in Moab since I have to go there anyway. The radar shows rain. Gary opts out and I head to Moab. Here's some of the views around Gary's remote hood.

The ride to Moab is a rainy one but a very pretty route.

The choice was to camp out the one night or see if I could get another night at the B&B where I was to stay for work. I opted for comfort. The proprietors were very nice and let me stay a day ahead of time. The Inn was beautiful just at the base of the Lasal Mountains. I drop my bags in the room, change into riding gear and head to Moab with the hope that the desert will live up to it's reputation. Sure enough, as soon as I hit Route 191 on the other side of the Lasal's, it's clear blue sky! Today's destination, Slickrock. Yeah, I know. With all the great trails in Moab why on earth would I want to ride in a skateboard park.

My reasons:

 

1. I've never ridden there.

2. I figured I couldn't get badly hurt and piss of my boss.

3. I was riding alone and didn't want to get lost.

4. It was close to the Inn.

 

It's 84F and sunny when I head off onto the trail.

Within five minutes I realize why they say to bring lots of water and avoid a midday summer ride here. It might be 84F in the air but the sun bakes off these red rocks like a convection over. Sh!t, it is hot!

 

I don't know why people consider this easy. Between the heat and the steep climbs it beat the crap out of me. A couple of drops caught me off guard, but I stayed on the bike and rode for what seemed like an eternity. Did I mention it was HOT?

 

I only saw a few others on the trail.

The water is starting to get low and I'm thinking, when does this SOB end?

Regardless of what people say about this trail, I did enjoy the views.

With water rationing in effect, I decide the shorter way out is back the way I came… wrong!

 

None-the-less, I did manage to get the standard slickrock photo.

Finally back at the car, I down two one liter bottles of water in 30 seconds. There, I can say I road slickrock.

 

Dinner at the Moab Diner and back to the Inn for an incredibly peaceful night.

 

Monday morning and I have about five hours before the rest of my colleagues arrive for work. I figure there's not enough time for a good Moab ride but needing a fuse for the Sirius radio puts me in town. I pick up the fuse, get some gas, and look at the dirty truck. Too much off-roading and the thing needs a car wash. Ah! What luck! A new type of car wash only found in Moab.

The mayonnaise left a nasty cloudy coating on the truck though.

 

Back at the Inn I ask for the local singletrack. I'm given top secret information (it's on private land) and told not to photograph it. I'll honor that request, but I have to say it is a beautiful local just outside of Moab at the Lasal mountains. Here are some pics of the trail leading to the TRAIL.

It produced views like this:

Alas, the storms were rolling in and I had to cut my ride short and head back to the Inn. On the way, baby beef decided to pose.

What an excursion! A lot of driving, some great riding, and a yearning to return soon.

I park at the BC trailhead, grab a map, chit chat with some other riders, and then head out on Buffalo Creek Road.

Looking at the map, I figure on what would would be a nice loop. Of course, these maps never give you topo or conditions. So my loop starts with the first singletrack I reach, Sandy Wash Trail. Where else does any trail in Colorado go? UP!

I should have figured by the name of this trail what to expect. There was sand, and lots of it. Not sugar sand like I'm used to, but pea stones. The Titus still has Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires. These are great for sugar sand and the packed conditions in southern NJ, but the pea stones are just big enough to make these tires act slick slicks. So, now I had to climb and stay way back in the saddle to get some traction.

I continue to climb for what seems like an eternity. There seems to be a pattern developing here in Colorado. Stopping to take in the views and get my bearings on the map. Did I mention I hate getting lost? All the while, I have not seen a single person.

Continuing my climb I come to a clearing. But not just a clearing, a total devastation! There was a fire and a flood here in 1996 and another fire in 2000. Things have been very slow to recover. I can only imagine how lush and green the pines must have been on what is now a hot, dry, and dusty trail. Very sad.

Finally, a little more climbing and I get to another trail. Sure I should take this shortcut but what fun would that be? So Charlie (it's his shortcut after all) will just have to live without me.

A little further down I come to this strange rock. I think it looks like a parrots beak.

Onward the forest gets greener. Now the feeling of being homesick comes in. It reminds a lot of the pine barrens in New Jersey, my winter stomping grounds.

Things are about to get fast. I am just about finished with the uphill, at least from what I can tell and about to turn the corner around baldy peak and head back. A take a short jaunt on Gashouse Gulch trail passing several riders.

And now the moment I've been waiting for, or at least that's what another rider told me. Just before turning onto Gasehouse, he was stunned to see me coming down it. I have never heard someone get so excited about a trail before as he kept touting the virtues of the awesome ripping downhill that awaited me. Um, ok. I mean what do I know? It was my first time on the trail. I figured he'll probably have the same experience coming down Sandy Wash trail, because it wasn't all that fun going up it.

I bid ado, and turn onto Baldy trail.

Holy crap, he was right! There were only two problems with this. One, I didn't have a quick release on my seatpost and was too lazy to lower it and two, those damn tires couldn't hold the trail! I was all over the place on curves. It was damn scary at times trying to keep the bike on the trail without becoming a skidiot.

I came around a bend into some cool rock outcroppings which just begged for a photo op.

And this rock just had to be rolled.

Back onto the roaring DH and out to Buffalo Creek Road which continued downhill all the way back to the car.

So, what's my conclusion? Well, more downhill than uphill at least in the direction I went. I have seen prettier trails, but I am sure the area was beautiful when the trees were there.

On the drive back I came across an Elk heard. Cool.

GPS stuff:

I was a little worried that my lungs would not hold up, but at least there was another rider who was visiting from sea level. The ride started with a LONG fire road climb into the ski area and passed many beaver damns.

 

 

 

 

 

The climb continued for miles, but the scenery was worth it.

 

 

 

John stops to get his bearings. Across the stream and straight up or continue on?

 

 

We continue on until we get to the Outback ski lift where the fire road changes over to loose double track and continues to climb.

 

 

 

This sharp turn gave us all some trouble. I tried it twice before making it.

 

 

 

 

Finally, after climbing forever we reached the top and the Colorado Trail.

 

 

 

 

 

Stop for some views, lower the seat, and begin an awesome screaming downhill. I still have the smile on my face!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Somewhere along the way we make a turn off of the CO Trail and head down into the bowl. Still going down! Wow the climb was really worth the payoff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Things slow down as we hit this little mess.

 

 

With so much downhill it's hard to find an unhappy face.

 

 

 

 

We finish up with a gradual climb up the aquaduct trail and then back down to the car stopping for a photo-op with Colorado's state flower, the Columbine.

 

 

A fantastic 21.5 mile 3500' of climbing ride with some great people! I am looking forward to many more rides with Team Evergreen.

 

GPS stuff:

 

 

 

the views from the parking lot instantly reminded me of why landing a job in Colorado was so special. This ain't New Jersey!

 

 

 

A quick look at the trail map and I choose Rawhide to meet up with Longhorn. So far so good as it is mostly down hill.

 

 

 

A Doe and her baby were running along side me for a good 300 yards.

 

 

Although the first thing I figured was that an "easy" trail in this area is an intermediate trail in New Jersey. Rolling the rocks and water bars on the way down was not a problem.

 

 

 

 

At the fork of Longhorn and Shorthorn, I chose Shorthorn. Again some down and then a rocky up which I couldn't figure out the line. Although now looking at the photo I can see it.

 

 

 

 

 

I continue on Shorthorn until just before Belcher and take in the moment. The trail was empty (saw about four riders and two hikers).

 

 

 

Then the climb begins and never seems to end. Starting with Belcher.

 

 

 

Then to Mustang which was a pain in the ass! What happened to using switch backs instead of stinking water bars? I was doing great and then all my owies (and there were a few) were do to falling trying to climb the stupid water bars!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now I make a mental note to myself… This would be a blast going down!

 

 

This little guy landed right at my feet after one of my water bar incidents.

 

 

Then I come to the longest boardwalk trail sanitization I have ever seen.

 

 

I then tie back into Belcher and then a beautiful meadow singltrack ride on Sawmill back to the car.

 

 

 

My legs kept saying go, go, go, but my lungs had given up. Another week and I should be more acclimated.

 

Here's the GPS stuff:

 

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The climb up from the bottom of the DH was a bit more taxing.  It's bad enough putting everything into getting up a hill with one speed, but dealing with the big loose rocks, babyheads, and water bars really put my thighs to the test.  At the top we wondered what the hell we were doing by putting ourselves though this first thing in the morning.  It's all good.

 We did a good portion of the western side of the park finishing the dirt with a great big grin.

Then it was on to watch the race, which as usual happened on a beautiful sunny day.  

First we stopped at the bottom of the Wiss damn to watch the racers enter Manyunk.

Then to my favorite spot under the train tracks.  This is where the course goes over cobblestones.  Some great wipe-outs happen here, but not this time.

Here are the girls rounding the corner and heading up the wall.

We then make our way up the wall to watch the struggle.  Known as one of the hardest climbs in US road racing, they do the wall 11 times!

Then the downhill.

We finished up by riding over to the art museum to check out the exhibits and bike flea market.  The only thing of value there were the models in the Toyota racing booth wearing the lycra uniforms which were slightly too small.

It was a fun day with over 35 miles of riding both dirt and road.  A great way to say good-bye to Philadelphia's local trail and so long to my friend Dino.  One of the few who stuck with me after the JAR club incident.  In other words, a true friend.