schnauzers.ws

After our email banter the previous evening, we decided a little Colorado Trail action was in order.  Section 1 is no slouch.  Even as an out and back, there’s a pretty long climb involved.

The air was pretty still as we made our way up Waterton Canyon to the trailhead.  Even with the parking lot nearly full, there weren’t many on the trail.

The climb up to Lenny’s rest was hot and humid.  Well, humid for Colorado.

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I flew home to Colorado from Vegas on Friday night and arrived to probably the worst Thunderstorm in decades. The lightening outside the plane window was terrifying and even worse when the pilot decided he was going to land. Seated in row two and flying just about every other week, I have become accustomed to the cockpit sounds. I know what they sound like when they test them before take-off and I hoped never to hear them during flight. Not this night. As the plane tossed up, down, and side to side, I had the worst feeling during a flight that I have ever experienced. I was scared. As I alternated between the window and the TV on the seat in front of me, My hands we firmly connected to the arm rests. Just a short hour before I told the folks next to me how often I fly for work. Sort of cocky in my statement, I sure wasn’t living up to my comments.

The pilot was going for the landing. Four hundred feet above the runway (if it was the runway), I heard the dreaded voice I wished to never hear. WIND SHEAR! WIND SHEAR! WIND SHEAR!. Two seconds later, the engines were at their highest rev, with a whining sound that equaled the stress grunt of an Olympic weight lifter breaking the world record. The plane shot up almost vertical, still tossing being tossed around like volleyball. Not a word from the captain. The look on the flight attendants faces were not reassuring. They looked like I felt, terrified. The plane came around again, this time way to the South of the usual airport landing. “What’s going on?”, said the couple next to me as if I was an experienced pilot. We are going to make another go, I said. “Is anyone else aware of this? Why doesn’t the pilot say something?”. the couple said. I am not sure. Just then, the pilot comes on and says one word, “cabin”. The attendants get frantic. I get frantic, my teeth clenched so tight it hurts. We drop from 8000′ to 7000′ (remember, Denver is already at 5280′), then back up to 8000′. Holy crap, this guy doesn’t know what to do! We make another turn even further South. Where’s he landing, Texas? Finally, we touch down and I see a glimpse of a building I se from the airport road. He landed on the Cargo runway. Twenty minutes of taxiing and we finally disembark with me a new believer in Terra firma.

So what does this have to do with mountain biking? It changed my plans for the Sunday ride. I wanted to stay a little more local and enjoy my comfortable surroundings. I still had way too much adrenaline built up.

So, I rode with some friends at Alder/3 Sisters park in Evergreen. A relaxing and fun day!

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Finally.  That word could describe a lot of things.  Maybe I’m finally rich or maybe I finally achieved enlightenment.  This time finally meant riding a trail that was in my backyard after eight years of living here. I have been riding Golden Gate Canyon State Park for quite some time.  I’ve always done the same loop, knowing there were other options.  I just never wanted to deviate from the norm.  Everyone always talks about the Mountain Lion trail.  “It’s a beast”.  “It’ll kick your butt”.  Over and and over I have heard these statements and today I finally got the opportunity to ride it.  Yeah, it was an interesting trail.  Quite technical, but not impossible.  I didn’t get any picks of the real gnarly stuff, because I was too busy closing my eyes and point the bike in a down direction :roll:.  I surprised myself with how much of it I actually rolled.  Only one stupid crash and a bruised knee to show for it. It was a beautiful start to the day from Kriley Pond. (continue reading…)

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to do two things I am passionate about at the same time.  I was able to volunteer and ride with my friends.

It was great to get out to some higher elevation and techy trails.

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I had to get me four days of riding in, in order to make up for the next seven day’s of travel.  I was doing pretty good and figured Sunday should be a longer ride.  Now, the past three days had been patrol rides.  I figured, why not keep it going.  Decisions, decisions.  Then, just before I shut my eyes it hit me.  Sunday is an even day.  NO hikers on Centennial Cone!  BINGO!

I got an early start at 8:00 AM to a pretty packed parking lot.  Wow, I wan’t the only one with the same idea.  And so the climb up Mayhem Gulch began.

Right off the bat, the first person I passed and everyone else said the same thing.

“You know there is a hiker up ahead.”

Funny thing to say, now that I think about it.  I just started up the trail.  Thanks, I said.

“I feel funny telling him he shouldn’t be there”, she said.

Ok, I said.  I’ll talk to him

I continue the climb.

I finally catch up to the evil perpetrator about three miles in.  I explain the alternate weekend rules, the possibility of a fine, and that he’ll get clobbered by a biker that doesn’t expect him to be on the trail.  He turns around and heads back down.  I’m sure that enough people coming up gave him grief, that he was pretty pissed by the time he got to his car.

I tried to be polite and hopefully that kept him in good spirits, but I later heard from others on the trail that he was not very happy about it.

Since half the trail is closed for elk calving, the ride is an out and back.  I actually prefer it that way, since the other half is just dirt road anyway.

I met all kinds of nice and polite bikers today.  Lots of yielding, hellos, thanks, and more.  Plenty of people I knew and some I didn’t.

The ride felt pretty easy today.  I was kind of regret not bringing the singlespeed.

Trails are always in transition.  Erosion, growth, and trees that kind of make you wonder.  This sucker is definitely a soon-to-be widow maker.

The wildflowers were not popping here yet, though there were some.

I hope we get some more rain.  I love it when it’s green

Upon reaching the highest point, I plucked my butt down and soaked it all in.  I spent quite a while here, chatting it up with the riders, and letting another couple of hikers know it’s not their turn.

Time to turn around and head back.  I took my time, since there were a lot of people heading up.  There’s so many blind corners, I didn’t want to take a chance.