New Campers

img_1105Camp Georgia enrollment is at an all time high.  At every turn it seems there is a newbie joining the fold.   Our latest addition (gotta keep up cause it changes by the second) is Tom, and he is quickly proving himself worthy to wear the Camp colors.   (uh, what are our camp colors?  oh yea, Red!  Swiss Red, of course!)

While Tom initially introduced himself  on a mtn bike ride, he has quickly expanded his talents beyond the dirt.   He did not hesitate to join in our gaps ride in North Georgia when we headed up for our own Camp Hillseeker training.

img_1109Camp Hillseeker is fast approaching and Raja and I are ill prepared.  With no mountain pass rides under our belts,  we are hysterically scrambling to cram in as much training as humanly possible.   Counselor Gustav has become an Int’l CrossFit guru and Counselor Buggy is a champion Ironman.   Therefore, it would behoove us to at least get in shape on the surface and then we will fake the rest.

For years the standard “gaps” ride started in Dahlonega with a choice of 6 gaps in whatever combo you wanted.   No one ever deviated from those gaps and now we can do them with our eyes closed.   Thanks to a shove from Becky a few years ago, we broke loose and ventured out through the labyrinth of back country roads and over lesser  known gaps.

img_1117If we go to the gaps now, we prefer to do these beautiful routes and the back gaps, leaving the front gaps to the traffic and on-a-schedule athletes.   One of the bigger attractions for me is to spot the fun street names.   They always make me laugh, even if I’m hammering up a climb.

Maybe I’m easily amused, but streets like these always bring a smile to my face:  Whippoorwill Way, Nonchalant Ln, Scenic Retreat Ln, Booger Hollow Rd, Sherbet Rd, Lum & Joes Walk, Lightnin Ln, Niceville Ln, Just a Mere Drive, Four Wheel Drive, Firewater Ln, Catch a Trout Rd, Hoot Owl Hill,   Tractor Way, and don’t forget Butt Dairy!;-)   Everytime I cycle past the sign for  “Kuntry Kurls”,  I wonder if the Swiss have as much fun messing up their language as we Southerners do.   img_1129

Back to our ride.   The route we chose was not for beginners, but nobody told Tom that.   I firmly believe that ignorance is bliss and I knew in Tom’s case that the less he knew about this ride, the better.  Joe and Ony, on the other hand, kinda knew that they were in for a treat.   They rode some of these roads a few weeks earlier with Robb.  The little “treat” would come when we turn off of Skeenah Gap Rd to climb to Suches.   Sure enough after 50 miles we came to the fateful turn when one of our campers (who shall go unnamed) read the sign exclaiming,  “Suches, 15 miles?!  Son of a …….!”

img_1142In the beginning as we ticked each gap off the list, first Neels, then Craigs, Tom became a bit apprehensive about continuing on with us.   No, we weren’t going to let him off that easy.   With a “what the heck, you only live once” attitude, he resolved to do it all.

img_1118Hitting Hicks gap, the campers started to whine.   Immediately I knew what had to be done.   Time for the happy talk.   Years ago, at our first Camp Hillseeker, it was made clear to us that whining would not be tolerated.   No matter how miserable or desperate you are, you cannot complain.   Why?  It won’t change things and certainly doesn’t help, so why do it?!!    Instead, you “sing” the camp song.

What’s the camp song?!   Climb, climb climb, happy happy happy!!!   All together now!   I preached a little sermon to our campers and made them repeat the mantra out loud.   It is amazing how nicely it works.   Believe me, when you have a 2 hr Swiss Alp climb ahead of you and you’d rather curl up in a ball and die, chanting the camp song will get you up that mountain.   Besides, wouldn’t you rather hear some delirious cyclist chanting climb climb climb, happy happy happy instead of nonsensical ranting and raving?!

img_1145That makes me think of an encounter Cary Lowery and I had while riding the Snake Creek course.   We came upon a rider having an absolute mental breakdown.   Curses ripped through the air as we silently and quickly sped by him.   Not what we wanted to hear.   It was downright scary.   That fella could have used some happy happy happy therapy!

img_1124Thank goodness my campers were all happy fellers.   It was a gorgeous day (in a 92 degree hot and humid kinda way) and the scenery was soothing to the soul.   75 miles and 5 hrs later, we  rolled up to the cars.   Sweat was rolling down salty faces and legs were on the verge of cramping, but Tom wore a big ole smile.   We were all smiling, Tom, Joe, Ony,  Raja and I.

Everybody has their means of escape to leave the world and its cares behind.   For us, it’s riding.   Like little kids going to camp to play and explore the world, we can hardly wait for the next biking adventure.   The more campers there are to come along, the more fun it is for all.    Welcome new camper!   You’ve earned your badge!

img_1120

Fond Farewell

csc_0396A couple of years ago my fellow cycling friends did a ride in the gaps of which I was unable to participate.   It turned out to be a memorable ride for them, but not for the reason you prefer.  One of the newer members of our group had an unfortunate crash descending on Wolfpen resulting in a broken jaw among other things.    Six weeks of drinking through a straw and a much “publicized” recovery, the poor guy quietly bore his scars and counted the days till he could get back on the bike.

I had not yet met this infamous jaw breaker, but heard tales and stories of that fateful day.   I was curious to meet him face to face.   My chance finally came one early spring day at a huge mtn bike ride at Stanley Gap.   Thinking he’d be a timid rider ( let’s face it…..the guy broke his face, that’s gotta leave mental scars) I was a bit shocked to see how untouched he was from his recent incident.    Usually when a person has a spectacular crash, you get to hear the recount over and over, and given the seriousness of his crash, I would have willingly humored him.   But not Millhouse.  He  lives in the now.

dsc_0228

Why we cannot  call each other by our real names,  I don’t know.   That makes it all the more  fun when you have a friend called “Millhouse“.   I have a hard time calling him anything else and often forget he has a real name.   Nicknames are endearing.   If someone calls you by a nickname, take it as a compliment.

Now I’m sad to say that in a few weeks, my dear Millhouse will be moving.    I’m not happy about losing one of my boys and it will take me a while to come to terms with his absence.  We only had the pleasure of his company for a few short years, but boy did we pack in the good times and adventure while he was here!

dsc_0099If Jason (there, I said it), is offended that I call him Millhouse, you wouldn’t know it.   He’s a hard guy to read at first.   Quiet and contemplative,  when he says something you listen……..and he usually makes you laugh.     I’m surprised the guy ever wanted to have anything to do with me considering our questionable start.     There’s a funny experience I share with Millhouse, and I’m sure he will never never forget me for it either.

csc_0254It was a hot summer day and we were going out for a mega ride with hammerhead buddies, Larry and Gary, to do the Pinhoti/Tatum Lead ride.   Rarely can we get our friends to join in on these sufferfests, but Millhouse signed up for the ‘Tour.   I quickly learned he doesn’t shy away from adversity and is eager to take on a new challenge.   Things  unfolded smoothly as we worked our way up the Pinhoti.   Riding my new Talas fork, I had forgotten it had the option of changing the travel.    As we maneuvered the Pinhoti switchbacks, I figured it would  behoove me to change it from 140 down to 100.

Being the lazy person that I am, I didn’t want to dismount my bike to make this adjustment.   Finding a tree to use as a prop, I could twist the dial quickly without unclipping or too much loss of time.   As I grabbed the closest tree, I began to fall.   Oops, the tree was dead and my massive weight was knocking it right over!    With my spider reflexes, I quickly got my feet out to stop the fall, but kept falling down.    That’s because I had stepped into a yellow jacket nest, Agh!!!!

Painful stings all over my legs and butt sent me into a state of hysteria.   Flailing around like a possessed maniac, I ripped my shorts down and ran up the trail.   (Don’t ask me why I did that, strange reflexes)   Roger isn’t the least bit surprised at my bizarre behavior, but poor Millhouse………he was there too, and he barely knew me.

Living in the now, Millhouse got to see my bare butt as I hysterically ran up the trail.   I can only imagine how traumatized he was.   He probably wanted to turn around and head to the car…….Alone.    Instead, he graciously continued on with us calming saying  he had averted his eyes missing the full moon show.

Most of my riding friends would have heckled, harassed, and teased me endlessly if they had seen such a display.   Not Millhouse.   You never would have known it happened (except I keep bringing it back up).     Given my little act, I expected him to give me a wide berth in the future.      In the following  adventures we shared, he acted as if nothing ever happened.  He’s a class act.

Classy and cutting edge.   I will miss teasing Millhouse with all his electronic gadgets.    If there is new technology emerging, Millhouse will be the first to have it.   I still laugh over a ride at Raccoon Mtn right when he got his iphone.    Our riding pack had stopped to regroup when I turned around to see Millhouse intently looking at his new fancy phone.    “Focus, Jason, focus!” I told him with a grin,   “It’s all about relationships, you’re here with me, put that phone up!”

img_1860He is a statistics man just like my Raja.    After every ride, there’s always a route map and information to back it up.    He measures and calculates and then gets on with it!   No dilly dallying ’round with Millhouse.   I like that.   I don’t like nonsense.   He’s a no nonsense guy.  Cut to the chase.

I admire his humbleness.   In a sea of cyclists, that trait can be hard to find at times.    He doesn’t feel the need to boast of his latest feat or receive constant pats on the back.   Jason pushes himself on a ride or in a race because it’s what he wants to do.   He does it for himself and not for anyone’s approval.   That’s a wise way to live in the now.

csc_0352Along with Millhouse also came the honor of befriending his lovely wife, Kristen.  Another gentle soul, Kristen has not only weathered the culture shock of moving to the deep South, but also the many scary incidents in which Millhouse finds himself.   He is the only guy I know that has broken his face and his back and recovered from them both as if it were a scratch on the knee.   Kristen and Jason, you are a strong, brave, and tenacious couple!

rusty-rich-mtn-135This is the first photo I ever took of Millhouse on our inaugural ride together at Stanley Gap ride (the cussin’ Joe ride, Rusty’s bday ride, the snow in spring ride, and the reunion of old riding friends from 18 yrs back ride….lots of things happened on that ride).   Since then we’ve had the chance to ride Stanley plenty of times.   Millhouse brought along his camera (of course, his was some new fancy camera unlike my beat up thing).   He’s known for taking what we call the “Millhouse shot”.   It’s simple and straight forward, like Millhouse, but always makes a statement.   A bike and the trail.   That’s the Millhouse shot.    Whenever on our trips, we say, “Gotta take a Millhouse shot!”    And there’s also the end of the ride shot;  the bike and a beer.

Now Jason is moving on, back to his roots out West, but not without leaving his mark here in our hearts.   We wish you all the best, Millhouse and Kristen!   You will be sorely missed, but not forgotten!   I thank you for the good times, great rides and fun adventures.  Ya’ll keep in touch and remember, it’s all about relationships <wink wink>.  I will cherish our relationship and the memories always.

dsc_0098

Downhill Snob

img_0819

Having already admitted to being a View Snob, there is yet another confession I must make.    When it comes to downhill, I can be a bit of a snob as well.   My downhill snobbery isn’t as bad as my view snobbery, but when it does rear its head,  that’s when you best get out of my way.

Being the self appointed photo journalist for all our cycling trips means lugging along the bulky and awkward DSLR and stopping constantly for photo ops.   Instead of riding for the sake of riding, I find myself in a non-stop mode of analyzing the trail and scenery through the camera of my mind.   How can I shoot this rider in a way that captures the moment, scenery, and emotions in a new and interesting manner?    By the latter end of our trip, however, my selfish side comes out and I’m ready to ride the trail for ME, sans camera.

Of course, I still end up  seeing the ride as through the lens and thinking, “agh, I knew I should have brought the camera.” But in the long run, it ends up being a freeing time of just riding and letting go of that insatiable desire for picture taking.   Hi, my name is Polly, and I’m a photoholic.

Downhills are the worst when it comes to vying for my attention.    Who wants to stop in the middle of a blastin’ run just to capture someone else having fun?!!!!     Not me!   I want to be right there in the thick of it bombing down the trail.  By our 6th ride of the trip, the selfish snob in me came out.  I was going to ride without the camera and get as much out of the downhill as possible.

img_0679Our next to last ride was going to be a repeat of Porcupine Rim.   We already did this ride earlier in the week, but the shuttle only took us as far as LPS and we chose to ride on up to UPS to enjoy as much of this fabulous trail as we could.    Now  3 days later we hear that the Kokopelli trailhead was open,  so we were thrilled to jump at the chance for another go at it from further up.

img_0680This is the trailhead of which I speak.   It was a beautiful day without a cloud in sight.  However, it was cold as crap.   I’m talking freezing cold.   I guess that was a blessing in disguise, because frozen mud is always easier to navigate and it was still a bit messy up there from the recent snow.   I knew if I could suck it up and suffer through the first few miles, we would descend to warmer tolerable temps and the sun would thaw me out.

img_0672That’s not powdered sugar dumped on the roadside, it’s mounds of snow.   Actually, there was a lot less snow than there was last year, but it was a heck of alot colder.    I used that excuse to don my new knee pads, they would provide much welcome warmth for my legs.    In 20+ years of riding, we’ve never used any knee pads, but this time Raja insisted we start using them.   Sure, whatever.   It might make me look cool and give me a false sense of security so I’d go faster!

If you’re paying the least bit of attention, you are asking yourself, “I thought she said she wasn’t taking the camera?” Yes, I did leave the camera at the condo.  The DSLR.   I always have the little Canon point n shoot with me and don’t even count that as a “camera” in the sense that it requires minimal effort on my part to use.   Seriously, you think I wouldn’t document it at all?!

img_0681The beauty of a compact camera is one can take a picture while riding without ever even having to stop and majorly disrupt the ride.   And even if I do stop, it only takes a nanosecond and I’m back pedaling while putting the camera back in its holster at the same time.   Not to mention, this weighs about 3 lbs less than the DSLR.   My back was loving it.

The first few miles are almost all downhill with jaw dropping views ahead.   Although my eyes were watering badly from the frigid air, I could make out the beautiful crisp scenery.    I’ve seen this a number of times, but it’s always new and fresh to me like the first time.

As gorgeous as it was, all I wanted to do was get to UPS where I knew it would be warmer.   I couldn’t feel my fingers and my nose was about to freeze off.  Brrrrr!!!!   Thank goodness I brought along a pack of chemical toe warmers to sneak in my shoes.   My feet were happy!

img_0700Bam, in no time flat, we were on the singletrack and it was time to fly.   This is such a FUN section of trail of twisty rocky singletrack and a couple of steep fast slickrock sections.   I put my stomach on the saddle, looked ahead and let ‘er rip.   It’s like a rollercoaster ride!

img_0701 I get nervous that I’m going to be so caught  up in the stunning views that I’ll come around one of the turns and just go sailing off the cliff.   It helps to have a rider ahead of you to follow and keep your senses on track.

img_0705Before I could blink we arrived at the Notch.   That meant UPS was over and LPS was quickly coming to a close.   It’s all so much fun, but it seems to go by faster and faster each run.   Darn it, I want it to go on for a while.

On our shuttle ride up, Raja had commented to me that the group of downhill buddies in the van behind us would probably ride the Notch.  “Well I don’t want to watch that if they do,” I said.    I’m thinking that I don’t have the nerves to watch someone attempt to ride that and crash.   I’m not a big fan of watching people crash.

Sure enough, as we hike down the Notch, one of the guys is picking out the line to ride.    Paparazzi mayhem ensues as everyone gets their video ready and stakes out a spot to capture the insanity.   “He’s going to try it, he’s gonna do it, let me know when he’s going,” are the messages ringing out and the air is abuzz with excitable tension.

Well, figures.   The day I choose not to bring the DSLR.   Oh well, the little Canon will have to do.   I find the only 2 mm of level terrain to perch and hope I’m not about to document the perilous fate of a fellow rider.

img_0737Someone shouts out, “We’re rolling,” and all eyes grow big as we look on in stunned silence.   I’m  thinking he’s not really going to pull this off.   Seriously, how can you do this?!   I’ve seen a video of it being successfully ridden, but still could not comprehend it all.   What are the odds that I would be a witness to this?!    Never ever thought I’d see the day.

img_0721

Those little point n shoot cameras are hard for me to capture sequential shots.   Without a view finder to use, as on a “real” camera, I just aim it where I think it needs to be and hope for the best.    Without much real estate in this precarious spot, I’m practically on top of the guy and have no idea if I’m even close to the target.

A deafening roar erupts and the crowd goes mad.    He made it!   He pulled it off!   Ty did what I thought was impossible to do!   I couldn’t believe it.   As if he knew I couldn’t believe it, he did it again.  A second time!   Crazy, I tell ya!

img_0725His success spurs on more of the downhillers to give it go.   Troy made the drop in, but had a hard time making the right turn transition further down.   The fact that he even had the guts and talent to pull off the first half is mind boggling to me.   What a thrill it was to watch.    I began to relax a little after I realized no one was going to die.

img_0741I can now understand the drive these guys had in trying to make this work.   Even in my small world of downhill drama, I relate to the rush and the thrill of finding the flow and pulling it off.   So much of it is in your head.   Raja had just read in a magazine about these manuevers, you look at the obstacle ONCE and then focus on the landing/exit, you  never look at the obstacle again.   That’s some mighty strong control one must have over one’s mind for it goes against every ounce of self defense a body has.    But that’s what it takes.   The best downhill snobs know how to do it.

img_0756The other part I enjoy about watching riders try new tricks is to see all the camaraderie take place.    A group of strangers can come together in an instant, encouraging each other on and showing support.   No one got heckled or shamed for not pulling it off.   It was just one big ole “you can do it” moment.

After watching the show for probably close to an hour, riders peeled off slowly to get back to their ride.   There were miles and miles of trail still ahead calling our names.

img_0772There is no downhill quite like Porcupine.   It is a must ride trail for any mtn bike enthusiast.   I try to post as many photos as I can to give you a taste.    I can rave about it all day long, but you still need to get out there and try it for yourself.

The LPS section ends right at the all too familiar lookout point we’ve all seen in the pictures.   I’ve been to this spot well over a dozen times and each time I stare around in wonderment as if I’d never seen it before.    This is where the original Porcupine Proper trail climbed up to and now it’s merely a little eye treat in the middle of a downhill candy store.

img_0789After a quick celebratory pose, we were off again.   Now the trail is doubletrack with loads of rocks and little ledges.    So far I had thoroughly enjoyed going full speed ahead focusing solely on the ride and with no concern over photo ops.    The selfish downhill snob in me was growing stronger by the mile.   I wanted more.

img_0799Soon thereafter, our paths coincided again with the downhill posse.  Raja stood aside to let them by, but I wanted none of that.   Here was my chance.   To ride caboose on a train of true downhill gangstahs is a sure bet for a rip roaring good time.    Slipping casually in behind the line of riders, I hooked on for the ride of my life.

Riding in the wake of their flow was a blast!   You can always ride faster and smoother when following riders a class better than you.   It’s the motivation and challenge I need to become a better rider.   When an opportunity like this comes along, I become a full on snob and will ditch my riding partners in a New York minute.   Raja is use to my antics, so I knew he wouldn’t miss me.     We’d hook back up eventually.   This was my time!

Lest you think a downhill snob equates to a big headed idiot, don’t worry, I did not lose my mind and think I had somehow become a World Champion rider.   On the contrary.   In this situation, one’s senses become heightened and you are very aware of your smallness in this universe.   One stupid move and my vacation would come to a screeching halt.   No, a downhill snob knows her limits.   I was merely using their energy to dig a little deeper and push myself a little further out of my comfort zone.   This would be a run I’d remember for a long time.

I had picked out a spot in my mind where I’d back off from the train and wait for my group.   As if by magic, the downhill crew stopped as well in that very place.    Someone had a flat.   My heart was thumping and I was pumped from the thrill of the run.

Look at that view!    Secretly I was glad they had stopped.   This is one of my favorite spots on the trail because you can see forever.

img_0801And when you turn around, the LaSal Mountains are looming behind you.  I can’t decide which direction is more beautiful.

img_0802Soon my band of 3 men appeared and we regrouped.   We left the downhillers to their bike maintenance and continued on down down down.   The best part is yet to come.  That’s saved for the very very end.   3 miles of beautiful singletrack downhill.   Every snob’s dream!

img_0827Raja was in the zone and making every move perfectly.   Feeding off his ride, I tried to keep the rhythm going to pull off the drops and tricky spots.   It’s amazing how the trail can change in just 3 days.   Just the movement of a little rock can change an approach to an obstacle.    You remember those details when you get into downhill snobbery mode.

There’s one other hike-a-bike section in the last mile of the singletrack.  If it has a name, I don’t know it.   LPS has its Notch, but this we always refer to as  the “bad section”.    We had let our downhill buddies start the singletrack ahead of us so we wouldn’t get in their way, so when we approached the bad section there were a handful scoping out a line to ride.

img_0849

This place is just as incomprehensible to me for riding as the Notch, but these guys made it look like a paved walk in the park.    The photo above does not capture the intensity at all, but we know it’s there.   Anyone that has walked this section knows how challenging it is.   Again, what a treat to see them ride it with ease!

img_0874And so, all too soon, the joy ride is over.   You know it’s about to end and there’s nothing you can do but savor every second.

img_0880That bittersweet scene comes into view.   The river, the cars, the parking lot, the end of the trail.   The downhill snob within slithers away and you smugly bask in the glory of another glorious Porcupine run.   Your arms are tired, your back is tight, and your body has taken a beating, literally, for over 2 1/2 hrs.   You’d do it again that afternoon, but your raging appetite says otherwise.    Nope, move over downhill snob, it’s the ChowDown Snob time!

Thanks to my favorite riding partners for yet another fantastic ride.   Hope you don’t think I was too big of a snob;-)img_0791

View Snob

dsc_0279I’m the first to admit it, I am a view snob.   When it comes to a bike ride, it’s all about the view…..at least on vacation.    That’s why I was anxious for us to do the Jughandle Loop during our trip.   For what this route lacks in singletrack it more than makes up for in scenic vistas.   You’ll have more views than you’ll know what to do with on this ride.   For a view snob, that’s what counts.

dsc_0134This was day 5 of our trip and the legs were beginning to fade.  Everyone thought I was kidding when I said I wanted to do this ride, but soon they realized this was no joke.   Convincing the guys that it was worth the effort, we finally loaded up the cars and headed out to Potash Road.    We parked right off Potash Road at the turn off for Long Canyon.    If you look back over your shoulder you can see an “arch” called the Jughandle.   It looks just like a milk jug handle!

The ride begins by riding out Potash Road with the river to your left and the railroad on your right.   After a few miles, the road turns to dirt and begins to climb gently on Shafer Road.    Immediately you are surrounded by towering red cliffs as the road weaves its way through the valley.

dsc_0152The stark blue waters of the potash ponds provide a stunning contrast to the red desert hues.   If you didn’t know any better, you would think it was a refreshing lake in which to cool off.   Resist the urge to take a dip!

dsc_0200It’s a great ride to be mindless, spinning the legs and soaking in the grandeur all around.   With Dead Horse Point above you to the right and the Colorado River cutting through the canyon on your left, there is no shortage of places to stop and gawk.  img_0565Eventually the road crosses into Canyonlands and intersects into the White Rim Road.    It is about 16 miles to this point with plenty left ahead.    Don’t forget to turn around and check out the views from whence you just came.

You hang a right on White Rim Road and see the dirt road go straight ahead seeming to dead end into a massive wall.   This is no dead end, but that is a wall in front of you.   That is Shafer Pass, a 1400′ climb in less than 3 miles.

dsc_0252So far the ride is manageable without too much grunt work.   However, to get up Shafer Pass, it’s nose to the grindstone and pedal pedal pedal to go up up up.    It’s not crazy steep, but on the same hand it’s not a super easy climb.   With 11 hrs of riding already in our legs for the week, I had no choice but to put it in the granny and spin.   My legs were screaming, but I kept thinking of the reward waiting  at the top.

dsc_0274It doesn’t take long before you start looking back and charting progress.   Pretty impressive!   Even when I am suffering mightily, the feeling of satisfaction in getting to the top overrides the temporary pain.    I had to be careful not to run off the edge as I pedaled along enjoying the views.

After a brief respite at the top to soak it all in, we continued on the road that hugged the edge of the cliff.    Not wanting the views to end, I kept stopping every few feet to ooooh and aaahhhhh.   I worked hard for this vista, no reason to rush off leaving it in the dust.

img_0626Sadly, the road turns away from the cliff and ends onto pavement just a few hundred yards from the Canyonlands Park entrance at about mile 22.   (don’t forget to bring along $5 since you allegedly have to pay when you exit the park)    Taking a right, we headed out of the park for the long 6 mile slodge up the road into a head wind.   This is the not so pleasant part of the loop.    I remember one time years ago we had a tailwind which made the miles zip by in nothing flat.    Not today.   It was a long long 6 miles.   Now the guys were cursing me under their breath wondering whose bright idea it was to do this ride!   But I knew if they could hang on to the descent down Long Canyon, all would be forgiven.

Finally the right turn to Dead Horse Point could be seen ahead.  This is where you want to go.   Our memory was foggy and we kept going another mile and half until we realized we’d missed the turn.  Doh!   Heading down Dead Horse Point Road is visually stunning for a straight as an arrow paved road.    With the LaSal Mountains looming in the distance, you start to realize it’s going to be all downhill for the most part.   The wind was to our backs pushing us along.   We had been out for over 5 hrs and were ready for a reward for all the climbing we’d done.

A few miles down Dead Horse Point Road, there’s a dirt road that forks off to the left.   This is Long Canyon, one of the most stunningly beautiful dirt road descents I’ve ever done.   At first it’s straight as a line, but don’t be disheartened.   After about a mile, the eye candy begins.   The road drops before you and the canyon opens up as you drop into 7 miles of endless downhill fun.

dsc_0339I can’t think of a better way to end a long day in the saddle than with a 2,000′ vertical descent all the way to the car.    With views coming and going, up one end and down the other, it’s hard to top this route for scenery alone.   As I suspected, by the end of the ride, Speedy and Clogger were grinning ear to ear and were no longer “mad” at me for dragging them on this ride.   38 miles and 4,000′ climbing, not bad for a day’s ride.

Guaranteed to satisfy the view snob in you, you cannot go wrong with the Jughandle Loop!   Be sure to pack along lots of water, adequate food and don’t forget the camera.   Any snob worth their salt will want to document the views!    Have a safe ride!

dsc_0232

D-Licious Fruita

dsc_0013

Camp Moab packed up for a field trip to Fruita for some delicious singletrack adventure.   Fruita is an easy hour and a half drive away.   Not a big deal considering that’s what we do at home every weekend, driving to the North Georgia mountains for a day’s ride.

dsc_0072

We started out on Mary’s Loop riding over to Troy Built.   Troy Built singletrack is super fun, skirting in and out from along the side of the river canyon.   I like to take in the views, yet at the same time, the trail demands one’s attention.   Hard to decide which to do;   ride or gawk?   I usually do a little of both.

dsc_0054As much as I love to capture every moment on film, I do put away the camera for the really fun fast downhill sections.   Being a bit selfish, I like to savor that part and let ‘er rip!   You can use your imagination to see and feel the rocky twisty zippy rush.

dsc_0061Pockets of color dot the barren landscape with the occasional blur of green and yellow lizards darting across the rocks.    It is all so very different from the thick green lush woods of our singletrack in Georgia.   Riding in wide open space is a thrill to the senses.

From Troy Built we hooked onto Lions then up a long long arse gravel road climb to Mack’s Ridge.   At this point you are as high as you can get with a 360 degree view as a treat.   A stunning view.   Looking below you see the trails from which you came.   They look so far away, did I really climb up from there???    Yes, I felt every bit of it!    But the descent on Mack’s singletrack is well worth the effort.

dsc_0115Wanting to do Moore Fun, we had to nix that and pack it in.  Without enough water to ride another 50 minutes, it was time to call it a day.    It was definitely a rewarding field trip!   I must have worked hard today, because we treated ourselves to a Buffalo Burger  and I downed mine in no time.     For those of you that know me, that’s a BIG deal!!!!   Yes, I ate a burger.    Not just any burger though.   It was  a buffalo burger from Milt’s in Moab.   Next time you’re in Moab, you have to stop by Milt’s for your apres ride treat.    Mmmmm, Delicious Fruita singletrack and a yummy Milt’s burger.   Doesn’t get much better than that!    See you on the trails.