Get Off My Trail
Woke up so early this morning. I really wanted to sleep but the thought of riding in the crazy heat kept me awake so I and the Time took a bit of time and haunted our usual routes. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Paradise and Blacksmith Fork Canyon. The bike – Ripmo
Dark cloud provided welcome relief from the heat and a bit of an early morning soak. Not to worry, when the clouds broke and the sun emerged any water on my skin or jersey quickly boiled off. There’s a deer in the last photo. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
I chose a different route to Hyrum hoping to avoid the chip seal only to find that route chip sealed as well. On the way to Paradise the road was clear but there were trucks full of gravel standing by which was an indication of the horror to come. My return trip was dammed by hot tar and and road crews preparing to turn asphalt
My connection between Nibley and Hyrum has been totally ruined by the road ruiners who dump tar and loose rock all over the road in the name of “maintenance”. What we get are crappy gravel roads that shatter windshields, chip paint and ruin otherwise perfect bike rides. May the shame of these terrible practices haunt all those who continued this cursed disgrace while they rot
Some days neither heart nor lungs feel like contributing much to the ride. I gave up on any chance at speed and performance early on and instead let my mind wander and observe the stunning beauty of Cache Valley mornings. The ride – Porcupine Dam, Utah The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
Took a bit of a diversion and rode through Mendon and Wellsville before climbing in Mt Sterling and Meridian road. The ride – Mendon, Wellsville, Mt Sterling and Paradise. The bike – TIME VRS Fluidity
The Time has been sitting in the garage, alone, for a long time. Today it was time for us to spend time together. If only a meeting hadn’t ended our time together we could have spent the day meandering country roads and climbing between mountains in the canyon. The ride – Porcupine Dam The bike – Time VRS Fluidity
With the Ripmo demanding more of my time I’ve ignored the path to Porcupine Dam. This morning the pull to return to the south end of the valley was strong. The ride – Porcupine Dam The bike – Time VRS Fluidity
When legs, heart and lungs are all in sync and the bike perfectly tuned, the euphoric hum of the road leaves you with a sensation of flying over the asphalt. I like those days. Today was not one of them. Every, “shut up legs,” was met with an equally powerful, not family friendly response from my quads. I gave up on pushing at all and
Continue readingIn search of horse power (since I have none)
Passing through Hyrum, Utah the air is frequently thick with unpleasant smells as it is the home of a large slaughter house. Proceed south from Hyrum to Paradise and the air changes to cut hay. Keep on going and make the climb up raspberry hill to where Weeks raises their crop of the luscious little berry and you can’t gulp in the air fast enough.