Get Off My Trail
With the sun shining and the crisp chill of Fall on the air the Ripmo and I set out seeking the perfect Autumn ride. The temperature was perfect, the Ripmo was perfect, the trail was perfect, I was less perfect. Whipping down the BJ’s on my first run I came across a patch of greasy trail torn up by horse hooves which resulted some unanticipated
Last week it rained and then it snowed. Then we all left for St George for a few days which gave the trails time to dry out. With another set of storms headed in today the Ripmo and I braced for a bit of cool air and ran a couple of loops on my favorite trail. The ride – Providence Canyon
The weather is always wrong (thank goodness) and with no rain in site the Ripmo needed some time out of the barn. I got suited up in my usual mountain bike attire and whilst I was preparing the Ripmo for the journey I realized it might not be raining but there was a definite Fall chill on the air. Not wanting my shiny, shaved legs
It was supposed to rain and I thought I would spend my morning on Zwift. Luckily, it didn’t rain and the Ripmo talked me into a couple of rounds in Providence Canyon. The wind from the incoming storm had ripped through some of the Autumn trees coloring the ground and hiding the trail in a dazzling array of yellow and red. The fallen leaves made
The Ripmo demanded we ride before the incoming storms destroyed the peak burn of the Fall colors. Ride we did but not fast. Not fast at all. I spent most of the time taking full advantage of those giant XTR brakes engaging them every 20 feet in awe of the spectacle nature set before me. With the hills ablaze in red, yellow and orange I
The crisp air of Fall contrasted with the heat of an afternoon sun. My toes are still thawing out. They’ll thaw out. The colors of Autumn deserve every second that can be spent in the woods. The Ripmo was feeling especially aggressive today and the dirt was especially perfect allowing for a symphony of color, air and ripping. Now that we’ve worked out our issues
Cleanish air and cool Autumn temperatures mean the Ripmo must get high. High we went up into the mountains. Dropping over loose rock and then climbing up loose rock once again affirmed that the Ripmo is the best climbing bike I’ve ever ridden. On days when I can supply the horse power this thing will roll over anything in its path. We also took a
After running out of time and ending up on Zwift yesterday I committed to setting aside the time to ride Providence today. The breath of Fall in the air contrasted with the hot sweat dripping from my helmet. The air was clear, the Ripmo was aggressive, my legs were weak. That last bit sucked and was totally my fault but my first loop had some
Where there is cow pucky there are cows. It took the Ripmo and I three laps dodging cow pies but the giant critters finally showed their faces. Most of it was dry and we escaped the truly nasty experience of coming home covered in manure based compost. At one point, in an attempt to clear the sweat from my face I instead poked myself in
The organic perfume of a thirsty forest drenched by summer thunderstorms through the night filled my nose. In the high desert this is a rare scent. I drank deeply from the clear mountain air. The Ripmo clung to the moist dirt and in turn the dirt clung to the Ripmo. The wet rock provided precious little grip to the rear end and we’d frequently spin