gimme that old time religion

This is in rotation today.





image from here

Preferably one with some dolls and pins and wax&blood effigies. Definitely one wherein we ride the bicycles and there is Suffering.

I drove down to an undisclosed location in Big Sur to meet J__ and P______ for a singlespeed jaunt up the coastal range.





Pave up up up , and dirt down.



P______ ended up no showing as he was sick, so it was down to 2. J__ observed that the light is now Autumn Light, and she is right. There was a nice coolness all day, though the bugs were still after some time in your orifices.


We stopped for a short hike to check on the albino Redwood. We weren't sure what damage the fire last year had done. Yay! The albino is still there. It is shrubby now (like it's siblings) but seems well. The color is much more yellow now as opposed to the pale milk it was before.




The fire has changed the landscape quite a bit. Sheer creek walls now are blown out and full; the beds are wider and flat, the result of many BIG downed logs making retaining walls of sorts. Look at the Redwoods in the above picture; it was crazy to see how furry the new growth is. On some trees, the fur extended out along the horizontal branches as well. All in all, I like the new landscape. Especially next Spring, when it really starts to recover.





Topped out over-looking the Pacific. Rode every bit of the up, which was nice. Note to self: remember to take the trail at that one flat point, and then head down/right.

It was fun to ride the zippy Black Cat singlespeed (which needs a re-wrap) after 2 solid weeks of hefty/long Karate Monkey kludged singlespeed action. I could maneuver much better, and the climbing position was waaaaay better. I did miss the suspension fork on the top rattly section, but this bike is rigid only and everthing is a trade-off somewhere.

I am tired.


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When G__ and I awoke on Monday in Moab, we went directly to the Love Muffin cafe for a rushed breakfast on the way to meet the shuttle for Burro to Town, which is now called "The Whole Enchilada". If you are in Moab and want some excellent Chef's Meat (it can be vegan), I recommendo the Love Muffin 100%. Even though the cook looks real shady and all. I'd post pictures, but I didn't take any- and the crazy lady who has some up on the interwebs will track me down and beleaguer me like a pesty gnat if I co-opt hers.

The shuttle was not the private affair I'd been led to believe. Softy! You owe me a bike ride! It was the commercial 9:30 ride up to the La Sals. We had to ride up with a party of unknowns. The driver ignored our repeated request to stop for beer. Requests which were seconded by the 2 fellows sitting in front of us, whom G__ referred to as Curly and Moe. You know it's bad when we can refer to some other crew as "the drunk guys".





Top of Burro. 11,000+



Moe. Who owes me some pictures! We drank some of their beer, and they drank some of our whiskey and we all rode bikes down a lot.





Pointing out at Castle Valley and Porcupine Rim. We're headed there and then some.






Looking back up the rim toward what we came down.



We even took naps.


Again if you are ever in Moab (and sometime everone who rides should go) I recommendo this ride over any other. Ridiculous amounts of singletrack with solid foundation Moab riding style finish. The upper singletrack section(s) of Porcupine are game changingly awesome.

Finally, allow me also to (again) point you at a local business: Poison Spider Bikes. Well stocked and equipped. High end rentals, parts and repairs. Top notch staff. TJ, I know you may be a little sour about having had so much of your combustibles combusted, but you made my Burro ride with the help that morning. Thank you. The Pivot Mach (!) 429 I demoed did not wow me, but the service backing it up did.