And now back to our show...

I just got tagged by the Long Burn. It was hard to not cheat by picking a book that was impressive or a favorite, but I bit the bullet and pulled "The Land of Laughs" by Johnathan Carroll off the shelf next to me:
Overhead, it zipped all of the clouds by as if they were in a speeded-up movie. The sun was a sharp and clear seal in the middle of a cobalt-blue envelope. "Are you coming? Don't worry, the little men under the graves won't bite you."

Which is just cryptic enough to be inneresting, while providing me the segue into summer riding descriptions... The Western Trip turned out not to be riding the Colorado Trail (as originally planned) due to the bail outs of several contenders. T___, J__, and I consoled ourselves with the Plan B of driving to various spots around Colorado and riding wherever we felt like. Not a bad consolation prize. The kids were at the grandparents' while we did this, and despite several issues (as a result of which, I don't expect a repeat of the offer to host them next summer) we made hay while the sun shone.

The stops were many and varied. Due to the HUGE SNOW YEAR (y'all can stop rubbing it in now) the high country was unavailable. This put the Rainbow Crest Trail (my personal favorite trail in the state) out of reach as well.
Telluride was better than I'd dared hope. I cannot believe how crowded Jud Wiebe to Mill Creek is now; I cannot believe I used to actually pedal up that trail. 4th of July riding with the crew from Honga's was one of the best times on a bike that I can't remember. I do remember that J__ the Enigma spent the day at the rear; a rare instance that was remarked upon by several people in a wondering tone, and one I thoroughly enjoyed. C_____ and G__, it was a pleasure spending the "rest day" drinking in y'all's company. Every time we stepped in to Fat Alley BBQ, cold Schlitz and shots of the bourbon of the day appeared, as if conjured from the thin air. I can't recommend this place highly enough, as a drinking vegan with a taste for fries and good people. Lizard Head to Durango was stupidly fun, not least due to the company and yielded this: "It's a continually contoured climb, with surges." Mike's latest answer to the frequent questioning of his clients. Definitely a theme.


Pick up your nearest book and go to page 123. Find the fifth sentence, and post on your blog the next three sentences. Acknowledge who tagged you, and then tag five more people.
Ok, suckers, you're up:
l'il hateful
Lockring Not Included
Cormac&family
My Blog Rules Your Ass!
Burnham Coaching blog

Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

Feels good to be in our own bed. It was a long time on the road, even doing the fun stuff we were doing. Lots of bike rides, lots of bullshitting, lots of floating. My sleeping bag smells.

Some thoughts...full suspension is totally kick ass, Moab is still the King, Mad Libs are fun, hash browns are key.

bloggity blog blogblog

Summertime, bitches.

Seems to be killing the impetus to keep up in here. Anyway, we're leaving for parts higher than sea level. Look for us on bikes in Utah, Colorado, and rafting the lower fork of the Salmon in Idaho. We'll be the ones with the dirty clothes and the smiles. I don't know how to put this delicately...I'll be riding full squish for the first time on this trip. (ok, the first extended period-I've been on single rides aboard full suspension rigs a total of 3 times ever). Back here around the middle of August, if all goes well. Perhaps updates from the road- likely not.

Hope all is well with y'all. Keep the faith, Ride yer bikes.

Birfday Parties for all my friends!

The whole purpose of going to Sequoia was to celebrate some Birthdays. 2 out of 3 is good odds. Mysterious B___ S_____, you fucked up.

Mineral King was LARGE. Figured it at roughly 80 hot sweaty miles all told. We camped at the same campsite, up South Fork. T___ was the birfday king, and decreed that this time, instead of driving down to town, we rode the 12 miles down on dirt, crappier pavement, crappy pavement, and ok pavement. Then through 3 Rivers and up the Mineral King 25 mile climb. I saw a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake on the road up past the ranger station. put that on your totem pole and smoke it!
Man I wished I knew where I've put the dang camera! A chipmunk was standing the snake off. It kept juking towards the snake, which was slowly retreating downslope with 1/2 it's length looped out towards the (brave) chipmunk. I put my bike out (waaaay out) and shooed him off the road. I had a friend (once) in Texas who did the same, only the snake struck at him through the wheel only to recoil on the other side of some spokes, where it became tangled. He had to set his bike down and wait for some time before the snake calmed down and slithered off. I wanted to avoid that.
After that it was continue chasing up the hill and up to the Ranger Station above Silver City, where we were stopped by the fear of marmot damage.
I am not kidding when I tell y'all there were forms to be had if marmot damage or the fear of marmot damage had impacted your visit...

It was much less hot than last year. Coming from the coast, I tend to dry right out, and my sinuses crack-resulting in a bloody booger stuffed nose. And I'm a Sweater (you prolly assumed that), so I also cramp. In spite of the calcium tabs and the extra water, I cramped in the quads and the hamstrings alternately with each pedal stroke for some time. It is possible to ride through the cramps. They will go away. Only to return soon, but you can ride through and get some lessening. Changing position a lot helps. This was the first time I've ever cramped in my adductors, though, which resulted in me unclipping and pedaling feet and knees angled out like a circus monkey.Stopped in 3 Rivers for a 6 pack to go, and the "extra" bonus climb back up South Fork had me hobbling at the last beer stop, shaking my leg crazily and unable to bend it when sitting down for fear it'd lock up and stay. I spent some time that night rustling around in my bag under the stars, using the tennis ball to work out some trigger points and loosen some toight muscles.

Since, the Mysterious B___ S_____ did not show, his birfday was a rest/drive/soak in the sun at a swimming hole/drink beer day to meet the 2nd wave from the South for intersection with Birfday #3, and it's attendant drinking, and riding,
and loafing. I spent more time rolling on the tennis ball- working the base of levator, and the attachments for hamstrings at the ischial tuberosities. Left tensor fascia latae (and psoas, as well) was tight and bound feeling, as usual. Right calf was tight/sore. Tried to roll over and work vastus, but it was difficult as the ball rolled away pretty easily in that position. I was silently fearing the sorry state of my vastus medialis, because it was tender... The trail was so good, and the company so agreeable, and the views so grand that it was just not an issue. I'd have been consistently bringing up the rear regardless. Folks had their priorities correct.Man, I lik bikes. It was a real fine crew of yahoos that got up the next day for Just Outstanding. OMG, that trail was so, like, good.Worked out real nice.

The next days Cannell Trail was equally, like, good. My legs had been shaken out and felt fine. The hour+ wait by the river for the shuttle company to get it together and send another roached out van to pick us up when the van stopped running (after 2 of our party rode down the highway to find a phone and report this, since there was neither cell reception nor a CB to be had...) was spent drinking the better part of the beers we'd brought to pack. Not unpleasant at all. And since J__ and J______ thought to bring some back with them, it worked out real convenient-like, and we were still a going concern... Incredible views and a super varied and fun trail. (The trail is routed straight across 2 boggy (and fragile) meadows, which in my opinion is short sighted. ) J__ alleges she saw a bear, but this remains unsubstantiated. The swoopy flow was there to be had, and we had it.

Respect and Love to all the Birfday Fellas. Especially Absent Friends.


P.S. I just dropped the soap in the toilet. I considered leaving it in the hopes that it might dissolve, but that seemed farfetched. So, yes, I reached in and pulled it out. No, thankfully there was nothing besides soap in there.

How do you clean up after that?

Kern

Maps of the Cannell Trail

2D map of the Cannell Trail. The dotted blue line at the top is the extension that starts at Sherman Pass and ends at Big Meadow, adding 8 miles of singletrack to the ride. The dotted black line is the short ride on the pavement back to the MRA campground and showers. Profile of the Cannell Trail. The regular ride is 20.7 miles, but the extension at the beginning from Sherman Pass (shown in brown) makes it 25.5 miles and adds about 1000 feet of climbing. Here is the shuttle company. Our van broke down, stranding us for an hour plus by the side of the river; but if that doesn't happen to you it's a good way to go. I cannot say enough GOOD THINGS about the riding on Cannell Trail and Just Outstanding. Ridiculous amounts of ripping fast f-u-n. Anyone considering a trip to the area should do it. Next fall. It's fecking hot there and getting hotter.

fact checking for phil ligget

Maybe the last Brown Lunch until Fall? Summit Road burned for over a week. More than 4,000 acres up in smoke. Nobody wants more of that.

I wasn't thinking about Summit when J and I started up the hill this morning, just about time constraints keeping us from heading out to the Stairs. When I told J we weren't going all the way, J said "Secret Spot?" (love that guy) and I said, "Nope. Pebble." He was less than enthused, but came around. We climbed the fire roads and trails up towards Huckleberry, thinking we'd lunch above the quarry but there were cars there so we kept on. There were CDC/Fire crews clearing brush all around Huckleberry. The cons got a kick out us as a spectacle, but it didn't seem like a wise place to stop and start a small fire.

So on with the jacket and back down to the fire road. A little more down and there you go. Nice spot on the edge of a huge amphitheater of ferns, Coast Live Oaks and Monterey Pines. There was a nice log to sit on, and we unpacked our adjectives. We'd spotted an abandoned metal trash can lid in the trees, so we used that as our fire pan. We're sitting there bullshitting and J lets loose this extended, flapping honk from his pants. He looks at me, all big eyed, and says: "Papa, that was a spider!" Pauses, and then says:"Maybe it was a Brown Lunch Spider." WTF? Who raised this kid?

you're BLACK

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