Well, no one but me showed up for my "women's mtb ride..., all abilities
welcome. 10 am, Aubrey White trail head ( off
government way) Rain or shine.Exact route to be determined by ability and
interest of riders. No dogs,
please."
So, not going to waste a good day, off I go on the Ti Mongoose loaner. I'm a
little sad, because Mr. Adventure has asked to come last night and I told
him no. Not too sad, last thing I saw him this a.m. he was still snoozing,
he does like his extended naps on the weekend mornings.
I sure am having fun on the loaner Ti HT. Last time I rode a HT much at all
it had been my steel tank pre bike camp. This bike I felt like I was
dancing with on the technical stuff. I am sure it has a whole lot to do
with the growth in the rider over the last few years.
It's the usual route.. .down the hill, along the river, back up and across
the bike path..along the bluff and through the forest. OK, try a new way.
There's so many old abandoned roads around here,and voila! New bits of
singletrack!! Must ride them. Short, connectors.. but hey ... single
track. Mostly when I ride out here it's for fitness, it's easy to knock of
10-12 mile on single track and double track, with lots of climbs mixed in
with the flats as you go up and down the historic river terraces. ( geomorph
101, anyone?).
I finally tried a new off shoot that Tuffgirl and I have been eyeing. This
year, the park has finally decided to put numbered markers at all the
junctions. We've been eyeing where #25 turns off on the way down form Devils
Down. Where does that go anyway? Looks like up, but we've always not had the
time or inclination to explore it. Today's the day... kind of steep at the
beginning, but rideable, sort of. Up to a rise, it sort of flattens out and
looks like it will start paralleling the basalt bluff through the forest.
It climb gradually now, damp and narrow, rooty, through long grass.. not
used much! Then it's [censored]... a little steep hike a bike to the next level.
More rolling trail and then up again. I get the sneaky feeling I should be
riding this the other way. Every time I think this thing is going to
traverse the bluff... it goes up again. Finally, it dumps me out on a
level old abandoned railway ballast just below the basalt cliff. [censored]. I
ride 50' down it, wondering if there's any trail left. My idea had been to
follow this spur trail all the way to it's beginning (end?) but at the sight
of the ballast, no way. Time to turn around and ride this down! Fun and
swoopy but narrow, nothing like brushing through a little hidden devils'
club on the way down. And then.. spit out where I began, to finish out the
ride the route I always do.
Back to the car, then home to change into "piano recital mom"
Penny