RR:Yesterday's Ride.



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Fredzep

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It was overcast and felt like it was in the mid 40's so I geared up properly and headed to the
trailhead. During cool weather rides I go for maximum breathability since I tend to overheat easily
and sweat alot at any time of year. Wearing goretex or other similar stuff feels like riding in a
plastic bag. So you can imagine my joy at seeing raindrops hit the windshield on the way (thought it
wasn't going to rain until nightime). If I turned around and went back for some rain gear too mush
precious daylight would be lost, so I decided to press on and hope for a break in the weather.

The plan was to ride on some moderatly rocky and hardpacked loops close to the trail head in
case I had to bail and so as not to do any damage. The woods road that began the ride was damp
but firm as I began a gradual climb. I made a right onto a short somewhat steep trail and
warmed up nicely, pacing myself so as to keep sweating to a minimum. On the following downhill
I took it easy to make the icy cold rain in the face tolerable. At the bottom of the hill the
decision was made to bail as it was simply too cold and my shell was soaked through completely.
I finished the loop since it was more moderate although somewhat longer in distance than
backtracking. I wanted to get out of there as fast as I could as the rain had picked up and the
temperature was dropping. Despite the conditions, the colors were awesome, especially a ridge
above a tree lined lake and was glad just to have managed the half hour jaunt that it turned
out to be.

On the way back I passed a clock temperature readout at a bank that said it was 36 degrees out
so the decision to bail was a good one.

Fredzep
 
Fredzep wrote:
> On the way back I passed a clock temperature readout at a bank that said it was 36 degrees out
> so the decision to bail was a good one.
>
> Fredzep

I did Porcupine Rim yesterday. We had a cold front move through Friday night, and the temps dropped
about 15 degrees for a high around 60F. The wind on the top edge of the mesa was fierce and cold,
with the air thin and dry. It was too sketchy to move to the edge to look straight down, but I did
hawk a loogie into the valley. I had to dodge it as the wind caught it and blew it back.

There were easily 1000 riders on the trail yesterday. Some of them were undeniably, impressively
skilled, riding stuff that looked damned impossible. Most were like me well in the middle of the
pack in terms of bike skill. I actually started feeling like a 20-year-old hucker on some of the
semi-technical downhills - until I got passed by a real 20-ish hucker. But few passed me on an
uphill. I have the old skills, just not the young guts.

I met people from Vermont, Crested Butte and the UK. Most were Ootahns. I saw one lovely lass from
BYU riding a very basic Gary Fisher with toe clips/no straps. The only concession to modern tech her
bike had was a short-travel front shock. Riding in gym shoes, she did quite well. Old Skool dood!

The technical single-track down to the Colorado River claimed its usual casualties, including the
aforementioned coed. She went straight down two 2' stair-steps, bang, bang, thud! I dearly hope I
didn't pressure her into it merely by showing up on her tailwheel. She brushed off her white
blouse, and I helped fixed her front reflector. As I moved on, I told her she should be proud, it
was a good fall.

I took many pictures, still on the CF card.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.
 
Raptor wrote:
> I did Porcupine Rim yesterday. We had a cold front move through Friday night, and the temps
> dropped about 15 degrees for a high around 60F....

Raptor:

Thanks for the response. That was my first attempt at a RR.

Your ride sounded way nicer than mine.

Fredzep
 
JD wrote:
> Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>... <snip dorkupine rim>
>
>>There were easily 1000 riders on the trail yesterday.
>
>
> Imagine that... Moab is a joke this time of the year.
>
> JD

We still found affordable camping close-in, and wait times at the few choke points on the Porcupine
trail were in the <1-minute range. I didn't try Slickrock partly because of the rush hour syndrome
it gets this time of year. Too many riders, too many tight spots. I assume Amasa Back gets
similarly crowded.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.
 
Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> JD wrote:
> > Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>... <snip dorkupine rim>
> >
> >>There were easily 1000 riders on the trail yesterday.
> >
> >
> > Imagine that... Moab is a joke this time of the year.
> >
> > JD
>
> We still found affordable camping close-in, and wait times at the few choke points on the
> Porcupine trail were in the <1-minute range. I didn't try Slickrock partly because of the rush
> hour syndrome it gets this time of year. Too many riders, too many tight spots. I assume Amasa
> Back gets similarly crowded.

I wasn't referring to camping, I was referring to 1,000 insipid clones on dorkupine rim. I think
I'll go ride it reverse this weekend, just to ******** the dew crew shuttle monkeys.

JD
 
JD wrote:
> Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
>
>>JD wrote:
>>
>>>Raptor <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>... <snip dorkupine rim>
>>>
>>>
>>>>There were easily 1000 riders on the trail yesterday.
>>>
>>>
>>>Imagine that... Moab is a joke this time of the year.
>>>
>>>JD
>>
>>We still found affordable camping close-in, and wait times at the few choke points on the
>>Porcupine trail were in the <1-minute range. I didn't try Slickrock partly because of the rush
>>hour syndrome it gets this time of year. Too many riders, too many tight spots. I assume Amasa
>>Back gets similarly crowded.
>
>
> I wasn't referring to camping, I was referring to 1,000 insipid clones on dorkupine rim. I think
> I'll go ride it reverse this weekend, just to ******** the dew crew shuttle monkeys.
>
> JD

I also was referring to crowded trails, if you re-read.

Clockwise looks perfectly do-able, for certain definitions of "do-able." Actually *riding* all of it
in that direction would be amazing to watch. I did it in the regular direction as a loop in June, so
the net physical work is the same.

There were a couple people doing it backwards last Saturday. I just thought it was a little weird,
simply because I hadn't thought of it before.

Dare to be different.

--
--
Lynn Wallace http://www.xmission.com/~lawall "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.
 
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