Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Finding the Lost Temple

The day after my last ride on the SuperFly SS, I felt that my Gunnar Think Pink was getting lonely...sooooo I took it riding. This time I went up another climbing route (which is all there is around here and I like it that way) to the top of Lick Creek and beyond. I am still quite amazed at how little snow exists above the 5000-ft level. I finally hit some snow at 5400-ft, but was not stopped by it.


The only reason I turned around was due to lack of time to continue on (had to get back to pick up the Kevinator from school). On the way back I took a detour down the Pinkham Ridge Trail for some sweet riding and some cool views...but of course I had to stop for some of my favorite spring time flora...


On the way down I rode past this interesting art work that I had not seen before...it's in the middle of no where.


Not sure what to think of it other than someone was mighty bored...maybe a "hunter" from last fall, maybe it's a hippie toker temple, maybe it is a gateway to another dimension...hmmmm.

The smell of purple little flowers is so nice, can you smell these? Maybe that temple is affecting me...

Monday, April 19, 2010

Never Been this High

"Never been this high in April" I was thinking to my self as I pedalled past the 5000-ft level today. Typically there is snow or ice that stops me long before now, but not this year. I'm a tad fearful of the fire season we will have this year with so little snow pack and moisture.


I turned it around when I finally hit a small snow field across the road - an ominous sign that there will be more to come and attempting to go much further will prove futile. The odometer was indicating that I would get at least 70-miles in on this warm, sunny spring day - another great ride on the Fisher SuperFly Single-Speed.



The flowers were spectacular and, as usual, gave me a super-boost in the mental well being...something I needed after working 4-long 12-hr shifts in the ER.




There is still some snow up there feeding Asotin Creek (in the background is the headwaters are of Middle Fork Asotin Creek).

Monday, April 05, 2010

Spokane Riverside

I've spent many hours riding at Riverside State Park just west of Spokane. Most of my many hundreds of miles of mountain biking at Riverside have been done riding in the annual 24-hr race and other past mtb races. I love Riverside Park's many miles of fast, forested single-track trails and I dream of having a riding area like that where I live...after riding such nice trails the thought of moving becomes strong in my nomadic, wandering mind once again. I like green forests and I like dirt trails, that is who I am deep inside. For now though, I have to live in an area with dead, brown, weed infested yuk, and very little single-track trail, but with plenty of dirt/gravel roads to ride. I'll take what I have and enjoy every speck of dirt I can...for now that is.


Fortunately, the Kevinator and I had to make a necessary run to Spokane for some appointments, but our focus was all about having an excuse to ride the sweet single-track at Riverside. We were not disappointed, the trails were buff and in perfect riding condition, the weather was cool and sunny, plus the wild flowers were blooming providing eye-candy everywhere we rode.


The Kevinator insisted on riding the 24-hr race loop, so we did that and more.




The kiddo was exhausted, but happy and smiling big after riding nearly 23-miles this day (we rode 17-miles the day previous - the kid is a mountain biking animal).