First Ride in the Dirt

The family is far away right now, all the way back in Maine. I've done my best to stay out of trouble by filling up my days and nights with work. All day at the office, all night at the rink. Most of the time, it seems to work. Yesterday, well, yesterday was an exception.

 

Departure...

Yesterday was easily one of the toughest days I have spent on the moto. I put more aggressive tires on and found a way to attach the tank bag to the frame with old hockey laces (everything in my house gets fixed with hockey laces and hockey tape, just ask the kids...as in, "Mommy, get some hockey tape so Daddy can fix it). I pulled the hard panniers off my bike to avoid catching my foot/ankle between the ground and the pannier itself when off road. I met up with one of my friends and a buddy of his and we headed southwest down 285 into Grant. From there, we rode up Handcart Gulch toward Webster Pass. 

Lower Handcart Gulch Trail

The approach was challenging. At one point, we were riding through about 150 meters of stream on top of loose and, of course, wet rocks. Trying to keep the 425 pound (plus) BMW upright was a challenge as it was all over the place. This really was my first test and I did my best to simply stay centered and hoped to stay upright. Did it without even dabbing my feet!

Climbing

Once we got above tree line, the shelf road became super loose with gravel and loose baby head rocks. Had a couple of puckering moments as the bike would often steer itself and I would find myself getting super close to the steep drop. I had to overcome my gut reaction to simply grab the clutch as I wasn't about to try to wrestle the bike from tipping off the edge of the shelf road. I kept it in first gear and would blip the throttle in hopes that the bike would come back around to the proper heading with a little body English. Sure enough, it did every time. 

Upper Handcart Gulch Trail

We stopped one switchback below the pass as it was covered with a 20 foot drift/cornice. You can see the shelf road as it runs up to the drift in one of the pictures. The shelf road itself was super narrow as in it would have been tight even in the land rover. I took the time to eat a little food and recover my nerves. I was super nervous about the upcoming descent/retreat. 

Webster Pass

I turned my ABS off and flipped the bike around with a seven point turn. As I did, I wondered what I would have done if I had been in the Rover as there was no place to turn around. 

The descent, while loose, was actually not as bad as I had anticipated. I found that when I stood up, the bike became less skittish. I turned my toes in on the pegs which caused my knees and legs to grab more at the faux-gas tank and suddenly, it all started coming together. The ride down through the stream was cold but gravity was pulling me down the hill so I had less holy shit moments than on the way up as my rear tire wasn't constantly spinning off wet rocks. 

As my confidence continued to build, I began to ride a bit faster. As rocks flew up from my front tire, I began to hear a metallic sound as they pinged off my flimsy skid plate. We rode out to 285, up and over Kenosha Pass and then turned in toward Georgia Pass as we hit the next town. 

The ascent up Georgia was tame in comparison. An easy ride to the top on a super dusty but smooth trail. We sat for a moment at the top and realized just how hungry we were. We had left Yeti and 9 in the morning and it was now 1:30. We headed up a trail that looked promising as it went in the direction of Breckenridge. That was our first mistake.

Georgia Pass

The trail suddenly began to climb. And it became super gnarly. Rutted. Rooted. Boulders were exposed. I got a good ways up when the BMW stalled on an obstacle. I wrestled to keep it upright. And promptly strained whatever rib/muscle injury I have in my chest from a fall several weeks back. 

Several near frantic tries to get the bike moving resulted in greater strain and pain. With the rear tire spinning and the engine maxed, I finally pulled forward far enough to pull out of the trail and into a grassy section. Steep grassy section. I was across the fall line and wondering how the hell I could get turned around and pointed down the hill. Kind of like committing to your first turn at the top of Tuckerman's Ravine when you are looking straight down into the bowl below. Only here I had rocks and trees to contend with. And that 425 pound motorcycle. I don't recall having a 425 pound pack at the top of Tuckerman's.

So I started rolling. And turned into the fall line. And panicked. As the bike shifted from leaning up the hill to leaning down, I decided, quickly, that there was no way I could keep it upright. She tipped. I jumped off. A couple of quick steps later, I looked back to see that she wasn't chasing me down the hill. Pretty much stopped right where I had let go. Still running. I ran up the hill and shut it down. 

I was now trying to figure out how to get it upright. She was pointed the wrong way down so I needed to lift it from the lower side of the hill, making it all the more difficult. One deep breath, one full squat and now I had the bike upright. And more pain on the left side of my chest. I will point out here not to panic. This story doesn't result in a heart attack, med-evac or anything of the like. This was pretty much the most trouble I would find myself in all day long and that trouble mostly revolved around my level of inexperience.

But the challenge remained. How to get the damn thing across the fall line. I stayed on the downhill side of the bike. Left the engine off. Grabbed the clutch and front brake and hossed the bike around as it tried to roll past me. I was now pointed back toward the trail but was coming in at too square of an angle. I wasn't going to be able to turn in gradually and was nervous about another wreck. I hopped on, rode across the trail and  into the woods on the far side. I bushwhacked through the trees until I was turned around again and met up with the trail further down. 

It wasn't easier yet. All the crap I had climbed up I now needed to descend. First gear, a feathered rear brake, a whole lot of pucker and hanging on and I was back down. Mind you, this trail would have been an axle twister in the Rover. Doable, but holy crap. 

 

Dirty

 

We headed down the next trail in hopes that it would bring us closer to food. This was steep and loose as well. One of our crew was in front of me on a KLR (similar to mine in many ways, including weight and engine size). He had his rear wheel locked and was sliding the entire way down these trails. I was feathering front and rear and using the engine to slow me and in far more control than him. Puckered. But feeling super confident considering the crap I had just rolled down without incident. I gave him some more space and rolled down this portion of the trail, bottoming my fork on a couple of occasions at the bottom of a couple particularly steep inclines. 

No more falls. Less puckering. Way fun. Like riding a super heavy downhill bike and not needing to pedal. We reached the bottom and came out where we had camped for the Breckenridge Tribe Gathering. Memories of camping with Emiko rushed back. Staying up late with her and staring at the stars. She fell asleep in my arms as Robbie and Rabbit and I talked quietly. Such a good night. 

We ended up at a pizza place in Breck. The same place Emi and I had eaten lunch after camping. After super slow service, we headed out on pavement, over Loveland Pass and down I-70 toward home. We joined up with a group of Harley riders on the interstate and rode in a pack about twelve strong down the hill. 

I rolled into home at 5. Exhausted. The final portion of the ride through Golden was spent reminding myself, out loud in my helmet, not to get lackadaisical. To focus on the road, the cars, everything else and not daydream about the couch I had not yet reached. That kind of exhausted. 

 

I'm still a rookie at this. A newbie. But I got a lot of firsts out of the way. And it was a good day. I got into all sorts of trouble and back out again. And I'm ready for more.

Handcart Gulch Trail...what a view

The makings for a lovely evening...

One pregnant wife.
One old college friend.
2 of said college friend's family from Finland.
2 new friends met through said college friend.
1 expectant husband going out of his mind.
1 rather large dog who is quite confused by the pregnant wife and crazed husband.

What a fantastic night. Hope was in rare form, super talkative and super awake. Our friends (old and new) arrived later in the evening and we grilled burgers, brats, salmon burgers and corn.

We chatted late into the evening about family, cultural differences, politics (luckily, all of the same bent...even the Texan), the war and dogs. By then end of the night, we had only scratched the surface of solving the world's problems. Luckily, I think we will likely all meet up again to continue finding solutions.

What a fantastic night. Even the baby was in rare form, punching and kicking and putting on a show for us all to watch through Hope's belly.

My one regret? I fear that this is the last summer bbq we will get to host. Once the child is here, I sense a change in our household...one that requires a little more quiet and calm.

What a great summer!

Bicycle Commuting - Intermezzo

I've noticed a lack in reporting on my bicycle commuting this summer. A few factors have contributed to my lackluster performance as of late.

1. Flat tire on the road bike - my road tires are roached...dry rotted and squared off. I have new tires on the way but I was hesitant to fix the flat and try riding again out of fear that the same would happen again. I fear I have picked up too much glass in my front tire and I really, really do not want to catch a flat at 30 mph on the road. Actually, I fear the resulting wreck.
2. Titanium ARC project - it is coming along. I've needed some parts for the past weeks and finally placed the order the other day. I should be able to get it together over the next few days.
3. Hope was gone for over two weeks and then worked all last week. So I brought Gibson to work. Commuting on a bike becomes a little past difficult when you have a 110 pound dog to bring to work. I suppose I could try putting him on a bus....
4. It's damn hot. No really, my drive to work often finishes with a low to mid 80's ambient temperature. This puts a damper on my desire to hop on a bike for my morning commute.
5. Gas got more expensive and I felt like contributing to the oil exec's profits. Oh...wait a minute.
6. There is NOOOO...rule six.
7. Riding the full suspension mountain bike to work is really not appealing. Knobby tires on pavement never equates to fun. They just don't belong there.
   
8. Tell me to get off my lazy ass...I should be riding a bike. Really.
   

Ned

I decided to reinstitute the Nederland rides. In a previous job...a previous world...we used to leave our office at 12 on Fridays, drive to Ned, ride for many hours and finish up with a filling meal at Mountain Burger. Trust me, we tried a double and couldn't finish it...this is a very satisfying meal!

For the past three weeks, Phil and I have been leaving the office at 5:30 on Tuesday tothe Tuesdays, for the past three weeks, Phil and I have been driving the hour up to Nederland to ride the trails. We don't have a ton of time so we cram as much riding in as possible (generally 2 hours) before the sun goes down. We have talked about bringing lights and riding past dusk but as of yet, we have not found the need to throw halogens on our handlebars. It could be a motivation thing....

Why Nederland?

The riding there is pure fun. Rolling hills, nothing too taxing, good terrain and twisty trails that force you onto the last few knobs toward the edge of your tire. Your elevation gain over the front range contributes to a 10-15 degree decrease in air temperature and you are sheltered from the sun's intensity by a good deal of shade. You laugh, you grunt, you sweat and you grin. Everyone who has been introduced to Ned falls in love.

You start off on a trail that twists back on top of itself. You could be 50 yards ahead on the trail but you can reach out and give a buddy a high five. After an ever-so-brief climb, you hit a slow doubletrack climb that gives you a quick elevation gain. From there, you can bomb down a ripping singletrack that takes you past an old yellow bus. This trail feels almost tunnel-like...the vegetation hangs over that trail so close that you can't see into the woods. There is one straight shot where you can see ahead for about twenty or thirty yards but beyond that, you are riding on pure skill and reaction. To the other side of this doubletrack is a trail that looks almost like a mogul run. It is tight but if you have the skill, you can carve your turns from the top of each bump to the next. Great fun! From there, you can follow a double track out to a lollipop and there have been several other offshoots that we have been eyeing for future exploration. Our bushwhacking expedition last night took us down to a small pond with a little skiff. We rode out of the woods last night in the dark, quite satisfied with the evening ride.

There's more to explore, c'mon up, we are going again next Tuesday!

Bicycle Commuting - Part Three

It was nice to get the engine running this morning. I'm starting to get a little routine in the morning, allowing me to get out of the house in about 20 minutes. That includes time for a shower before I leave (shower before I get on the bike?). It's the only way for me to wake up...riding on the road half asleep is not exactly conducive to survival.

This morning, I saw:
5 bikers
8 walkers
1 oblivious driver who panicked and hit the brakes when he saw me

This is the third and final day that I can ride my bike to work. Yesterday, I elected not to ride since it was the second day in a row I would be reffing at night. Which worked out well, seeing how I missed my alarm that morning. Tomorrow, I have an early morning dentist appointment down in Denver.

OK, I gotta go fix my hair....

Bicycle Commuting - Part Two

Day Two of riding to work.

I saw:

6 Cyclists
5 Walkers
1 Lawn mower rider (though I don't think this person was actually commuting)
1 Leashed dog who still tried to chase me

I spent the morning ride dealing with a headwind significant enough that I had to pedal down the descents just to maintain my momentum. More energy than I cared to expend on an empty stomach. I better go find some food....

Combining for memories

Brandon and I spent some time catching up on the phone tonight. Combining our conversation, this comic and a dinner of cheese brats done on the grill, I sat for a moment reverently cherishing a lost memory.

We travel back to a time when worries for food, mortgage, wife, child, dog or work were naught. It was one of the first times I had been left home in Mercer to my own devices. Of course, Brandon was always caught up in those devices.

We purchased two juicy steaks, made some rice and spent some time cooking the beef to perfection. Soy sauce, pepper and garlic combined to make the perfect minute marinade. That may have been the first time we realized that we were somewhat self sufficient and could cook food that was palatable (no more Mister P's). That summer eve's dinner is exactly what memories are made of.

And now, every time I open my grill, I chase the memory of that first meal. Good friends, good food and the lack of worries or concerns. The way any meal should be served.

Bicycle Commuting

Part of the plan this summer is to commute to work by bike more frequently. This morning was the first opportunity to do so. Hope is now officially out of school though she is probably going to spend most of her day there. Thus, she can cart around the small horse we own. Granted, she is swinging Gibson by the office while she does a few things and then pick him up later on in the day.

An early morning ride can be such a surreal experience. I woke up this morning to low 50 degree weather. It is an easy 8.5 mile ride to work, not too much energy expended, not too much to think about and I can maintain a certain dreamlike state while sitting and simply turning my feet over. Just keep the bike straight, turn the tunes on low and glide my way to work. I have some alone time, no NPR squawking at me, no ton and a half vehicle to guide, no gasoline burned.

Sadly, in the 34 minutes, I didn't see any other cyclists. I saw 3 walkers, 2 folks sitting at the bus stop and 1 jogger. I thought that with gasoline hitting $4 a gallon, I'd see more folks riding to work. I thought that would be the trigger but maybe it's $5 a gallon.

Yeti Tribe Gathering - Part Deux

I have one regret...we have only one Tribe Gathering per year.

The drive up was fantastic. I traveled with my co-worker Phil and a new friend, Chad (from Shimano) to Eagle, Colorado on Thursday night. We stopped off at Pazzo's Pizza in Eagle to meet up with Rob. One Azteca later (yummy but I didn't need the fourth slice), Chad and Phil headed off to Fruita and I went with Robbie to his new house. What a beautiful place...I wish I had pictures to show because there is no good way to describe how gorgeous it is. Kelly was asleep already, as was Shaw, their toddler...well, more of a walker now. We just packed the car, chilled and caught up since we haven't seen each other in quite some time. Talisker came to say his usual greeting and was very happy to see a friendly face coming into his house.

The next morning I wandered upstairs to see Shaw walking about! He was a little shy at first but warmed quickly. A quick hello with Kelly too before Rob and I hit the road and headed for Fruita. We arrived before most Tribe members, quickly set up our camp site and then I headed out to help out with Tribe set up. Rob went for ride #1.

At 4, Rob got ready for ride #2 and I geared up for a quick ride with him on Mary's Loop to Horsethief Canyon. Once again, I am at a loss for words to describe Fruita and the riding. You are often on rock or in sand and the view is simply phenomenal. The hike-a-bike section down to Horsethief drops you past several millennia of geologic history. Horsethief, is a quick little screamer and over way too fast. We should have done a second loop but I decided saving energy for Saturday was important.

We got back to camp just as Ben, Rabbit, Loren, Hope and Gibson began rolling in. Rabbit and Loren even showed up with extra burritos for Rob and me! Hope and I don't get to see these guys nearly enough. Ben is an old friend from Middlebury who was my riding partner, skiing partner, overall fantastic friend who suddenly showed up in Telluride after too many years of being out of touch. How good is it to have him here in Colorado? Fantastic! How often do we get to see him? Let's see...6 hour drive coupled with crazy schedules...next to never. A travesty. Rabbit and his girlfriend, Loren hail from Aspen. Rabbit went to UVM with Rob (and Hope) and has quickly become a close friend of ours. Loren rapidly earned our stamp of approval as she fit in perfectly with the crew.

Saturday morning brought the loading of our bikes for a shuttle to the Ribbon. The Ribbon is a rotor scorching, tire roaching descent along a slab of rock just outside Grand Junction. It is wide open with massive exposure in several locations (think long drops over cliffs that come up out of nowhere). You have to be on your game out here and follow the proper route as a wrong turn could result in rapid acceleration (think 9.8 meters per second squared). There are a few hike-a-bike sections that were easily negotiated. From the Ribbon, we hiked out to the top of Tabeguache and followed that down to Holy Cross. Great fun and I was pooped by the end of the ride.

This is not us but it should give you an idea of what the Ribbon is like.

Saturday afternoon brought the arrival of Kelly and Shaw, finally completing our group. This was Shaw's first camping trip and he was a trooper. I think he even slept through the night, I heard him stir around 5ish but he fell back asleep until the sun came up. Good stuff!

We hung out around our camp while Kelly and Loren went for a ride. Upon their return, we settled in for a night of fun and festivity which included a spirited game of Catch Phrase. And the word of the night? Laissez faire. Trust me, you just had to be there!

Sunday, our allergies got the better of us. Hope and I packed up and headed for home. I had a near run in with a Yeti Bettie while watering a plant. She was nearly standing in my crop circle before she realized my efforts to propagate a healthy plant in desert environs. We said a quick goodbye to Ben and then headed to Fruita for a tasty breakfast. Despite a lengthy wait for our food, we were quite happy with our overall experience. Goodbyes to Rabbit, Loren, Rob, Kelly and Shaw and we were on our way home.

Not without one more stop. Vail Village for a second helping of Pazzo's Azteca! To the house where we unloaded, cleaned up and napped. I even found it in me to make it to my drop in hockey session last night. Never made it out of second gear though. Just passed the puck a lot, laughed and had fun being on the ice.

So...the first weekend of fun and excitement this summer was a blast. All of us have agreed that we need to do this again soon. The weekend has reminded me how important these friends are. It's so easy to let time pass knowing that our friendship is solid enough that we don't have to always see each other. Yet it is so important to make the time to see these friends. They are the important ones, the ones that will always be there for us in our struggles through life; to help us out, offer guidance and support, hugs and love. You can't find friends like these just anywhere but we got to see them in Fruita this weeekend.

Yeti Tribe Gathering 2008 - Fruita, Colorado

The summer of adventure officially starts!

I leave tonight for Fruita, Colorado to ride with the Yeti crew and about 175 other Yeti freaks. Along the way, I get to meet up with some old friends and their baby, I get to ride with other old friends who are making the trek with their Yetis and I get to camp out with a pregger Hope and Gibson.

Good fun! I'll see some of you out there, the rest I shall talk to in the near future.

Oh...and of course, the summer of adventure officially culminates with a tiny new addition....

May 13, 2008

It is the middle of May. Why, why, why is it snowing outside right now?