28 January 2015

Stardate 2015.077

Cool cloud!  It looked like the surf just before this was taken.  I couldn't get the camera out fast enough.

What Happened To Winter?

The last several weeks have been very, very, mild. Sub-zero temps in November have slowly given way to upper 50s and 60s. I don't particularly like this because I'm convinced we'll pay for it this spring. Nonetheless, Snowcatcher and I have been trying to take advantage of the situation the best we can. Following are some photos from the fourth week of January. I spent several rides playing in Deer Creek Canyon, and in SHORTS mind you.

The portal to Deer Creek Canyon.

Above is the portal to Deer Creek Canyon. Easy riding ends here. Beyond lies several climb options. Day one will be a 2,925-foot climb to the Pleasant Valley Grange.


The canyon bottom is still cold and holding snow.

The canyon bottom was still in winter mode.


Pleasant Park Grange (old school house) is the usual rest stop following a 2,925-foot climb up out of Deer Creek Canyon.  Elevation is 8,450 feet.

The climb went fairly well. I didn't have any cramps, an empirical indicator of my current conditioning. The grange sits at an elevation of 8,450 feet. Pleasant Park Grange (old school house) is the usual rest stop following the climb up out of Deer Creek Canyon.


Lots of nice properties in this area.

There are lots of nice homes buried away up here.


Lots of sand to watch for on High Grade Road.  At this point, slope is about 6 or 7 percent.  Right behind me it ramps up to 12 to 15 percent for a way.

The above shot is the approximate middle of High Grade Road. Lots of loose sand to watch for. At this point, slope is about 6 or 7 percent. Right behind me it ramps up to 12 to 15 percent for a way. You're not going fast to begin with, yet it's still like hitting a wall.


The mouth of Deer Creek Canyon opens up to the western terminus of the Great Plains.  Oh, yea, and urban sprawl.

Deer Creek Canyon opens up to the Great Plains.


This area hardly collect sun in the summer.

The second day, Wednesday, was National Wind Day. Can you say horrific wind? I can - horrific wind! Aeolus was working overtime trying to knock me off the bike. Between the sand and ice, the odds were in favor of Aeolus.


The lower sign used to say High Grade Road.  They're always trying to confuse me.  Take a left and you have about 3 miles of sustained 10 percent grade climbing.  Head behind me and you have about 7.5 miles of variable climbing, including short segments of 12 to 15 percent grade.  At this intersection, you've already been climbing for 6 miles.

Time to make a decision. Take a left and you have about 3 miles of sustained 10 percent grade climbing. Head behind me and you have about 7.5 miles of variable climbing, including short segments of 12 and 15 percent grade. At this intersection, you've already been climbing for 6 miles. By the way, the lower sign used to say High Grade Road. They're always trying to confuse me.


It actually felt cold in the shady spots.

Back into the ice box. In one day, the road had actually dried a lot from the previous day.


The final two exciting curves are my favorite two curves.  They just have a feel to them at 35 mph.

My favorite curves enjoying the sun. A whole handful of sharp curves precede these. Yet, at 35 mph, they just have the right feel to them.


Lower Deer Creek Canyon

Despite gobs and gobs of loose sand and wet asphalt, the descent eventually entered perpetual sun. Another ride come and gone.

Adios

22 January 2015

Stardate 2015.058

South Platte River, Waterton Canyon, Colorado

2014 Favorites
Part 4

2014's excellent fall season eventually came to a close. But not without more colored leaves, Moab,
high altitude mountain biking, Oregon and, so it seemed, a never ending Indian summer.

Horsethief Bench, Fruita, Colorado
Fruita, Colorado

Dead Horse Point Area, Moab, Utah
Dead Horse Point, Moab, Utah

Viewing Behind the Rocks from the Dead Horse Point State Park, area of Moab, Utah.
Dead Horse Point area

Good Morning Castleton Tower!
Castleton Tower from the Fisher Towers, Utah

Climber on the corkscrew summit of Ancient Art.
Ancient Art, Fisher Towers

Who says forests aren't resilient?  Aspens and conifers encroaching the old rail grade.
Old Argentine Pass rail grade, Front Range, Colorado

13,408-foot Mount Wilcox
13,408-foot Mount Wilcox from below Argentine Pass

Top to bottom: Mount Adams (in state of Washington), Mount Hood (Oregon's tallest), Mount Jefferson (Oregon's second tallest) and Three Fingered Jack.
Top down: Mount Adams (in state of Washington), Mount Hood (Oregon's tallest),
Mount Jefferson (Oregon's second tallest) and Three Fingered Jack


Wedding Reception, Oregon

Arch Rock, OR
Arch Rock along Oregon's Pacific Coast

North of Gold Beach, OR
Gold Beach along Oregon's Pacific Coast

Arch Rock area, OR
Arch Rock area along Oregon's Pacific Coast

Waterton Canyon at sunset
Waterton Canyon, Colorado

Hidden area of Chatfield State Park
Chatfield State Park, Colorado


Thanks for joining in my 2014 review of fun.

Adios

19 January 2015

Stardate 2015.049

Lower Teocalli Ridge rises east of Crested Butte, Colorado.

Favorites 2014
Part 3

Flame-tipped aspen along Teocalli Ridge, Crested Butte, Colorado.
Crested Butte, Colorado

Yellow leafed trail, Crested Butte, Colorado
Crested Butte

Sweet singletrack comprises the Strand Bonus Trail, Crested Butte, Colorado.
Crested Butte

Mill Creek, Gunnison, Colorado
Gunnison, Colorado

Georgia Pass area, South Park, Colorado
South Park, Colorado

The Grenadier Mountains are a sub-range of the San Juan Mountains, Colorado.
Grenadier Range, San Juan Mountains, Colorado

Looking  west across the Lake Fork Gunnison River from Slumgullion pass, San Juan Mountains, Colorado.
San Juan Mountains

Point 13,811, rank 99, San Juan Mountains Colorado
San Juan Mountains

Pitkin town site, Quartz Creek, Sawatch Mountains, Colorado
Pitkin, Sawatch Range, Colorado

Durango, Colorado
Durango

Alpine Tunnel rail grade, Sawatch Range, Colorado
Alpine Pass rail grade, Sawatch Range

Alpine Station, train depot, west portal, Alpine Tunnel, Sawatch Range, Colorado
Alpine Pass, Continental Divide, Sawatch Range

Alpine Pass, Continental Divide, Sawatch Range, Colorado
Alpine Pass, Continental Divide, Sawatch Range

After Part 4, 2014 will be no more.

Adios

14 January 2015

Stardate 2015.036

Looking west across Olympic National Park from the summit of Hurricane Ridge.

2014 Favorites
Part 2

August found Snowcatcher and I carousing about lavender farms of Washington State's Olympic Peninsula.
We visited friends, rode bike tours and explored other realms of the Pacific Northwest.

Lavender row at The Lost Mountain Lavender Farm.
Tour de Lavender by bike

Crude oil tanker Polar Enterprise docked at Port Angeles, WA.
I was fascinated with port activity.

Our soon to be ferry docking at Port Townsend, WA.
We ferried from Port Townsend to Whidbey Island and...

Looking east from Deception Pass into the Skagit Bay area and Saratoga passage.
...camped at Deception Pass.

Diablo Lake

Early Winter Spires and Liberty Bell Mountain
North Cascades National Park

The third (straight across), left and right (far right)powerplants can be seen in this shot.
Grand Coulee Dam

This United State Forest Service DC 3 Smokejumper aircraft is packed and ready to go.
Missoula Montana Smokejumper headquarters

Yellowstone geysers at Midway Geyser Basin, I think.

Lower Falls, Yellowstone

Grizzly bear and cub, Yellowstone
Yellowstone

USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Aspen to Crested Butte via Kebler Pass
A wet Stage Two finish of Colorado's USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
The route was from Aspen to Crested Butte via Kebler Pass.

Spend more time with me and Part 3.

Adios
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