Stardate 2019.030

Finally
Greetings!

We finally received some snow at lower elevations. It was the heavy wet stuff that falls at warmer temperatures; a good ground soaker. When said and done, we had a little under a foot of snow. Believe it or not, I was on dry rides in shorts and long sleeve jersey as recent as January 10th. We need some winter! However, north aspects are still dicey in spots and require some hike-a-biking.




There's still a fair amount of shore ice along the South Platte River.






How about some bighorn sheep skating?






Here's a little plug for Giant Bicycles. It's a fun 29er.



Lizard:2
Parkinson's:0

Thanks for reading!

Adios

Stardate 2016.523

A Little Midday Ride In The Heat

I managed to get out for a midday ride recently. The day heated up early, but I was able to beat the afternoon showers.

The slack water behind a small roller dam along the South Platte River looked rather refreshing. However, swimming isn't allowed along this reach of river because anyone who goes over the dam gets sucked under, especially when the head gets beaned on the way down. I can't help but think what Tom Sawyer or Huck Finn would do with this cool, clear water before the dam existed. Doesn't really take a lot of thought, does it? Following are some pics.




I often have music on the brain while riding; so how about a little "name that band"...

"Hot town, summer in the city
Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty
Been down, isn't it a pity
Doesn't seem to be a shadow in the city

All around, people looking half dead
Walking on the sidewalk, hotter than a match head..."

Hint: The Lovin'...




At low elevations, we're heading into our dry season. Up in the clouds, alpine flowers are just beginning.




Zues appears to have found me. Yes, I'm a lightning magnet.




Getting a bit angry, are we? You need to watch that cloud anger.




This one continued to darken and chased me out of the canyon. We did have some nice afternoon rain.




That's it for now.

Adios

Stardate 2016.479

Boo, Hiss, The Days Are Getting Shorter

I've been getting in some nice evening rides. Following are some recent pics of the Waterton area. No dialogue today; you know the drill. Enjoy!









Later Gator!

Adios

Stardate 2016.189

It's Right Around The Corner
The Black Pearl and I ventured up Waterton Canyon to the fork of Trail 800 and the Colorado Trail. This was a reconnaissance trip to see how much snow was hanging around. There are a few patches of snow here and there, and this segment of trail was quite ride-able. Many of the numerous trails following the narrow foothill drainages may still be snowbound; I'll test some of them on an upcoming ride.



The following snowbound pic was taken this past 27th of January just beyond the farthest left turn in the road in the above pic. A lot of snow has melted during February and early March. On the other hand, we can receive a lot of snow March into April.



The Colorado Trail technically begins at the mouth of Waterton Canyon. Actual trail riding begins 6.2 miles upstream. Denver Water (they maintain the Waterton access) restrictions also end at this point.



After a short, stiff little climb, the intersection of Trail 800 and the Colorado Trail is reached. This intersection is upper Lenny's Bench. The bench is in memory of a boy scout who lost his life to an accident in the area. I know nothing about the accident. About 520 miles southwest of this photo, the Colorado Trail reaches Durango, Colorado. The bike route takes several detours to avoid a handful of wilderness areas.

Some cycling notes on the Colorado Trail from bikepacking.net:
Distance...530 miles
Climbing...60,000 feet
Singletrack...60% (trail riding)
Record Male...3:20:44 (day, hour, minute)
Record Female...5:05:27



You may be wondering why my bike is in many of my pics. Well, yes, I'm a bit attached to it. But more importantly, it provides visual scale. It affords a reference to trail width, trail roughness, snow depth, or anything else desiring some sort of scale.




The forest understory is starting to green up a bit.




The trail switchbacks up (and down) through a Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) ecosystem.




Below are typical switchbacks encountered along this particular trail.




The above turn in context. The turn looks a bit distant because the photo was shot in wide-angle to capture the whole turn.




Stay tuned for more!


Adios

Stardate 2016.022

More Waterton Canyon

Yay! I took advantage of another day sporting 40 Fahrenheits. The Black Pearl and I visited Waterton Canyon once again. It felt so good to shed some cabin-fever. On the other hand, we're expecting up to 8 inches of snow over the next several days, with high temps remaining in the 20s through next week. Normality will return; it is winter after all. Nonetheless, I can work on several quilts I have in the making. But for now, perhaps you will enjoy some pics from the ride.

Slack-water areas are completely icing over. This doesn't help the bighorn herd much.




This reach of slack-water is the product of a small diversion dam. The snow-free southerly aspects tend to deny that its winter.




Just below the intersection with the Colorado Trail, the service road ramps-up and is icier than it appears.




The Colorado Trail becomes singletrack just around the bend. It reaches Durango, Colorado, 500 miles later.




Guess who showed up...




...why it's Dieter and Wolfgang, the self-proclaimed Bavarian bandits.




I have a soft-spot for dormant coniferous trees; patiently they wait out yet another lonely cold season wrapped in coats of needles.




Thanks for reading. More to come, stay tuned!

Adios