Saturday DH runs

        It was off for an early morning ride that started on a chilly morning but nothing I could not handle. The plan was ambitious for a climb up Jacobs Ladder and then a run down Maple Hollow Downhill trail. Climbing up Clarks was pretty bland and reaching the summit there began the hint of blue sky that the sun would was slowly rising. Climbing the road was going good and legs were strong as I noticed a few lights behind me growing closer. As I reached the top they closed in on me and went by in their cute matching uniforms, honestly I find cross country racers and their uniforms distasteful, one for being a grown man in a leotard, and two for being into biking for the wrong reasons. I let those weeners go by as I took in the scene and the moment and then dropped into a good run. Then began my way out to Eagle Crest and then dropped down Maple Hollow and as usual wish I had a larger travel bike. Got down in one piece and took the road to bypass more climbing and time I did not have. I am shocked to see my loops was only 15 miles and short on altitude, I think strava robbed me somewhere.

Thursday night Double

       Well it was another warm satisfying night and what better to do than put the boy down to sleep and head out on some wheels and into the night. Heading to the garage I got the bike off the hook and and set her down upright and bam tire is flat and that awful feeling of rim on the handlebars. Knowing just what to do I ran my finger through the tire to look for a pokey and no findy so I grabbed a new tube for now and threw it in and off I went. Climbing up the canyon I was going to repeat a previous ride someone did that day that looked good on strava. So I was cranking hard up Clarks and feeling really good and then the front  end felt fishy, oh pedal on and maybe it was a soft spot. Ok it definitely does not feel right, I stop and feel the tire and it's going soft, grrrrrrrr. Position my headlamp so I can patch the tube and get my stuff out of the pack in light was tough, I was frustrated with having to do this now but to be honest I have had a good run since my last mechanical. I set the patch up and wonder how these things ever work, I had one extra patch and a little glue and hoped the first would hold. I took an extensive look into the tire and found a pokey on the exterior of the tire that must have just barely poked through enough to miss my interior search. Ok pump it up and see if she holds, as I climbed with fingers crossed I did not seem to be losing any air, yessss!
       Still very nervous but ambitious I decided at the top to head for eagle crest. A smooth event over to there through a little tiny bit of road sludge and I was off on a delightful cruise around the houses and headed for maple hollow downhill. I forgot just how awesome heading down that trail is, dark made it interesting and fun and it was over too soon as I hit anns trail. From then I realized I was not going to be getting a potato hill loop with my loss in time and that was fine cause I had plenty of ride left. Took anns all the way back to the summit and dropped down ghost falls and then down rattler. Oh by the way did I mention I was riding gloveless? It was 50 degrees at 10pm and I was in shorts and jersey. I was relived to get to the car without any more tire leaks, what a night!

Tuesday Herriman Trails

      Landon was off to his Sensory Class for two hours as usual and I armed myself with the bike to ride the nearby trails. The trails are straight forward so luckily I don't get sketchy with my time management and I get a good 90 minutes to ride. It was yet another beautiful day full or warmth and surrounded by incredible mountains. I stuck to my guns and ran the same way until I came to the juniper crest and rode it clockwise to mix it up. I find these trails pretty bland, since it's completely naked and low on fun factor but it certainly gets the job done and that's fine by me!

Utah Valley Monday

     Wanted a change of scenery and found myself heading south at 5:30am on a groggy morning eager for a ride I have not done in awhile and add in some new trail to me trail. I parked the car in Lindon at a trailhead and found what I needed and began climbing pretty good, I expected it more mellow but for some reason but it was nothing too bad. There were plenty of trails branching off that I had no clue where they went so I kept on the shoreline trail and my maps I saved on my phone. It might be weak to be using a map and less adventurous but trust me maps don't always put you on the right track. I ended up riding some trail I have already ridden but since it was pitch black I did not know it. Once I made it to Dry Canyon Trailhead I knew this trail very well. I've always enjoyed the shoreline section down to Provo Canyon, but that long dirt road following is never very exciting. I had plenty of climbing ahead of me and was not looking forward to it, the climb up to the altar is brutal, it was nice when I was riding it on the regular cause it kept me in climbing shape, but corner canyon has made me soft as I knew it would. Had to step off the bike a few times and frustrated I took it in stride. After making the Altar I was trhilled and made the push to the saddle where I found snow. Luckily I did not have to come in contact with it really and didn't affect my ride. One last push of the bike and I was at the Lament Dh, I love that run! From then on it was straight forward in the crops and a fast ride to the car and missed a piece of trail but other than that it was a great success!

Saturday Morning

After a terrible night of sleep Friday night I still awoke and rose form the 5am alarm and limped my way to the car and off I went for a early morning run to Shoreline trail for a bobsled run. Have been looking for a change of scenery so I found myself climbing up a familiar trail I have not rode in a few months. I though I would get light earlier but it was dark all the way to Bobsled where it made for a different experience but still good none the less. I wanted to throw another loop onto it but knowing it was valentines day the sooner I got home I think the better. Legs are feeling good looks like this year is starting off with some good miles and can't wait to get access to the high terrain!

Thursday Night

       My ambition was diminished but none the less when the kiddo went to bed I went out for a night ride, knowing upper mountain was open had me excited as I was climbing Canyon Hollow for a nice change. It was a cooler night and a few others were out and I found myself at the summit and made my way to ghost for a thrilling descent and then not feeling like Potato hill I went north on shoreline and back for a pretty good short ride and found my glass full after an hour of riding.

Herriman Trail System

        So I have not been that adventurous due to the fact that time is tight, most my rides are in the dark while your sleeping cause there is just not enough time to do all the big manchild things that I make in my head. But with a new schedule I find myself brining my son to Pre School twice a week of two hours for his Autism specific Sensory class. So I knew since I am not in west valley for two hours that the Herriman trails were close, after recon I got a idea of the trail system and would set the plan to Tuesday morning.
       After dropping off Landon I felt a little guilty but I had two hours to do as I please and that needs to be embraced. So to the trails I went and after my phone guided me to the trailhead I found a line of cars and would be sharing it surprisingly with runners. Heading off there was a confusion of trails but I navigated my way into a climb up the fire break trail. The trail was pretty fresh, I think they were cut a year ago and were a little chunky but great none the less. There is no vegatation over here, you can see every switchback and climb which is slightly punishing but straight forward. After I was done climbing the firebreak it ends there and you can drop down into the gully and climb back to a paved road so that's exactly what I did. Hitting the pavement I made my way to the lake where the second trail called black ridge I would session. I was loving the new views to the East of the Wasatch, was pretty surprised to see how detailed and different it was from that point of view. As I reached the top I reached a rocky ridge reminding me of a picture I have seen of a foreign planet. I had two options, make a go down the other side and take neighborhood back, or ride back down what I did and still take neighborhood back. I chose to ride down the other side so I would have rode more new trail. Straight forward ride down that was over quick, the trail carried pretty good flow and so far was pretty good. A chug through the neighborhood on pavement reminded me of how bad my rear wheel was hopping. Went by the car and entered the trail system again and now went onto a Juniper Crest Loop. Another funky loop but nice and different and fast as I headed to the car and running out of time. I was pretty happy with the ride, I am glad to see more cities building trails for their people, Corner Canyon has been a perfect model for others and look forward to more building in the Salt Lake Valley for meeeee!