Walker Ranch last night - Nick

Dan and I can't hop around like Nick, so we rode up the left side of this obstacle.

Apex Park - Clay, Dan, John, Scott & Steve

These pics were taken at the top of Pick N Sledge which we got to riding up Sluicebox from Apex. Two new trails for us. The ride was damp at the beginning and dried out after the first few miles. Sluicebox and Pick N Sledge didn't add much distance to our normal Apex ride, but it was nice to be on some new trails that had some technical switchbacks. We'll probably do more exploring up there next time ... there's Grubstake Loop (1.6 mi.) & Bonanza (.3 mi.) that we still need to ride.

It was clearer than usual and we had some great views of Golden & Denver at the top. Usually we don't stop much for scenery, but this ride had some open views that were worth it.


Clay


John


Scott


Steve


Steve

pics from last week

above pics from Ceran St Vrain ride with Ryan - red bike - last Sunday


From Tuesday's ride with Dan, Devin, John, Josh, Nick & Skip.

Ceran St Vrain - 05.25.08

Nice night for a ride. Cool weather & overcast. Spent 45 minutes or so on some rocky technical spots. Dan had trouble with one of the cleats in his shoe. My front wheel slid out on me in some sand on a corner and I fell over. I wrecked last time we rode this trail too. The trail has a challenging variety - dark hard-packed dirt in the trees to loose dry rocky technical tread. Not as long as I'd like it to be. There are some other trails that branch out at the top that I'd like to explore when there's time.

Walker Ranch yesterday

Steve approaching the parking lot after the first climb.

The weather was ideal - overcast and cool with no traffic. Finished up right before the sun went down.

We saw some boaters paddle through a rocky section of South Boulder Creek. I've thought about boating this every time I've been there. Fun to watch a couple guys do it. Here's the videos -




I did some paddling at the Lyons whitewater park earlier in the day after not having paddled at all last year. I was pretty rusty.

Betasso - Clay, Dan, Ryan, Skip & Steve

From the left - Ryan, Skip, Steve & Dan

Did a couple loops with Steve & Dan - the trail's counter clockwise now. We all decided we like the trail clockwise more.

Hall Ranch - Clay, Dan & Nick

Good trail conditions. Got there around 8:30 and it was already warm. Not too bad overall, but we'll want to start earlier if/when we ride Hall in the summer. Came across this snake right after we got started. Probably 5-6 ft long. Didn't seem to mind us handling him and taking pics.


Nick saved what would've been a bad wreck right after we finished the top loop. I thought he was going down. I missed it, but he did wreck near the bottom and cracked his helmet all the way across. All this after saying we should take it easy on the downhill. Maybe next time.


We saw Devin near the top coming down. Good to see him out on the trail.

White Ranch this morning

Trail Map - conditions were a little wet, but not muddy


Dan, Devin & John at one of the parking lots near the top


Devin on the climb


John on the climb


Clay, John & Devin


Nice smooth singletrack cutting across the mountain - Sawmill Trail


Scrapped my leg on a wreck coming down Longhorn Trail.

Walker Ranch w/ Dan & Ryan

At Walker Ranch this morning with Dan & Ryan. 8 am meet time seemed early, but being done by noon and before the heat/crowds made it worthwhile. Nice morning to be outside.


Ryan hiking up the stairs above South Boulder Creek.


Clay


Ryan & Dan

Dan and Ryan rode the road down Flagstaff. Looked like fun. I left my gloves on the car roof and lost the left one.

Hall Ranch backside

Biking at Hall Ranch this morning.

Zippety Do Dah - Fruita

Dan and I rode this trail the wrong way for the first half and then turned around and retraced our tracks - riding it the intended direction. Their was a sign that said "experts only" with a double black diamond warning. The video is of one of the steeper sections of the trail. It's steeper than it looks. Nice and smooth though, so mostly just a matter of hanging on.



Here's a pic from the trail going the wrong direction. The trail often followed the ridge line of the hills, sloping steeply on either side, which was fun and unique. Click image for larger view.


We rode "Holy Cross" in Grand Junction the next day and it was one of the funniest rides from a technical standpoint that I can remember. Highly recommended if you like rocks, drops and a continuous challenge.

Speedball R

Got this seat post last week in the mail on sale for $149 from beyondbikes.com. A bit heavier than your typical seat post, but gone are the days when I need to stop to adjust my seat height. It's controlled with a thumb tab that's mounted on the handlebars. Easy & quick to adjust for whatever the trail has to offer. Wasn't sure 3" would completely satisfy my desires for on the fly seat adjustability, but after riding Hall Ranch yesterday I can say 3" is within the range I've been adjusting it manually.

Good to be riding again.