North Toward Carbon Peak. Can You See Wick on the Spoon?
This was one of those days when the weather starts out great, although it is Gunnison so you need to let it warm up some, and then deteriorates as the day wears on. I’m thinking I’ll make it out before noon and get a quality road ride in. Out and back, of course, the shortest true paved loop from Gunni is well over 150 miles, crossing the divide twice. But, you know the drill, it’s clouding up, I can see moisture coming in and it’s getting close to 2pm. I’ll need to stay close to town so it’s onto the Rotwild hardtail and out to the roads and trails behind the college.
This is always the first off-road riding to open up and now it’s completely dry; a bit soft on one or two north exposures but no mud. With Hartman Rocks closed for mud season, this is all we’ve got but I’m grateful to be able to get out and climb some hills, and ride some trails. There’s about 400 vertical and an assortment of riding including a pump track and some killer looking jump trails. These, however, are not for me so I am content to try to get in 2 hours simply working to rack up some vert. My hardtail feels great going up the hills and notso coming down. It’s about 55 degrees and the wind isn’t too bad for this time of year, especially when it’s at my back.
The overcast skies and various hues of brown, make for a moody, subdued palette, complimented by the gray clouds and distant snowfields, recently powdered in various intensities with a deep red dust carried in by high winds from the deserts of Utah and Arizona. In places the snow is the same color as your bike and clothes after a long ride in Moab. I love days like this. Yesterday was similar but colder. Full tights, windstopper gloves, winter shoes. Also the same, I fiddle farted around and didn’t get out until just before 2:00pm and the boys had a school program at 330pm. Knobs on the road, then. Antelope Hills road has three paved climbs for one out and back circuit and it climbs about 750 feet per. Minute for minute it’s really good and if the weather turns sketchballs you can quickly hightail if for home. Two laps, 90 minutes on the bike, 1500 vert and by 330pm I’m watching Benno do a gymnastics routine in the school auditorium.
Antelope Hills out and back repeats is as close to riding an indoor trainer as I have gotten in years. As you can see, early season for me
Look Ma, No Mud!
isn’t too digital; no heartrates, no power taps (I don’t have one but probably would use one if I did) no structured intensity yet. Don’t get me wrong, I like some data, maybe not to the extent of some, but for now it’s all about putting the solid time in on the flats and in the hills. The power workouts, the intervals, the heart rate monitor, those will all come. But I’d trade all of that any day for the gray sky, the big stark views and the isolation of the Gunnison Valley.
Second full week on the bike, two days left and I’m knocking on the door of 10 hours. I can’t wait to get my world rocked at Sea Otter.
Looking SW Over Gunnison toward Hartman Rocks
