Biking the Doldrums

No I'm not talking about the equatorial region that struck dread and sometimes insanity into the hearts of sailors for hundreds of years, although the effect can be the same. I'm talking about the doldrums of February and March, a time when biking is scarce and the  good snow for skiing or snowshoeing is quickly melting. 

Lets get something out of the way right now, over the years we have become what some might consider "snow snobs". If it is not deep, light and refreshed frequently we don't like it. This year we have only strapped on the snowshoes and skis once.  Don't get me wrong, normally we have been snowshoeing and skiing, for 2-3 months now, but this year has been pathetic. 

In other years mid February rolls around and the excitement of snowshoeing has worn off, but the trails, even the lower ones,  are still snow covered, or too muddy for any real riding. (Fat tires not included, having not fallen for that 'trend'  yet). Leaving one or even two dreaded months of waiting. 

This year has been different, there is some lousy snow high in the mountains, but surprisingly some of the lower trails are open, and the afternoon temperatures hover around 55-65 degrees allowing for some afterwork and Saturday rides.

It began a few weeks ago when I noticed that my normal winter starved Strava feed began filling up with rides,  from riders who don't own fat bikes. Some were on roads,  others on dirt. I decided it was time to try. 

Surprisingly the trail was mostly dry,  even dusty in places.  But it was one of those evenings when it is just good to be on a bike with nice temperatures and nicer trails.   It gave me a glimpse of another good year of riding and exploring one trail at a time. 

I couldn't help but thinking of those sailors who sat for weeks or even months waiting for wind.  Sure the comparison is slim. We have food and water and are not likely to die.   But,  for those who really love the outdoors and specifically putting foot to pedal,  the insanity can be the same. 



Wallsburg to Vivian...It's an adventure.

Some time ago we read or heard about, I forget which, a trail that begins in Wallsburg Utah and ends at Vivian park in Provo canyon. We tried riding it from Vivian, but the trail was steep and ridiculously rocky and loose. We don't mind Hike-a-bikes, but that was too much and too far. After some research we were finally able to find and connect the trails, from Wallsburg to Vivian, and the result was amazing views and  beautiful singletrack all culminating in a long loose and rocky descent.

Climbing up from Wallsburg, the trail was over grown and rough in places. This trail is frequented more by motorcycles than bicycles. We loved the remote feeling it offered. The climb is shaded and nice.

The views on the way up are amazing. After some climbing we came to the spot we thought was the top. There was a great view, as well as a great place to stop and re-fuel. We were dead wrong. After relaxing we began to pedal and within 100 feet saw the trail climb steeply in front of us. Later the gps tracks would show it was about a 1700 vert feet hike a bike. I mean, sure those who are in super shape could ride parts of it but for a heavier-out-of-shape rider, it was a hike a bike. After some frustration, we reached another summit, which finally lead to the downhill.

 

There are no pictures of this downhill ride. Partly because Guthrie was a head of me, mostly because it is a rough, baby-head filled, hand jarring long descent. Don't get me wrong, we loved it, but the entire ride took concentration and muscle to not fly off the trail into the bushes, which, although much effort was exhausted to prevent, occurred quite frequently.  The descent is what makes it an adventure trail, the ride is fantastic, overgrown, and rocky and loose at the end, but we will definitely do it again as we keep on exploring one trail at a time.

 

Wallsburg to Vivian Park

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Relentless and Rewarding

Someone once told me, regarding mountain bike racing, that if you ever got off your bike you should be instantly disqualified. I responded by suggesting that if you never got off your bike, you probably were not riding difficult enough trails. Whether my statement is true or not, lately it has seemed that the relentlessly steep trails seem to lead to some of the most rewarding areas and riding.

For some time we have been wanting to try and ride to Cascade Saddle from Big Springs. We heard it was steep, knew it was a popular motorcycle trail and had ridden the first 3 miles where it did indeed get steep, but could not find any gps tracks or much about it after that. Supposedly it is 5 or 6 miles to the pass.  Saturday we decided to give it a try.

Miles 1-2 are normal riding, scenic, nice trail, kosher stuff, 2-3 get steeper with some hike-a-bike,  3-4 the riding stops and the pushing and carrying begins. But this is not your momma's hike a bike. These are steep, loose chutes, that climb straight up the mountain in places.  But, the views, the views were incredible.

In the end, we didn't make it all the way to the top. Snow began to cover the trail in a lot of places and a huge avalanche, above, blocked the path entirely. We hiked over it for sometime, but not knowing what to expect and needing to get home for a city carnival we promised to take our kids to forced us to turn around.

The views were fantastic, the climb was even fun, but descending this trail is pure bliss. The top is a hang back, super steep, baby head filled, rocky chute decent, followed my mellow rough trail riding and finally smooth cruising.

After it was all said and done, we ended up climbing 3,100 feet in 4.1 miles. The ride able part is about 15% grade and after that I have no idea. It took us about an hour and a half up and 20 minutes down, but it is worth every second. We heard that you can access the top of this trail from a ride in Wallsburg, the plans are already in place...finding new rides, one trail at a time.

Enjoy the Harvest (Moon) - Provo Canyon Night Ride

As the colors change and people flock to the canyon in seemingly countless crowds, other almost evangelical events begin to occur with the die hard mountain bikers...that thing know as the Night Ride.

For weeks now we have been preparing our lights. Mind you, we do not own any high lumen exorbitantly expensive name brand light that can equal or surpass the car headlight. Instead we ride with 200 lumen flashlights,purchased at Costco, mounted to our handlebars using zip ties or even electrical tape. 

When the sun goes down and the lights turn on, frequently ridden trails turn into new adventures, where the uphill seems less steep and the downhill much more so. As the light flashes from side to side, eyes dart in and out of the oak and brush, triggering stories in the mind of what may lie waiting. 

This Saturday night was one of those nights, with exception, batteries were not required. 

We heard the Harvest Full moon would be at its crescendo this weekend and decided to venture out. So about 9:30 we attached the lights, headed up to Timpanogos park, put tire to dirt and rode for the next hour or so with only the moon to light our path. 

We began climbing from timpanogos park and left our lights off as climbing a dirt road is no technical task. Upon reaching the top where road turned to singletrack much to our amazement the trail and surrounding terrain was illuminated my the Harvest Moon, now high over head. We continued climbing to the water wank road then further up Betty and eventually to Rollercoaster. It seemed the higher we went the brighter and clearer it got. This was a good night to be in the mountains.

Arriving at Rollercoaster we took a left and began descending towards the road with the lights of Orem shining below.  No Strava speed or segment records were broken in the descent, but amazingly, the moon continued to lite our path ahead so that we could comfortably descend. 

After reaching the water tank road we were a little nervous to descend the cliff portion of the trail, but found that again, no light was needed. We made it down the cliffs, through the race course, to the car all-the-while commenting what an amazing night this was and how lit up the trail and mountains were. 

It was a night to remember and a great beginning to exploring at night, one Trail at a time. 

It is always good to ride.

Saturday night around 6:30 Guthrie called to see if I wanted to go biking that evening. He had done a long one in the morning and I had gone on a run then lifted weights, but as we were bored,and quite frankly had both over eaten that day, we figured we would just go mess around. Big Springs up Provo canyon was sounding nice, so we couldn't resist. We climbed the trail reaching the bridge over the springs about dusk and then headed down.

With the sun quickly setting, taking pictures proved difficult.

However, one bit of advice, when taking flash pictures at night, stay a little farther back from the subject. After the flash went off in the above shot, Guthrie was blinded, lost the trail, ran into my bike and hit a tree (smallish bush, but tree sounds better).

Coming down we were messing around on the corners, sliding, carving and spraying dirt. This controlled slide, turned into a controlled slideout down the hill.

I smashed my stupid Tifosi glasses I had just placed in my pocket. I Learned a valuable lesson; even Grilamid 90 cannot stand up to 202 lbs landing on them.

As we returned to the car, a bit more slowly than usual, the lights were on at the park and as I looked at the rising moon I thought...It is always good to ride.

Almost Summer

This time of year is really nice. The flowers are starting to bloom, grass is turning green, the weather is nice and leaves are coming out. However, it is also the time when we really start getting excited (or overly eager) to bike in the higher elevations and ride the trails we love.

Saturdays ride, just got us a little more excited to ride those types of trails and gave us a taste of how great the summer is going to be.
We joined up with Roman on this ride and started at Mt. Timpanogas park, went up the race course past the altar. With trails and weather like this.....

We HAD to keep riding. We climbed for about 5-6 miles and gained about 3000' of elevation and this is what it looked like

The view was nice and the trail was fun, but from the non-existent leaves on the trees means the higher elevations are still not quite ready. We arrived at our desired destination and decided to head down. This is where the fun really started.

The dirt was soft offering great traction, but not too soft we could still get some speed. There were lots of tight turns, open turns, fast flowy sections, rocky sections and just a blast coming down. For riding like this, we usually have to wait until much later in the year. It was so rad, we had to get some pictures.

Generally, Gage is the photographer because, for some reason, my timing and coordination skills can't match up to catch some good shots, but I finally hit the button at the right time.... or maybe it was just the continuous shot option that got it.... either way, we got some sweet pics on some nice turns.

Gage was able to capture a close up shot on one of the best non-bike specific turns I have ridden. Super smooth, no brakes, and tacky ground made for some fun fast grippy turns. This is one of those times my little girl says it best...BRAAAAP!

After about 15 miles of awesome singletrack and some perfect turns, we arrived back at the car happy, but excited for more riding.

It was a good day.

provo canyon race course to top of dry creek

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Just Riding - Provo Canyon 3.31.12

Saturday was one of those days where we almost have to force ourselves to ride and it turns out amazing. Guthrie and I had been struggling with a stomach flu the week before, but with possible 80 degree temperatures (which we did hit and broke a long time record), we couldn't miss a day like that.

We began very slow and climbed and explored new trails, the following is a picture summary of the trip.

Due to the wind the night and day before, the air was clear and we could see for miles.

Hard to believe it is late March and such little snow in the mountains, this is the GWT climbing up from the altar to the pass at the top of Dry creek for a descent, alas the snow stopped us.

Gorgeous blue skies and bike (2011 Specialized Stumpjumper EVO).

We decide to take a few pictures descending Dragon's back...Guthrie pinning it.

This year we have explored these trails more than ever before, and we couldn't be more happy with them. They provide good training, variety and some technical portions (you can find them on this website Timp Foothill Trails).

Long live Utah biking...

Last First bike ride?

Every year, when the first snow falls, I try to do one last ride. This year, or I should say season, was a little different however. Because the temperatures were so mild and there was a lack of snow, we continued to ride through November and December. Last week I even was able to do two night rides, wearing only a long sleeve jersey and long pants, that is crazy!!

This year the first snowfall, that stopped biking (maybe, as it was so minimal) , didn't happen until January 7, 2012. So I rode from Timpanogos park up racecourse to the "altar" (the pile of rocks in the first picture), Down crank to Beginning of Dragon's back then dropped into Johnson's Hole and back down to the parkway trail and my car, about 9 miles overall. Not long, but long for January 6th.

This picture is looking down into "Johnson's Hole" as it is called. This is a newer trail we just recently found and is a fantastic addition to the trail network at the mouth of Provo canyon.

Utah is such a fabulous place to live. Within one hour of our home there lies, Payson canyon (black hawk, Bennie), Spanish fork canyon (Three fork loop, Monk, Strawberry ridge), American Fork Canyon (Ridge, Ant's knoll, Tibble fork) Corner canyon, Lambert...Etc. Within two hours there is Price, The San Rafael Swell and  Salt lake valley. Within 3-4 hourse lies the world famous Moab with all it has to offer and St. George/Hurricane with what some regard as the best trail in the United States, Gooseberry Mesa and it's twin, little Creek, among many other greats (Guacamole, Slickrock swamp, Grafton, Zen, etc).

People travel around the world to ride these trails. Trails which grace the cover of multiple magazines regularly. Bike tests are done there. Outerbike is held in Moab. MBA action devotes entire photo sections just to Moab because they receive so many pictures from there.

And we can ride it almost any time we want.

Yes Utah is quite a place for the Mountain Biker or Outdoor adventurer.

I am glad to call it home. 

Night Ride

Sunset

Back to Blogging....Saturday morning I awoke with a little cold so I didn't go biking. Later that night I still wanted to go so I went on my first night ride of fall...alone. It was a little Creepy, but with some music on it wasn't too bad. I rode the pipe line road up to the corner canyon trails then to the Altar.

The City

The "Altar"

The City upon returning

The Highlight of the night, if you can call it that, or perhaps the most vivid memory was this; While riding up a small hill two sets of eyes came running over the hill towards me, they darted in the bushes then slunk back through the grass towards me. I was, well, very, very startled. Shortly after a very large animal came bounding over the hill behind them...I got off my bike very quickly. They turned out to be two dogs and a horse, followed soon after by a horseman.

I was relieved that is all it was.

The first real Utah Valley ride...

For those who are familiar with the movie "Seven Brides and Seven Brothers", there is a time when the men and women of the village have been waiting all year for the pass to open. It's a memorable scene when the man rides into the village shouting, "The pass is open, The pass is open". That scene illustrates how we feel when the trails, however few they may be, are open.

Guthrie heading up from the Racecourse trails to the water tank road

The trails begin at the Timpanogos Park near the mouth of Provo canyon. After climbing a short dirt road, the single track begins. The trails wander and switch back for a short distance until they become steep before reaching the road. However, most of the trails are rideable.

Guthrie goes up first because it give me a chance to rest and take pictures, mainly rest though.

After reaching the road we took a right and went up "Betty" to the "Altar".

The trails were all in amazing shape, dry enough to ride without leaving ruts or tracks, but still damp enough that normally loose sections were tacky.

The views from the top of the cliffs are actually quite cool.

After reaching the "altar" we descended "Frank" to the water tank road. We followed the road around to where the singletrack continues descending on a trail known as "Dragon's Back". After hitting the Provo parkway trail, we headed up and connected with the Bst heading away from Bridal veil falls. We rode this trail for about 1 mile until we hit snow and mud, then turned around.

Normally the parkway trail is just a smooth coast back to the park, however today the wind was blowing fiercely up the canyon so the coast was now a pedal. It was all peaceful until Guthrie saw two other bikers ahead of us. Whenever this happens, Guthrie puts his head down a little, shifts down and tries to catch and then pass then, sure enough; his head went down, shifted down and accelarated. After passing them, you can't be passed again, so we held the pace until the bottom.

It was amazing to get out on the trails for the first time. Other trails are also ready, (Lambert park, Corner canyon) but the Foothill trails (follow the link to find a map) seem to be steeper and we have ridden them less. Over all we did 14 miles.

A great day.