Its come that time of year when the internal bear that resides inside starts to hibernate and I find it harder and harder to get motivated for a ride. The Thursday Night Worlds changed to Wednesday last week and I missed it due to Mrs. Goat finding Buddy Christ so I thought to ride Thursday, even had opportunity to ride a few hours with daylight if I had wanted but alas, The bear was sleeping so I didn't.
Saturday, Canyon Rat had a nice loop planned for Indian Creek and section 1 of the Colorado Trail so I decided to tag along and so did Slow. We kept the pace at a good clip with some stops for lollygagging and taking in the day. Just a beautiful fall day, Blue skies, a crisp edge to the air, trails just primed with newly fallen aspen leaves to keep it interesting.
We managed to get the whole Indian Creek Loop in along with a trip to the Platte River Valley overlook on the Colorado Trail. Near the end of the ride I think we all went into our own special places to make it back to the car. Looks like I'm losing some fitness but its all good as I've made peace with myself in that fact for winter riding.
Slow on Indian Creek
Canyon Rat and Slow in the Meadow
South Platte River Valley Overlook
Canyon Rat in the Water
Fall Ridin at Indian Creek
Beanfest V. 2.0
Since The Tour de Goat I've now managed to get three rides under my belt. One Lunch ride of an hour, One Thursday Night Worlds, and this Weekend's BeanFest V.2.0.
Beanfest goes off every year at Buffalo Creek and is run by our local hero; Pablo. That was last weekend and I decided last weekend that instead of turning pedals I needed to hang with the family who had lost me for over seven days the week prior.
This past weekend PBR was contacted by some Boston folks who were gonna be in town and was asked to lead a ride through Buffalo Creek. Since he missed the BeanFest himself, he thought up the Beanfest V. 2.0. Camping, riding, drinking, with mexican on the side. I was just gonna head up with my girls for the camping bit but my little one had been sick last week and complained of her tummy hurting Saturday morning. So I spent the day with the girls and headed up that evening with Lubes for a night of riding with a return to the hacienda for bed.
We got there around 3:30 and the Boston crew didn't show till around 5pm so a few beers were consumed in the meantime of us talking about riding a loop and coming back for the Bostonians. Nick was there, another who had broken a Misfit/ True North Dissent and he was riding his newly repaired Dissent but as he put it, "It was a nightmare process with caution put on high alert in riding it".
photo Cred: PBR
Our ride started around 5:30 or maybe later with the fellas from Boston having to build their bikes and such. Once we got started, I pushed the pace a little high and found two of the Bostonians were in superb condition as they hung my tail like dogs on a rabbit and had me huffing like a chain smoking old lady trying to maintain the pace. This was Wraith, I'm terrible with names but great with bikes; who rode a full suspension singlespeed 29er custom built by Wraith and another fella who was on a gold Turner but riding flat pedals. Fast dudes who pushed me hard and eventually cracked me for the final climb that night. They cracked too and some of the others got past but we kept it in front for 3/4's of the ride.
All in all great fellas. All nine of em, though I can only remember Dave's name and that was because he had some big open heart/ multiple number of bypasses surgery back in February or March. The way he was riding, you couldn't tell. Lubes and I ducked out shortly after the ride so you'll have to check out PBR for all the debauchery and tomfoolery that went on that night and the next day.
Tour de Goat Hangover
I've been back to the real world since last Wednesday but the Tour De Goat Hangover still lingers. Seven days of riding with a couple of cool cats including Guacamole, Mark, Big Ring, and Dicky on trails that railed and weather that couldn't have been more perfect.
The trip was awesome but it left me mentally and physically exhausted. The old cliche of, "I need a vacation from my vacation". So when a snowstorm hit in the mountains this past weekend and all we got here on the Front Range was a light dusting, I took the girls up for a good ol snow ball fight and snowman building right off the Continental Divide Trail near Alice.
a brief photo tour of the Tour de Goat....
Wednesday: Golden,CO...Chimney Gulch> Enchanted Forest> Apex
Thursday: Vail, CO... Bowmans> Two Elks
Friday: Moab, UT...The Whole Enchilada: a shuttle ride of 30+ miles starting in the La Sal Mtns with a short climb to 11,600 ft and dropping to the desert of Porcupine Rim and finally Moab at 4026 ft.
Saturday: Moab, UT; Amasa Back to Jackson's in the am
to Pipedream in the afternoon
Sunday: Moab, UT; Slickrock in the am
Trans La Sals to Hells Canyon in the PM
it can't be a tour with my name attached to it without some hike a bike
Monday: Fruita, CO; Kokopelli Loops
Tuesday at Buffalo Creek, CO....30 miles of buff n fast singletrack. Just what we needed to end the Tour
all of the Tour de Goat pictures are here
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