Yesterday I drove from PUSH parking lot in Loveland, CO to FT Collins seeking local trails. Stopped @ Matter Bookstore on main drag in FT Collins for map info. Interesting: it was a .pdf on cd. I didn’t buy as Soapstone was not included. Friendly clerk went on line to natural area office and found the driving instructions. Said it was 25 miles from town. I perceived that to be 25 miles north on 287 to Wyoming. Wrong. Missed first turn and drove said 25 miles. Turned around. Pulled over and called the number listed on the brochure. i learned that rt turn is just out of town. First navigational mistake. Drove out to Soapstone over st hwy, county paved then to dirt then to washboarder dirt to entrance. Suzy was on duty.
She was just floored by me, said I was the most unique person whom she has net at the booth. OK, booth is out in the sticks.
She plied me w/ questions, i tols stories, she took photos. We kept each other occupied for maybe 30 minutes. I wanted to get riding b4 noon to beat the heat.
Trails are on a steppe instead of a plateau, just a slight incline and lack tree cover: just you, your bike, some grasses, and the sky. Joined 2 other guys sharing my ride plans. Weather was threatening storm. Prepared me had his rain jacket in his heavy pack. Rode out on machine cut trails, smooth on like decomposing granite type soil which moves under force. At a later intersection we split ways going different ways to meet later, it turned out I wasn’t supposed to meet them there. T-storm broke during my solo trail. I rode past the intersection I was supposed to take. One intersection joined another 1 a short distance in. I misinterpreted the trail name and rode up to top, met the guys who interpreted the map correctly. They were in just riding clothes wetted by rain. I rode what they rode and then back again on what I rode until the missed intersection was reached, i made the correct turn up Canyon trail that was shallow, not steep, and covered in prairie grasses. Another T storm moved in. Lightning struck earth in the same time the thunder cracked. Out in the open but a bit below high points. Just kept pedaling and kept my head down. Storm moved on b4 i crested the high flat open land where i was the highest thing, Trail dropped down hill mostly from here on ST. Again the dirt moves under force b4 I really want to lean into it. Several of the turns were sudden preceded by like a grade dip that I pump tracked gaining speed only to dive into a turn. Grabbing brakes, mostly front, to enter the turn @ a safer speed and not skid. Finally saw TH in distance as another T- storm blew in. This one was windier that buffeted me all way back to van. Not much in the rain, still putting the bike on the rack and wrestling the wind to secure the rain cover over the bikes got me damp. What it lacked in wetness it made up for in penetrating force. Solar shower didn’t heat up and beside, no way was I going to shower in that wind. I did think about taking over the CXT outhouse made in Hillsboro, TX plant for a shower stall.
Drove back into Ft Collins thinking shower, laundry, dinner from Whole Foods mecca. GPS displayed public pool. Found it but it was closed. Whole Foods goodies and I drove to laundromat right on main drag. Clean clothes. Next was a sleep spot. GPSd the hospital to look for dr office parking lots. Found what i was looking for. Cooler night. Slept better.
Darren from PUSH said he might ride Horsetooth on Sun and would call me. No call Sat night.
Sunday after a few errands I drove out to Horsetooth TH. Trail up was an old road w/ a lot of 12 to 17% grade. Worked up to 7000′ again. Encountered a young law enforcement officer equiped w/ his utility belt but no hat or water. He approved of my route. Headed out on techy narrow ST mix of slight up & down w/ some flat in between. On a hike a bike section I met a guy coming down. We were both off our bikes him going down and me going up. We struck up a conversation, he is a consulting forester. Above us a rider was rolling down over rocks & roots. He passed between us thru some rocks. I saw the Turner logo and read 5Spot, just like mine except he was riding a coil over shock that Darren said would make my bike feel like a different bike. I continued on finally going down. I encounter Drew, the guy on the Spot. We chatted, he is a good friend of Darren’s of PUSH. Cool.
ST joined back to main trail and I dropped vertical on road. Bummer.
At TH the solar shower was waiting. I wanted a shower and the crowded parking lot seemed like a good place to be private in a public place. I hung the shower from the rain gutter. Hot shower. Shampooed & wash cloth soap scrubbed. I kept my shorts on.
Drove back into FT Collins to be a downtown tourist. Healthy downtown. All 2 story brick buildings. Lots of people. Pleasant walking around looking @ buildings & desirable women. Lots of trim women wearing summer dresses. Had a beer in a brew pub.
Drove to Whole Foods where I remember shade trees in an ajoining parking lot. This is my night spot. Whole Food treat after bfast and then down to Loveland.
Using a cooler to refrigerate my food. I have thrown out almost all of my food from frig because of like 55 degree temps. Learned that true Parmesan can be stored @ room temp.