Yesterday I bid adieu to Greater Sun Valley and moved over to the Tetons for 3 days. Sun Valley felt good. I spent nights out in woods away fro internet which shorted the blog but not my enjoyment.
Greater Sun Valley boasts like 1,100 miles of trails, I left literally hundreds of miles on the table for future rides. I rode a bunch that are close in and easier to get to. Trails such as they are less technical than the miles in the boonies.
I rested on the 7th day, on Sunday in Ketchum as the forecast called for mtn showers w/ possible snow showers. Day turned out rainless.
Kyle invited me on a ride of Baldy mtn on the ski hill for Tuesday. We rode up a trail inside the ski area boundary. The trail is well constructed and rideable. I huffed and puffed trailing Kyle on his hardtail single speed. Our route took us to mid mountain then traversed across the hill then finished up by dropping down the Warm Springs side on another rideable trail that gets hammered by the lift serviced riders. There is a hot spring on the creek below the trail which wafted it’s sulphur laden odor uphill. This is a go to ride for after work riders. The Castle fire of 2007 burned over aprts of the ski hill. This is a big mountain and big time steep skiing. Unfortunately the hill depends upon manmade snow for coverage.
After the ride I drove upstream to the hot spring for a soak. The spring pours into a man made rock basin separating the hot h2o from the chilly creek h2o. The granite rocks where immersed in the spring h2o provide a medium for moss & algae to grow. I was a rock above the pool when I slipped. I remember seeing a round boulder approaching my rib cage, somehow I fell in a prone position. i managed to jam my left hand on something breaking my fall. The force traveled to my shoulder playing havoc w/ my twice repaired shoulder. It hurts but seems to move in all directions but is painful. I am telling my body that it is a strain that will heal. But I am not letting my body rest to heal. During the fall apparently I kicked a guy in the head which formed our introduction. No foul but some kind of hurt for him.
I camped several nights up Trail Creek where I had a down canyon view of Baldy mtn. Cool view.
Kyle gave me another must do ride up valley up east Fork of Baker creek. Crazy: 8 miles of logging road for 3.5 miles of ST downhill. I humped the road climb. Almost @ the top I got a skyscape view and saw downwind snow / sleet falling. B4 I could reach the protection from the old growth trees I was splattered w/ sleet. I stopped to put on my rain jacket. Brief shower and by the mileage passed to tree cover the sun broke out. Downhill on old hiking trail. Got a bit steep towards the bottom.
Such a shame to loose so much vert in a short horizontal distance. I longed for the seat dropper I am buying from Price Point. Lowering the seat is a good idea in steep tech sections, it allows a rider to get weight back over real wheel for control and lightens the front end lessening an over the bars splatter. Lowering the seat gets it below my nuts in case I do go over the bars. Several riders @ Sedona had droppers but I refused to go that far. I have since changed my mind. Rockshox has a new one yet to hit the market, it’s credentials are the best of the choices. I asked Price Point to save 1 for me. They gave me the bike stand. Now that I have made my mind up to get 1 and it’s purchase is weeks away I am antsy. The dropper would have been used on many rides.
Took a shower @ Y in Ketchum then headed east to Driggs. I am moving myself to the Labor Day gathering of Spokane buds @ Curly Lake near Whitehall, MT. I will find 2 days for riding here. Last night I slept just off the road above the Snake River near Swan Valley, ID. Driving today I saw snow falling on the Tetons East of here. Rain was falling on the road.
Driving into Driggs i saw a bank that incorporated a silo into its building. Tom sent me an article about someone who used a silo for a house. I entered the bank & checked it out. Next stop was the local bike shop. I told Troy about it and he said he knows someone locally building a silo house. I hope to check it out as it is a viable choice for a future house, maybe over a geodesic dome.
There is a Creamery store on Main st. I hoped they had whole chocolate milk. They lack the license to sell that kind of milk, instead they make cheeses. Time on my hands, an inquiring mind, and another person’s sharing of knowledge made for a learning experience. I needed to leave to attend to other business. I shopped for groceries at neat big grocery store and entered into a cheese discussion w/ a woman working the deli section. Again, more learning and I was still no closer to attending to my own business.
I am parked on the outer fringe of the grocery store parking lot taking care of business. Lignetic pellets that I burned to heat my house are $272 a ton here. I paid $170 2 years ago, I burned 3 tons plus a season. Ouch.
5 years after Katrina.
Off to the woods outside of town for the night and a ride tomorrow. It’s 53 degrees and spitting cold rain. temp is to climb for weekend; shorts are cold right now.
Bruce: Pisgah jersey is getting advertised.