Wet in Appleland

Sat night I found Mat’s house high above the Columbia looking down towards Wenatchee. I wasn’t sure of the directions and as I drove up the steep road into the sky and onto a private road I was fretting if I had to back down. Saw his truck & horse trailer he mentioned.

Slight sprinkle fell during the night. The forecast was for heavy rain, not good for our Sun ride. Mat invited me up for Bfast and meet his family, wife Andrea and 2 young kids. The kids went to the grand Ps for the day, Mat’s dad’s 62 b-day.

Drove into Wenatchee and up Horse lake road. Should have car pooled w/ Mat, I failed planning 101. The dirt road was steep, switchbacking, and soft from rain. Several times the positrac light went on indicating that the computer was shunting traction to wheel that had it. Made the TH. Small gathering: Mark, a volunteer who is building trail, Mat & Andrea, Steve & Morgan from IMBA, a kid, and me. We rode some of the new trail being cut in. Mark is using a mini excavator to nibble the hillsides away. Land is on steep sage covered hillsides. Lots of climbing switchbacks. We rode 9.84 miles in 1 hr 41 and climbed 1862′. Well designed and constructed trails. IMBA trail guide lines.

Evergreen something is a mtn biking club based out of like Seattle w/ chapters through out west side. They are the ones the Lands Trust asked to build the trails. It will be a mtn biking treasure w/ more trails in the future. Thing about these purpose built trails is they are smooth, mostly predictable, and all rideable. Just the joy of  riding a bike w/o excitement of Tech challenges.

Rain stayed away for our ride. Mat invited me back to his house for a shower. Just b4 leaving his exposed house a violent T-storm hit. I watched my partially opened roof vent pulse gaping wide then back to control arm lowered position. Hail fell. I sprinted for my van. Dime sized hail nailed my bald pate several times. Just violent storm.

Plan now is to drive to Leavenworth to spend afternoon, maybe catch a local beer and some football b4 heading out further up canyon to the Chiwawa river road. I learned that these trails which are shared by dirt bikes never turned to powder this year because it never got baking hot to dry the dirt out. And w/ recent light rain amount the trails should be primo. I drove the back way to Plain and spent the night in a snow park lot.

B4 daybreak rain fell in earnest in spite of forecast. I waited and waited and it continued to rain. By now the trails would be too wet to ride. Forced rest day today.

Drove back to Leavenworth and parked in city parking lot w/ great internet access and caught up on my banking. Facts display the large $ I am spending on my bike. It’s all for maintenance and replacing used parts. I should be good to go for quite awhile now.

Walked to Das Rad bike shop hoping for conversation. Not happening.

Plan is to ride Devil’s Gulch area Tues, spend the night back there then drive back to Spokane for Wed PM Loppers’ Ball mtn bike ride. I have a AM session Thurs in psychologist Larry’s Box for an hour to work out a few more of my riding faults. Going to attempt to fill myself w/ courage. I am a beter rider than i give myself credit for and am capable of  making more successful tech moves but I usually choose to bail.

My 5th pair of warranty shoes are ready for my pick up. During this 26 month odyssey i have spent $12,578.00 on my bike stuff. I never dreamed i would spend that much. But then I have spent $1,200 on Scotch. I can reason all of my purchases, nothing has been frivolous.

Signed up for Bend’s Big Fat Tour, going to ride the 70 mile epic ride. I need to manage my energy consumption to go the distance. I have lost almost all my body fat. Back in the late 80s when I was racing the Boss Coast 100 mile race the first year it seems i ate only 2 stale glazed donuts @ the halfway point and several original powerbars. Made it on youth & stored fat.

Off to no internet access camp for tomorrow’s ride.