Twin Falls, ID that is.
Sunday was a drive day from Bend to actually Kimberly which is just east of Twin. Forecast for Mon was snow on the route I would take. Sunday was great riding weather and the roads were clear. Drive on good roads. Drove all day. Camped @ Indian Springs BLM land where a network of local hand built trails was waiting.
Again, over the years I have ridden here since I learned about it from a foray to a bike shop I found in the yellow pages. I knew nothing about the trails. Additional trails have been built since that initial visit. This year I am right on the cusp of winter weather, any day w/o snow and or below freezing nights are to cherished. Or until I move out of the early winter locales. Last night forecast called for 60% rain mostly after 11:00. I slept in adjusting to a time zone faster. Sunrise is 8:04AM. I envisioned riding at 9 and finishing about 11:00. I changed into riding clothes from my pajama sweats shorts. A car parked @ next parking spot away, the rider geared up and pedaled away into threatening clouds. @ 9:20 sprinkles fell as a precursor to the hard rain to follow. The rider was out in the soup and I just sat back in my chair warm and dry then changed into street clothes accepting that no ride would happen. I putzed around inside as the skies lightened. I checked the doppler radar on my Android smart phone. It showed a hole between rain clouds upstream of here. I changed back into riding gear and ventured out. The wet rider loaded up his car and split b4 I started.
Again during my last visit I parked in the TH parking lot right where a traverse trail went by. That day most of the people, all men, who have pieces of the trail named after them introduced themselves to me. Today I rode up Swami. At the top I started down Matt’s that would drop me down on Dry gulch with a ride up stream and a climb back up then down something back to va n. This piece might have taken an hour. I looked at the sky and made the choice to shorten my ride to lessen the possibility of getting wet. Short ride but no long after getting back into the van rain fell. A sucker hole is one where conditions are satisfactory to venture forth but the inclement weather socks back in. My entire ride was dry. Hero dirt shared by range cows & left overs of “Sportsmen” who don’t police their brass and broken clay pigeons.
Great riding here having a nice mix of moderate difficulty tech moves and pedaling. Geography is volcanic and dirt that grows sage and vegetation that cows eat. A lot of front wheel lifting. Previous ride was w/ 26.5″ bar and a longer stem. This time 28″ bar and shorter stem greatly enhanced my control and enjoyment.
Interesting rock:
descent was on Back Door which gets technical mixed in w/ sketchy dirt between the rock stretches. Finished off on Sugar Loaf shared by cows.
back @ the van as I was changing back into street clothes rain fell. Short ride made for staying dry.
Drove into Twin to Spoke and Wheel bike shop where I learned about the riding here. Mike was working. We had chatted during past visits. We bumped into each other on Sedona trail last year and 2 years b4 it was in the Sedona laundromat. I learned of trail issues here and we shared notes about other rides. Joe stopped in. We met here last year, he jogging my memory. I enjoyed the no customers visit.
Rain in earnest was falling in town. I drove out to Fred Meyers for groceries and diesel @ $4.19 compared to other stations of $4.39. Inside the store a guy called my name. Doug Swami who has his name of the trail I climbed today. He was one of the guys I met from my parking choice. We chatted again learning more about local advocacy.
Then I drove back to Indian Springs. Tomorrow again I ride as the weather allows. Tomorrow night if the weather is good Mike will be leading a night ride out here. Ride in day light should conditions allow and sack up for a night ride.
I will stay here again tomorrow night then drive to Hailey Wed AM. Friend Steve, the horse vet who lives in Bellevue, and I plan on riding Wed afternoon.
I forwarded my mail to Hailey. It was just mailed from Seattle today. Its arrival will determine when i leave Woods River Valley which is getting snow. Thurs. forecast is for more sun. Perhaps trails will dry out enough to ride up there.
Running the heater. The nose of my van is down wind. The roof vent opens to the rear. Tonight a strong breeze wrestled for control of the vent cover such that to protect the cover I closed it. My only ventilation is the cracked open passenger window. I have a CO2 and propane detector. It still works detecting CO because the roof vent wasn’t opened. Good to know. Can’t sleep thru it.
Off to bed.