Steve fixed dinner last night. Later we got sucked into stupid TV till bedtime. Lexi is their Jack Russel terrier who has allowed me into her pack allowing herself to be a therapy dog for me. I have wire terrier white hairs on my floor as a reminder. This AM I made my scratch blueberry pancakes for us. Steve asked for the recipe which I gave. Us guys share.

Ride plan was to drive up north to Fox creek where we did trail work on Wed. Chilly days for long underwear top and knickers. I packed my rain coat as preparation for rain forecast. Carrying it did not keep rain away.

Trail info on sign reported bridge out over Fox Creek which was way back along our ride. The water crossings we made were wheel rim deep. We rode along Big Wood River in the sage for the first part. Almost all riding here is tilted one way or the other. This piece was an exception. The trail turned uphill into the Doug Fir. In places the tread is a carpet of fallen needles which makes sweet carving.

We came upon an older man mountain biker who had laid his bike off the trail. He said that he had adopted this trail and he was cutting branches back. We pedaled onward. Shortly he was on my wheel putting out more effort than i wanted to so I pulled over. He went by saying something about being 80. Later we stopped at the above place and chatted. It was Nello who is a friend of Fat Tire Dave. We had met previously but I forgot. He beat us up but I passed him on the downhill. Again, Steve lead the climbs and I lead the downs. My bike is such a joy to ride.

We came upon the Fox Creek crossing to find the bridge relocated and not reaching the other side of the very fast flowing creek, so fast that a person could not stand up.

Someone had established a path to a log crossing upstream. It was balancing on a 10″ log carrying my bike.

We had another big climb to the top of the final downhill on the trail we worked on. Rain started falling. I elected to stop and put my rain jacket on. Steve continued down. Enough rain had fallen to damped the dusty tread making almost hero dirt. Narrow cupped downhill only for mtn bikes. We rode over the drains built on Wed. rain quit as we hit the flat for home.

Steve and I said good bye. We rode 4 out of 5 days. He drove down river. I sat in the parking lot. A rig pulled beside me causing me to look out. It was a kayaker. This will be cool as the river is raging. He carried his boat to a big eddy.

I drove back to Ketchum then out Trail Creek rd for the night. Full on view of the ski hill. Two thunderstorms passed overhead complete with lightning, high winds and large rain drops.

I like riding here. Riding in the forest is such a change from the desert riding I have been in since mid December.

click on the below text to go to a link for a movie.

rocky decent wood river by Steve 

Sat afternoon after lunch at Big Belly deli sitting in the library right on main street right outside. They run sheep down the main drag for a fall festival. Today the spring relocation out Bouillon rd was brown marks on the pavement.

Friend Steve lives further down river outside of Bellevue. He’s a retired horse doc now for 2 years. We have be paling around for several years now when I visit here or we meet up on a road trip of his. We have ridden together for the last 3 days.

Thurs we rode Adams Gulch which is n outside of Ketchum. Concern about local trail conditions creates first time season ride concerns as to this year floods creating muddy or washed out trails or trees not being cut out. Adams was of concern as it climbs up a creek. We pedaled up and away up canyon. Steve is stronger on the uphill so I ride his wheel going up. Every creek crossing the trail made we stayed dry and mostly mud free. All the down low trails start in sage desert and as the trail climbs up into the hills trees appear, big Doug Fir. I am riding in the woods again, conifer forests. The tread in places is a needle carpet. I rode behind Steve making my body preform. My breathing still allowed me to stay with him except for the steep climbs which is the same. we topped out then the trail pointed down. I was faster than Steve one time on Imperial so he let me go first downhill. I was gone. What a swell bike as the fruits of energy effort were rewarded by gravity assisted speed. Old legacy hand built trails. Zoom zoom.

On the drive down to Steve’s I visited Elephants Perch which has a bike shop and visited with the wrenches. Roger is a bit younger than me but an old codger already. He has ridden the Leadville like going on 23 times. He races and rides long distances. We shared riding info, he about the races and me about the patches of woods short rides. Did Thursday laundry at Hailey laundromat. Dinner at KBs. Afterwards I drove up to the Power House tavern and bike shop owned by Billy. we visited awhile. He shared some trail info. Said Imperial had a snow cornice. The place plays bike events on big screen, in years past they were road races, this night it was mtn bike downhill. I stood at the edge of the bar beside a young man who was also watching. Conversation ensued. He’s been to places I had been. He is a newspaper reporter here in Ketchum. He had just left Vernal.

Steve’s driveway was my sleep spot..

Temps dropped into the low 70s. I ran the furnace at night.

Friday we rode Greenhorn up then Imperial down. Trail was cleared of trees and just several feet of mud. The trail left Greenhorn moving on into Imperial basin. Climb climb climb. Rode around a corner and saw SNOW.

It was a snow patch and not a cornice however it was a steep outslope requiring kicking steps using the soft flat pedal shoes. We got to the downhill and Steve letting me go first. This time I was way faster.

Recently I shorten my bar by an inch. At the longer length I noticed my hands favoring a shorter length, the shorten bar now makes my hands happy. I also raised the bar about an inch. These 2 changes plus the design properties of the bike and components I just downhill so much faster and in comfortable control. Also the Innovation flat pedals really add confidence. So much fun.

I saw that local grocery store Atkins had fresh Copper River salmon. I bought a pound and fixings for waldorf salad for dinner at Steve’s, he grilled the salmon. What a treat. We watched the NBA game between GS and Cavs.

Last night the furnace ran quite a bit. 42 degrees when I looked out.

Been watching the weather forecast to pick rides and times. Today unsettled weather after noon. We rode in the AM again, this time out Croy canyon which is a local trail system out in the sage. Miles and miles of machine built trails.

Places yellow and white lupines were blooming, fragrance.

Steve lead the uphills and me the downs. Place is big and open which allowed seeing other riders spread hither and yawn. So great to see so many using something the public paid for.

Which brings me back to the library.

Today i left indian springs  arriving wood river valley. I visited with Chip at Sun Summit South. While there Doug of indian springs called and spoke with Chip. Chip said that Doug had read my previous post about his trails. The impression I walked away with was i dissed the trails. I reread my post, i just described what i experienced. The back story not shared is that i really like these trails and that i almost always stop to ride then.

Yes, it is cattle range and riding over wet sloppy cow splatters justifies a front fender. The cows created some of the trails saving effort of clearing the sage brush. The stuff that is built for bikes is great as they are like trails i learned to ride on: ain’t no Starbucks around that corner. Hardly any ground work to break up the dirt. Hence good old school trails sustainably built.

If you ate less beef there would be less manure on the trails.

Or should i not be saying how enjoyable the riding is here?

I missed the new trail, will get it next visit.

Thanks to Doug et. al. For the trails.

Update:

I arrive at Steve’s. I learn there is a volunteer trail work project. I attended. I conversed with a woman about the indian springs trails. I said that bikers are using cow paths. She said no no. She helped build the trails and that cows have taken over the trails. Need a cow whisper to build a trail that we can ride but cows trample elsewhete. Bummer deal for Dry Gulch as the route is defined by the gulch. The only way to solve this situation is for everyone to eat no meat.

Our trail project was on a piece of Fox. Chris was the tech person tonight. Project was to build numerous drains. His instruction was the best i have ever experienced. As a result volunteers built many quality drains. Maybe 25 volunteers. I cut brush back