Forecast sometimes matched reality as rain was forecast and sometimes it delivered albeit not at the predicted time. Riding here means carry a rain jacket just in case. Sunscreen lacks appeal or need.
Yesterday Steve and I headed back to Greenhorn for a ride up Greenhorn trail and coming coming down Imperial Gulch. We judged the expected ride temp to the temp at Steve’s south of Bellevue meaning for me a long underwear top, knickers and knee socks. Rain jacket carried. The parking lot was not crowded. We pedaled up Greenhorn learning that we were overdressed causing / allowing a rest break to shuck a layer. Rain fell during the night filling undrainable depressions creating either slippery mud or just thick muddy water. Yes we left tracks but little dirt stuck to our tires. I was and am comfortable riding the trail. The area was burned over several years ago in their massive fires. Greenhorn was burned over, now primary color is bare white trunks of fire killed lodgepole trees.
We recouped energy at the above intersection. 2 groups of riders arrived fro the Imperial Gulch side and reported horrible muddy conditions advising us to avoid. A section of that trail is on clay type of dirt that just turns gummy with all the rain. Bummer. We rode to high point on Imperial then turned around to ride what we rode up. Pedaling up is strenuous but doable. Climbing the angle looks different. Upon riding down what we climbed the angle seemed steeper than the climb. We zoomed down on narrow hand built trail on steep mountain side. Carrying speed sharpens the end of the rope so to speak where climbing is much slower and less exposed to same danger. We encountered more riders that I have ever encountered in all my days of riding here. We practiced trail love. We shared what we had learned about Imperial with almost every group of riders were encountered. One group we deduced that they might be lucky to make the intersection so we did not brief them. Perhaps it was snobbery. Steve saw 1 ebike rider. It took us 1 hr 12 mins to reach the turn around at 5 miles and 1568′ elevation gain (313’/mile, 6% grade), it took only 26 mins to return. The puddles seemed to be shallower. The descent was a hoot.
The stubby fender kept enough mud off me to pay the weight penalty of a thin sheet of plastic. Steve’s bike lacked a fender. I found one for him. He put it on b4 our ride. He was pumped to perhaps have a clean face. Unfortunately for him in a short distance the fender rubbed his front wheel that he had to remove it. Back to the installation drawing board.
Parking lot was not crowded yet it seemed that almost every rig had bike riders.
Visited with several riders. This was special:
Rain did not fall on our ride. I stopped at Sawtooth Brewery for a pint. Cloudburst dump with gusty winds. Drove back down to below Bellevue to Steve’s for dinner and sleep spot in his driveway.
Forecast for today was more precip starting in the AM becoming more probable and severe as the day progressed. We could see rain clouds up valley. At present this is a rest day after 9 straight days of riding. However, at Steve’s the clouds are yielding to broken patches of blue. Dunno yet if we ride later.
21 more rides to reach 2,000 rides in almost 10 years, anniversary 7/18. My imposed goal.
In the steep desert terrain in Sedona the gullies are called washes, here the gullies are longer and wider, here they are called gulches.
Hernia repair at 7AM on Wed. Hospital has on site RV parking. I will stay there Tues night then walk the short distance in my pajama bottoms. Followed by another go of self injected lovenox.