I did wear my shield type eye glasses for screaming descents on Imperial Gulch today. Wind and object protection. Smoke is back with AQI of 79. My eyes have become sensitive perhaps.
Yesterday was a rest day to adjust my schedule to Steve so we can ride together instead of mixing off rest days.
Project today was to shampoo the carpet on the floor in the van. Drove into Bellevue to Atkins grocery and rented a rug doctor plus cleaner. Drove back to Steve’s for electricity. I filled tanks accordingly then hit the go switch. Some places received full effect of machine graded to no cleaning as the cabinets blocked the machine, and others I could not keep the carpet down. I did put too much water in spots. The van is too cramped. I learned that the professionals with their equipment is the trick. Drove back to store and returned the machine.
Drove to Chip’s shop for a visit. He allows no casual occupancy in his shop. We visited socially distanced till a customer broke our conversation.
Spent the night in Steve’s driveway and visited while sitting around his fireplace.
Which leads to today’s eye burner. We drove out to Greenhorn Gulch TH for the Greenhorn Imperial gulch loop. Fall day, light weight wool long sleeve jersey comfortable. Grunt climb up Greenhorn which was burned over several years ago killing almost all the trees which have become snags which become fallen logs across the trail, clearing with chain saw is continuous. Motorcycles are allowed on these trails, they carry chainsaws as do paid sawyers. Just on going need to clear.
The trails cut thru scattered aspen groves like above that are regrowth, conifers are scattered at best. Arrive at junction of Imperial which climbs traversing big open faces.
Tread here is gravel size loose which stays more in place on turns. At the top of this piece of trail is a screamer, then a traversing climb to a high point then drop the post for the final tight corner descent to van.
Aspen were in various stages of shedding summer growth from bright green to bare branches. Aspen go to their gold, or rarely orange, hang for a short while then wind blows them off their birth hold. My recall of the most spectacular aspen turn is still Touch of Gold above Steamboat.
These mountains are mountains (duh). What about them? Completely visible, bare rock, steep. Old legacy hiking trails for the most part holding up real well compliments to designers and builders. The descents on Imperial could be ridden up as a nonlocal rider did, the point is the grade is of that steepness. Descending, as we did, just adds gasoline to the fire as gravity pulling and wheels rolling we sped downward as our heart rates remain elevated as in climbing but without muscle effort. Swoosh. Fast and edgy. Old legacy trails with sections rebuilt favoring mountain biking. Just smiling. Eyes were wide open and focused. I have ridden these trails many times over my visits here. I chose not to stop and take pics as when I was new to the trails. Such wide open spaces on earn your turns trails, no shuttlers. Shared with dirt bikers whose numbers exceeded the mountain bikers we encountered.
Back down to Steve’s for the night and make tomorrow’s ride plan.