More Croy riding

Spring is coming on, or maybe it is summer is not here. Last weekend dumped more snow up high that justifies NOAA’s flood warning. Vegetation is green, streams are flowing. 35 degrees this wake up at 5644′. Heater ran all night.

Sat night I spent up at Ketchum where rain fell in the morning that I assumed would be the same down stream. Maybe the weather moved on negating the local weather condition. Down at Hailey the roads were dry, I sat in town and saw several rigs with mountain bikes on them returning from up Croy and their bikes appeared to be clean. I continued with resting. I took on water and groceries then drove out Croy seeing little wet, could have ridden on hero dirt aka brown pow. I spent the night up Bullion Gulch.

I have been harvesting mice living in the protection of the exterior of the van. I set out 2 traps again 2 nights ago, in the morning only 1 trap had an occupant, the other still had slathered peanut butter in tact. Last night I did not set any out. Are the traps catching the riders or are they attracting visitors? Any case, a dead one is a good one.

Yesterday Steve lead me on another Croy ride, this one out Lambs Gulch which is private land but after either change of heart of former owner or a new owner riding is allowed. Several years it was burned leaving black as the only color. This year wild flowers of lupine and arrowhead balsam root plants are back. No sage regrowth.

We descended the gulch at the right edge of the pic.

For the fist part of ride I rode behind Steve and talked because he is slower which keeps me in check. My bpm reflected that. We crossed Democrat gulch road seen above for the start of monster climb, Steve told me to go ahead which I did and my bpm reflected my push. I seem to be recovering from the cold.

Out here the sky and land are open, so great to see green growing vegetation.

Recreating on wet trails damages them regardless of method of travel yet signs are posted instructing mountain bikes to turn around if the trail is wet. I have ridden dry trails with cast in horse hoof prints that were made when the trail was wet. Those tracks pock mark the tread. Bikes leave a rolled tire depressing and not very deep that will roll out over a short amount of time. Hikers will seek to keep their feet dry by walking the edges of the puddle which widens the trail. All users should stay off wet trails and signs should reflect that.

Today Steve will be riding his ebike legally on our ride as I want to see how he rides it. I will continue to huff and puff and earn my turns. He could ride behind me and talk to me.

On the aspects we rode yesterday the lupine was all yellow which is interesting as other aspects at Croy will be purple / blue.