Mountains: they go up against gravity. Gravity pulls down. What goes down has to be climbed first. For the most part riding here is either up (work) or later down (smiles).
I have been staying outside Hailey up Democrat gulch at entrance to Lambs gulch. I have ridden Croy trails 2X from this spot, first was loop of Lambs Gulch over to Two Dog, second eliminated Lambs.
Trails are rideable climbing, however, A Real man is his own motor has been losing power for years with this visit meaning walking more. I can push bike but not so much pedaling. I heard from an endurance racer at Fruita tell of hard heart effort can damage the heart suggesting lower heart rate which I suppose I have taken to heart (literally) as I baCK OFF FROM NEEDED HARD PUSH TO MAKE THE GRADE ( no sig of caps, didn’t chose to correct). Rides here exceed 100’/mile. What went up somewhere turns down for coasting which drops my heart rate. My rides are of shorter distance and time, however the shortness takes perceived many minutes to pass.
Yesterday I rode Cow Creek loop, one of Steve’s favorites. From Greenhorn Gulch TH the trail climbs up the namesake creek on a short piece of newly reconstructed machine built trail which provides vista point to riparian area reconstruct by beavers.
Trail then climbs up Mahoney creek with mix of tree cover of aspen and Doug fir, no Ponderosa here. Then sort of climbing and traversing over to descend not in the creek itself.
Just big open country. Excellent day to be outside. My stopping more frequently for blows and walking more allows me to savor the scenery. These trails are legacy condition. Descent of Cow creek and others are legitimate single track as sage brush and tall thick grasses constrain widening. Brush cover hides trail side pedal grabbers which frighten me for fear of hitting a foot. This ride is the 3rd year in a row almost to same day, albeit without Steve who is recovering from some nasty bug. All by myself. 7.71 miles climbing 1152′ pedal time of 1 hr 12 mins, enough for me.
Down at TH the FS district trails person was there after completing evaluation of Imperial Gulch reroute which will make trail sustainable. Previously I heard a local rider say the FS was hanging at a non motorized trail system to cite M-bike riders, local guy said LEO saw no motorized bikes. Today, this FS guy concurred that FS will be after scofflaws. He also said the FS has hired a non leo person to hike the trails as a steward that having no authority to write citations, they will tell the rider they must turn around. Here in the valley there are many miles of trails open to motorized and others heart propelled. If M-bikes are permitted on a trail that is the law. I prefer to ride on only heart propelled trails.
Cleaned clothes are back in the van. I wore 1 shirt and pants all week long. Fresh undershorts every day as are my bike short liners. Dryer costs 25 cents for 3 mins but washer is $3,50. Revenue comes at the wet end.