19 May 2015

A TRC Weekend with Flat Iron Road


When Carol and Sean invited me up to Lewiston for the Flat Iron Ride, I decided to make it a full TRC weekend beginning with the Thursday night Time Trial where I hoped to see my old Time Trial buddies: Marilyn, Mike, Mark, Chris, Bob, Lance, and others but has time has taken a toll on my old buddies?  When 6:00 pm rolled around only Bob Uptagraff, Tamara, and two women  I hadn't met before were there.  

Thursday Time Trial           Distance 10.0 miles                      Riding time 34:14

Since I had spent most of the day in the car and hadn't done a time trial since moving to Boise in 2005, I declared my time at 36 minutes which should have made me the first to depart.  The women, all training for a tri-athlon,  decided to make a slower paced 10 mile warm up before the real time trial, so they departed first followed by me and then Bob.  The wind was out of the west just as I remembered.  As I peddled into the wind remembering that I needed an average speed of 20 MPH to have a mediocre time of 30:00 (always my goal, never my time), the highest speed I saw on my speedometer was 17.  My rear view mirror showed Bob was slowly gaining on me which kept me motivated despite my discomfort.  I turned around at the 2nd 200m mark just Bob had told me - which may have been a bit early- and enjoyed finally seeing the speedometer read 20 MPH as my direction finally matched the wind's direction.  Bob was no longer gaining on me, but with the tail wind I was generally doing 20 MPH telling myself I didn't want Bob sneaking up on me!  Although I did a lot of Time Trials from 97-04, I never really figured out why a non-racer like me would do them - other than the good company they provided!  It dawned on me that night.  With just 13 miles for the day which I'd spent most of sitting in the car, I felt really good.  My lungs had been expanded and my heart had raced releasing a bit of endorphins with so little time devoted to riding.  Riding a time trial is more like running! You accomplish a lot in a little time.  Thanks, Bob, for the competition! 

Bob Uptagraff finishes the Time Trial in what may be my first successful "panned shot" - where I move the camera to match his movement leaving the subject focused but the background blurry

Saturday's single track ride on the Craig Mountains was cancelled due to rain, but Sean, Carol, and I sneaked in a 10 mile ride to Carcass Corner which overlooks Lapwai.

Sunday's Flat Iron Road Mountain Bike Ride    Distance 47.0 Riding Time 5:02   Elevation Gain 5,019
Most of us left from the Ellis' house near the top of Cougar Ridge Road, but the rest of the group joined us at Mann's Lake, a more convenient meeting spot for most Orchard's residents.  We rode down Webb Canal Rd and then along Sweetwater Creek and up Webb Ridge Rd to  Flat Iron Road which are mostly gravel roads.  Nicki drove sag and took the group photos.
The 12 riders: Lee, Christy, Stephanie, Tracie, Mike, Sean, Bill, Steve, Jennifer, Guy, Roger, and Doug with the Lewiston Valley in the background


We continued up until we saw this canyon which had be be crossed- meaning most of our elevation gain would be lost and then regained!.
4 of the cyclists enjoying the rapid descent before climbing the facing hill

Tracie arrives at a small flat spot before resuming the climb.

We regroup and enjoy a break at the highest point on the ride

quick snacks and drinks as we regroup and our sag driver heads home
After reaching the high spot of the ride, we dropped into a draw and climbed up to the paved Waha Road for a quick descent by the Waha Store and on to Stephanie's house where we had great snacks- home-make cobbler, pie, and lemon bars- thanks Stephanie!  Bill wanted to be able to say he'd climbed more than the rest of us, so he continued on beyond Stephanie's to the end of the pavement, and then climbed back up to rejoin the group a little later, but his plan still left hims short of 50 miles for the day!  Carol joined the riders here, and we then continued down Waha Rd as Sean, who's quite capable of it, sped home from here to start the grill.

Instead of climbing McIntosh Grade we returned to the gravel of McCann Road and Reservation Line Rd back to the Ellis' for BBQ steaks (provided by the Ellis' and Stephanie) and many other goodies.

Thanks Sean, Carol, & TRC for a great weekend!

Happy Cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!


Steve

11 May 2015

Bicycling the Boise Front

Since we met our training goal last week by cycling up  Shaw Mountain,  we declared ourselves ready for the ride across the Boise Front, a tough ride I hadn't done since 2012.  Neither one of us wanted to make the ride more difficult, but we both prefer trails to roads, so we diverted to the trails for the bottom section- avoiding Shaw Mountain Road until Rocky Canyon.
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Chris at the beginning near the Cottonwood Creek Trailhead

We were saving our energy for later, so we headed up Toll Rd Trail instead of climbing  Eagle Ridge and falling back to the creek as we usually would.  Then it was up Central Ridge and Shane's trail which dumped us about 1/3 the way up Rocky Canyon Rd.  It's a bit of a drudge climbing the steep dirt road (not gravel; it's mostly decomposed granite and sand) to Aldape Summit, where the jeep trail turns off the decomposed granite road. Here we met 2 hikers who'd climbed up from the Idaho City side and volunteered to take a couple of photos.

the turn off at Aldape Summit- where it gets steep!
Chris and Steve begin the steep section
and back down to retrieve the camera


Chris reaches the first only moderately steep spot after Aldape Summit
Chis as the vista begins to broaden
After this year's dry spring we found the wash outs in the road only inches deep which made for easier riding than in 2012 when Will and I found the wash outs feet deep making the route a little easier this year than 2012 when 2 ft wash outs were common.

Steve nears the top of this long steep section with the twisty road they've climbed in the background


I thought this might be my new Facebook cover photo, but their profile photo superimposes itself over my head.  Another photo taken at this spot will suffice.
Just as we reached the section with the best vista, who should arrive but a lost hiker who volunteered to photograph us.  Unfortunately, she didn't understand the concept of "get the winding road in the background". Anyway, when am I so lucky as to meet friendly strangers twice in the same day at just the spot we'd like a group photo?
Chis and Steve mostly blocking the view of the road they've just climbed.  We intended a view of the road we'd climbed more like the photo just above this one
Our new acquaintance, the hiker, was distressed to hear she was roughly 4 miles from her car, but glad to learn where she was and how to get back down to her car.  We offered to share a snack and even a little of our precious water, but she said she was fine.  So, we parted company as she descended and we continued ascending.

Chris reaches the crest, and we temporarily cross to the North side of the ridge
It sounds like the climbing would be over as we reach the crest, but the road crosses the ridge several times and begins rising and falling.  We always enjoy riding through the deep forest, but its lighting is difficult for my photographic capabilities, which I failed even to try here.  We climbed a couple times up to the ridge and then would descend into a basin where Hard Guy trail ends and where we had lunch and where we met two groups of mountain bikers as they finished climbing it.  Both groups added to our pleasant lunch stop and were impressed with our ride, but some of those riders were really impressive.  Although we enjoy descending Hard Guy neither one of us as ever ridden up it.  The 2nd group was comprised of about 6 riders.  The first one up the hill (by at least 5 minutes) was on a fixie (a one speed bike, and his was without a shock).  I looked at the drive train and would swear from the dry dirt caked on it (in almost sedimentary layers) that it had never been lubed or wiped off.  I don't believe I ever saw such a neglected chain among my boyhood friends in Winchester where none of the fathers (mill workers or farmers) would have allowed their sons to so abuse a machine!  That one gear he had appeared to be a fairly high gear too (making climbing more difficult).  That rider assured us he was that far ahead only because the single gear wouldn't allow a slower speed!  Will and I (on our 27 speed bikes) were once passed by a fixie as we struggled up an extremely steep section of trail.  I suppose meeting such fellows from time to time helps keep us humble. Since we knew we were pushing our training level on this ride, we took a fairly lengthy lunch break.  My legs left that break feeling a little weaker for the afternoon section of the climb, and climbing out of that basin is roughly 1,000 feet of climbing.

Chris with a view of the top of Deer Point and Bogus Basin in the background

By the time we reached the top of Deer Point, I was tired of pushing myself hard in Granny-1 but left  the decision of riding to the top of Bogus up to Chris.  We'd ridden the Boise Front with the extra climb to Deer Point, and that was enough, so we skipped the side trip up to Bogus, the highest point on the front.  Although Chris said he was tired and didn't even look forward to the descent down Bogus Basin Road, his assessment was bad.  At the bottom he confessed he had forgotten how much fun that paved descent is.  As we parted, I saw no signs of fatigue in him, unlike on last week's ascent of Shaw Mountain, so last week's final training ride up Shaw Mountain was successful. Well done, Chris.  We can now tackle any ride!

53.0 miles      6:37 riding time

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve



04 May 2015

Homestead Trail to the Top of Shaw Mountain - Preparing for the Boise Front

41.5 miles riding time 4:51

Chris, a co-worker of Will's, has been riding with us for the last year and is steadily increasing his distances.  Chris is a natural athlete, a gymnast from his schooldays and a BMX rider in his youth, so when I'm too slow or the trail's not challenging enough, he'll be finding the most difficult route through any obstacle. To prepare for next week's ride across the Boise Front on 10 May, we decided to make the tough ride up the Homestead Trail and then climb the road to the top of Shaw Mountain.  I'd assured Chris that Homestead was steep, and that the road was just as steep, which turns out not to be a good description.  Wash outs make the old road far more challenging than the trail where we weren't tempted to push!

Chris on the section just above the old "homestead" which gives the trail its name



Steve and Chris where the trail meets "the road"- with the east end of the Boise Valley in the background
Will and I haven't ridden this route in several years, so when we got to the junction of the trail with the old road, we were surprised to see it badly washed out with no obvious care in the last few years.  The hikers who took the above photo told us the county (or BLM- or anyone) no longer maintains the road which used to form a big circle up one side of the mountain and down the other. 
Chris climbing a section of the "road"

Between the accumulated loose sand and rocks and the wash outs, we had to push up a couple of the steepest sections. Since the route is consistently steep, Chris' bike not shifting into or  out of Granny (without a manual assist while stopped) wasn't too much of an issue as there was no need to leave Granny and rarely a need to leave Granny-1.  Hitting Granny 3 seemed like a vacation!  None-the-less Chris began to show signs of fatigue as we neared the top.  With one turn we went from steep uphill in the desert to downhill in fir forests!  Chris seemed entirely reenergized dropping me to enjoy the downhill before we resumed climbing. 


Chris, with some encouragement, has remounted his stead and is climbing this section near the top - which is steeper than it looks.  At this elevation the brush has not yet  leafed out.
Chris near the top with the hazy Boise Valley in the background
We climbed to the very top and enjoyed the view through the windy haze (an odd combination) of the Boise Valley.  We descended a bit on the north slope to enjoy a real break in the timber.  Chris seemed revitalized by the break and some fresh pineapple which he shared with me, and we took off down the hill.  On this side of the mountain the road is still somewhat maintained, and while it offered a few small wash outs and sand traps, it's not comparable to the abandoned road we'd climbed.

I rounded a corner and was surprised to see Chris' bike upside down in the  road.  A pinch flat on the rim side (no spoke issues; I wish my rim liner look so good) was the cause.  Although the tube was slimmed, the holes were large flatting the tube within moments of inflating it.  Chris decided to replace the tube.  Soon the new tube was installed, and we were off
 

Chris fixing his flat

I rounded another corner and there was Chris off his bike.  The cause, this angry 3' serpent which Chis had incensed by riding too close!

Just as I got the camera out, the rattler gave up his strike position and started a slow retreat with his fangs still pointed toward us just in case we made the wrong move
Around the next corner, the same thing.  This 2nd snake was the same size and color and in the same strike pose which was soon abandoned for the retreat, so I didn't bother photographing it. Chris said there was a 3rd rattler he didn't stop for, and I didn't notice it. That's bad news for me, because where these rattlers were is a few hundred yards from where my most frequent solo ride meets this route- where in many year's of riding I've only seen only one rattler but many bull snakes.

This route dumps us on hwy 21 for a fun descent on pavement to the base of Lucky Peak Dam.  When I passed a rather uncharacteristic slow moving Chris, I asked what the problem was.  It seems his bike didn't want to shift into the "high" chain ring either.  It wouldn't respond to our manual efforts to put it in the large ring either.  So, this demanding ride was done on a bike with easy access only to the mid chain-ring!   I had a speedy fun descent followed by my uncharacteristically slow friend!

Any tiredness I had felt at the top was relieved  by the break at the top and the fun of the descents.  The descent didn't seem to have that effect on Chris.  He was moving pretty slowly when another flat stuck him on the Green Belt about 3 miles from his home.  From a quick observation before taking the tire off, it appeared to be from a puncture weed.   A cell phone call to his girl friend was too tempting, so he called for a recuse!
Chris' rescue arrives!
Chris and his bike are transported home

This is a challenging climb that's more challenging than it was when Will and I last climbed it back when the road was still somewhat maintained. We'd recommend anyone riding this route should ride it clockwise as we did; I can't imagine riding down the steep loose sand and rock sections of this abandoned road.  I think Chris and I are both ready for the Boise Front next weekend with its greater distance and elevation gain- but it's not so consistently steep and its climbing is not all on the southern slope. Chris, bring lots or water and food!  We'd be glad to have additional riders!

My apologies for the overexposed photos.  I've switched from a Canon A540 to Canon A590 which captures greater detail, but seems to over expose a lot of sunny shots when set on "auto"; something my A540 never did.

Thanks, Chris, for the adventure, and Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!


Steve