First Century for the LT

I'd written the perfect training plan for the LT with 45/50 mile evening rides plus longer weeekend rides so LT Klein would be ready for his first century before we leave for Utah Cliffs later this month. Two problems ruined the plan; April and May weather have so far been like a long continuation of March- wind, rain, or both most days, and the LT has allowed his work to disrupt my training plan for him!

Despite the weather issues, we'd worked our way up to 56 miles last Saturday as we rode to "Pearl" a defunct ghost town which even the ghost has left- only a couple of mine shafts remain of this old mining town. Getting there involves climbing on dirt roads which I believe the LT's altimeter showed 4,000 ft of climbing, so with that success I thought he'd be ready for 75 to 80 miles on the pavement this Saturday as we revised our weekend to eliminate the weekend outing in the Owyhee Mountains due to more bad weather. The revised plan was, he'd meet me about 10 miles from the city center giving him about 80 miles and me just over a century. We'd bring rain gear and tolerate the predicted drizzle. As we were making final plans to meet, he announced the planning was too complicated; he'd start from his home. Well, that would be a ride of about 92 or 93 miles which was just beyond what I thought his training supported. I don't like to set guys up for failure- regardless of what Corrie may say- they might not ride with me again, huh Corrie? But neither do I like to limit their adventures, so with a weather forecast of drizzle throughout the day with breezes of 2 or 3 MPH, we headed out on the wet pavement thankful for our fenders! I threw out the idea that if he made it to the finish he might want to do his first century, and if his odometer showed he'd crossed the 100.0 mile mark, I'd buy dinner.

Within an hour the pavement was dry, and the predicted 2 or 3 MPH winds had grown to steady 10 to 15 MPH winds- consistently in our faces no matter what direction we turned as we headed generally Northwest. At the old country store of Letha, we turn to ride generally southeast. In a rare act of weather justice, the winds were now at our tail no matter how we turned on the return to Boise. The sun was out most of the time, and the predicted drizzle didn't happen. I thought climbing Old Freezeout Grade at about mile 60 might zap the LT's strength, but I was wrong. We sped down the other side with our friendly trailwind and bright sunshine.

I hadn't noticed the LT tiring, but when we reached the city, at about mile 85 the LT wanted to finish on the "flat" bike path which follows the river rather than Hill Rd which has a couple small rises in it that he was now calling hills. The trees along the river reduced the benefit of the tailwind, and the LT temporarily allowed his speed to drop into the single digits until I complained- we'd set 10 MPH as the minimum speed for the finish although the LT may say I set that minimum speed! A small detour up onto the Bench and a ride on up to Broadway Bridge before the return to the LT's apt brought his total to 100.2 miles- we took the photo in a more scenic spot just before reaching his apt. Oh, dinner on me was at the Outback Steak House.

Scott & Doug, I submit that the LT is ready for an adventure on the Utah Cliffs!

LT Klein Finishes his First Century

Happy Cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation

Steve

The Young are Tough

SGT Bullard surprised me crawling out of his Jeep wearing his fashionably long baggy shorts, no socks, and some high-tech version of a sweatshirt. He had a skullcap, but nothing over his face. The forecast night low was in the upper teens which had sent me from work to home for my balaclava, a 2nd pair of socks, and my lobster gloves, but the young are tough. I'd failed to note that his full fingered gloves were the lightest kind- like I enjoy riding in the mid-40's. At 1800 the sun was still brightly shining as I asked him if he really wanted to go in that get-up. He assured me "yes", so we took off riding the trails that were never muddy- the mud and therefore the trails were firmly frozen. I thought we'd stick to the lower foothills close-by, so when he got cold, we could return early, but all my bicycling friends know my ego doesn't allow me to be the one to say "that's too far or too difficult" though it seems to have no problem with "that's too fast".

When we crossed Sunset Peak Rd, I asked the SGT if he wanted to turn around because of the cold. "No way" was the response. I think to further impress me that we weren't turning around, we turned up Lower Hulls Gulch- a rockier route than I like to descend. Ascending it is OK, but it would be a significant winter's night ride, maybe my longest- but the MiNewt 250 could handle it. Shortly we reached the only turn off, the SGT's better sense kicked in, and we followed it, turning to climb steeply. About 1800 on the dark side of this hill, I turned on my light; the SGT waited a few minutes until he hit a hole before turning his on. We both appreciate the growing daylight!

For all the grumbling about cycles tearing up muddy trails I saw no hint of that. Pedestrians, however, have trampled what felt like sheep or goat hoof prints all over making the steep frozen trials nearly unrideable. If you've ever ridden over trails where horse hoof prints were left in muddy clay trails that then dried, you know what it was like though the pedestrian hoofs don't carry quite so much weight and aren't as deep- meaning they may flatten easier this spring, but for now they're just as rough with their sharp icy edges. Daytime cyclists have smoothed out the every edge- about 3" wide- of the trail on the steep sidehill, but that rideable strip was too narrow for me at night, so I ended up pushing in a couple spots. The cold SGT has more technical skills than I and a full suspension bike, so he rode right up, but this left him momentarily waiting for me at the top where I think he decided he was cold though the tough don't easily admit that.

The descent on The Freeway was smooth and fast. Then there was more smooth down hill on Introduction to Mountain Biking. My sweatpants weren't keeping my legs as warm as I might like. How were the SGT's bare legs? When we stopped back at Sunset Park Rd to discuss route, it was his hands he was complaining about. Do the tough complain? I suggested going up one little hill that might help warm him, but he found the value of that climb questionable. I suspect there's one soldier, though though he be, who will wear more clothes on the next night ride, a night ride that will have noticeably more minutes of light in it!

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve

Less Than A Century and a First Snowshoeing

Having missed "Corrie's Challenge" (a century each calendar month) last year, I was eager to get back on track to meet the challenge in 2011. Not having ridden a century since 10 Oct and with a total of 41 road miles in Nov and -0- in Dec my confidence in my ability to complete one was suffering, but the weather forecast was finally positive- sunny with high's in the mid 40's.

A light fog and 38 degrees were a bit disappointing as I rode off at 0800, but it was above freezing and I was counting on that mid 40's high. The fog got thicker as I dropped to downtown. With about 10 miles of city riding in, I thought I was on track to meet the LT out in Middleton at 1030. I leaned into E. Hill Rd turn off Castle Dr and turned, the bike continued straight, fish-tailing, and wobbling. I thought I'd go down on ice at about 12 MPH in the middle of a significant intersection, but decided to try straightening out the wheel, ending the lean, and darting between two cars stopped at the stop sign. If that sounds like I had the situation under control, it's a poor description. Fortunately, the maneuver worked- but it was not classy maneuver. My fear slowed me down as I moved toward Middleton. I pushed the bike up the steep hill into Dry Creek Cemetery when I felt the first useless spin of the wheel. My eyes continued to study every passing puddle for water or ice, and I could not force myself to speed even on the flattest spots.

I arrived in Middleton about 15 minutes late to see the LT standing beside the Bianchi in the fog awaiting my late arrival. He said the morning forecast predicted the fog would lift shortly, and he thought we should proceed with his first road bike ride. There was no more spinning or visible ice, so my confidence began to build. The fog made the climb into the Emmett Valley imperceptible, so I'm sure the LT didn't know he was climbing. We took the customary break at the Leatha Country Store, and rode on to Emmett for lunch. I believe for the first time ever I looked forward to "Old Freezeout" Grade- a chance to warm up. I told the LT it was only about 1/4 mile away. At one mile he began to question my knowlege of the topography- as we still couldn't see the hills. Ah, there it was, and the climb warmed us both. At the very peak we escaped the fog. Since the LT doesn't care for riding in traffic, I was a bit concerned about the next section- 4 or 5 miles on highway 16. Fortunately, he had no problem with the moderate traffic on a 4 ft shoulder. Then it was back to rural paved roads and the fog. He said he was tired at mile 46, but I think there were more miles in him. I was a bit concerned about getting in after dark, still afraid of ice, and a bit tired, so I loaded my bike into his pickup with 81 miles for the day. Corrie, maybe next weekend I can get that January century.

The LT's Recreation
We'd planned for snow shoeing for Monday. I know the LT loves mountain climbing, so I should have known we'd be climbing something instead of snowshoeing down some pleasant forest lane. The route he'd shown me showed climbing a ridge from the highway above Idaho City. Unfortunately, the snow was piled high on both sides of the highway where we wanted to park, so we drove on just a bit. Rather than hike back down the highway to the ridge, we decided to climb the hillside. I thought I was on some awful exercise machine that forced me to raise one foot as high as I could, pull myself up, and repeat the process with the other foot. After we climbed about 200 ft, we met the ridge, and the climb became more moderate - and fun. We climbed 2,800 ft in 1.9 miles where the ridge looked a little dangerous- deep snowed drifted on a narrow ridge. We climbed one last obstacle, the LT fell into a hole, and we decided to have lunch and turn around.

The LT climbs the last obstacle


Steve climbs the final obstacle

Is this the ledge my friends advised me to avoid?

Is it lunch time yet?

Lunch at the top

It begins to snow on the descent

The descent was fun and quick as long as we were on the ridge. A storm moved in briefly, but the only real obstacle was the bottom section after we left the ridge. I think my legs are tired from the long steps down!

Year to Date Mileage: 23 After This Night Ride

Nov and Dec's snowfalls have held down my bicycling to only 72 miles in December and -0- in January. On the positive side the snow is nearly all gone; LT Klein and Chief Winn are both back in Idaho; SGT's Bullard & Schumacher are finally complaining about the lack of winter exercise; and we had finally had a forecast high for above freezing daytime temps for the first time in 2011. I thought the planets had lined up for a perfect 5 Jan night ride.

LT Klein, SGT Schumacher, & I met at Ann Morrison Park and headed up the bike path with the temperature at 30 degrees. They each had small LED pixel lights that provided a small bright spot on the road- just a little better than a 2.4 watt halogen lights of yesteryear. Of course, if we stayed close together, they could use the light from the MiNewt 250. We all wanted a decent workout, so we turned to ride up E. Shaw Mountain Road to the end of its pavement. Before we reached the top the SGT, who generally loves a good hard workout, was complaining about what?- steepness and tiredness? We descended to the fork in the road where we might have gone to Table Rock and where I suggested we also climb Table Rock. The SGT wasn't as enthused as I'd expect, but I was sure it wasn't much more than 2 miles of gradual climb, and he never declines a challenge. The SGT grew up near Table Rock and knows it, but I, who've never been there, thought it was his imagined tiredness that made him exaggerate the distance and climb. In retrospect, he didn't. The climb didn't require use of granny, but there were no lower gears available on my 2nd sprocket. Where the pavement ends at a gate, we went over the gate. Most of our riding had been on the South side of the mountain, but we were now on the back side of Tablerock- the north side where snow and ice were. Soon I noticed the spinning of the wheel on the ice pack and and was thinking it was fun and a bit challenging to control the bike, but the SGT soon mentioned we'd have to ride down. How did we miss the glare of the ice that would make excellent sledding but not so good cycling down? We ditched our bikes in the sagebrush and hiked the ½ mile to the top. The descent on the ice would have been treacherous on a bike.

Although the SGT had the weakest headlamp, once we reached the pavement, he decided to bring his average speed up by speeding down the hill leaving the LT and me behind. I don't know what he could have seen at those speeds with that little light, but he made it down in one piece. It was a long descent which made me cold after the sweating of the uphill. It was only a couple of miles back to Ann Morrison, near where the LT lives. I was eager to get warm, so I went in for a hot chocolate and to hold the warm cat in my cold hands. With the temperature now at 20, it was up a couple moderate hills which kept me warm before reaching home with 23.3 miles and riding time of 2:53.

The LT and SGT are both eager to go again. I’m envious of my Lewiston friends who can plan weekly Wed night rides a year in advance and have to skip maybe 1 in 4 rides because of weather. Weather will likely make us skip 3 of 4 planned rides, but I’m looking forward to more night rides here in the cold of the South of Idaho!

Happy Cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve

“You Take the Lead, You’re Faster Than I on the Downhill”

I said "You take the lead, you're faster than I on the Downhill" a lot this summer since my primary riding companions were in their early twenties. CWO1 Curt Howell, a new pilot just back from school, my cousin PVT Payton Largent, just out of his initial National Guard training for helo repair, SGT Bullard, and SGT Schumacher two 25th Army Band members who work full time at the DTS Helpdesk, but they aren’t nearly as geeky as these credentials would indicate.

On 23 Sep, SGT Schumacher and I got off work about 45 minutes early and set out on the Corrals/Freeway trails- one of our favorite after-work summertime rides that with the extra 45 minutes of light we had- could be done in late September. The SGT hadn’t been on his bike much in the last month or six weeks, but we made it up the paved section of Bogus Basin without resting- a mark of reasonable fitness. He had bought a used Rockhopper hardtail this summer and then made a few upgrades including most recently replacing the cassette and chain. This was its first ride with the upgraded drive train, so we switched bikes for a mile or two on the trail. His bike is all aluminum, but it has a traditional top tube length (not the new elongated kind), and it has one of those fancy small shocks on the seat post. I found it to my liking- it fits me and has a smooth feel.

We stopped where just a couple months ago I called out to SGT Bullard at the top of the hill “You take the lead, you’re faster than I on the downhill” as we started down the entry onto “Hard Guy Trail”. Within 15 feet of taking the lead he hit a small jump, landed wrong with a wheel on each side of an clay ridge in the trail. He went down hard, breaking his helmet, getting some road rash on his belly, but protecting his expensive new full suspension bike with his body which he used to keep his bike from getting any scratches as they slid down the trail together. His doctor now claims SGT Bullard likely suffered a concussion and separated two bones in his inner-ear that are giving him vertigo. SGT’s Bullard’s doctor is still testing him out before allowing him back on the bike. It was SGT Schumacher’s first time to see the site of Bullard’s wreck- on a not very technical rise that wrecked this guy who enjoys the technical side of mountain biking.

As SGT Schumacher and I crested the biggest hill on the ride, I called out “You take the lead, you’re faster than I on the downhill”. I lost sight of the SGT for a couple minutes, and when I came round a corner saw him standing somewhat stunned beside the trail with his bike lying in the tall grass. His tracks leaving the trail into the high grass were obvious. He’d traveled through a ditch, that had apparently been dug this spring in the clay. He entered the ditch on its slopped side, but he hit its 1.5' vertical wall with enough force to severely taco his wheel which couldn’t be turned by hand even when the front brake was released. The portion of the shock that feeds through the steerer tube was significantly bent, both at the top and bottom, so the wheel was truly “under the bike” instead of slightly in front of it. I can't tell if the steerer tube (part of the bike's frame) was bent. I’d read that a severely taco’d wheel could sometimes be partially straightened by hitting the warped portion of the wheel on the ground- hard. I did that a couple of times, and the wheel was straight enough we could force it to turn when put back on the bike. Tightening the headset was next. Just then John & "someone" rode up and asked if we had what we needed. We asked for a spoke wrench. "Someone" took charge, hit the wheel a couple times on the ground in the same way I had, and started the loosening & tightening process on the spokes with his spokewrench. I haven't mentioned that the SGT had his butt behind the seat when he hit that ditch. The force of his lower torso hitting the seat tore the seat off its frame. “Someone” had a quality 3" crescent wrench he used to bend the seat frame enough we could stretch the seat back on. I have a similar sized crescent wrench on the Bianchi, but it's made of pot metal and would never take the pressure “someone” put on his steel crescent wrench as he bent the seat frame back closer to its original shape. Where is my camera when things like this happen?

It was a slow trip out of the foothills, with only rear brakes for the SGT, but he was able to ride, and we were glad of that. We passed the draw where earlier this summer I’d called out “you younger guys are faster than I on the downhill, take the lead” and where shortly afterward PVT Largent endo’d putting what I'll describe as a deep stab wound in his knee- ending his almost two weeks of riding while he stayed with me during his Annual Training. Earlier this year SGT Schumacher had his first endo of the year near there there while he and Bullard “took the lead”. Despite CWO1 Howell’s taking the lead on the downhill with the younger guys, he escaped injury this summer.

I hate to say it, but in my opinion SGT Schumacher’s bike is totaled, or would be from an insurer's point of view. The SGT seems to share a flaw of mine, and really likes his bike that fits him well, so he may repair it. We’re hoping for a quick repair plus a doctor’s release for SGT Bullard so we can do one final fall ride before SGT Schumacher departs in mid October for a military school that will have him gone until winter.

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve

Stacked Rock and Sweet Connie

"Yes, LT Klein, we can ride our bikes to Stacked Rock" would now be my reply should we again be sitting on the highest rock on Bogus looking down at that noticeable rock formation the mere sight of which brought out the mountain climber in the LT. He wanted to ride down there and climb that rock the first time he saw it, but what I believed was private property put it off limits to us two summers ago.

Chief Winn is home for leave from his Afghanistan tour. He called Friday asking me to join him Saturday on two new trails on Bogus: Stacked Rock and Sweet Connie's. It's drill weekend followed by a Monday off, so I tried to talk him into switching to Monday. Since he's headed back to Afghanistan on Tuesday, that idea failed, so I asked to leave drill early, and much to my surprise, the request was granted.

With only a short time home, the Chief had done some research for his day in the mountains and wanted to try a trail that just opened a couple weeks ago following a land swap and some generous donations. He obtained verbal directions from our bike shop, and his wife dropped us off a couple miles below the lower ski lodge in a parking area with a notched tree- the only instruction we had for the start point. We headed down through the forest on a 6" wide new trail with many right angle turns that forced us to dismount many times to round the sharp corners. We were pretty sure we had the wrong trail, but it allowed all "non-motorized" use and headed generally in our direction. The worst that could happen was we'd enjoy a ride through the forest, turn around, and ride back down Bogus Basin Rd to Boise, so we continued on. After just under a mile, we intersected with a real trail- also new and narrow- but it generally followed a very old overgrown logging road, and it was wide enough to allow turns! New and overgrown meant a couple times there was a tunnel carved thru the vegetation that required ducking pretty low, and added a sense of adventure or novelty. Then we found some uphill- steep granny 1 material that was challenging, and made me feel I was on a bike ride- not just a "down-hill" coast. Then we reached a saddle with a big leaning tree and a big rock with a newly carved dedication for the gifts and land donation that opened the area to the public. Here the Chief matched the area to the verbal instructions he remembered, and identified where we would cross the saddle and begin the descent to Boise, but for now we continued up. It was likely another mile to stacked rock where we took these photos. (Stacked rock behind us is much larger and more distant than it appears in these photos!) Riding time down to Stacked Rock was 1:18.

 

Steve beside Stacked Rock

Chief Winn beside stacked rock

We did a short scramble up the first or lower stack and took the above photos. Although I'd gotten off early, light and time were still issues, and we knew we couldn't attempt climbing the 2nd higher stack of rocks in the background (the ones LT Klein will doubtless have to climb), or even ride the trail below them. We did take the time to enjoy the view of the valley below and enjoy the zucchini bread the Chief had brought. We returned to the saddle and got on the new Sweet Connie trail that goes down almost to the Corrals Trail outside of Boise. It's a different kind of trail, frequently following ruts up to 6" deep, so those sections must be old. Sage brush roots and rocks made it impossible to ride above the rut, but my least favored section was just below that- between 1/2 and 1 mile of very rocky terrain. The only way to know where the trail was- was looking at the narrow band of top soil that had been narrowly scattered on the rocks and sand, and leaving a brown line to follow thru the gray sand/rocks. I had to push through part of this rocky area. The trail remained rough but improved from here with a few neat sections through bigger rocks or boulders that made for a brief pack a bike. Here we saw a 3 to 4' rattler- only the 2nd one of those I've seen in the Boise foothills. I enjoy seeing them so seldom compared to Lewiston area though the Chief likes 'em, and he got a few photos of it!

By the time we rejoined Bogus Basin Highway, dusk was falling. By the time we reached Camel's Back Park on the edge of Boise with 2:54 riding time it was dark, so the Chief called for his wife to come get us though the ride on home is only 30 minutes versus a 20 minute one-way drive. Neither of us was riding with a headlight though we had tail lights. We enjoyed pizza afterward.

Next summer both the Chief and the LT will be back! Both will return in mid-winter which seems like a waste of possible adventures, but the chief's brief visit has me all the more looking forward to the adventures of next summer!

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve

Idaho Guardsmen Bicycle San Juan Hut to Hut- Durango to Moab

I was surprised to get an invite from a recruiter friend this spring for a “hut to hut” mountain bike ride from Durango, CO to Moab, UT.  On the assumption it was a race, I nearly blew off this rare opportunity without research, but fortunately SGT Steele convinced me it was a tour not a race, so I checked it out.  In support of our military members, San Juan Hut Systems offered the ride at no cost, and Recruiting threw in transportation and free jerseys if we got some good photos in “uniform”. After Doug and I went to Moab this spring, I gave lots of consideration to a full suspension mountain bike fearing the other riders would be waiting for me at the bottom of every hill, and wondering if they’d all be hotshot riders who might also be waiting for me at the top of every hill.   Although I looked at the ride as a week’s tour through the mountains most of the team had a slightly different perspective that of 7 days of mountain biking with minimal loads on their backs. The trip can be either.

I was sure that a group of fairly senior military members would quickly form a team- looking after each other and pulling together for the “mission”- getting across the mountains safely and together which was correct. We were joined by two civilians- who quickly became part of the team.

SGT Clark, SGM Chin, SSG Morgan, CPT Keeton, SFC Largent, Chief Maybon

Participants:
CPT Steve Keeton on his Titus Moto Lite full suspension bike.  He did most of the organizing of the trip.  A strong aggressive mountain biker.
SGM Henry Chin took his Raleigh 800 hard tail, but in Cortez, CO found a Gary Fisher full suspension 29" bike that with a few adjustments took him over the mountains. In my opinion the toughest guy on the trip. He’s a regular runner, but his training plan included only about 50 miles of bicycling this year, a plan that brought him some discomfort. He’ll be headed to Iraq late this summer.
CWO2 Kevin Maybon- a marathon runner and general fitness guy who seldom bicycles.  He was on a borrowed Raleigh M80 hardtail. He went to Durango with panniers, but after a trial run up the first mountainside, dumped half his gear and bought a backpack in Durango.  He was our Chief Navigator under whose leadership we never got lost. He was initially on the list to go to Iraq again this summer. During the ride we thought he was would miss the upcoming mobilization, but soon after the trip was over he learned is he is headed to Iraq late this summer.
SFC Steve Largent- your author- a tourist- member of that select breed that loves to load down his bike and tour the country seeing everything- be it from a road touring bike or a mountain bike.  I was on a 29" Mountain Waterford hard tail.  Very conservative rider- the only one not involved in some kind of wreck.
SSG Terry Morgan- regular riding companion of CPT Keeton, aggressive, and unafraid of wrecks- which like most real mountain bikers he views as learning opportunities.  He was on a Kona full suspension bike.
SGT Kyle Clark- definitely the junior member in military seniority as well as age.  We weren’t sure he was old enough to enjoy a beer after each ride, but he had the personal skills to relate well to his seniors, express himself confidently, and was eager to learn about all kinds of bicycling.  He has done some down hill riding.  His training plan included the 50 mile option on a recent century-race, and while discussing that with co-workers, he heard about one position opening on this ride.  He’s also a natural athlete.  He rode a blue Specialized Rockhopper hardtail with panniers, and was nicknamed the “Blue Bunny” or sometimes “the young’n”. He will be headed to Iraq late this summer.
Craig- a civilian and another aggressive mountain bike and former bike mechanic who was immediately named team mechanic.  Wrecks don’t intimidate him either, and while he spent a lot of time adjusting the SGM’s new bike, he worked on several bikes during the trip. He rides a Marin Quad XC
Jayci- an RN- immediately declared team nurse.  Some of the aggressive riders thought it their duty to give her nursely duties to perform.  She’s also an aggressive rider and rode a full suspension bike, but I missed its brand name and model.  Both Jayci and Craig do some road riding too, but they signed up to ride single track.

Several days offer two choices in the ride- standard route over jeep trails/back roads or an optional single track.  I agonized over which route to take.  I knew I had the endurance to keep up with the group on the uphill, but I wasn’t so sure about my speed on the downhill where I tend to be cautious.  Although we had two days at the lodge before the ride began, most of that time was consumed shopping though CPT Keeton, the Blue Bunny, & I worked in a quick motorized trip to Silverton.  The entire military group took time for a very brief shake down ride the evening before departure- two miles to the main lodge on seldom used single track that was overgrown with high grass making the trail almost imaginary at times, with a few rocks and other obstacles thrown in plus a few muddy springs to cross.  CPT Keeton set a fast pace with almost everyone keeping up- some with considerable effort, which caused them to return via the highway.  Although I enjoyed this short trail, I didn't give it my hardest effort- so I brought up the rear, but I returned on the trail. This little ride did lead me to choose the standard route- at least on day one after which I'd re-evaluate.

Day 1 Purgatory Resort to Bolam Pass Hut (elevation 11,411)
18.6 miles 3:16 riding time Standard Route- SGM Chin, CWO2 Maybon, & SFC Largent
That mileage and riding time make this look like a cake walk, but I assure you, it wasn’t.  It began with a 3 to 4 mile steep gravel grade to the top of the ski hill.  Dust from one vehicle was rarely settled before another came by.  About 5 miles into the ride a road branched off and we lost about half the traffic.  In other five miles we turned off onto a jeep road, and thereafter saw few motorized vehicles.  At that 2nd turn off we met a friendly Texan in a white pickup looking for his parent’s in their vehicle.  However, at that branch the road began to steepen, the air continued to thin, and we were beginning to run low on water.  Soon the SGM was pushing, and not long after he was joined by the Chief.  I’d ride ahead and wait.  I thought I saw the Chief coming around a corner, photographed him, but it turned out to be a stranger on an unloaded bike.  When I asked him if he’d seen my companions, he replied “they’re back getting cold Gatorade from a guy in a  white pickup”.  I was sure they’d remember me, but they arrived without cold Gatorade and failed to mention the experience the stranger had reported to me!  The road continued to steepen, and soon I was in Granny 1, a gear I think I use only on trails.  Then I arrived at the steepest section where I saw a jeep very cautiously descending.  I thought I had a route mapped out in my mind to make it to the top, but the bottom section was too soft; I dug out in sand and large gravel just before reaching the steepest section, and had to push 30 yards or so before remounting the bike.  At the top was a flat spot with an old mine shaft and cabin.  I took a break, and would have taken a nap but for a weird couple on ATVs investigating the cabin.  When the SGM came into view, he was pushing the bike rather quickly, but his quads were cramping, forcing him to walk stiff legged.  I ran back to the top of that steep section and got his backpack.  The Chief was only a few yards behind him, obviously tired and pushing, but not stiff legged.  I convinced the chief to lie down; he sprawled out.  Why didn’t I photo that?  The SGM refused to lie down because he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get back up!  We were carrying too little food, but CPT Keeton had left behind a pound of carrots which I’d thrown in my packs.   I’d planned on applying a 50% carrying charge, but soon that turned into a 100% carrying charge.  SGT Clark left behind a box of chocolate covered granola bars for which a 75% carrying charge was taken; he got some bars back!  I gave the SGM my final bottle of water.  It was only about a mile to a small mountain pond where we went skinning dipping.  From the pond to Bolam Pass (elevation 11,400) was only ½ mile, and another ½ mile down to the hut (cabin)- where we arrived at about 1600 hours fairly clean after our swim. 

Bolam Pass Hut

The hut windows were shuttered with bear proof steel shutters that required the supplied ladder to reach its locks.  We aired out the hut, cooling it down, and soon discovered how well stocked with food it was.  Stew, soups, pastas, chips, some fresh fruits, many dried fruits and nuts, as well as several boxes of favorite candy bars- both the good tasting and healthier varieties.  Despite his state of near exhaustion, the SGM announced he’d like to cook dinner.  We assumed the trail riders would be about an hour behind us, but at 1700 hours they hadn’t arrived.  By 1730 we had decided to start dinner, and they’d eat when they arrived.  We also decided we couldn’t do much for them if they were lost- they had the only “alternate route map”.  Our plan was to try to find one of the occasional passing jeeps and have them call the Hut to Hut number as our looking for them on the trails would only increase the number of lost people!  About 1800 we started eating without them, and just as we finished they arrived- exhausted.  I handed out dried fruit as they walked up to the hut.  CPT Keeton who was sick with exhaustion asked me to get him a cup of water, but I didn’t recognize his exhausted state and replied “the water is right there (about 2 ft away from him), just fill up your own water bottle; no need to wash extra dishes”.  He went in and lay on his rack; I think someone else got him water. He barely touched dinner.  The SGM, Chief, and I had eaten a full pot of extra rich soup the SGM made.  The other 5 were so tired, not only did they skip the swim at the nearby pond, the five of them ate only ½ the same sized pot of the same soup, as well as less snacks.  The alternate route riders had had a few issues: including SSG Morgan's broken chain- it's good to have a mechanic with you if you literally stomp on the pedals! as well as going off route a couple times. We were at 11,400 ft altitude, so elevation played a role in the exhaustion, but this made my decision for the next day easy-  I’d stick to the standard route tomorrow!

Day 2 Bolam Pass Hut to Black Mesa Hut (elevation 10,625)
Standard route 28.3 miles 4:22 riding time
The first morning the other portion of our group left part of their food in the condo- so I loaded it in my panniers, planning to charge a small carrying charge, but as we got hungier, the charge went up!  Both groups had gotten hungry the first day, so everyone really loaded up on generously supplied snacks, and the SGM made breakfast and then made sandwiches for everyone and volunteered to be the cook for the rest of the trip which we gratefully accepted. We had set up a cooking schedule we were more than happy to abandon.  SGT Clark, with his panniers, was assigned to carry sandwiches for the alternate route riders since there was no room in their backpacks. We departed together for the 1/2 mile back to Bolam Pass where we’d have group photos- in uniform with Craig and Jayci acting as photographers.  After photos we separated into yesterday’s groups.  Everyone seemed to have awaken refreshed despite the five’s inability to eat much last night.  They all wanted to stick to the single track despite their exhaustion of last night.  We standard route riders descended a rather nasty jeep trail- many fist-sized loose rocks and some sand/loose dirt making breaking difficult for a couple miles.  At the bottom was an old cabin where we talked to some ATVers without maps.  The SGM arrived bleeding pretty good- having just taken the nastiest crash of the trip- missing a chuck of hide out of his knee with a nasty patch of  road-rash nearby.  The Chief was carrying disinfectant and some medical version of super-glue and got him patched up.  The SGM’s confidence on the down hill would suffer for a few days as he began riding the downhills considerably slower than I do.  After passing that cabin, the road improved making the rest of the downhill pleasant and fast along a beautiful creek.  We rode 100 yards of pavement before turning up another steep mountain grade.  Up into the aspens again, and we were on the spur of a large mountain.  Thinking we’d follow the ridges was a mistake; down again, and up a long steady but reasonable grade.  Here Chief Maybon removed and threw-away his borrowed handlebar extenders thinking he didn’t need the extra weight! I believe the Chief and SGM both did some pushing along here, though I found the climb moderate enough and enjoyed the “zone” (a state of effort roadies enjoy).  The single track people would climb this same hill, and found it long and tiring after their experience the day before. 

The view from the Black Mesa Hut was incredible, but black flies and mosquitoes are everywhere in the high Colorado mountains, and if I failed to mention they spoil almost every break, they do!  They make the huts all the more desirable!  The SGM had his cooking routine down by now, had started dinner, and was organizing breakfast by the time the Chief and I had the hut fully opened- remember the steel shutters on the windows need opened with ladders and keys.  Recalling the late arrival of the rest of the team the prior day, we started to eat without them, but four of the six arrived just then. CPT Keeton and the Blue Bunny would ride 3.5 miles beyond the cabin before turning around to join us.

SGM arrives at Black Mesa Hut

Day 3 Black Creek Mesa to Dry Creek Basin (elevation 6,000 feet)
34.7 miles 3:14 riding time

There were no single track options today, so the entire crew traveled together which was enjoyable. We found a photo op at the beginning of the descent.  Then descended a very pleasant jeep trail.  The SGM was still suffering from the confidence steeling wreck of the day before, so we waited for him a bit.  CPT Keeton had a flat at the bottom.

CPT Keeton's well supervised flat

The SGM suffered the first bee-sting of his life.  It swelled large and suddenly, so our nurse was called back.  She used the snake-bite kit to extract most of the poison (interesting to watch a smudge of yellow pop out of the swelling)  which immediately reduced the significant swelling. For the rest of the ride the bee sting would bother the SGM more than his nasty road rash he received on day 2. We now found ourselves in the high desert, then over another mountain and down into the real desert.  There was a lake with a pleasant swim enjoyed by all- the first time the single trackers had gotten clean since the start!  Then over a big hill cresting at the North Mountain Wildlife Ranch.  Then more downhill and to the cabin 1/4 mile off the road in the hot desert.  It was extremely hot, but at least the desert offered relief from the mosquitoes and flies of the high Colorado Mountains.  The bungie cords on the steel shutters were either broken or replaced with bigger rubber cords.  Maybe wind was an issue down here?  We could see clouds off to the North, and foolishly wished, hoped, and prayed for rain to relieve the heat-  we got rain- in spades that night.  Grand Junction TV reported the rain was heaviest in the Dolores River drainage- where I believe we were, but their viewing area generally got 1" of rain.  I awoke  that night (as did others) sitting straight up in bed as a the wind blew the steel bear-proof shutters closed with a big BANG! It made thunder seem quiet!  I’d left my bike leaning on a juniper shrub above the cabin. At least it was still standing in the morning, but by the time I pushed the bike 10 feet to the cabin, clay had stopped the wheels from turning.    The cabin contained instructions for an alternate route should heavy rain fall, but it involved pavement and staying in a motel which none of us relished. Hut to Hut management knew this clay couldn’t be ridden after even reasonable rains.

Day 4 Dry Creek Basin to Naturia, Colorado (elevation 5,423 ft)
24.4 miles 1:46 riding time
It was only about 100 yards to the dirt road and another 1/4 mile on to the graveled county road, but it’s a lot of work carrying a loaded touring bike that far!  The tires would not turn, nor could we push the bikes turning the tires into skids; they had to be carried.  Now for those with standard clip-less pedals (strangely we clip into clipless) this was a real problem.  Most of them wore their flip-flops to the road- or at least tried to.  Wet clay stuck to the flip-flops maybe better than the tires!  Craig had rather even mud platforms at least 5" high stuck to the bottom of his flip-flops as I realized my problems could be worse (thank goodness for stirrup style touring pedals!)  Most of them abandoned wearing shoes and went barefoot.  I must have taken a half dozen rests as I carried my pannier laden bike thru the wet clay, and each carrying length was shorter than the one before.  CPT Keeton abandoned his flip flops somewhere in that quarter mile and went barefoot like most of those with “clipless” pedals.  Reaching the graveled county road brought only limited relief as we weren’t sure we’d be able to ride it either.  We all scraped some of the mud off our chain stay’s triangles, forks, and a bit off the tires.  Slowly as we rode, the bikes threw the clay off, much of it going onto the riders or grossly- even up our noses!  Well, at least we had relief from the prior day’s heat!  We were able to shed our rain gear by the time we arrived at our first rural store of the trip, but we’d lost interest in the ice-cream we had promised ourselves because it was cold  Unbelievable as it may be- their grill was out of order- so they were serving nothing hot! Pavement awaited our next miles into Naturia (population 635- where it turns out all desirable services are located 5 miles up the hill in the town of Nucla).  Now, these mountain bikers soon figured out that a paceline was helpful at increasing our speed and increasing the fun of road riding in this rather unscenic area.  They did amazingly well considering their “orientation”, but, dear roadies, most of the rules we hold to for our safety were disregarded.  Instead of maintaining a steady pace with the leader falling back in 1 or 2 minutes intervals (or 1 mile or ½ mile whatever order the pack decided), whoever in the back felt strong, looked under his arm at the road behind, and then leaped ahead of the pack.  Sometimes two people had this idea at the same time. (When I pointed out the usual rotation rules, I was told “Guardsmen step up to leadership- they don’t fall back”).  Someone amused himself by occasionally “kissing” the tire ahead of him- mountain bike tires make more noise kissing than do our road tires!  Apparently, kissing mountain bike tires is safer than road tires as no one went down.  Someone, who will remain nameless, was paying more attention to his bike than the one ahead of him, and noticed a small pebble sitting on his dirty derailer.  When his efforts to reach it with his hand only caused his weaving out of the paceline, he came back into line and did a bunnyhop, hoping to knock it off.  Although I’m not naming him, at his point his wife decided to fall back a full bike length.  Since I wear a mirror even mountain biking, I had been given the enviable job of riding last- calling out “car back” occasionally- as there was very little traffic.  This fortunate assignment allowed me to add as many bike lengths between me and the pack as I felt necessary for my safety!  The SGM and SGT Clark each dropped the entire pack as they eagerly sought not to slow the pack under their leadership!  By the time we arrived in Naturia, temperatures had increased to pleasant, so SGT Clark and I enjoyed our air-conditioning.  Not everyone’s air worked.  The motel allowed us to hose off our filthy bikes.  Craig was eager for hamburger, fries, and a milkshake for lunch, so we were off to the Blondie Drive-in.  Since CPT Keeton had thrown out his flip flops, he was wearing his soft soled fuzzy slippers around town.  Someone's  military bearing broke down so far as to call him “Slipper Steve”; some of us had missed the reason he was wearing soft soled slippers around town though the fuzzy slippers were immediately noticeable.  I’d left my swimming trunks in one of the huts; SSG Morgan wanted a “T” shirt in addition to his jerseys, and others had lost stuff they thought we could replace in this, the only town of the tour- which is not on the standard “non-rainy” route.  There were several small businesses downtown, but there was also a “Tourist Information building” so we headed there to find our shopping and entertainment options.  The office was manned by a 70-some year old sweet Southern Lady.  I asked if I could buy swimming trunks in town, and the answer was “yes, at the Co-op”.  I asked where in town that was, and she replied in Nucla- 5 miles up the hill.  CPT Keeton asked if he could buy flip-flops, and she told him the name of a store.  He asked if it was in Naturia, and she replied “it’s in Nucla”.  He said, “but we’re on bikes”, and without skipping a beat she replied to the Captain, as only a sweet elderly Southern lady could, “I know Pumpkin”.  This term provided a further challenge to our military bearing!  Since the day was so short, and the options in Nuturia so few, maybe we should have ridden up the hill or mountain to Nucla.  In Naturia there was only one place for dinner- with a big sign “bar and grill”.  It turns out this “bar and grill” has no grill.  They served only liquor and frozen pizza, so it was frozen pizza alone for dinner.


Day 5 Naturia, CO to Paradox Hut (elevation 5,240 feet)
30.4 miles 2:35 riding time
22 miles of pavement today on this mountain bike adventure!  We left town a little late with a short day scheduled.  Our paceline, roadies, didn’t improve from the day before, but again we arrived safe.  We had a hill to cross, before rejoining the standard route at “Bedrock” where a country store usually sells ice-cream, cold drinks, and where the Dolores River offers a good swimming hole just a few miles short of the Paradox Valley Hut.  Well, with our luck, the country store was closed- it may reopen and may not- the proprietor has some personal problems which caused its closure a week or two ago- although the sign out front shows it’s been operating since 1881 and a paper note promises its reopening the day after we were there!  The Dolores River was nearly at flood stage and very muddy, so we lost interest in that swim though the temperatures were again high enough to make swimming before bed a desirable option.  It was roughly 8 more miles to the hut, but here we got back on route, and the ground seemed to be slowly drying out.  Paradox Hut was hot, but nearby is a “bed and breakfast” that is more of a condo rental operation.  Craig and Jayci had rented a room- where we all went to soak up some air conditioning then back to the hut for another fine dinner prepared by the SGM.  All the huts but this one had playing cards, and this was the only one we were in early enough we wanted them.  The day before this one had been short, but with the mud issues, I think we were all glad it was short.  Today was definitely too short a cycling day for me, I had extra energy that was wasted! It felt like we had a great warm up and then stopped.  It cooled off enough to sleep in the sleeping bag liners we carried- if not enough to sleep in the provided sleeping bags.  The “bed and breakfast” didn’t come with the advertized swimming pool- or breakfast, so Craig and Jayci rejoined us for breakfast.

mountain bikers pacelining between Naturia and Bedrock, Colorado

Day 6 Paradox Hut to Geyser Hut (elevation 9,864)
24.4 miles 4:34 riding time
We were back on route for another day’s climbing with no alternate routes.  The steep initial climb gave us very scenic views of the Paradox Valley (some irrigated hay and some desert in a very flat river bottom surrounded by mountains). Once on top of the grade, there was an ever so short descent, followed by more climbing, above the junipers and into the Ponderosa forest, and then a reservoir that looked amazingly like the south end of Soldier’s Meadows.  Then more climbing.  The SGM and I like being clean, so we stopped at a cold mountain stream a few miles before the destination for a dunk in the cold water. As we turned off the county road onto private lands, it began to rain again, and we were back in the clay!  Fortunately, it didn’t rain so hard or long.  Most of us were able to push our bikes although my tires briefly turned into skids.  Then we passed through the storm, and the trail was again dry.  In my opinion, the Geyser Hut has the most beautiful setting of all, looking directly at the nearby high mountain above the tree line.  It offered a nearby cold mountain stream where pop and beer could be rapidly cooled.  Everyone had an appreciation for the beauty of this place as well as some foreboding that tomorrow would be the last day of the ride.

Craig & Jayci arrive at Geyser Hut

Day 7 Geyser Hut to Moab (elevation 4,026)
31.1 miles 2:24 riding time
Again, there was an alternative route which I considered- which included a descent on Porcupine Ridge, but those guys are faster down-hillers than I am, and I was on the crew to take the rental car  back to the lodge north of Durango to get our vehicles.  We all rode together out of the beautiful setting of Geyser Hut, up to the divide, where a van full of down-hillers were being dropped off for a ride down to Moab.  It was a long descent back to Moab, but I probably enjoyed the bottom section most- where it appeared flat but wasn’t- where it was easy to sail along at 20 MPH on a loaded mountain bike.  Then it was grab a motel that allowed us to leave the bikes there.  The Rustic Inn cut us a great deal on a room they were remodeling (no carpet).  Then off to the Purgatory Inn 30 or 40 miles outside of Durango and back to Moab.  We were too late getting back to enjoy dinner as a group, but we did have a good final breakfast the next day.

Chief Maybon, SGM Chin, & SFC Largent enjoy the descent to Moab

This was a great trip. but I wouldn’t recommend doing a self-supported variation of it.  Supplies are too far away; the route is more difficult than the Owyhee trip we did in ‘09, and the flies and mosquitoes would be tortuous without those huts!

If this trip interests you, you might also enjoy this blog: http://forums.mtbr.com/blog.php?do=showentry&e=1355 (Copy & paste: when I post it as a hotlink it demands a password) Their best adventures were the two days we missed.

My photos

CPT Keeton's photos

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!


Steve