Riding solo on those days when time seems to stand still makes sense.
There
is no schedule of events, or people to meet. You don't really want to
get
out of bed because it's cozy and warm there, but you know that you
must.
You're not in any hurry to get anywhere, even when the cheese that
awaits at
the end of the rat maze is your favorite kind. Once in the rat maze,
everyone around you seems to be hustling and bustling. The windows are
up
with the volume and though you are flowing with their hectic pace, it
doesn't seem that you are a part of what's going on around you. This
notion
becomes even more evident when you witness a ten car pile-up happen
three
deep behind you after an especially heavy stop in this world of stops
and
goes.
A minute feels like a lifetime
The air is cool and trail empty. The flow is there, steady most of the
while. There is occasion to slow more in navigating the bench cut's
more
narrow realms and tighter turns. This is where time slows again, with
more
with deliberate actions in that flow. Does one really look up when
they are
in this groove? It's quite possible that they do, though I'd wager
it's
mostly when arriving at a crossroads.
A minute feels like a lifetime
Climbing solo out of a deep ravine in the cool mountain air should
never be
rushed. Eventually the sound of the perennial stream at the bottom
disappears, but it's not something you wish to escape. The apex
beckons
though and you feel your legs grow stronger, lungs bigger and the
desire to
reach your destination grows. The small things become more noticeable
as
time stretches. What kind of pinecone was that? Yes, I heard that Red
Tail
call out. There are no other bicycle tracks, only a few faded
bootprints.
The steep mountainsides have an inviting pale reddish orange hue and
the
pines and cedars dotting it provide a nice contrast. The air is
getting
cooler.
A minute feels like a lifetime
The gap has a cool, but gentle breeze. Sitting on the ground and
taking in
the sights and sounds of this serene place is exactly where you wanted
to
be. There is no time here, only contemplation. What to contemplate?
Whatever needs contemplating when you arrive and enters your mind while
doing so because time does not matter.
A minute feels like a lifetime
Eventually, you start back the way you came. What you had previously
ascended is now being descended. The twists and turns you remember
from
your journey up are now coming back as a somewhat distant memory. A
good
memory makes for excellent descents on a day like this. It seems
almost
longer to descend, having recalled so much of what you had seen earlier
as
you make your way down to the crossroads.
A minute feels like a lifetime
Climbing back out, you begin the process of remembering what you had
earlier
descended. Being the second sustained climb of the day, you take it
much
more slowly. You know that when this climb ends, the ride has ended
and you
are in no hurry. The trail seems wider and steeper due to the lack of
speed
going this direction. Memory serves well in the tighter turns, steeper
steeps and narrower ledges. The slow but steady grind goes on, the
cadence
picking up as the trail becomes rockier or steeper. Memory serves
almost
too well as you realize it's almost over. A few flat stretches and
dips
indicate this along with the tall Ponderosas on the flat at the
trailhead.
A slow spin in a higher gear to finish helps end it with the tone of
the
day.
A minute seems like a lifetime
When I feel this way...I feel this way
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JD