Back from my visit to the Western Slope and some riding with MattB, JD and
John I was off on my own the latter part of the week. I tried to locate a
trail in the Uncompaghre using a 20 year old Forest Circus map. I did find
a marker but the trail had long since grown over so I opted to drive back to
the Spring Creek trail. This trail is a multi-use trail meaning the damn
atv's use it.....and every other trail they aren't supposed to use nearby.
It was slightly cloudy so I wasn't too concerned about getting wet...wrong
answer...survey says....wait five minutes for the weather to change! I
started at 9300' and cruised down the trail....down....down.....down dodging
a lot of loose rock stirred up by the four wheelers. The sign at the top
said Paradox M.B. Trail 2.1 miles so I thought "great". At 1.8 miles the
trail split with no signage...typical so I followed the most heavily used
path continuing to drop in elevation and headed in the right direction to
Paradox.
Several small herds of cows and stinky urine soaked trail later I finally
leveled off at about 8100' still not quite sure if I'd taken the correct
fork but I knew the Paradox road was in this direction....somewhere. The
trail opened up into an area of scrub oak that had been bulldozed, by the
looks of it, early in the spring. Now it was sprinkling lightly and I was
on a road, still following the atv tracks which led right to and past a sign
with a X on the atv....and bicycle figures so I proceeded to follow the road
getting further from where I started, way up high!
About 1/4 mile further I hit another trail head that allowed bikes so off I
went. Sweet single track for all of about 1/3 mile then the trail veered
into a mountain side and straight up. Between the horses, cows, and water
the trail was nothing but rocks. I started up the mess and got about 100
feet, carrying my bike when my brain kicked in and told me not to proceed
and I did an about face.
By now it was raining rather hard so I opted to follow the atv tracks up the
trail I wasn't supposed to be on but I figured since I was pushing my bike
up the rutted muddy side of the mountain I was actually hiking anyway.
Rant On: I didn't have a problem with atv's using trails designated for
multi use until I saw the devastation caused by these idiots sliding down a
muddy trail, going around fallen trees making several large trails from what
was once beautiful single track. And the water flowing down the ruts was
making it so much worse. All along the trail, these idiots would
circumnavigate a fallen tree instead of trying to clear the trail, riding
where ever they pleased. These jerks were going around metal barriers
placed to keep them out. Angry isn't the word for how I felt.
Rant off:
So now the electrical part of the storm moves in, my bike is so covered in
mud the I can't keep the chain from sucking into the chainrings so I
continue to push the thing up the raging torrent that was once a trail. It's
about 57°F and lightening is popping all around me and I'm still not sure of
where I'm at but I know I have to get up the hill.
Note to self....White Lightening doesn't make for wet weather
lubrication......
I come to another fork in the trail....great! Since I've sort of been going
counter (anti for you folks across the pond) clockwise I decide to go the
route of least travel or left. And it's raining harder. You'd think it
would wash the damn mud off the bike. Flash, Boom (I mean really big boom
right at the flash) and I think I have to stop and clear my shorts as I'm
pushing this expensive aluminum (aluminium) lightening rod through an
electrical storm......
I finally make it back to my vehicle and get the bike up on the rack leaving
the front wheel behind the car..........I managed to back over it without
actually running over it but I sure felt stupid. I had also managed to not
secure the bike in my haste to get out of the rain so seeing the wheel now
laying in front of my car engaged my brain. Bike secured, wheel secured,
inside of car, soaking wet!
Not much of a cycling workout but I sure got a hike in. The rain was a
welcome sight but the electrical storm was a little unnerving. I didn't
take but a few pictures before the bottom of the cloud opened up. I'll post
a link later.
Gary (at least I didn't break my crank)