Jackson was rained out earlier this week (like mountains everywhere apparently), so I needed a trail
fix. Given the slop up there, I took a Tetons hike that beat the hell out of my cycling legs. A
couple days rest after returning to SLC has them feeling normal again.
I can never remember if the Mill Creek slot prohibition on bikes is odd or even, only that it's
opposite City Creek. The intent was to do Wasatch Crest out-and-back from Mill Creek, but I discover
it's "no bikes on odd days" when I get there. Today is the 29th. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow when
it's legal. Probably not; tomorrow feels like a road day. (Unemployment is great until the nest egg
runs out.)
Plan B was Cardiff Fork up Big Cottonwood, about 25 miles from my front door downtown. The riding
itself has only lung-busting altitude and the killer workout of 6 miles of uphills on loose stones.
But the big payoff is the beautiful cirque at the top. The threaded mining roads pass the ruins of
the old Cardiff Mine about two-thirds of the way - great for people who appreciate such things. I
don't. It was a pretty big operation once, and leeches ochre-colored heavy metals into the stream.
I first did this ride on my no-sx bike many years ago and it SUCKED. The loose paving made it a
constant exercise in frustration. My FSX ride makes it do-able. I have yet to do the whole thing
without being forced off the pedals by a disappearing line, wobbly low-speed balance or shifting
traction, but I may be getting there. I was only really stopped three times or so (but in reality
took quite a few breaks to stow the helmet and t-shirt, admire the area, take pictures, etc).
Except for the foolish wearing of cleated sandals, I kicked this ride's ass. Naturally, I waited to
mash my exposed toes until the wiggle around the gate at the trailhead, at the end of the ride. Tore
some skin off a tiptoe.
But I'm wonderfully strong this year and found myself at the high end of the roads in what felt like
short order. I know there are moose up there, having spotted one a couple years ago. So I was only
mildly surprised to look up after rounding a tight corner to see a female "trotting" away out of
sight. What do you call it that moose do when they move quickly, anyway? Couldn't get the camera out
fast enough, couldn't properly stalk the beast to get a pic. I didn't want to be eaten, after all.
After taking some pics that of course don't do justice to the place, I headed down. Even the floaty
bike didn't spare my kidneys of some pounding but they're okay. I ended up doing a nice loop around
the cirque's basin. Halfway down, I see a distinctive silhouette in some shade. Could've been a
strangely shaped dead tree, but it was showing movement. Could've been chipmunks crawling over said
dead tree. Or could've been... yep! Bull mooseage!
The guy's gotten tame over recent years. I got within about sixty yards before feeling like I was
crowding. He was liking the shade and not wishing to move.
Sigh, and me without a 400-mm lens. But my camera's kind of good, which means big picture files.
I took the left: xmission.comCardiffWhichWay.jpgOpen ↗
I don't know if I'll ever make it up this section in pedals. It's steeper than it looks!
xmission.comCardiffSteep.jpgOpen ↗
So like, imagine a moose trotting through this, away from the camera, five minutes before the shot.
xmission.comCardiffNoMoose.jpgOpen ↗
The beautiful bowl: xmission.comCardiffCirce.jpgOpen ↗
xmission.comCardiffCirce1.jpgOpen ↗
Not bad shots after all, considering the equipment: xmission.comMooseFront.jpgOpen ↗
xmission.comMooseSide3.jpgOpen ↗
(I'll test the links and post a fixed follow-up if necessary.)
--
--
Lynn Wallace xmission.com~lawallOpen ↗ "I'm not proud. We really haven't done everything we
could to protect our customers. Our products just aren't engineered for security." --Microsoft VP in
charge of Windows OS Development, Brian Valentine.