I hustled like a crackhead late for a free fix to get out of the shop
and down to the trailhead. Life doesn't always cooperate, you know? I
stop at the downtown YMCA for a quick changeroo into my winter riding
gear. Gone are the warm days of open air mooning at the trailheads, at
least for a while, anyway.
Mac's sitting there at CB Park, his red Superlight outside, he's inside
his Suburban, waiting in the relative warmth of his rig for me to show
up and get this show on the road, or the trail, I guess. It's 20degf
and dropping, but its cool, clear, and still. I can hardly wait!
Unload the Ole Right Reverend Father Titus, do a preflight check, don
my sub-arctic gloves and booties, start riding away when I hear from
Mac, <ding!> <zing!> as his Santa Cruz just ain't Cruzin tonight, due
to rear cassette/hub destruction.
Only an hour of daylight left by now, WHAT DO WE DO!??
I think a pitcher of Fiegwirth by the fire at Highland Hollow Brew Pub,
the best after ski joint, is a fine alternative, but I still wanna
rock...so the adventure wins.
To make a long story short, we reload the bikes, break out our running
shoes, [yes, I know, it's not the same...] I shed a layer, and we
start running, or as we call it, the Old Man Shuffle. I look down and
ask Mac, where's the wheels on these things?? I'm wheezing like an
80yr old smoker,since we start up the face of Camelsback, with no warm
up. He condescendingly refers to the different muscle set being
accessed... yeah, whatever..
Around the back, the dirt is frozen solid, not too many folks out, few
bikes, a few hikers, and we're jogging along, as I carry on a
coversation, making danged sure I didn't have enough oxygen to be
comfortable. Up to the top of Chickadee Ridge, along the spine, down,
up 8th to the start of Hulls Gulch, halfway up Hulls, past Red Sands,
and I'm thinking to myself, self--this isn't too bad. Not fun like
riding, but its good exercise and beats work, any day.
Eventually work our way back to Camelsback, take the elevator shaft up
and around to the front, stop to appreciate the gorgeous view of the
downtown skyline all lit up with Christmas lights at night, then down
the face, across the grass, and by now its totally dark. We probably
did about 5 miles, I'm guessing, and it was a trip.
Now officially time to take the party cooler to Kahona's house, whose
laying around recovering from Kidney stone surgery. Yeehah, better you
than me, bro.
CDB