Friday, February 20, 2009

Monday, February 9, 2009

Flat Iron Road in February







This is one of my favorite rides, though last year I never found the time to do it. I normally start in the Orchards and work my way up to Waha either via, Web Ridge Road and then Flat Iron Road and then come back on the highway or vice versa. The ride has some great views, a couple "little" hills and very little traffic. Scott had the idea of doing this ride going up Rosenkrantz Road. This way we are off the highway longer and so get to avoid more traffic. This proved true yesterday as I think we only met car on Rosenkrantz.

The only problem with Rosenkrantz is that the very bottom of it is rather steep. Scott was claiming some ridiculously high heart rate. After we got through the bottom section though, the rest of the way up was relatively easy. Whenever we turned east we hit some headwind but nothing terrible.

At the end or Rosenkrantz we stopped and had a bit to eat. I figured this was a good spot, we were still relatively low (altitude wise) and we had much sunshine. I figured if we waited until later in the ride it might be too cold and shady to stand around and eat. Scott is on some kind if ridiculous cleanse diet. That's where his carrot power comes from Corrie. He can't eat any kind of processed carbs for awhile. I offered him some peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and part of the oatmeal cookie that Doug gave me. At which point I was called some kind of vulgar name and my mother was insulted. Scott said something to Doug about how he knew he should not have invited me on the ride.

We continued on to Waha without incident. I told Scott how right at the Waha store the road got significantly steeper. He later told me how I was not kidding. I don't think Doug like it either. At the entrance to Flat Iron road I told Doug that this was where the ride really started. He did some to understand what I was talking about. I said "you'll see!"

About a mile into Flat Iron there is one steep mother of a hill. Scott has been on Flat Iron road and he said he did not remember it when I mentioned it to him. This I take as a sign of dementia coming on in him. I don't understand how a person could have ridden their bike on this hill and forgotten it. Anyway when he saw it his reaction was "oh shit, oh shit". Hence the hill has a new name.

This was took it out of poor old Scott, what with his lack of refined carbs and all. Unfortunately we still had two more hills just like that one. At the top of the third, I could tell that Scott was losing it. He definately had that bonked look to him.

Steve L. tried to warn us what a bad idea it was to do that ride this time of year but he was wrong. We had two small sections of snow covered roads but the snow was packed down and was not slick. We did have to deal with muddy roads in spots too but they were still not all that bad.

Doug enjoyed the ride, he wants to do it again in a month or so. I don't know that Corrie will ever do it. Steve loves this ride. Steve never complains on a ride but a few years ago I did it with him and at one point on the ride he said "this was a lot of work getting up here". That's about the most you'll ever hear him complain I think!






Thursday, February 5, 2009


This is my good friend Pele. She and her sister, Tag, are my exercise buddies. I often go walking or ride my bike while they run along and explore all the smells around Mann's Lake near Lewiston, Idaho.