McCormick Ridge Road at the end of March

I ride McCormick Ridge road a few times a year. It's a very challenging climb, lots of steep sections on what seems like a never ending hill. However, after today's ride it will seem a whole lot easier.

I was happy when I got up this morning and the roads had begun to dry from all the rain we'd had.
However, shortly thereafter high winds picked up and that was a bummer, it's never fun riding in high wind.

Scott and Jen showed up for the ride, no Doug (wimp). The three of us plus Carol started out together. Carol turned back part way thinking she was not in good enough shape to do this ride.
When the three of us completed the initial climb up McCormick Ridge we could see we'd have snow the rest of the way. Scott said he wanted an adventure. Long time ago Jen told me she married Scott because she wanted adventure. I enjoy adventure (at least this was not another Lapwai Loop). So we kept going. Eventually the snow got rather deep from snow drifting onto the road. Jen was slowly dropping Scott and I until her rear wheel spun out and she had to get off and push for awhile. Scott took charge then, he had the fattest tires of all of us. Jen and I had started with relatively narrow tires, fat tires were better for the snow.

We were happy when we finally got to the top. It's been a long tough climb what with the snow slowing us down and all. I was a bit worried about our descent down, I was afraid it might be a bit dangerous. In the end it was not that bad. The road we descended on did not get the snow drifts that McCormick had. Instead we had several sections of 5-6 inch deep of fluffy snow. This was plenty fun to ride in. If you had one pedal all the way down your foot would drag through the snow. Snow was building up on our rims and then when we go fast enough the snow would fly off our rims and hit us in the face, or hit the person behind us in the face. This is called fun, you see. We were all fairly cold, Jen particularly. Her body has not matured enough to have a layer of fat to help protect on on these colder windy rides.

Luckily we were out long enough so that when it was time to turn into the wind it had died down significantly. Jen had gotten pretty uncomfortably cold so we called Carol for rescue. She brought the dogs with her and so Scott and I rode with the dogs for awhile. They kicked our butts.

When we got back home, Carol had nice warm banana/apple bread for us.

Colorado Ski Trip

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!

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.