What a great ride this morning. Tried something completely new and I loved it. Kerry and I started out on our normal route to meet Steve, Eric & Todd, but instead of going up 2000 South we went north on 400 East and headed to the BST. This is a nice steady climb, and I must admit I loved it. Unfortunately I do not think Steve liked it as well.
The plan was for us to meet along the way or at Battlecreek and ride the BST to Mollies and then back. Since Kerry and I did not see anyone while we were riding we continued to the meeting place--the one I have never been to. The group ended up behind us and had decided to start slightly different than planned. This meant Steve had to put it in to gear and climb much faster than I am sure he was planning to let us know where we were turning. He caught us just shortly after we passed the road. We are lucky he is so fast.
The trail is actually a dirt road with ups and downs, and a couple of great hill climbs. One at the end and one going back. I was able to make the hill climb at the end, but the one going back is much steeper than it looks. All of us tried to make it, but could not. Eric made it the furthest, and I think he would have made it all the way had he been able to angle his bike just slightly different. I did not make it very far at all. Apparently my bike hit a rock...sounds good to me anyway :-) Steve had some problems with the same rock I did, but I think us making him ride at race pace to catch us made it hard to climb. I am sure he would have made it if it weren't for that. Kerry was the first to ride the hill and if he had drawn just a little bit better line he probably would have made it. It is always tough being the first and having to show everyone else where not to ride. Of course we will have to try this hill again to see if we can get up it. It is now on my evolving lists of goals.
Going back was way too short and the ride was over before I knew it. I can't wait to ride this again and see if I can clear the hill, but it will have to be with help as there are a lot of wrong turns that could be made, and I do not remember which turns we took.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
New Gadget
I have a new gadget! If you can't tell I am very excited about getting it. Yesterday I bought a wireless indoor/outdoor thermometer. This may not be exciting to you, but it is to me. Now I will know what the temperature it is outside and what type of clothing I should wear when I ride. This is very important to staying comfortable while riding in the cold weather.Example, yesterday when I got up, I got ready to ride like I had other mornings. However, yesterday was different than the other days--yesterday it was 24 degrees out and I did not know it! Because I didn't know it was sooo cold I did not wear enough layers on my legs. I was okay, I did not get too cold, but my legs never really got warm either.
Now with my new thermometer I can get up in the morning look at the temperature and will kind of know what to wear. (The kind of part is due to the fact this is my first time riding in cold weather and I am still trying to figure out what to wear--suggestions are always appreciated).
Today was a great example of how well my new thermometer works. I woke up and saw it was 33 degrees, so I knew exactly how to dress. Of course I did not believe the temperature because of yesterday, so today I over dressed! Lesson learned the thermometer was right and I did not need to wear so many layers. Oh well, at least I was not cold, and now I know it works.
Now with my new thermometer I can get up in the morning look at the temperature and will kind of know what to wear. (The kind of part is due to the fact this is my first time riding in cold weather and I am still trying to figure out what to wear--suggestions are always appreciated).
Today was a great example of how well my new thermometer works. I woke up and saw it was 33 degrees, so I knew exactly how to dress. Of course I did not believe the temperature because of yesterday, so today I over dressed! Lesson learned the thermometer was right and I did not need to wear so many layers. Oh well, at least I was not cold, and now I know it works.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Trails in My Backyard
I have a lot of trails in my backyard, and I didn’t even know it. How lucky am I! Today was a very tight scheduled day, so my ride started early for a Saturday—6:30 in the morning early. Although it was 25 degrees out it felt pretty much the same as yesterday which was 35 degrees. I guess after a certain temperature it all feels the same….cold.
This morning I met Kerry and we took off up 2000 south like we do during the week. However, today we left our normal route and ended up going to the water tank in Orem. It was not too soon going up the road towards the water tank I felt fatigued. I was really surprised as I have made this climb without any problems before. I wondered if the cold had something to do with it or if I was tired. My answer came very quickly as not halfway up the hill my EIA (exercise induced asthma) the cold was definitely playing a part in my riding.
We continued up the road and ended up going on the service road past the water tank. This road is your typical dirt service road, not too difficult, but a good climb. I don’t know how far we went on the road, but it was cool to look out over the valley. I could see trails by Squaw’s Peak; I could see the BST and all around the valley. As we rode we came to a single track. Kerry, Eric and Stephen call this the Windy Ridge, and it is true to its name. Apparently it is always windy here, and the wind is a cross wind. Today is was not too strong, it was just enough to pull up my face protector and continue down.
From here we came out around Canyon Glen Park and go up the trail to Bridal Veil Falls. I have seen mountain bikers up there before, but could never figure out where they were riding. Today I found out.
There is a fun trail that goes up the mountain and over to Squaw’s Peak. It is like a little roller coaster as you go up the mountain making the climbing very easy. The trail goes all the way to Squaw Peak road. I am not sure where it comes out on the road, because we didn’t take the road down. Instead we did turn around and went back. Turning around was sooooo much fun. The little roller coaster trail that makes the climbing easy, makes the downhill a blast. I was giggling all the way down I was having so much fun.
At the end we took off up Provo Trail and home. About halfway down the trail we started to have the sun hit us. It felt really good and although the temperature did not change much it warmed me up having the sun on me. I can’t wait to do this again. There is nothing better than having trails in my back yard.
This morning I met Kerry and we took off up 2000 south like we do during the week. However, today we left our normal route and ended up going to the water tank in Orem. It was not too soon going up the road towards the water tank I felt fatigued. I was really surprised as I have made this climb without any problems before. I wondered if the cold had something to do with it or if I was tired. My answer came very quickly as not halfway up the hill my EIA (exercise induced asthma) the cold was definitely playing a part in my riding.
We continued up the road and ended up going on the service road past the water tank. This road is your typical dirt service road, not too difficult, but a good climb. I don’t know how far we went on the road, but it was cool to look out over the valley. I could see trails by Squaw’s Peak; I could see the BST and all around the valley. As we rode we came to a single track. Kerry, Eric and Stephen call this the Windy Ridge, and it is true to its name. Apparently it is always windy here, and the wind is a cross wind. Today is was not too strong, it was just enough to pull up my face protector and continue down.
From here we came out around Canyon Glen Park and go up the trail to Bridal Veil Falls. I have seen mountain bikers up there before, but could never figure out where they were riding. Today I found out.
There is a fun trail that goes up the mountain and over to Squaw’s Peak. It is like a little roller coaster as you go up the mountain making the climbing very easy. The trail goes all the way to Squaw Peak road. I am not sure where it comes out on the road, because we didn’t take the road down. Instead we did turn around and went back. Turning around was sooooo much fun. The little roller coaster trail that makes the climbing easy, makes the downhill a blast. I was giggling all the way down I was having so much fun.
At the end we took off up Provo Trail and home. About halfway down the trail we started to have the sun hit us. It felt really good and although the temperature did not change much it warmed me up having the sun on me. I can’t wait to do this again. There is nothing better than having trails in my back yard.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
It's never too early
So for the last week I have been getting up at 5:15 in the morning to meet a group of guys and go riding. They have a set routine, and it is working out pretty good for me. We have days we ride in the dirt and we have days we ride the pavement. The pavement days are recovery days. This is good, because I am not too good at pacing myself, so I stick with the group and it works out well. The dirt days are ride hard days.
Today was a dirt day! We rode on a trail that I have only been on a small portion of, but today I got to go on a lot of it. It was a blast. Since we are riding in the dark I did not go very fast, which turned out to be a good thing, because I came to a sharp banked turn, and once I realized was there was a turn, it was too late to turn, so instead I rode up the mountain. Good thing it was up the mountain and not off the mountain. I have heard when you night ride you should ride on trails you are familiar with. I tend to agree with this if you do not have someone to ride with. The guys I was riding with were very helpful letting me know what to expect on the trail. I am sure it would have been much more difficult riding had they not given me a heads up of what to expect. I am excited to go back and ride again, however I am worried I will not be able to find my way since I have been going in the dark, and everything looks different in the day.
By the way did I mention I love dirt days. I love riding, but there is something about riding the dirt that puts a huge smile on my face. I don't know if it the challenge of the single track and being able to accomplish riding it, the scenery (although in the dark the scenery does not exactly jump out), or the variety that comes with riding single track. Whatever it is I love it and it is definitely worth getting up for early in the morning!!!
Today was a dirt day! We rode on a trail that I have only been on a small portion of, but today I got to go on a lot of it. It was a blast. Since we are riding in the dark I did not go very fast, which turned out to be a good thing, because I came to a sharp banked turn, and once I realized was there was a turn, it was too late to turn, so instead I rode up the mountain. Good thing it was up the mountain and not off the mountain. I have heard when you night ride you should ride on trails you are familiar with. I tend to agree with this if you do not have someone to ride with. The guys I was riding with were very helpful letting me know what to expect on the trail. I am sure it would have been much more difficult riding had they not given me a heads up of what to expect. I am excited to go back and ride again, however I am worried I will not be able to find my way since I have been going in the dark, and everything looks different in the day.
By the way did I mention I love dirt days. I love riding, but there is something about riding the dirt that puts a huge smile on my face. I don't know if it the challenge of the single track and being able to accomplish riding it, the scenery (although in the dark the scenery does not exactly jump out), or the variety that comes with riding single track. Whatever it is I love it and it is definitely worth getting up for early in the morning!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Ooops....It's dark outside
I went for a ride early this morning (5:45) on the BST with Kerry (yamabiker), Eric and Steve Washburn (Mad dog racer). They have graciously let me come and ride with them in the early mornings. The ride was great, but half way through the batteries on both of my lights went dead. It happened very quickly and kind of spooked me.
Luckily about the time I lost my lights Steve and Eric had come back on the trail (they are much faster than me). Kerry was behind me not because I am faster, but because I am still new to riding the trails with lights and this particular trail has a cliff edge. Anyway, since I had lost my lights we had to reposition who rode where. Steve rode up front, I rode next and Eric and Kerry were behind me.
At first it was a little weird trying to ride without any lighting. Sometimes the lights behind me would illuminate great, other times it threw my shadow around the trail and made it difficult to ride. Eventually I figured out the best way to ride was to stay directly behind Steve and follow him and use his light. The more and more I did this the more my confidence grew and I felt better about riding right behind Steve. I had a blast riding and I am glad I was with people when I lost my lighting. I would have hated to ride the trail without any lights by myself. Also, it was mighty nice of Steve to go slower on the downhill so I could keep up. I guess I owe him and the other guys.
Luckily about the time I lost my lights Steve and Eric had come back on the trail (they are much faster than me). Kerry was behind me not because I am faster, but because I am still new to riding the trails with lights and this particular trail has a cliff edge. Anyway, since I had lost my lights we had to reposition who rode where. Steve rode up front, I rode next and Eric and Kerry were behind me.
At first it was a little weird trying to ride without any lighting. Sometimes the lights behind me would illuminate great, other times it threw my shadow around the trail and made it difficult to ride. Eventually I figured out the best way to ride was to stay directly behind Steve and follow him and use his light. The more and more I did this the more my confidence grew and I felt better about riding right behind Steve. I had a blast riding and I am glad I was with people when I lost my lighting. I would have hated to ride the trail without any lights by myself. Also, it was mighty nice of Steve to go slower on the downhill so I could keep up. I guess I owe him and the other guys.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Friday, November 7, 2008
Madagascar 2 - Go See It
We went to Madagascar 2 today, and it was worth every penny. The movie is cute, humorous and very funny. I am not big on kid movies, but this was a great movie. I highly recommend seeing this movie. Oh, and after you see it you will come away with a lot of one liners.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
White Out (very long-no pics)
Because of the new job and my oldest moving out (I no longer have a babysitter), I have started to go to spin class. However, today when I got up at 5 am it looked like the perfect morning for a bike ride up to Vivian Park. So, I bundled up in my winter clothing, made sure my light was mounted to by bike and took off.
About 2 blocks from my home I realized I had forgotten my riding glasses, but decided it was not necessary to go back. I was only going to be on a paved trail, so I was not too worried about debris or objects hitting me.
The ride towards the Provo Trail Head was nice. It was cool, but I warmed up quickly as I rode. I found the gear I chose to wear was perfect for the outside temperature. My light worked great for the ride on the road, and it helped with people seeing me as I rode. Surprisingly there was more traffic than I expected, but the drivers were courteous and cautious as they drove around me.
As I approached the Provo Trail Head I noted there was no wind. Typically when I have rode to this trailhead in the morning there is a good wind coming down from the canyon, but not this morning which made the ride up in to the canyon better than ever.
As I started my ride on the Provo Trail I noted I needed a light on my helmet. I had chosen not to wear my helmet light as I figured there would not be too much twisting or turning. The Provo Trail turns just enough that it would have been nice to have a helmet light.
The ride up the trail was ominous. I felt the dark of the trees enclosed around me and it made for a quiet peaceful ride. As I rode I kept my ears perked for crashes or strange sounds as one time when Todd rode on this trail he saw a moose! Running into a moose in the dark is not something I would like to happen. I am afraid I would probably have the same reaction Josh had when he almost hit a moose.
As I rolled through Nunns Park, crossed the road to the trail I noted a head wind was coming up and there were some light snowflakes. I kept riding enjoying how different the trail seems in the dark and the light snowfall added to the beauty.
Shortly after passing Bridal Veil Falls the snow started to come down heavier. As I continued to ride the now fall became heavier and heavier making me at time ride with my head turned to the side—I should have grabbed those glasses, snow hitting your face and eyes hurts a lot. As I rode I was grateful for the reflectors that were put on a very sharp turn. Had those not been there I would have missed the turn entirely and ended up in water. Funny I never noticed the reflectors today, but in snow and dark they were a life saver.
After riding with a turned head for a short distance, the snow suddenly turned to white out conditions, at this point I turned around. I was not too worried about the snow bothering me down the trail as I had been riding in a head wind so I should have a nice tail wind, since heavy snowfall did not show up until after Bridal Veil Falls I guessed the trail back would be as nice as when I rode up. How wrong I was.
Upon turning around I took a moment to get a good drink of water and then started down the trail. As I started my ride back I discovered the snow was coming down heavier than before and the wind was not a tail wind, but a head wind. That’s what happens when you ride in this canyon, the wind blows in both directions.
The snow was bad. It was coming down fast and hard. In the short time I had ridden it had completely covered the trail and there was not visible sign of the trail. In addition to the snow covered trail obstructing my vision the snow was obstructing my vision. It was coming down so fast it hurt my eyes and face and I couldn’t see past my front wheel as I tried to avoid the pain of the snow pelting my eyes. I rode slowly since I couldn’t keep my head up to see, but this did not lessen the pain I felt from the snow.
I don’t know exactly how far I rode up the canyon, but it seemed to take forever to get to Bridal Veil Falls. Once I got to Bridal Veil Falls I started make destination spots in my mind. These destination points helped keep my mind preoccupied.
The snow was deep as I rode. It clung to my wheel and you cold hear it scraping through the brake pads as I rode. My right hand started to get cold which made me anxious to get home and off the trail. For some reason my glove on my right hand was not keeping it warm. I noticed as I rode skinny, slick tires do not make for good traction. When I went up slight inclines the wheels would spin round and round and I would slide up the inclines. This was actually good because I could get my blood flowing on these little inclines. Unfortunately inclines were far and few between since most of the ride is downhill, so going slow and not spinning my legs fast enough did not help my comfort level.
At one point in my ride I reached one of the destination points, a tunnel, and stopped for a reprieve from the snow. I took this opportunity to take the glove off my right hand and call home. I was unsuccessful I could not get the call to go through. I put two of my gloves in my jacket pocket and only put back on the liner glove to see if this would help my hand. My reasoning was maybe my riding glove and liner were too tight and making my hand cold. They weren’t and my hand got colder as I rode down the trail not warmer.
After my stop in the tunnel it was not long before I got to Timpanogous Park, and nothing but relief came over me. From here I knew it was not far to warmth and relief. As I rode all I could think about was the warm gas station down the trail. It was somewhere around Timpanogous Park a doe and her baby ran right in front of me. For a short moment I forgot about the pain from the pelting snow and took a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature. That moment was very short as the pain of cold and pelting snow came back quickly.
When I finally made it to the gas station at the trailhead I was overjoyed. When I walked in I received dismayed looks from the clerk and one customer there. Apparently what I did not realize until I took my helmet off the snow was piled high on me. So much so that there were big piles inside my helmet, I guess I should have known this as my bike had piles of snow on it. I quickly let them know when I started my ride it had not been snowing.
Inside the gas station I tried to call my husband again and lucked out he was up and answered the phone. After talking with him I went to the bathroom to run warm water on my hand. It was here I discovered my face and hands were swollen, and that the hot water did not work. I was left to wait for my husband before I would have the opportunity to completely warm up. Luckily I was waiting in the gas station which was warm.
My husband did not take long to come to my rescue and we left. About half way home was when I started to get cold and started to shiver. Once home I bolted upstairs to soak in the hot tub. I ended up soaking in the tub a very long time. So long that I fell asleep and my husband had to wake me up so I would not be late for work. I begrudgingly got out, but I could have easily gone to bed and slept for hours. Needless to say three fingertips on my right hand and two on my left hand have hurt all day long, and for the most part I am still cold. I think I need to take another warm bath.
About 2 blocks from my home I realized I had forgotten my riding glasses, but decided it was not necessary to go back. I was only going to be on a paved trail, so I was not too worried about debris or objects hitting me.
The ride towards the Provo Trail Head was nice. It was cool, but I warmed up quickly as I rode. I found the gear I chose to wear was perfect for the outside temperature. My light worked great for the ride on the road, and it helped with people seeing me as I rode. Surprisingly there was more traffic than I expected, but the drivers were courteous and cautious as they drove around me.
As I approached the Provo Trail Head I noted there was no wind. Typically when I have rode to this trailhead in the morning there is a good wind coming down from the canyon, but not this morning which made the ride up in to the canyon better than ever.
As I started my ride on the Provo Trail I noted I needed a light on my helmet. I had chosen not to wear my helmet light as I figured there would not be too much twisting or turning. The Provo Trail turns just enough that it would have been nice to have a helmet light.
The ride up the trail was ominous. I felt the dark of the trees enclosed around me and it made for a quiet peaceful ride. As I rode I kept my ears perked for crashes or strange sounds as one time when Todd rode on this trail he saw a moose! Running into a moose in the dark is not something I would like to happen. I am afraid I would probably have the same reaction Josh had when he almost hit a moose.
As I rolled through Nunns Park, crossed the road to the trail I noted a head wind was coming up and there were some light snowflakes. I kept riding enjoying how different the trail seems in the dark and the light snowfall added to the beauty.
Shortly after passing Bridal Veil Falls the snow started to come down heavier. As I continued to ride the now fall became heavier and heavier making me at time ride with my head turned to the side—I should have grabbed those glasses, snow hitting your face and eyes hurts a lot. As I rode I was grateful for the reflectors that were put on a very sharp turn. Had those not been there I would have missed the turn entirely and ended up in water. Funny I never noticed the reflectors today, but in snow and dark they were a life saver.
After riding with a turned head for a short distance, the snow suddenly turned to white out conditions, at this point I turned around. I was not too worried about the snow bothering me down the trail as I had been riding in a head wind so I should have a nice tail wind, since heavy snowfall did not show up until after Bridal Veil Falls I guessed the trail back would be as nice as when I rode up. How wrong I was.
Upon turning around I took a moment to get a good drink of water and then started down the trail. As I started my ride back I discovered the snow was coming down heavier than before and the wind was not a tail wind, but a head wind. That’s what happens when you ride in this canyon, the wind blows in both directions.
The snow was bad. It was coming down fast and hard. In the short time I had ridden it had completely covered the trail and there was not visible sign of the trail. In addition to the snow covered trail obstructing my vision the snow was obstructing my vision. It was coming down so fast it hurt my eyes and face and I couldn’t see past my front wheel as I tried to avoid the pain of the snow pelting my eyes. I rode slowly since I couldn’t keep my head up to see, but this did not lessen the pain I felt from the snow.
I don’t know exactly how far I rode up the canyon, but it seemed to take forever to get to Bridal Veil Falls. Once I got to Bridal Veil Falls I started make destination spots in my mind. These destination points helped keep my mind preoccupied.
The snow was deep as I rode. It clung to my wheel and you cold hear it scraping through the brake pads as I rode. My right hand started to get cold which made me anxious to get home and off the trail. For some reason my glove on my right hand was not keeping it warm. I noticed as I rode skinny, slick tires do not make for good traction. When I went up slight inclines the wheels would spin round and round and I would slide up the inclines. This was actually good because I could get my blood flowing on these little inclines. Unfortunately inclines were far and few between since most of the ride is downhill, so going slow and not spinning my legs fast enough did not help my comfort level.
At one point in my ride I reached one of the destination points, a tunnel, and stopped for a reprieve from the snow. I took this opportunity to take the glove off my right hand and call home. I was unsuccessful I could not get the call to go through. I put two of my gloves in my jacket pocket and only put back on the liner glove to see if this would help my hand. My reasoning was maybe my riding glove and liner were too tight and making my hand cold. They weren’t and my hand got colder as I rode down the trail not warmer.
After my stop in the tunnel it was not long before I got to Timpanogous Park, and nothing but relief came over me. From here I knew it was not far to warmth and relief. As I rode all I could think about was the warm gas station down the trail. It was somewhere around Timpanogous Park a doe and her baby ran right in front of me. For a short moment I forgot about the pain from the pelting snow and took a moment to enjoy the beauty of nature. That moment was very short as the pain of cold and pelting snow came back quickly.
When I finally made it to the gas station at the trailhead I was overjoyed. When I walked in I received dismayed looks from the clerk and one customer there. Apparently what I did not realize until I took my helmet off the snow was piled high on me. So much so that there were big piles inside my helmet, I guess I should have known this as my bike had piles of snow on it. I quickly let them know when I started my ride it had not been snowing.
Inside the gas station I tried to call my husband again and lucked out he was up and answered the phone. After talking with him I went to the bathroom to run warm water on my hand. It was here I discovered my face and hands were swollen, and that the hot water did not work. I was left to wait for my husband before I would have the opportunity to completely warm up. Luckily I was waiting in the gas station which was warm.
My husband did not take long to come to my rescue and we left. About half way home was when I started to get cold and started to shiver. Once home I bolted upstairs to soak in the hot tub. I ended up soaking in the tub a very long time. So long that I fell asleep and my husband had to wake me up so I would not be late for work. I begrudgingly got out, but I could have easily gone to bed and slept for hours. Needless to say three fingertips on my right hand and two on my left hand have hurt all day long, and for the most part I am still cold. I think I need to take another warm bath.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Cute Costume
I spent 3 days sewing this costume--should have planned better. Oh well, it turned out pretty good, and she looks pretty cute. Of course you are not supposed to say that, because she is an evil fairy. At least that's what I call it. She calls it a bloody, mean, beat up, brought back to life, evil fairy with powers that can kill you if just from her touch. Try telling that to over 50 people....
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