Last Friday I had a problem with my eyes: I just couldn't SEE going in to work. Taking off work is expensive and I didn't want to waste it on a mundane ride, so Saul and I chose to do a jaunt up San Juan. Saul lurks here, but maybe seeing his mug posted will motivate him to join STR.
We chose to start late, after all, there's no reason to get up early on your day off. From the very beginning I was giddy from the thrill of having so much awesome singletrack ahead of us. On the way up the switchbacks, we came across two solo riders. After that, the mountains were OURS for the rest of the day.
At Cocktail, we stopped for a snack and to take in the beautiful view. It was also a good time to MMS some pictures down to the poor sods in the flatlands who had to work
We continued on up Old San Juan, enjoying the remoteness and the quality of the trail, and finally arrived at Blue Jay. We had another break, refilled the Camelbaks, and ran into the ranger who chastised us for using the water spigot near campsites that were closed. I think that earlier we might have been sitting at an illegal picnic table, but would never admit to it.
From here, we opted for a a different trail variation, and we ended up doing New San Juan (San Juan Regular?) on the way back. Again, lots of magnificent trail, strenuous, and challenging. At one point we stopped in a little depression with big trees, just to take it all in. The remoteness and beauty was nothing less than awe inspiring.
Finally we made it back to Cocktail Rock, with miles of downhill still ahead of us. At this point, I have to rein it in a little. After such a long ride the allure of ripping it up is still there, my brain and body need a slower pace just to keep up.
And then we were at the truck, with only a little blood spilled, only minor mechanical issues, and loads of memories to savor for years to come.
Rob
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Pictures: I was playing with some new HDR capabilities, and many of the pictures were goofed up. I should have known to experiment at home first. Here are a couple that didn't come out too bad.
We chose to start late, after all, there's no reason to get up early on your day off. From the very beginning I was giddy from the thrill of having so much awesome singletrack ahead of us. On the way up the switchbacks, we came across two solo riders. After that, the mountains were OURS for the rest of the day.
At Cocktail, we stopped for a snack and to take in the beautiful view. It was also a good time to MMS some pictures down to the poor sods in the flatlands who had to work
We continued on up Old San Juan, enjoying the remoteness and the quality of the trail, and finally arrived at Blue Jay. We had another break, refilled the Camelbaks, and ran into the ranger who chastised us for using the water spigot near campsites that were closed. I think that earlier we might have been sitting at an illegal picnic table, but would never admit to it.
From here, we opted for a a different trail variation, and we ended up doing New San Juan (San Juan Regular?) on the way back. Again, lots of magnificent trail, strenuous, and challenging. At one point we stopped in a little depression with big trees, just to take it all in. The remoteness and beauty was nothing less than awe inspiring.
Finally we made it back to Cocktail Rock, with miles of downhill still ahead of us. At this point, I have to rein it in a little. After such a long ride the allure of ripping it up is still there, my brain and body need a slower pace just to keep up.
And then we were at the truck, with only a little blood spilled, only minor mechanical issues, and loads of memories to savor for years to come.
Rob
----
Pictures: I was playing with some new HDR capabilities, and many of the pictures were goofed up. I should have known to experiment at home first. Here are a couple that didn't come out too bad.
