Lucky Today

These tubeless tires have lasted a long time. Today the rear tire exploded with the sound of a rifle shot echoing throughout the Rattlesnake not too far below the ravine crossover. The inner liner managed somehow to hold together when I inserted a tube to creep back down to the lower trail head.

May's Almost Over

With the traditional Memorial Day weekend rains upon us, I decided Saturday to see what's developing along 513 at the moment. When it's wet, this loop reminds me of Oregon. Red felt great today for some reason. Maybe it's the Ergon grips which I finally decided to opt for following the lead of the boys in CO and UT. Most folks are on the rivers at the moment as it was very quiet. I saw a couple of very wary turkeys. The local trail development folks have done a very nice job on the loop, adding a new lower detour around an eroded section of the trail and putting in a nice bridge.

I'm looking forward to going over the hill again soon this year. Finding some peace. For now, due to too many trees across the trail at the end of the upper route section on the map, this would have to do. So I hit this little loop [a local favorite] a couple of times and then did it again in the evening with the LR. It was his first trip above the Marshall Canyon, working some tough switchbacks and steep grade climbs in the evening rain. So, we're back on the mountain bike. May's almost over. Confidence is coming back fast. It feels good.

PS. I see my friends, the Mules, are having a good 24 hour event (wrapping up at the moment) in Spokane. Congratulations to the Mules! Jesse, following you too! Self-supported crazy man!

Nature on the Front Door

A small bird with a touch of red has decided to make her nest among the fake flowers hanging on the door at the front stoop. Traffic comes and goes, but she manages to keep on top of things. Perhaps there is some protection from the magpies and ravens? Maybe spring will truly arrive this year!

Unravel (Jr. Ed.)

It is great to support local mountain bike races, even when one can't partake in the race itself. Late Saturday, LR (Todd) and I made the decision to head to Helena for BSC's Unravel the Scratch Gravel. We had a great time at this race last year, and had some unfinished business to take care of on the Missouri following the race. Todd signed up for the junior 13-14 level, though some of the racers at that level were racing in the sport division. The junior race consisted of four shorter laps on a blend of single track and gravel road. It was a very fast course. All of the kids racing put forth great efforts and it was wonderful to be a spectator clanging the cow bell for all of the racers as they came by. [A nice Independent article here]. Todd was closely pursued by one of the Dynamos, but managed to get it done in the end. SP was in attendance as well, but the little guy event was to follow the main race, so (since I was out) we had made the decision Saturday night to hunt down the "one that got away" from Max last year below the Hauser Dam. We thanked Chad for another great event and headed to the river.This is where things really got down to business! It was not too long until SP had all he could handle on the little spinner outfit. He managed to get her in though. Once again, the big rainbows were on their redds. It was not on a fly rod, but he didn't mind. It doesn't get any better than that for a Sunday in Montana!

Maintenance

Well, today is two weeks on the button (the end of my limited activity period), so I decided on doing an easy ride to marker 67 on Hwy 12. Had the usual monkey business in town, and a bit in Lolo, but it started off fine. Near Graves there were two groups of riders coming back to town as I was heading west. I maintained a pretty decent pace going over. After turning around, coming back, I went to the Lodge briefly to visit the red water pump (below). The place was busy with the rafters getting ready for some soon-to-be action on the Lochsa; but, as you can see by the low clarity above, it's not happening yet.This is my fourth (I think) Edge 305 refurb. It's nice to see the familiar batman below though, indicating that it is working. Still interesting that the Garmin says 126, and the turnaround sign is 67? Coming back was fine until it started raining at Bear Creek and the wind as usual was a problem. I stopped and put on the old shell. Hwy 93 coming back was serious wind and I about fatigued out there stopping at the weigh station for a minute or two; but, I held on and rode home. I'm pretty sure things will come together. The shoulder felt pretty well. Hope to be on Red before too long.

Tonight's Hike

Following today's middle school track meet, LR and I decided to do a quick evening hike to the windsock above the M. The weather could not make up its mind if it was going to rain, snow or just blow gusts of wind in our faces the whole way up. We found a few tent worms (I think that's what they are - below).We had first debated should we try to catch the tail end of the mother's day caddis hatch on the Bitterroot, or agree it was too late in the day and head up the hill at the U? Given the amount of wind, the choice became a simple one. I am supposed to be on R&R anyway, so I'm not sure if Mr. Chicken Wing would be up for casting woolly buggers into the wind if the dries were not working. We are itching to get the raft out as well before the big spring run off begins and I know the scapula will love that! The spring flowers are nervously poking their pedals forth. This morning the was a full frost on the lawn and as these photos were taken, it was snowing in the surrounding mountains while raining on us. The wind was full blast on top. I have not hiked up the front of Sentinel in a long time, preferring to ride up the back side normally. The trails are in pretty good shape with some newer ones on the north face. LR said he enjoyed leaning into the wind and having it catch and hold him up.I almost forgot about my friends, the ravens. We watched them darting about in the wind above the windsock. One we watched go into a full tuck and bomb down the north face as though to gain enough speed to plunge to the depths of the deepest pool in the Clark Fork below.

Breaking Routine

I'm pretty sure most routines need to eventually be broken. I put some milk in the coffee this morning. It's not Sunday, but being forty one today, what the heck. Last night was pretty thrilling watching the youngest almost break twelve thirty on the 2k, a minute and a half better than his best. Last week big sis killed it as well. Nice to have some mates pulling hard to kick off the new year of erging while the old man gets a reprieve. I got word from a reliable source yesterday that the 'bowl is skiing quite well at the moment. I am beginning to feel we skipped summer this year and have entered late November around here.

Results Are In!

It's funny how we know our own bodies. I told the boss on Saturday after the crash that I had broken the chicken wing. She insisted it was another tear of some sort. So, I got the results this morning after a few quick snapshots - inferior scapula(ar) fracture. The rest of the shoulder looks good. A DVD is on the way. Hopefully good to go in a few weeks - ATP still for the most part intact!

Reading Walden

No man ever stood the lower in my estimation for having a patch in his cloths; yet I am sure that there is greater anxiety, commonly, to have fashionable, or at least clean and unpatched cloths, than to have a sound conscience....


There was a certain positive originality, however slight, to be detected in him, and I occasionally observed that he was thinking for himself and expressing his own opinion, a phenomenon so rare that I would any day walk ten miles to observe it, and it amounted to the re-origination of many of the institutions of society. ~Thoreau, Walden


Mr. Lewis was dead on when he encouraged us to read numerous old books for each contemporary work.


Yesterday did not go very well. It was a text book day of mistakes. You've read about avoiding such days in your training regimes. Start off the day with a minor squabble. Then, put in a very hard morning effort in rain and flurries. Following said effort, ride down the single track towards the vehicle. Allow the mind to drift....wreck. Injure shoulder and re-irritate hamstring. Finish ride down the trail cursing one's self for juvenile stupidity.

Injuries are a function of a lack of concentration at the moment, usually following a hard effort. I've had a few decent crashes on the mountain bike. Number one was after finishing an effort at the 'bowl a few years back. That evening I managed to get sideways on a water bar on Second Thought heading back to the vehicle in the parking lot. Again, fatigue and a lack of concentration following a hard effort. I've cracked a few ribs on Sheep in the past as well. Of course, occasionally crashes occur during the training efforts as well and if we don't occasionally take a spill, we're probably not giving it an honest go.

So, for now, I'm returning to Thoreau. Monday, we'll have things checked out. Maybe I'll get lucky. Maybe I already did. If I start writing about China or long hikes in the wilderness, simply chime out. Too bad it is not my left, at least I could still cast as the big bugs will be emerging shortly. It's been one day. I miss my bike.