Bumpy BST

I wanted to get one more ride in before Cholla. I was going to road ride at lunch, but lunch was brought into work today. So I decided to hit the BST from home after work.

I took the streets up to Dry Canyon and headed north on the BST. It was windy and a few times I got blown nearly off the trail. Lots, and I mean LOTS, of deer along the way - chomping on the grass that's just coming up. Past the exposed section the trail was chewed up and rough. Horses and hikers went through when it was muddy made the trail a pocked mess. It was bumpy and I was glad to have a full suspension bike. Happily the last ~2 miles were nice and smooth.

At the end near Battle Creek Canyon I considered taking the city streets back, but I really wanted to go back on the BST. I have tried a few times and been thwarted (ran out of daylight, got too muddy, etc.). So even though I knew I had a lot of that chewed up stuff to ride, more of it on the climbs this direction, I decided to do it. The initial climbs were good and not as arduous as I imagined. The chewed up sections made the going tougher, but most of it I rode. Then down to Dry Canyon was a fun downhill romp. Occasionally a deer would get spooked and run down the trail in front of me. Even with the assistance of gravity a bike is no match for 4-hoof drive.

At Dry Canyon I continued on the BST to the Orem water tanks trail head. This section was not chewed up - just smooth and fast with a few loose rocks here and there. In summary, the BST segment I rode today was dry with only a few damp places (no mud) and the only negative is the chewed up section.

Riding home I thought, even if Cholla goes badly, this ride has been so much fun I wouldn't care. In my experience, the joy of riding can be found almost anywhere. A few times I've felt it during a race, but I feel it more often just cruising the local trails.

(Sorry, no pictures - I forgot the camera again. Plus this was one of those rides where I didn't feel like stopping.)