New Trail: Ann's

I rode a new trail in Corner Canyon tonight: Ann's Trail*. I tried to ride it Thursday, but was stopped by the trail dozer cutting the final middle segment. Today I rode the whole thing (with one dab, rats). Ann's is the red segment in this map of my ride:

* Yes, another apostrophized trail name. This one is named in honor of a long-serving Draper trail committee member who is dieing. Thanks, Ann, for your contribution to the Draper trail system.



Interactive map here

The route is good, it's above Clarks. The grade seems a bit easier than Clarks. The tread is rough, soft, loose and loaded with rocks and roots. So many roots I had flashbacks to the punji sticks in 'nam.



Wait, I wasn't in Vietnam.

OK, here's what it looks like in a happy place:



If you like rough trails it's fun, if you don't you may not have fun. You may hate it. You have been warned.

The trail crews will be at it over the Summer and it will settled on it's own so it will get better. Know any Scouts that need an Eagle project? Uh, yeah, I really should do some trail work this year.

It seems every year Corner Canyon gets a new, fantastic trail. They're at it again. I'm amazed and grateful.

Tour de Donut

Saturday Jolene and I did the Tour de Donut on a tandem we borrowed from Elden. It was a perfect summer morning.

Here we are trying out the tandem.



Yes, we were in donut costumes.

We had company - meet the zombies.



The donuts ready for battle.



On the first lap I ate 6 donuts, Jolene 3. Second lap I ate 4, Jolene 1. Those last donuts didn't go down easy.



More putting around on the cruiser tandem. Fun bike. We wished we had higher gears but it was OK riding mellow and chatting along the way.



Dressing down.



Fun event. The recovery was slow but glad to say I will be able to eat donuts again.


Thursday after work I went exploring in Corner Canyon. Shammy told me about a new trail that was being cut that branches off the new Draper Rim trail on the east side of the tunnel. It's freshly dozer cut and rough. Sadly the dozer was still working so I had to turn around. I'm sure it's all cut now.



I went up Draper Rim then up the DH trail to get to Eagle Crest. The grass is tall. Seemed nice at first, then I felt a sting on my shins. I'm now fully aware why grass leaves are called blades. Like thousands of tiny razors.



I finished off with a run down Rush and poached the new extension. It was soft and loose, not really worth riding but it was cool to see what the trail will be. Looks good.


Saturday evening after the Tour I got out on the foothill trails for a ride. It was eerily quiet for a Saturday. Only encountered a pair of horses and one other bike. With the sun low in the west I had lots of shade. A good, peaceful ride.

Draper Rim

The new job is keeping me busy but I managed to get in a ride on my way home Friday.

I wanted to start at the equestrian center but there was a rodeo going on so I diverted to the Coyote Hollow trailhead by the temple. I needed to change (which would have been easier at the EQ bathroom) so I did the car door changing room method. I felt uneasy about it with the McMansions looming nearby. As I had my pants down a cyclist rode by and gave a knowing smile, he knew the drill.

I headed west on the BST then peeled off on the Draper Rim trail, which I'd heard was finished. Well finished isn't quite right, but good enough.

The tunnel was fun. It needs some landscaping but it works.



There are some spots of shade.



And some good views.



The bottom third of the trail is pretty nice. Places in the lower section had been worked on very recently. Beyond that it's rougher, as cut by the trail dozer, with lots of roots sticking up.



The trail crosses the Maple Hollow DH trail which I took. The trail is getting pretty beat up - brake bumps, broken off trail edges, ruts, etc. It's still a fun ride, just not as smooth as it used to be. Here's a nice patch of flowers half way down.



After the DH trail I took the Oak Hollow trail up. Draper is putting in a new water tank there so the trail is closed, but I kept going and ended up hiking the bike across a big pile of dirt. Better to take the road up. A bit of bypass trail was added south of the dirt access road to the tanks to get you back on the Oak Hollow trail.

Oak Hollow was a nice climb. The cut has sloughed in a few places but the tread is solid. The trail also crosses the DH trail, in fact it's at the same place as the Draper Rim trail.

I took the Draper Rim trail down. It works OK as a downhill trail, but it's still rough right now. When it gets all cleaned up it will be better. My front tire found a root that twisted the wheel and put the handlbar into my gut as I did a nice endo into the oak brush. I wasn't going too fast and I only got some scrapes. It's been a while since I crashed.

The Draper Rim trail creates some new loop options. My route was fun. Next time I'm going to go up Draper Rim, down Oak Hollow then return on the BST. Another loop I plan to do is, up Draper Rim, up the top of the DH trail, east on Eagle Crest then down Clarks or Canyon Hollow or Ghost Falls.

I didn't see any other people on the trail. With the Corner Canyon trail use growing, Draper Rim provides an escape.

Kudos to the Draper trails crew who keep making more trails. Draper Rim is another jewel in the crown.


Saturday Jolene and I drove up Payson Canyon to ride, but it had rained heavy the night before (didn't rain at our house) and the trail got progressively more muddy. It was the sticky, ball-up-on-the-tires mud. We turned around after 50 yards and went home. Bummer.

Plan B. I rode my road bike up South Fork where Jolene met me with the mountain bikes and we went up Big Springs. It's really nice up there, very green and the trails are in good shape. After the dirt I switched back to the road bike and rode home.


I'll be packing a bike most days in hopes of more after work rides. So many options: Millcreek, Park City, BST, Corner Canyon. Man, I love living here.

Two Good Things

Two good things have happened recently:

I got a job last week. I'd been unemployed since April and I was starting to get nervous I might be out of work for a long stretch. Then last week I applied for a job on Monday, got a call to interview on Tuesday, interviewed on Wednesday, was hired Thursday and started that day. Happened so fast I think I have whiplash. They've got fires that need to be put out right away so I'll be busy.

Jolene went to the doctor a few weeks ago, and with the bone growth seen on the x-rays she was given the OK to mountain bike. Yeah!

So we rode up in the foothills.








And Corner Canyon today.





Notice something in common in those photos? Big smiles, that's what.

In other news:

Last month we attended a picnic in Provo (in a park along the river) sponsored by Mad Dog. Younger cyclists mostly. Seems they're infusing some Portland-like bike culture into the area.

We got tattoos.



Even Kade got one.



Kade and I did some jousting.



Then we rode up the pathway along the river and back. Good family times.

Last week we drove up the Alpine Loop and went for a hike. The mountains are spectacular.



So other than I'll be swamped at work and probably working long hours that will cut into my cycling, things are good for us and we're grateful.