I took the day off to go to Hogle Zoo with the family. I'll write about that later.
On the way home we stopped by the Tour of Utah criterium. My wife and kids were impressed by how fast they were moving (I was impressed too). I took these pictures only a few laps after the start on the west side.
The family was hungry so we went over to The Gateway and had some pizza then went home. We left before the end of the race so I don't know who won, and as dug noted, the results don't get posted on the Tour of Utah website real fast.
We went to Hogle Zoo for Kara's birthday. We had a good time wandering around looking at all the animals. If you go, do NOT miss the bird show and get there early so you can sit up front and center to see the birds better and get the full effect as they fly just over your head. I'll let the pictures tell the story.
The riders who showed up for the Utah Velo Club group ride tried to kill me today. Sure, they played it cagey by being all friendly and chatty at the shop. I was talking with some guys as we rolled out and noticed I'm on the back. Then the group got out of the city streets and into the farm roads and the pace picks up. I stop talking as I finally figure out this is a fast ride. Seems like there were plenty of guys taking the lead and pushing the pace. It wasn't like this last ride, but that was a hilly climbing route and it seems there are lots of sprinters in the group so it was a more mellow ride, but out on the flats today these guys were having a hay day.
Lest you think I'm just going to complain, let me state that I'm being fascitous and exagerating a bit here for effect. I was hoping for a good, fast ride today so I did enjoy the flogging I got, but I was surprised by the pace. I considered hitting the RMR crit tonight for a similar all-out effort, but I'm glad I chose the group ride.
Before I go on let me say I enjoy good group rides. When you ride with a group of riders who know what they're doing and go fast, it's really fun. Going fast is fun all by itself, but in a paceline it's even better. And a group ride lets you try things and goof around. Like taking a pull on the front, bridging up to latch back onto the lead group, drafting, and sprinting for the "sprinter points" at various landmarks along the way. A good group can elevate road biking, conversely a bad group ride can be a miserable experience. Happily for me, I've had overwhelmingly good times riding with the Utah Velo Club - just a good buch of guys (and sometimes a few girls) to ride with.
OK, back to the ride.
We're motoring toward Saratoga Springs and I'm just hanging on the back, still a bit stunned at the pace, but enjoying it too. We meander through the streets of Saratoga Springs and as we get close to the end (turnaround point) the pace picks up - it's a race to the end. I've done this before and it's fun. I usually go off too early and get caught, but this time I stayed behind Stan, because he's a good tactition and when I saw him go I went with him. I stayed on his wheel as he went off the front and up the final little climb and coasted to the turnaround.
We regrouped and headed north to Thanksgiving Point. There was a steady breeze coming out of the north. I hung out up front behind Matt and Stan. Along a north bound road the speed pushed over 20 mph into the wind - I was glad I was drafting, but it was still a workout.
Most of the riders stopped at a park for water, but I had plenty so I rolled on with Matt. He's a strong rider and it was fun to ride with him, especially when I drafted off him the majority of the time. We did a good pace up the Jordan River trail to the bridge (turnaround #2). Since we couldn't see the rest of the group Matt invited me to do the climb on the other side of the river. I should have said no, but I went anyway. I was pretty worked, but at least I had enough sense to go slow. It still hurt. We started back down the paved trail. We passed the rest of the group and stopped at a junction where the group would split off while Matt headed down the trail to head home.
Back with the main group they kept up the stiff pace and I mostly hung on the back. At times Mike lead off and ramped up the speed beyond what I felt I could sustain so I dropped off, usually with a few others. We had a tailwind now, but my legs were aching and I just couldn't push 30 mph.
It was a good push to get back to the shop. I talked with Josh and Mike for a while and then headed home. I enjoy the variety of cycling and road riding in a group is one of my favorites. Thanks Utah Velo Club riders!
This morning we loaded the family into the van (except my oldest daughter who had to work) and headed to the Uintas.
The first stop was getting Jolene to Wolverine Ridge, the final ICup race of the season. We made it just in time to pick up her packet. I did a final check and quick tune of her bike. We hung out talking with several friends and teammates. I took a few pictures of the start and we stayed until Jolene started (Women 35+ is the last group). Then the kids and I got back in the van for stop #2.
We drove the 10+ miles to the Ruth Lake trailhead. The main parking spaces were full, but we found a place on the side of the road. The weather was getting active, as is usual for this time of year in the Uintas, but made worse with moist air moving in the last few days. Last year we attempted this hike but only made it to this nice pond before we turned around for several reasons (Kara got sick, it started to rain and we needed to get back to see Jolene finish her race). This year we made it to Ruth Lake and, as these things go, it was only a little ways past the pond.
(For Alder)
We played at the edge of the lake for a while then hiked on around when we heard there was a moose on the other side. Sure enough, a nice bull moose. We kept our distance and didn't stay long.
Then we ran into a patch of wildflowers. Surprising to see them so late in the year, but probably not unusual for the Uintas at that altitude.
As we hiked back it started to rain a little. We had been hearing thunder for quite a while. We even got some hail.
Back at the van we drove up to Pass Lake and had lunch. I made sandwiches and we sat in the van and ate them since it was raining.
After lunch we drove to the trailhead for Fehr Lake and stayed in the car while the rain poured. We drove across the road to Moosehorn campground just as some hail came down heavy. After it subsided we used the bathroom then went back to the trailhead. It finally let up and Kade and I went for the short 1/2 mile hike to Fehr Lake (the girls didn't want to go). Kade and I had a nice hike. The scenery along the trail was nice and the lake was lovely. We walked a little ways along the edge of the lake then hiked back to the van.
As we left the trailhead the lightning and thunder were going and the rain started coming down heavy again, and even more hail. I pulled off at Bald Mountain Pass and we watched some lightning then hit the road again.
The next stop was Provo River Falls. I had seen the signs many times driving the Mirror Lake Highway, but never stopped. But today was the day. On the way down we were seeing patches of hail on the side of the road and in one spot the road was covered with a 1/2" of hail - in August!
The falls were worth the stop. Not tall, but still a healthy cascade. I'm guessing the rain had increased the river flow so we got a good show today.
After the Falls we drove home and I watched the temperature change from a low of 52 in the higher altitudes of the Uintas up to 92 back down in Utah Valley. There was some sort of accident in the canyon and we got stuck in barely moving traffic from Nun's Park down to Timpanogos Park.
I talked with Jolene a few times via cell phone, but it was so noisy at the awards in Evanston we didn't talk much. I later learned she took 1st place in the race and with double points that moved her into 3rd place overall for the season.
Yeah, it was a pretty good Saturday. And just before I started to write this I watched Michael Phelps win his 1st gold medal at the Olympics in the 400 meter individual medley. He also broke his old record to set a new world record in the event. I haven't really caught the Olympics bug this time around, but it was fun to watch him win.
This morning I met Mark and some friends of his - Mike, Craig and James - at the mouth of American Fork Canyon for a ride up to the Alpine Loop summit. When I arrived a few minutes before 6 AM it was pretty dark. By the time the others arrived and we were ready to go it was just light enough to ride. The wind was blowing down the canyon at a pretty good clip - head winds are always nice.
The pace was a bit fast at first but slowed to a reasonable pace after a while. I've done this climb quite a few times so I have a pretty good idea how fast I can go - we were a little slower than that, but not bad. But after Timp Cave the pace slowed even more and I moved to the front and took the pace up a notch. I went easy so people could hook onto my wheel and a few guys did.
Now Mark makes it sound like I was trying to drop him, but it was just a coincidence that after I asked him how he was feeling the pace dropped and I took the lead. Honest. (I don't think Mark believes me.) It didn't matter, king climber Mark powered up to catch me anyway, so maybe HE was playing ME.
I dropped into the small ring after Tibble Fork and plodded up the road past Mutual Dell (I think this is the hardest part of the ride). I wasn't looking back much, but I could tell riders were being shelled. At the first switchback I was all alone, but around the corner someone caught back on - I assumed it was one of the other guys, but it was Mark. I didn't realize this until we were up by Pine Hollow - I guess I should look back more often.
We motored up and up - such a great climb. And the air was fresh and fragrant. We made the top and after a few minutes the others arrived. We chatted for a bit then headed down.
I'm not sure why, but I like to get cold in the summer. And on the descent I got a bit cold. I think I like it because when it's so hot day after day it's refreshing to feel cold.
The descent was nice and back at the cars I handed out some drinks. Mark has me hooked on ice cold drinks after a ride.
Then I went home, showered and went to work. Made it in around 9 AM.
Alison Krauss and Union Station (Live) - I don't usually like live albums, and I don't usually like bluegrass/country, but with such skilled musicians these songs soar. Several songs have a darker tinge which makes them intriguing. You'll recognize I Am A Man Of Constant Sorrow, Bright Sunny South and a few others, but also check out The Lucky One, Baby Now That I've Found You, Stay, Ghost In This House, Maybe, But You Know I Love You, and When You Say Nothing At All.
Then I put it on shuffle and hit some 80s tunes (New Wave, Rock and a few Pop tunes), acoustic guitar, Talking Heads, Eagles, Devo, Oingo Boingo, Boston, U2, James Taylor (my daughter went to his concert last night) and random freebies I've collected over the years. That reminds me, I should collect the best of the freebies and post them up here some day - maybe this winter when things slow down.
Bonus: A song that I find hilarious is Frontier Psychiatrist by The Avalanches. The video is bizarre:
On the bike front, I went for a ride at lunch. I felt like something different today so I went south even though it looked like rain. Luckily I only got a few drops - seems it's so hot not much rain is making it to the ground. At Thanksgiving Point I jogged over to the paved Jordan River trail and went north to see the new trail Todd mentioned. It looks like they're building a parking area for a trail head there, but not sure where the trail will continue north. I went up the road and turned south onto Redwood - it's a mess with the construction and I won't bike it again until it's finished. Looped back to work on 146th. Another good lunch ride.
I was going to ride in the morning, but I got a sinus infection and had a nasty headache Friday night and didn't get much sleep. So I took it easy Saturday morning.
Just after noon Jolene and I felt the need to get out for a quick ride. We went up Big Spring Hollow so I could show Jolene the bigger loop trail I was shown this spring. It was cooler up there and the ride was fun. I made it up the two tough climbs - the short one through the gully, and the log one on the east side of the meadow. They were both a bit loose and dusty. Next time I want to do the big loop the other direction, or do a figure eight with the big and small loops.
Back home we finished packing up and headed to my family reunion at the Spanish Oaks Reservoir (PDF map) in Spanish Fork. It was hot with not much shade, but the water was cool. I swam with my kids and took one ride in the canoe. It was good to see my aunts and uncles and cousins again - some came in from California.
I wanted to do more riding today, but sometimes it doesn't work out. But all in all it was a nice Saturday.
This blog is mostly about cycling, but I have other interests I'll mix in.
I started mountain biking in 1990 and picked up road biking in 2005. While other interests have come and gone, I can't recall a year I didn't ride. The last few years I've been riding more than ever.
I live in Orem, Utah close to lots of great trails and roads. My wife also rides. We have 4 children.
