Snowbasin bike ride...

12 foot man made snowbanks, kind of like cheating though

I thought I'd go on a ride since I am not working this week and decided to go up to Ogden area at some sibling's places. I headed up to Snowbasin Resort to go ride on the XC trails. There will be an ICUP race at the end of July on the same trails I rode. During the previous years going up there, I usually did the course the wrong way(harder way) compared they would do at the race. It will be the first annual race at Snowbasin for ICUP but there has been midweek race series in the last while. The "right way" is easier(Green Pond and Last Chance Loops). Still climb up the top but going up the right way is an easier grade and a lot longer. On this one, I climbed up the whole way on my middle chain ring, shifting in the cassette a lot though. There were short burst of climbs then it levels out for a while so I like this way better. The backwards way(climbing up Needles Trail) is granny gearing the whole way up without breaks. There were lot's of rocky sections in the ride and this will be great for the race, because most races are not that technical. This will be a good one and hopefully I will go to this one.

There are four more ICUP races this year and I am hopefully going to do them all. I didn't go to last weekend's in Jackson Hole and I just heard that they are not going to have it next year. I am glad because it is too far! Also too expensive! I'll stick with Utah races.

Always check your bike first after a crash, then check for broken bones...

This morning I went for a great bike ride up at the canyon and I started riding up at 7:45 in the morning to get away from the crowds and traffic because of Manti pageant weekend. Most people camp up there during pageant time. It was great, about 60 degrees when I started except I didn't really have the legs today. I started out strong at the first 1/3 of the climb up then after I did the singletrack climb and got on the gravel road, I kind of took it easy but still made it in time. I made it to Lake Hill in 1 hour and 28 minutes from the house and at Lake Hill, it was a nightmare, PEOPLE EVERYWHERE! I thought I could just ride through fast to get to the Lake Hill trailhead. I thought about going down the Pioneer Trail but I couldn't do it really after a bad incident when I heard a bunch of scouts went down it last Tuesday night and one of scouts broke his leg and had surgery on it and everything. That explains why one of the kids was all really freaked out and going really slow down the canyon road and didn't wave back when I waved at him(I was riding my bike up). Anyways I decided to go down the Lake Hill Trail, Willow Creek, Maple Syrup, and Flume trails. It was a blast, a lot of logs across the Lake Hill Trail but the trail was really packed down. While going down the Maple Syrup, I somehow got my front tire caught on a root and twisted my handlebars, then kind of endoed but I managed to get hold of a tree to keep me from going down all the way, my feet were still on the ground(I wasn't going fast at all) and my leg was caught between the handlebars and frame. I was caught for a while, while my back wheel was in the air, I couldn't get my leg out but I finally did when I backed off a little bit, my leg was in a lot pain though. But I did hear a creak on the frame when it happened. So I checked my frame and bike parts, then I checked my leg. Always check the bike first! So that's what I did and that's the way to go. I did put my handlebars back in place with an allen wrench and rode home. My leg does hurt a little bit though. But it was a great ride this morning and perfect weather.

Sherwood Hills Race

This race was held in Wellsville Canyon at the Sherwood Hills Resort, close to Logan. I was certainly excited about how good the weather was and looking forward to a fun race in good weather finally. It wasn't my best race but I thought I did ok. I wrecked twice and the 2nd one was a nasty spill. In the first lap, on my first wreck, I just tumbled around a corner but it wasn't a bad wreck at all, just a little one. So I got on my bike again and kept going. On the second lap, there was a sharp corner with a little drop and at the bottom of the drop/corner, there were three spectators clapping their hands and stuff. I was looking at them then because of the bumpy trail, I couldn't watch the people and ride at the same time so I lost grip on my right grip of the handlebars and kind of leaned forward because there was nowhere my right hand could go. So I endoed at the spectators and I made them run out of the way. It was really funny. I was ok but I had a hard time to get going again, my chain was out of place and it took me a while to get back in place again. One the guys helped me out a little bit and said, "keep going, you're in 3rd place". Since it was so hard to keep riding hard after a wreck, I did my best to not wreck again.

The course is very snaky and windy with a bunch of trees all over the place, it reminded me of the east coast riding. I thought it was very fun and very unique. It wasn't so bad because the climbs were very short and I just sat back on my bike seat and enjoyed the nice weather. I didn't really push that hard like I usually do because I couldn't see anybody behind me the whole way. There really wasn't anybody in front of me either and this guy was way ahead of me so it was like one of my alone bike rides. After the race, I kept thinking, I should have pushed harder just to get a better time but all well, I still finished 3rd with all the wrecks and everything. I looked at last year's time and this year I finished 2 minutes faster, now that's progress. I could have done better though, maybe 4 minutes faster, if I didn't wreck and all.

Deer Valley Pedalfest

Because of the rain last Saturday, the race was held on the Wednesday night after. I got to tell you, having a race at night is way different. It's just weird that's all. The bad thing about having a race at night was that they made the race shorter but they had my class the same, thank goodness. I never did this race last year when I started racing again so I really wanted to do this one. This course was probably my favorite course out all 13 races held all year. The climbs are great and the downhills are a real treat. The weather wasn't decent though but after 10 minutes getting into the race(in a canyon) has gotten a lot better, no wind or rain, and because of the working on the bike by getting the body temperature up, wasn't so bad. At the start line, the cold air blew hard with a few sprinkles, then after climbing on that service road, everything got perfect, especially into the forest, it just got real nice and quiet.

Starting the race is the hardest part because it started with a hard granny gearing service road climb for like a mile, after that everything else wasn't so bad, actually I thought it was great. I just had to climb that brutal climb for a fun downhill on the Pipeline Trail down towards Deer Crest. I used to climb up the Pipeline Trail a lot when I was living in Provo, but not going down it, I think going down it is funner. At the bottom of the canyon, we all made a u-turn and climbed up a longer climb along the Gap Trail. This climb wasn't so bad because it's not as steep and I was mostly in my middle chainring. It was all switchbacks though, and that made it a lot funner. I did pass a lot other racers and did a lot better. On the that first climb at the start, I got sick, it felt like that all my blood was towards the stomach, not out on my legs, or arms, or where ever but on the Gap Trail climb, I felt a lot better and went faster. I felt pretty good mostly after that. Then at the end was a short downhill towards the finish line. I finished third, I felt really good about myself and was satisfied how I finished because I felt like I worked a lot harder than the other races. I even finished 4 minutes behind the first guy and that's the best I ever did.

The people there, eh, not as many as other races, but in the Pro class, there were a lot. Because there were riders from Italy, Germany, Belgium, and Virginia. They were all on the same team though(Cannondale Factory Team). The Virginia guy is somebody I heard of, he goes to worlds and stuff, actually they all do. All the ones from other countries beat Alex Grant by one minute. Alex Grant is from around here and races with Lance Armstrong at the Leadville 100. I keep wondering what in the heck are these guys doing here at a local race like this one? Well, it is a good course and it's 'Park City' I guess.

This course is my favorite course, hands down. For sure I will do this again next year!

Race/ride update...

The past few days have been mountain bike misery. The Deer Valley Race was going to be on the 12th which was yesterday. I did make it to Park City with my mom and dad but it was pouring rain and a little bit of snow nonstop Friday til the Saturday afternoon. Then it probably kept going today too. I knew they were going to postpone it and have it later next week. So I went over there and they said "race is postponed and we'll have it next Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. I am planning to still go this Wednesday, if I can get off work early like at 2:30. My boss has scouts this Wednesday at 2:30 anyway so it might work out. Also I am hoping to get a carpool up to the race going if the other guys around here are going too. I'll know what is going on tomorrow after I talk to everybody. Then I will be at the Sherwood Hills bike race this Saturday and that will be a fun one too. Then I won't have a race after that until July 3rd at Snowbird.
I won't be riding up at Ephraim Canyon this week at all because of the two races but I will still do bike commuting on some days this week. I haven't rode on the Lake Hill Trail this year yet and I was going to do it last week but I ran into a work conflict and I can't this week either so hopely next week I will be able to. Just during the weekdays, the weekend of the 26th, I might have to help the neighbor's roofing. So I won't ride on that weekend.
I did be able to squeeze in a road ride up the canyon road pavement in between storms yesterday when I got home from Park City so that went well. I am really hoping that all week this week will be nice, beautiful weather. 2 races and bike to work commuting planned up.

More pictures of the new uphill singletrack...

Here's some more pictures of the new trail one of the Gordon boys built just last year. This trail starts from the hydroplant at the mouth of Ephraim Canyon and it's singletrack all the way to New Canyon Road then you can ride on New Canyon road for a while, fork right, go a little more, fork right again, then cross a bridge across the crazy screaming river then go on singletrack again 'til the A-frame house below Badger Mountain Rope Course and above Taylor's Flat. This is a good climbing trail to get to the top of the Flume Trail instead of riding on the canyon road. You can go down the Flume Trail or keep climbing on the canyon road until Willow Creek or Lake Hill for more downhill fun trails that connect to the Flume Trail. This new trail is not much known because most people around here is used to shuttling up the canyon road and just ride down the Lake Hill/Willow Creek/Pioneer/Flume trails on their bikes. But most XC riders around here like to ride up this new uphill climb trail for a good workout. There's not much trail right now but that's what the Flume and other trails looked like when they started out and were barely built. So, I am hoping maybe in 3 or 4 years from now this trail will be all packed down really good and also more people would know more about it. Then we could get Ed Chauner(Intermountain Cup Race Director) over here and try it out to make this trail an official race trail for one of the Intermountain Cup Races. He was going to come last year but I don't think he came. I'll need to ask Durke. Durke also made a new trail from the bottom of the Flume to the hydroplant connecting to the uphill trail to make it a lap race.

New Willow Creek Bike Trail 3 years later...

About three years ago, maybe four, I don't remember, I found a trail and made it better for bikes and motor bikes. It is also a great trail for horses. Twice a year cows migrate from the valley and up to mountain for the summer and back down in the fall on this trail. I did a lot of work to make it ridable and it now a few years later, it's a great trail. Even beginners can ride a trail like this (just the upper part of it which is forest service land). Some of us call the upper part of the trail "Cow Trail" but when we go on rides we just say we want "to go up to Willow Creek".

There's another trail up above this trail where it starts by Lake Hill and I haven't gone up it this year yet, somebody else around here built that trail. It doesn't have a name though but it is a real blast going down that one too. Most riders like to start from the Lake Hill and go down it then go down the Cow Trail then the lower part it through state land, then the Flume Trail.

The lower part of the new Willow Creek Trail is I am not sure if it's going to last because it's so hard to ride on and I don't know if it's ok'd by government. I don't really tell anybody about these trails though but if they close them down then fine. It's on state land. So I just built this one, not found it, it is really short though but it's a good singletrack to get from upper part and down to Flume Trail. It does have a lot of switchbacks and very steep behind the seat sections. I wouldn't recommend this part of the trail for a beginner. You could go down the road down to Taylor's Flat if you don't want to ride on this trail. I made that bridge that goes above a mossy creek so it's a real fun and more challenging trail than most other trails in Ephraim Canyon area.

The two pictures above are some pictures of the new singletrack somebody built last year that goes from the Hydroplant at the mouth of Ephraim Canyon to the A frame house just barely above Taylor's Flat. Most of the uphill climb will be singletrack from the hydroplant until you get on the New Canyon Road then turn turn right where another road forks after you've ridden the New Canyon Road for like a mile or so. So you go up this road and keep another right at the next fork then cross the wood bridge over the river then get on the singletrack again to the Main Canyon Road above Taylor's Flat. I like to ride on this new singletrack then on the Canyon Road to Willow Creek Road then go on the Cow Trail and so on. Later next week or so, everything up higher will be dry and I can go up that new trail up by Lake Hill also.

Dan the Man bikes to work...

This week starting last Wednesday morning, since it's warmer, I started riding my road bike to work. I don't ride the whole way entirely, I park my car at 5 Mile Junction(other known as Pigeon Hollow) and ride from there through the beautiful back roads through Spring City and to Mt. Pleasant where the wood shop is. I don't ride on Highway 89 at all, too many cars and they put gosh damn rumble strips at the shoulders. So the back road is just perfect with only 5 or 6 cars the whole way. The commute on bike is 10 miles each way so I ride 20 miles a day plus I mountain bike twice a week. I try to stay under 150 beats per minute most of the time so I can have energy to go on intense mountain bikes rides during the week. Sometimes I ride hard on the commute too, depends how I feel, with all the mountain bike racing on the weekends and everything. I leave at 6:35 in the morning from the junction and I get to work around 7:20 which gives me time to change and stuff to be working by 7:30. The morning commute is the best because of the beautiful sunrise and crisp summer air which is a good way to start a day. After work I ride back to the car and is also a good commute because it clears my head after a rough day of work. This is probably a summer thing and I don't know after that, depends how cold it gets in the mornings when the fall comes or if I will last that long. I am not positive about how many times a week I will bike to work but at least 3 times a week but I am shooting every day but probably go 3 times a week to start with. I like doing this commuting thing because it makes work and biking funner at the same time!

A.W. Carter Furniture Works

Kitchen in a house in Spring City

Wood Shop

Mantle

I guess I haven't really talked about my new job opportunity in my blog yet so I will talk about it now. I work at A.W. Carter Furniture Works in Mt. Pleasant and it is right next to my last job at Timberhawk. At this furniture shop, we do cabinets and furniture for people. We just finished a job at Spring City and table and chairs for the owner of NuSkin. My boss does fabulous work, I mean way over profession and I am really looking forward in learning from him. Also a friend of his from Riverton comes down to help. They are both really nice and I am going to like working with them. We will pretty soon make furniture for the El Salvadore LDS Temple, like coffee tables and stuff. I will take pictures of the furniture and post them on my blog when we get some finished. Right now we are doing the laundry room in the same house in Spring City. It takes a while but a lot patience sure pay a lot!

Draper Race

This race was held yesterday on Memorial Day in Draper, UT as part of the Intermountain Cup Series and this is my 5th race this year. I never did this race last year because I had to work that day. I never prerode it either so I was kind of nervous but not too nervous because a lot of people explained to me how it was going to be.

There were a lot of people racing and a whole lot of spectators, I have never seen so many people at a local bike race before. It was great though and the day was beautiful. When I started, I had a really bad start, we were going on mostly singletrack at first of the race, maybe the first mile before getting on the 2.5 mile service road. I was like puttin' along because so many riders in front of me were going not so fast and I wanted to pass so badly but there was no room to pass at all. I think I lost maybe two minutes of my time. If I had a better start and got in front of the pack, I would have been all right but still there was the Sport Women and Clydesdale classes with a few slow riders. But all well, when I got to the major big service road, I passed people like crazy and it was nice but it would have been nice to get a better result and time.

The course was demanding and I loved it! It was in Corner Canyon near Draper and there were houses around all over at the bottom just like Park City and the top of the canyon had an excellent view with a view of the Draper Temple. I liked the singletrack trails and they were everywhere. They were fun and twisty in the oaks and maples. It was all about strength, style, and finesse.

I got 15th out of 24 riders in my class. A lot of people this time. There were 37 in the Sport 40+ class. Just what like I said, "the more, the merrier"!