Made it to the summit!

Bald Mountain, summit: 8,445 feet

Looking east at the higher mountains from top of Bald Mountain

I finally made it to the top of Bald Mountain hiking up in the snow, actually more like on the 4 wheeler tracks on the road up to it. I started up at 9 a.m. on a Saturday morning while everybody else were getting ready for a day of college football in their warm homes. Well, that football stuff isn't for me, I thought going for a hike would make a day more adventurous, rewarding, and happier. I've decided on this day, I would go all the way to the top, not just halfway or 2/3s like the other hikes. The morning was really nice and a little bit sunny, 13 degrees when I started, but good enough. The base was 5,900 feet and the top was 8,445 feet somewhere 2,500 feet of climbing. While everybody were fighting each other about the Utah/BYU football game on facebook, stadium, everywhere, I was up on the nice mountain thinking about nothing but the trees, fresh air, my dog, snow, walking, my bike rides this year, etc. It was so nice and not be part of the world. What a great day!

The bottom part from the valley up to the screen is steep and it's the funnest part because it goes by fast. Then after the screen is all switchbacks and a very easy to moderate climb but is really long. The very top, the last 1/4 mile is the steepest part of the hike but it has great 360 degree views. Very awesome! I used to ride my bike up this road and it's one of the best and hardest climbs ever. When I used to be 155 pounds and in better shape, I used to climb up this all the time to the top in 1 hour. Then go down the other side through Ephraim Canyon. I don't know if I have the strength to climb up this now but I haven't tried it in years. I am just afraid the bottom half of it which is the most steep and grueling part of the climb. Someday I will think about doing it again on my mountain bike but hiking up it is a lot easier. It would be a great bike ride to try out sometime. Go down the other side towards Willow Creek and go down the new Willow Creek Singletrack Trail and the Flume Trail. It's the climb that will be the greatest with all the views and everything. The hike up it is really great too. The climb up to it on the hike took me 2 hours and the descent took 1 and half hours.

Hiking

Lately, I have been doing some hiking, well, more like mountain climbing. It is way different than mountain biking. I haven't done some hiking in a long time so after my first hike, because of using the different muscles than biking, my legs were really sore for like 4 days before I could go on another hike, it's weird though, I went for an intense bike ride up Black Hill while my hiking legs were sore, I could still kick butt on my bike, doing hard climbing and everything, then on the day after my legs weren't sore anymore, neither my biking muscles or hiking muscles. So, on the next day, I hiked up Bald Mountain again and I went up higher this time, maybe like 2/3s up the mountain, almost to the top though, I got 'til where there were snow. I started hiking up like 8 am and it was 28 degrees and it wasn't so bad, I didn't want to put too much bulk of layers on me because I knew I was going get my body heat up climbing up the mountain and I did the layering just perfect. I really liked the Camelbak Denali I ordered from Campmor, a $17 waist pack with a water bottle holder and a little pocket to put an energy bar, phone, and keys in. It's nice, it came with a Camelbak water bottle! Duke came with me and he had a funner time than I did. I took a lot of pictures of this hike, sorry I picked a crappy, cloudy day for this one.
Pretty much I will be doing a lot hiking now, more like mountain climbing. When there's snow, I will put on snowshoes, and for the muddy hikes, all I have to do is go earlier in the morning when the ground is frozen. But I got to do some weight/body lifting this winter also. During the last two weeks, I have started on mostly core exercises because that is what I really need to work on. Then some body weight lifting, like push-ups, dips, plyometric jumping drills, and squats with dumbbells. The most important exercise I feel I need to do this winter are squats and core exercises. I have been doing some exercises on the exercise ball and it's pretty fun. The plyometric jumps are the funnest though, they make me feel like a kid again, plus, doing those are supposed to increase your hamstring strength by 44%, I think. That's what is so cool about winter, is to focus on strength exercises while there's a blizzard out there. Then get biking again when it's warm.

Top Ten Reasons I Like To Ride My Bike Alone

10. I don't like to talk.

9. I can enjoy the ride, mountains, air, freedom more when I go alone.

8. I can get my training done better. Don't have to worry about going too short or too long when riding with someone else.

7. I really can't stand somebody else complaining. Mostly about climbing a hill or going over a rock.

6. The ride is more peaceful so I can actually think about something.

5. I can go whereever I want, whenever I want, and however I want.

4. When I go alone, I feel like I own the whole place.

3. I can talk to myself about my goals, life, and even say the 'f' word.

2. I don't have to stop so much. I can just keep riding, even though I am taking breaks when I am alone, I don't have to talk, I can breathe.

1. I go on a ride mostly to get away from people. That's the whole point.

Well, that's it. Ever since I have starting riding bikes who knows when? I have always liked to ride alone. I'm just better and more myself when I go on a ride by myself. No worries, no communicating, and just going for a ride. Could be just around the block or 50 miles, I'd rather go alone. So all the rides I been going with you, I did enjoy it and I do like to go on rides with you sometimes, maybe only 5% of all of my rides, then I am o.k. with it. So, don't make this post make you feel discouraged. I am just trying to be myself and I am happier when I am myself. So, I like to ride a bike alone, well probably anything too, work, sitting in my room, or watching tv, I'd rather do it alone, no matter what it is I guess.

Indian Summer Riding

The last 2 weeks I have been doing some sheer riding. I wanted to get as much riding I can get before it gets cold and snow. I'll still ride in the next month or so, hope so, if the weather will cooperate, you know, I don't really care because I can still go up and go snowshoeing or something. Anyways, I try to get some exercise no matter how I do it. It all depends on the weather outside. The last week and a half the weather has been very decent and wouldn't want to miss the opportunity.
I've been catching up some riding on Black Hill, Black Hill needed my attention because I haven't ridden up there since April or May(starting late May or early June, the skeeters get really bad and the place gets deathly hot), so, the Black Hill area is really great for the fall weather, probably the best weather because it never blows or storm that much in the fall time. It's really great.
Sorry I don't have pictures this time because I didn't want to waste time being some 'tour biker' taking pictures and being an idiot. I wanted to keep going and ride a lot without taking stupid pictures. I was having too much fun and didn't even think about anything else.
The best part of all of my rides was the "Broken Saddle Climb" on Black Hill, which is the most daring, gruelsome climbing I ever did around here. It's steep, not just short steep, but steep from the bottom of Black Hill to the very top. It's about 25-30 minutes long and the trail never levels out, maybe a couple parts but don't last long, maybe 20 seconds. Anyways, it's one of my best climbs, it's all singletrack, and sandy in most parts. The top is the worst, it just gets steeper and steeper and I just about die on that part but it's very rewarding when I get to the top and then go on a fun downhill on the other side. The climb is all VO2 max all the way baby!
Most of my rides were on Black Hill but I did go on the Flume Trail once which was last Friday and there is mud at the top. I could still ride on it but it's only maybe 50 feet of it. Everything else on the trail was great. Loved the singletrack climb up at the mouth of New Canyon until to the top where the Flume starts. Great downhill too. That is where I spent most of the summer though.
Well, this may be the last of the 'no arm warmers/jacket' weather until next spring, I think.