Saturday, I did a hardcore bike ride up in the Black Hill Riding Area. The temperature was in the 60s so it was very nice. There were a lot of dirt bikers, target shooters, and horse riders. I've never seen so much people in that little area. But it was bearable though so I had a good ride. I couldn't believe that there was dust on the trails and roads already in February. I didn't feel super good on my ride though, it could have been better. I probably just need to take a little break and recover more.
On Sunday morning, it was also sunny and nice. I took Duke up for a 5 mile walk just at the base of the foothills behind my house.
It was so nice and it was a good walk, Duke liked it. I was wearing a t-shirt.
On Monday, which was President's Day, I went for a hike at Maple Canyon. I wasn't thinking it wouldn't be that bad because of the lame winter. But it was actually really icy all over the roads. Just in the canyon where it's always shaded.
I decided to walk until where I couldn't but I just kept going, even on the sheer ice.
Duke loves to come out hiking with me and look for anything that moves. Like squirrels, chipmunks, lizards, deer, or he even would go after a bear or mountain lion if he could. But there was nothing really out there on this hike.
I made it to the very top of the San Pitch Mountains above Maple Canyon. I didn't think I would make it this far but I just kept going. Plus all of the road at top was on the south face, so there was no snow and the ground was all dry with patches of snow.
There was no wind at all in this canyon, so it was nice. It was very windy down at the valley today though.
My dad kept talking about this section of the road for years and years. This was the story where my brothers, my dad, and I would go up this road on that 2 wheeled drive 1968 Chevy truck then break the clutch. It scared my dad so bad because we were on this section of the road with a broken clutch. Ah, good times during the old days of Maple Canyon when there didn't used to be people in the area.
On the way down, I ran into an old friend I haven't seen in 15-20 years, he was actually my brother's close friend and I used to do things with him too. Ben Cook is now living in Portland, OR and was down here visiting and taking his wife to Box Canyon. He is also a geologist and this is really a good place for a geologist with all these Maple Canyon rocks! He had a rental car and it was stuck on the icy road and I stopped by and he said that his dad was coming up to help him get unstuck. That is when I ran into him. It was really nice to see him.
So I walked into Box Canyon a little bit to see some ice because I've never been to Maple Canyon in the winter. So this is the only ice waterfall I saw up there. Not much this year probably. Well, it was a good weekend. Now back to work tomorrow. Did I tell you how much I love my job? Well, let's put it this way, I can't believe I actually get paid to do woodworking!
