Another Trail...

Every time my mom wants to meet up with my little sister in American Fork or Sandy, UT, I definitely grab my bike and go along.  Because anywhere else outside of Sanpete County has way better mountain bike trails.  Especially near Draper or Herriman.  Draper has the Corner Canyon Trail System which has premium bike trails for sure.  Anything is better than the Sanpete crappy trails. 

This time I didn't go to Corner Canyon and I decided to explore some new trails near Herriman which is in the south part of Salt Lake valley, like Corner Canyon.  This area had way less people than Corner Canyon and that's why I liked it.  They are very short but also fun if you do laps.

First I climbed up this uphill out-and-back trail.  It dead ended up after 1.8 miles uphill, they say according to the internet that they are going to continue building the trail up the canyon 20 more miles.  That would be sweet!   Anyway, I went back down and did a couple laps on the Juniper Crest Loop.

Juniper Crest Trail is a fast, easy ride.  I really liked it because it was pretty fun and flowy.  At first I was planning to ride one lap then do another trail called Blackridge Trail close by but I decided to do another lap instead because I wasn't in the mood for another sustained climb.  For some reason I still felt a little cramped from the last ride and had a cold for most of the week.  So I just rode until I got pretty tired and it was fantastic.  I loved how there wasn't that many other bikers there.  Like what I said, anything is better than the Sanpete crappy trails.  We need better trails in Sanpete County but it's not going to happen, not enough mountain bikers.  It's an atv riding area.

Best. Bike. Rack. Ever.

Well, my Subaru is gone now.  Now I drive the truck which I bought a couple years ago and never drove it much.  I only put 5,000 miles on it during the last 2 years(probably world record on the low miles).  My Subaru engine just went bad and I decided to screw it and donate it to the Cars for Veterans instead of putting a third engine in it.  And just drive the truck.  If I can put another 30,000 miles on the truck then I'll be happy.  Anyway, I bought a really nice hitch rack for the truck and I am very impressed with it.  It's a rack from 1up USA company which is in Wisconsin, all made in USA.  For some reason, US made items are usually the best and very well made.  It was very easy to mount it into the hitch which only took 2 seconds with a special theft-free kind of allen wrench.  Plus I put in fat bike adapters on the rack so it would work for my fat bike.  It was easy to install. 

It works for my mountain bike...

road bike...

and fat bike...

This is pretty cool, I could tilt it down with the bike on the rack and put down the tail gate and get in the back of the truck.

....and there is a key lock to lock my bike which is what I really need!

And just to drive around and not having a bike with me, I could fold it up when it is not in use.  This is a pretty cool bike rack and if I want to transport more bikes, I could buy bike add on racks.  They go up to 4 bikes.  It is a pretty pricey rack but well worth it!  Here is the link to the website for this rack:  http://www.1upusa.com/

The Start of Spring Riding: Saint George, UT

Went to Saint George last weekend and the weather was marvelous.  I did a big ride(for me) on Saturday on the JEM Trail System.

I started from Sheep Bridge Road Trailhead and started climbing on JEM and got on Dead Ringer, a brand new trail which goes all the way to the top of the JEM Trailhead.  It took me almost an hour to get to JEM Trailhead from Sheep Bridge and it was worth it.  It was all climbing, but a very gentle climb.

When I got to JEM Trailhead, I finally stopped and rested, took pictures, and ate a snack.

Then I turned around and went back down Dead Ringer then took More Cowbell Trail which was a short loop on top of a mesa.  There were some serious runners kept asking me where the trails were and where the trails went, the guy was talking too fast and I think he was a Stravasshole(somebody using Strava and trying to compete without making mistakes and acting like jerks). I am a Stravasshole sometimes but I am trying to do better now....I hope.  Now what I know what a Stravasshole looks like. 
 

After More Cowbell, I got back onto Dead Ringer downhill, then got onto Goosebumps.  Goosebumps was also a fun trail.  Then Cryptobionic all the way down to Virgin River Dam Overlook Trailhead. 

I was going to turn right onto the Rim Trail back to JEM but I decided to turn left and ride south of Hurricane Rim Trail for a while then turn back and get back on JEM.  I was trying to get more miles and elevation but I shouldn't have done that because I got a flat tire on the really technical rocks.  I tried to fix the tire but my back up tube that was in my bike bag for maybe 2 years was bad and didn't work.  Dang.  A walk back.

So I walked from the Virgin Dam Trailhead on this road for like three miles to this main road which a family member picked me up from there.  I didn't really mind it because the weather was beautiful and I was watching the sun setting.  I felt like Forrest Gump.

My mom and I stayed overnight in Saint George, then on Sunday, we went to check out Snow Canyon.

We did a short hike up along Three Ponds Trail.  It was a 3.5 mile out and back.

It was mainly walking on a wash with lot's of sand and it was pretty.  It reminded me of San Rafael Swell but the rock was red.

After walking back I decided to hike more and see the Petrified Dunes.  My mom walked back to the car because she was scared of the cliff sides and steep rocks.

So I walked around and took a few pictures.  This is not a place for exploring and doing long, hard hikes.  But it is perfect for taking kids and old people with you.  They would enjoy it.  There were quite of few people there.

President's Day Weekend "Staycation"

 

President's Day Weekend was a 3 day weekend and I definitely decided to stay home because I knew everywhere else would be just as bad.  Such as St. George, Moab, San Rafael Swell, etc.  I stayed home and had my own fun which I called "Staycation".  I did go out in nature during all the three days and I didn't even go to church.

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!

Surprisingly early Price, UT day trip...

Every Spring in the last few years was reserved for a Price bike trip.  I know it's not Spring yet and it's February but since this weather has been really strange, yes, I could ride there now.  Usually the snow on the trails don't melt or dry up until March or April but since it was a very dry winter, the trails were very packed down and was a go.  Even the temperature was perfect.  I just wore knickers and a long sleeve jersey and I was very comfortable.  When I went last Saturday, there were a quite of few other bikers there also.  The other years, I was like the only one there usually.

This time, I didn't want to do the full eight figure ride so I did Luke's and Smo Joe's.  Then half of Luke's again and rode on a new trail I've never done before which split the loop kind of half but it felt more I did the big loop again.  It just split to the cattle grate at halfway of Smo Joe's.  It was a great ride but I was careless on my shifting on some of the ride though and broke my chain about at the last half mile of my ride.  I did have a replaceable chain link in my seat bag but no chain tool to get the old link off.  I realized I forgot to put my bike tool back in the bag after I had it in my fat bike bike bag for the winter.  But I coasted and walked back to the trail a half mile which was no big deal.  Then I drove home and stopped at my friend's house in Mt. Pleasant on the way to visit for a while.  It was a good usual Saturday bike day.  I just couldn't believe I was doing this in the first part of February.

Spring in January?

Since it's been unusually warm in most of January (in the 50 degree range), I had to ditch the fat bike and do some dirt/pavement riding.  The snow is gone in the valleys but there is still mud and some dry or tacky dirt in most places.  Since it still gets dark around 5:30ish, I've been finding ways to ride during daylight hours while still working at my job.  Like some days, I ride during lunch break or take a very short 15 minute lunch then get off around 4 pm so I can have an hour or so to ride before it gets dark. 
 

I've been riding on the roads close to my work which is around Wales, Moroni, Freedom, or Fountain Green.  I've been doing all kinds of rides.  I really like the Maple Canyon road climb that starts from Freedom and up to the mouth of the canyon where the pavement ends.  It is a tough climb for a lunch break ride.  It makes up my day though.  And sometimes I ride around the town of Moroni and do some intervals and sprints because of the short climbs around Moroni.  Then a cruiser by doing the Wales Loop.  But it's great.  By the way, I bought another bike.  I was going to put the money into an updated drivetrain on my mountain bike but I've decided that the present drivetrain on there now is good enough for a little while, and which is a pretty good system.  So, anyway, I used the money for another bike.  It's a bike to keep at work so I can ride around during work.  It's an $800 road bike which I bought it at a bike shop in Ephraim and I had him take off the drop out bars and put on flat handlebars instead which I like better.  I never use the drops on the drop out handlebars.  I also swapped on Cane Creek Ergo bar ends.  It's a pretty sweet bike for 800 bucks.  It's a Cannondale.

Well, I am starting to do some dirt rides also.  I like to ride on Kane Valley Road by Black Hill in Ephraim.  It's just tacky dirt and it's awesome conditions.  Then I ride up on Mill Road up the pond which I call it "Darrel Olsen's Driveway".  Then up on the rocky short cut to Gordon's Farm.  It's just a ride I usually do during the early Spring but it's not Spring yet but it's just weird that it feels like it in January.  Here's my Strava workout I did yesterday.  Last weekend, it was a bigger ride though.



It's been nice, but we sure do need more snowstorms.  It's been a dry January and I hope February will be wetter and get more snow in the mountains.  We need the water.

Winter Paradise

By starting the new year, I've been doing some snow fun on my fat bike into new places.  Just yesterday, I went up to Fairview/Huntington Canyon and tried this trail I was thinking about since last winter.  I finally went up there and I was not disappointed at all.  It made me want to keep going up there every weekend for the rest of the winter.

This is a groomed snowmobile trail at an elevation at 9,000 feet, so it's pretty high up there and that is where the snow is really good.  This trail is the Miller Flat/Joe's Valley Road.  I just went until Miller Flat Reservoir and it's pretty much mostly downhill.

To Miller Flat Reservoir is 3.5 miles, I wanted to keep going but I knew the more I went down, the more climbing I had to do on the way back.  So this was just a test and turned around and started climbing back up. 

I really enjoyed the climb actually because it wasn't really all climbing.  The climbs lasted about 3 or 4 minutes then the trail flattened out a little bit for a while then climbed again.  It just kept going like that on the way back.  At the parking lot near the highway, there was a scouting event going on, they were having some kind of XC ski race and there were a lot of scouts.  They were just in that area by Huntington Reservoir area circling around.  I got a lot of good replies about my fat bike from the scouts.  Like, "that looks fun", or "does that bike work", or mostly, "cool bike!"  Well, it's a cool area to ride and there were no one out there as I went further by Miller Flat Reservoir.  Next time, I will go longer. 

Two weeks ago, I had to go up to Ogden area to help my little sister to carry her digital piano up to her apartment.  So I took my bike with me and thought I'd do a ride in Ogden Canyon since I hear that there are some good fat bike riding there.  The day before I went there to ride, there was a fat bike race in Nordic Valley Ski Resort(Frosty's Fat Bike Series).  It was actually located in the golf course by it where they groom XC ski trails.  I did the course on the next morning after the race.

It was actually a fun course.  I followed the bike tracks and markers.  The course was 2 miles and it just weaved all over the place and there were hills all over.  That made it fun and now I can say, "golf courses should be bike tracks".  Never thought the day would come that I would ride a bicycle on a golf course.  It was awesome.

After the big snowstorm during Christmas break, I'd thought I could pack down a trail near home.  I thought of the top part of the Flume because it's mostly flat and it's always shady because it's located on a north face of a mountain.  I thought it could be good snow all the time.  I tried this idea, dragging an old car tire with a rope while snowshoeing.  

I then rode the trail two days later and it was pretty hard.  The trail just needs to be packed down more from snowshoers and fat bike riders.  Since I am the only one that rides on this trail, it was pretty hard, but after the bridge. it got easier and I pretty much cleaned most of the trail.  I hope I can ride it again some other time.

So on that ride on the Flume, I rode up the canyon road from the hydroplant up to the A frame house and then did that top part of the Flume and back then climb up some more on the road to Major's Flat, then rode down.  Duke came with me on this ride.  It was a good ride and it was pretty cold, in the single digits, then warmed up into the teens.

I happened to find this photo on the internet someplace and I really hate this photo.  It looks so miserable.  I really hate indoor stationary bikes and this is just so wrong to see it out on the ice and snow.  It hurts my eyes to see this.  It made me realize that I love riding my fat bike in the snow!  It is a great sport and makes it very worthwhile.  I am just so grateful that I don't have to ride a stationary bike anymore and I have bikes for all seasons to ride outside.  And once you get used to the cold and have the proper clothing, I guarantee that it will get fun!