6/29/09

Weekends Are For Forgetting That They're Only 2 Days Long

Little Blue Cloud
Ed and I have a lovely summer-time blanket that belongs on a bed. For some reason, I dug it out of the closet the other day and placed it on the couch -- I think so that I would remember to wash it.

Tonka moved into and onto the blanket 3.5 seconds after I placed it on the couch. This was well over 3 weeks ago. He rarely leaves it. We call this Tonka's Little Blue Cloud. When he is not outside being harassed by Magpie and Deer, he is usually passed-out cold and floating around on his Little Blue Cloud.

For instance, Tonka In Languid:
See what I'm saying?

Today is Monday. Last night, Sunday night, late in the evening, it finally dawned on me that it was no longer Saturday ... and that somehow I had 'missed' the 'days' of the weekend. It was a rather sad few seconds there ... until I realized that I had been SO engaged, so engrossed, so full of fun and laughter and happiness, and so lovingly Present in my MtbBliss Activities this weekend, that I was blissfully unaware that 'time' and 'days' like 'Saturday' and 'Sunday' even existed. A rather sad moment there, realizing that 'Saturdays' don't last forever.

Of course, while I was re-centering in my new Sunday Evening mind-set, Tonka was cruisin' on his Little Blue Cloud, also completely unaware of his otherwise practical surrounds. Tonka, apparently, lives in a perpetual state of Saturdays. Lucky Little Kitty.

So, what was I doing this weekend to be so wide-eyed in the universe of fun?

Saturday
Saturday morning I had breakfast #1 while Ed slept in like Tonka. I ate, loaded the car and headed straight to Boulder to meet Tracy and Jason for breakfast #2 at the Walnut. After stuffing our faces and bellies, we toured our way up to Brainard and parked the truck.

We then descended Sourdough, in all sorts of twisted, jumbled fury!

Tracy, actually climbing a bit of it...

I'm really bored with the following words: rocky, technical, challenging... all those we all typically use to describe a trail that requires more from us than just holding on for dear life. Bah. I'm bored!

That said, I will say that the Sourdough, Wapiti, SSV, Buchanan, and all the other awesome and less-traveled trails up in this area... WORK a person, don't they!?!?

These are my favorite trails in Colorado (next to one other piece of the CO Trail mentioned a few posts ago). Sincerely, I adore riding these trails for so many reasons; so many reasons that I no longer have adequate words for.

And, I didn't really take pictures to show it off, either. I DID take a ton of pictures of Tracy. And, since she's so hot and such a skilled and talented mtbPrincess... I'll show you pix of her (and her hubby Jason, and their Friend Sam. Oh, and the PennyPuppy!!).


Pretty Penny in the Puppy Spa!


TRace flyin' thru the trees


See what I mean!


Jason !!!!


Sam!


UPIT!


Ahhh, the higher country


ZoomZoomZoom!


Ahhhh, HEAVEN


Ahhh, more playtime!


The Happy Family!!

So Saturday's ride really exhausted me. I suppose it was the first time I had ridden those trails on a Hard Tail -- well, the first time on a HT since maybe 1996. But that is a topic for another post.

Regardless, of course you know the pix don't do the 'rocks' and the 'technical' aspects of this world of MtbBliss justice. We only traveled 25 miles or so, and spent pretty much all day doing it. It's nice to make something so GOOD ... LAST!

OH, and I MUST share this: Normally, people park down at Camp D, ride up some combination of Sourdough, Wapiti, other unnamed things, up to Brainard, take other unnamed things back down, do some cross-overs and end up back down at Camp D.

Saturday, however... we started UP at Brainard... descended like monkeys down Sourdough, up/down Wapiti, down more Sourdough, over some road, down some other connector trail... all the way down to Camp D. We then did the 8 mile Rock Loop on Buchannan... is that the name of that? Whatever. You know it's fun when you are more worked from going down hill than when you go up hill.

Only thing was ... we had to climb back up ... all the way up... to Brainard... at the END of the day. I must say: the climb from Camp D up Sourdough is one of my FAVORITE on this planet.... Doing it NOT FRESH ... still made me swoon with Bliss.... And, I made everything but 2 moves. THAT felt good... even tho I kinda wanted to die at this point ;-)

Oh -- and Camp D had a lot of this action:


Oh, and 3, yes... THREE of these:

BUUURRR!! And yes, we all made it!


EXTRA BUURRR -- and no, none of us made this one.... This one tried to take the pony away mid-stream and I had to carry the pony thru.

Phew!

And that was just SATURDAY! (For all of SATs PIX, go HERE!)

Sunday
Sunday Ed and I loaded up the Buggy and hauled out butts up to Breckenridge to ride with Ez and Chris! Ez wanted to pre-ride the FireCracker50 course, and she wanted to drag us all around the loop just once (she wanted to drag us all around the loop "just once" after completely and utterly stompin' it and placing 2nd at a WinterPark race the day before.... Yes, she races with the Big Girls -- and yes, she kicked ASS!!)

Anyway. We didn't have a fast pace ;-) But we did have more fun than people even mean to have on a Sunday afternoon in the High Country of Colorado. I mean, really.

These are all the pix I got:

The place! More Heaven!


The people!! All angels -- all droppin' my sorry ass!! Gooo team!

And, just to make the weekend even more synchronized and perfect... we ran into Cyn on the loop!!

See that rockstar!!!

We took our merry time to rip the trails the way we felt like it. We didn't feel a single drop of rain, and really, the trail is in FINE shape ;-)

Afterwards ... BEER and BURGERS!! And Cyn joined us!

Ahhhh... such is a Saturday and Sunday. And, while work was work on a Monday ... Ed and I are enjoying the delightful company of two... yes 2 little baby Fawns and their mother!!! It is such a sweet scene outside tonight....

And, Tonka is about to go float around on his Little Blue Cloud. I think I might join him.

Jj

6/26/09

thank you myss gooney

Thanks for the FANTASTIC short but oh-so-SWEET thursday night ride!




This woman is a rock-star. Lots to learn from this one!!!


Thank you, Universe, for the weather and the perfect trails ;-)


Jj

6/24/09

mantra for the day ...

This is what was in the head on the ride today: look up, look out, be on the pony without a single doubt.

heheheheh.... whatever.


From home to the turn off: 59:00 ... ooo... bad juju.
From home to the top: 1:19. Ouch.
For some reason it was a particularly painful 2,200' attitude adjustment today. Maybe it's going to take me a little longer than I thought to recover from Vacation Week ;-)



I was SLOW today!! BUMMER. Ah-well. Fun and special nonetheless.... had angel-kiss rain sprinkles on the way down!!!! And it was COOL and sweet outside! Thank you, Universe.

Saw some guy flying up to the top as I was descending... as I pulled over for him he said: "you look FRESH!!!" All I could think to say was: "yeah, about as fresh as I smell." I hope he knew I was kidding.... Sorta. I think. ;-)


I can't wait to take all my girls up on this loop -- it's not long at all; rather short actually (only about 8 to the top from my house maybe??). But man, it is FUN and I can't seem to get enough of it, even when it hurts. About that, there is absolutely no doubt at all.

jj

6/22/09

aaaahhhhhhhh.....

to be here... back on the pony, rollin' around in the DIRT!

but first!!!! we have a guest!

Our guest is really, REALLY small -- like not much bigger than our over-sized cat.

The Doe apparently left the Fawn here ... for days now ... while mama was off doing whatever it was she was doing. Apparently, mama came back to get, feed, and lead little Fawn away to a slightly more protected area later this evening. Thank goodness, my heart was about to explode.

And THENNNN!!!

Chivalrous Ed, fixing CRDs drive-train!!! (Yes, the singlespeeder Ed):


I was able to coerce and seduce Miss CRD out for a Pony Ride!!!!



bad pic, good spot ;-)


Aaahhh.... rolling through Bliss.

Add a bottle of great wine and a SCRUMPTIOUS dinner (ala Ede), and it's been quite the BlissfulMondayEvening.

Thanks, MyssC -- for the ride and the time!

Jj

6/21/09

we're baaaack!!!



... go see ed's blog for the next week or so to see GOOD pix ;-)



vacation was wonderful -- spent time in Sequim, WA... playing around in the Olympics ... then out to Victoria ... then to Seattle for a few days! I stopped taking pix at the Victoria point. DOH! Ed got a lot more, tho!!!

Thank you, Darling!

jj

6/13/09

M I A

A week, wonderful!

Spent 7 of the last 9 days on the bike, trying to tire myself out before our week-long vacation! I think I might have succeeded.... I like the momentum that so many days on the bike brings with it! WOW!

Ed and I are off and out to wander around for a week without the ponies ... but with the cameras. Hopefully we'll be able to post pix of new and interesting environs very, very soon!

Hope everyone gets out to enjoy the sunshine!

Jj

6/6/09

woah!!

Crack In A Can:


Someone tell me what is in this stuff that ... works?
Someone tell me how many of these am I allowed to drink during one long ride?
And/OR: someone tell me to stop. It's going to kill me, right?

(Coach says this is BIG EVENT stuff only ;0) crack IS crack afterall, no?)

Brain Adjustment Apparatus:


Apparently this little thingy here zaps right straight into the brain and wipes out all the bad/nervous/stressing/tired/negative (if any) JUJU, thus rendering all that wasted energy FAR more useful -- for my legs, and for my shoulders and for CLIMBING!!!!

Who Knew!?!

Lucky for me ... now I do!!!!

The absolute BEST part of that Brain Adjustment Aparatus ... and the BEST part about having a lot of groovy mellow DANCE music on it ... is that it allows me to DANCE when I'm at the top waiting.... Ohyeah.

Finished 2/3 of our 80+ mile loop today. That's ok -- ffiinn HAPPY as can be.
60 Miles
~9,000 + UP
8.5 Hours
No, no camera, no pix, no nutin'

The route:
  • Started at the Ranger Station at BuffCreek
  • Up ShingleMill
  • Up the ColoTrail
  • Tricky way out to Top of the World
  • Down the ColoTrail to the Platte River
  • Climbed up the ColoTrail East from the Platt River
  • Said HI to friends as they were going the opposite way
  • Cleaned 100% of the switchbacks from the river to Leny's
  • Rode our butts off upupup and down and back up to LENNY's Bench
  • Made the Executive Decision to NOT do the Indian Creek Loop as I had wanted (ohwell)
  • Turned around, down-UPUPUP-down the ColoTrail back to the Platte River
  • Up the flippin' ColoTrail climb West ... back to the flippin' top ohmygawd i thought i was going to die
  • But i didn't, and instead, i felt like i ROCKED it and did a little dancing (alone in the woods on top of a mountain) at the top
  • Back along Top of the World
  • Hit the Burn loop
  • Back down the ColoTrail
  • Back down Shinglmill
  • Straight to the car
Play day on such a BEAUTIFUL day!!!

LOVE goes out to Antonious and Raven -- we'll take good care of your people tonight and tomorrow -- I promise. We're sending you heaps of love.

Alright. Time to recover from that hole I just threw myself into!!!!

Everyone: GO PLAY on Sunday.

Jj