Archive for category Bike Skids
Bag The Crest Now Or Wait Until Next July
Posted by admin in Bike Skids on September 9th, 2010
So there I was, heading into Labor Day weekend, and I had yet to bag the Wasatch Crest trail for the the 2010 season. A few reasons conspired to keeping me at lower elevations throughout the summer. A resurgent love for the road bike (getting a new Specialized Tarmac SL3 kindled that fire), the long recovery from a sprained ankle, a ho-hum attitude towards my current mountain bike. I got a call from a neighbor who was heading up to bag the Crest the day after the PCP2P race (Park City Point-to-Point), and I thought to myself that I’d rather rub poo in my hair than ride up chewed and spit out single track after hundreds of riders skidded around and left their GU packets all over the trail. But I went. The trails were in great shape, and I don’t think I saw a single discarded GU packet from Spiro to Mid-Mountain. There was a chill in the wind that reminded me summer was close to being done. When we climbed past the Jupiter chairlift on the way to Shadow Lake, I started to think about the coming ski season. The terrain always looks so different up there. Hard to imagine Shadow Lake all filled in with snow, but it’s only a few months away. The climb up Mofo Hill was not as hard as I remembered, but the air was cold at the top and sliced right through my jersey, reminding me that indeed, I did break a sweat on the way up. We scooted past a group of freeriders all padded up like Mad Max post-apocalypse trail bandits, and the single track was as good as it always is. Not sure I’ll get it again this fall, but if you have a chance in the next week or so, you should try. Next July is a long way from now.
Soon Shadow Lake will fill in with snow, but right now it's a peaceful spot to stop for a Cliff Bar.
From Winter To Summer In a Week
Posted by admin in Bike Skids, Mountains on June 7th, 2010
It’s amazing how quick we go from winter to summer here in the mountains of Park City. Memorial Day weekend was unsettled, with some cold rain and chance of snow. This past weekend hit the 80s and felt like summer. Just like that. There is still plenty of snow up high. I rode my road bike to the top of Bald Mountain Pass in the Uintas, and there were still 4 to 5 foot snow walls, but then again, that was at about 10,795 feet. How about you? Did anyone ride the mountain bike trails here in Park City this weekend? How high up did you get?
First Day of Spring
Posted by Ski Bum in Bike Skids, Mountains, sKids on March 20th, 2009
Birds chirping, sun shining, tempted by the moto, running late for work. Coffee and donuts at the office, review 296 images from a sunny powder day photoshoot at PCMR to the sounds of Motley Crue’s Dr. Feelgood. Hustle up to DV for a lunch meeting including obligatory turns. Fast in the shade, slow in the sun. Pizza at Silver Lake, slush turns down Big Stick, back to the office. Power down, head out, meet family at Park City Ice Arena for daughter’s skating lessons. Rent wobbly too big skates for 15 minutes of skating, but I don’t care. My daughter’s grin is ear to ear. Try to remember the crossover, no problem going counter clockwise, big problem going clockwise. Return skates, hustle home, change into cycling gear, ride up and over the Preserve, descend into Jeremy Ranch, watch last 4 minutes of Utes loss, drink Shiraz, give daughter a bath, get her ready for bed, it’s still light outside. First day of spring in Park City.