Finally.

A certain level of depression has set in with the late spring and precipitation this year.  It seems like I’ve been waiting for trails to clear off for a year.

Not that there hasn’t been anywhere to ride.  Lambert Park clears off pretty quick, and the few ventures I’ve made over to the Timp Trails have provided mostly dry dirt.   A couple well timed road trips to points south have saved me from opening a vein and bleeding out in the bathroom.  But my heart longs for nice, narrow gauge, singletrack.  With honest to God trees, and greenery.  Cool mountain breezes, and the smell of pines, and mossy creeks.

Yes folks, we may finally be coming ’round the bend.  Saturday morning,  we headed up to Big Spring Hollow.  I haven’t been there since last spring and wasn’t sure if it would be dry.  Reports of Sundance being in good shape after the freak blizzard last week had me optimistic.

Sure enough, right from the parking lot the trail was in fantastic shape.  and relatively uncrowded for a holiday weekend.   A small trickle of water down one section of trail was the only exception to otherwise perfect conditions.  After a brief venture up toward the Cascade Saddle and a short trip around the Big Spring loop K2 Kerry had to head home due to an expiring kitchen pass.

The only downside to Big Spring is it’s lack of mileage.  There are of course remedies to this.  Like Bill riding to the trail from Battlecreek via 051 and Dragon’s Back(Bill is a masochist).  Or the option that the rest of us took which was taking several laps, in different directions and taking different forks.  Call it the Lambert Park method.    It just felt good to be on the type of trails that I know this area has to offer.  Gabe, who was in town from Castledale for the weekend, was favorably impressed with the riding too.  He has been riding the San Rafael Swell and similar and he was happy to see some alpine singletrack as well.  The highlight of the ride was the large meadow on the GWT section of the trail.  Those with computers recorded 30 mph descents on the perfect 18″ wide trail.    The meadow also makes for a slightly gentler climb on subsequent laps.

All in all a good start to a long weekend.  Now if I can just get out of church I’ll try to keep up the momentum.

Retro Bill, Zimm-the-Man, and Gabe cranking back up the meadow for another go.