wow that was a lot of people

We waited just a little while on Sunday before heading over to Park City for our first MTB tour of the season around Round Valley; we thought we'd wait until it got into the 50s F.  As a result, we didn't get on the trails until after 9 a.m.  There were a few cars in the Quinn's Trailhead lot but, as we headed out on our regular route, there didn't seem to be that many people around.  The sun was out but the temperature was very pleasant, cool enough that I didn't take my arm warmers off until after Hammerhead.

That hill we call Hammerhead is usually the point in the ride where we start to see people.  This day was no exception.  It was also mid-morning - the 10:30 a.m. witching hour when trail traffic tends to pick up.  Halfway up the Sweet Sixteen switchbacks, at that one rocky turn to the left that I've not yet been able to ride - I pulled over to let three guys go past.  I jumped on their tails, however, and finished the climb pretty well and not too far back behind them.

Such concentration

It was as H and I headed down the other side, however, that MTBers started showing up in droves.  H later remarked that he can't recall ever seeing so many riders on the ridge section between the top of Sweet Sixteen and where the Sagebrush Switchbacks start (I'm so sorry - I just don't know the real names of these trails).  And then, once we started down the Sagebrush Switchbacks, we had to pull over again and again and again and again for MTBers riding up.

Amazingly, I thought the trail etiquette was pretty good for how many people (and seemingly novice people) were out there.  While H got pushed off while riding uphill by two separate, oblivious families, I never had to relinquish my uphill right-of-way (H having cleared the way for me).  The parking lot was full when we got back to the truck, even as gathering clouds cast sporadic but fat raindrops on us.  Despite having to share the trails with so many people, we'd gotten the best of the day and a good re-entry into summer MTBing.