amongst the blossoms

The reason we've only been hiking lately is that the truck has been out of commission and the Subaru doesn't have a hitch, which we need for the bike rack, which we need to go MTBing.  So when we got the truck back from the shop, we were long overdue for some riding. 

Ridin' around 

This pandemic is wreaking havoc on our fitness (in addition to wreaking havoc on everything).  I haven't been motivated to run from home, at most taking the dog for three mile half-walks/half-jogs.  H, meanwhile, has been chomping at the bit to get back on his road bike now that the weather has turned nice, but wasn't really good about getting on his rollers when it was inclement.  All that is to say: when we got to the MOAB Brand Trails and got on our MTBs, neither of us had much in the way of legs.

Cactus in bloom

But the morning was glorious.  Clear blue sky, no clouds, no wind, bright sunshine and temperatures reaching into the mid-70s.  It truly doesn't get much better than that.  Unless you add in sparsely-populated trails.  Because we only saw a handful of people and never anyone on the trails where we were.

So delicate

To get back into things, we just did our standard two loops of Rusty Spur and the Bar M trail.  The herd of range cows that overwintered in the area were not kind to some of the trails, trampling them into sand pits.  Even sandy swaths couldn't bring the mood down, though - it was just too nice a day.

Staying cool

The spring flowers are really coming out too.  We saw desert primrose, claret cup and barrel (?) cactus, all in bloom.  I love the desert wildflowers.  They're so delicate and only here for a short time but they are bright and cheerful in a harsh environment.  They're hopeful.

Snowline is rising

Milton was not psyched about our MTBing since he doesn't get to go, so after we were done riding, I took him on a short hike in the Sand Flats Recreation Area: out to the Grandstaff Canyon overlook via Fins 'N Things.  Thank goodness it was a short hike: it's been a while since I've done double-sessions!  It wasn't too hot but the late April sun is strong so I made Milt wear a white t-shirt.  He can overheat, with his black fur absorbing the sun, so the t-shirt was an attempt to reflect some of that energy.  It certainly didn't dampen any of his energy as there were lots and lots of lizards to chase.  By the time we were back at the truck to drive home, he was worn out and had forgiven - or at least forgotten - being left behind for MTBing in the morning.

Ride stats:  17.95 miles; 1:48 time; 9.9 m.p.h. average speed (H's)