bike tour

 As I mentioned, H alternated road cycling and MTBing all week, getting over 200 miles in and garnering some cumulative fatigue by the end.  He took his bikes some fairly scenic places too.

Rusty Spur

Colorado River in the morning

Red rock road ride

Matrimony Spring

Dead Horse Point State Park Viewpoint 1 (Intrepid trails)

DHPSP viewpoint #2

DHPSP viewpoint #3

DHPSP viewpoint (Whiptail vicinity)

DHPSP scenic overlook

Killer B is a MTB trail that I will never, ever ride

Arches National Park in the distance

Trusty steeds

logging the miles

 While I was back east for a family visit, H and Milton took the week in Moab.  H was mostly able to not work, which was great, and was able to get a lot of cycling miles in, both MTB and road riding.  On the first Saturday, he took his road bike from in town to the 313 intersection, nearly all on the wonderful paved bike path, and then just to punish himself a wee bit more, rode on the road up the twisty bits to the Seven Up trail head.  He actually got rained on a little bit!

Such a tourist

Yay rain!

Nice views at the turnaround point

filler post: milton

 And, just because the world needs to see more photos of our best boy, here's some more Milton for your enjoyment.  He wishes he could say hi to you in person!

PC: KW

filler post: flowers

 The heat and the smoke and various life things are getting in the way of all fun/all the time on our weekends.  Not to worry but until we get back to it, and because it's currently wildflower season in the Wasatch, here are some wildflowers from seasons past.  Enjoy!

Moss campion (?)

Sulphur buckwheat

Elephant head

Catmint (?)

Death camas

ferdinand would love this place

It's been so hot in northern Utah (everywhere, really) that H hasn't been able to get out to do many road rides in the evenings after work; when it's still 90+ F at 8:30 p.m., it's just too hot.  So he was eager to put some miles in on his road bike Saturday morning while it was still cool.  While he was doing that, Milton and I did our 3.25 mile (-ish) loop, leaving early enough that I was able to then drop the dog off at the house, toss my stuff in the car and get up to Alta by 7:35 a.m. for a short solo hike.  

Sunflowers and horsemint

It was already getting busy, with cars steadily pulling in as I shouldered my day pack and headed up the Summer Road.  The wildflowers are nearing peak bloom and they're a big draw.  The four day Wasatch Wildflower Festival is happening this year: July 10 at Brighton, July 11 at Solitude, July 17 at Snowbird and July 18 at Alta.  We were amazed at the wildflowers when we first moved to Utah and they continue to be amazing every year.

Gentian (one of my favorites)

At the first bend in the Summer Road, I took the hiking trail up through Albion Meadow, climbing the new(-ish) switchbacks through the field of sunflowers to the Catherine's Pass trailhead.  From there, it was up to Catherine's Pass, where other hikers were streaming in from the Brighton side.  This is not a hike for solitude, especially not when the wildflowers are popping.  I kept climbing up to the Sunset Peak/Alta Dry Fork intersection, where it was apparent that the increasing winds were filling the Salt Lake valley and the Heber valley with smoke from the California and Oregon wildfires.

Paintbrush, windflower

I was able to get away from the crowds - I had passed 28 hikers on my way up and was passed by one trail runner - by walking across the ridge above Catherine's Area to the top of the Supreme lift.  There, one more trail runner passed me and then I didn't see anyone else until I got down to the campground.  Plenty of people there though!

Paintbrush

And the hordes just kept coming too, as I walked back along the road to the Catherine's Pass trailhead, and then retraced my route down the Sunnyside switchbacks back to the Summer Road.  There were twelve cars lined up at the entry booth, people hoping to drive up to the flowers instead of walking.  There was still plenty of parking at the Albion lodge, however, so there was no reason to wait.

Sunflowers, paintbrush, 

geraniums and smoky skies

It did all make for good people-watching for those of us who like to have a refreshing beverage whilst changing our hiking shoes: dudes in kilts, moms with fanny packs, city folks fretting about mosquitoes (there's no mosquitoes), trail runners, rock climbers, motorcyclists just out to cruise the canyon.  Everyone is welcome - just don't pick the flowers.

Also seen but not photographed: Wasatch penstemon, lupine, showy daisy, scarlet gilia, columbine, sulfur buckwheat (another favorite) and many, many others.

couple of hikes

The powers that be un-diverted the right-hand fork of Millcreek from the Pack Creek firefighting efforts and it's running again, much to the relief of area wildlife and dog hikers.  On Saturday, H dropped Milton and me off at the trailhead just before 7 a.m. and then headed back with his MTB to Moab Brand Trails where he did the same ride we'd done Friday, without Circle O and without crashing.  Milt and I were the first ones there and the only ones there for a while; we didn't even see another person until we were more than halfway back out at 9:20.  Which is not to say we were the only ones there: we scared up a big mule deer doe not too far from the left-hand/right-hand creek juncture.

A river runs through it again

There was enough water to refill all the pool and although there isn't a huge flow (whether due to time of year or some continued diversion, I don't know), there is enough that the tadpoles and minnows have come back.  Milton happily splashed and waded - even successfully swimming a little bit - as canyon wrens trilled their songs from the cliff walls.  When we got to the upper cowboy hottubs, we crossed the creek and walked on the shady side, managing to stay almost entirely out of the sun until after 9 a.m.  We went up to the hitching post by the Steel Bender 4x4 intersection, pausing there for snacks.  Other than bird song, it was still and very quiet.

The sun also rises

Just to mix things up, we walked in the creek for some of the way back.  We met seven dogs on our way out but it really wasn't that busy, not for a weekend.  We texted H, who'd gotten home after his ride, and he came and picked us up - service with a smile!

Quiet morning

On Monday, Milt and I did the same hike (it's really too hot to take a dog without water), with pretty much the same results: not that busy, sticking to the shady side, canyon wrens, etc.  One noted difference: when H came to pick us up this time, he brought the cooler and we had a couple of mid-morning parking lots beers, as one does on a holiday.  One envious guy parked nearby half-jokingly asked if he could buy a PBR off us but his disapproving wife put a kibosh on that and we didn't have to share.  

Lizard?!!??!?

couple of rides

We try to get down to Moab whenever a long weekend rolls around, even if it's going to be 104 F.  Of course, that's about how hot it ended up being in Salt Lake City over the Fourth of July holiday, so it's not like we were missing out on any cool breezes.  We lit out of town Thursday night which gave us all day Friday to play (minus a few hours of work I had to get done).  First things first: a MTB ride at Moab Brand trails.

Focused on not falling off

 We left the house around 7:30 a.m., which put us on the trails by 8.  The temperatures were actually pretty pleasant, clear with a light breeze and a few clouds building up over the La Sals (which had finally stopped burning).  There weren't that many cars in the parking lot; out on the trails we saw two tour groups: one family of four, plus a guide; one big group of fourteen that ended up getting split with each of the guides taking riders.  We did our new regular route: Copper Ridge Road to Rusty Spur to Lazy EZ (back half first), then Bar M to Circle O.  Not too far out onto the slickrock, H's pedal took a hit and he went down pretty hard on his right knee.  We decided not to finish Circle O and instead retraced our path back to the double track, continuing around on Bar M to finish the ride.  H was fine, a little bloody but not as sore as we had worried.  Certainly well enough to go to Woody's in the afternoon for restorative beers.

Not falling off!

On Sunday, we went up to Dead Horse Point State Park to ride.  Despite being higher in elevation, it was definitely warmer than it had been the previous two days; Sunday would be the day we hit 104 F, although we were safely back home and in the A/C well before temperatures approached triple digits.  Amazingly, I didn't feel overheated: H usually tolerates heat better on the bikes than I do, but I must have been in the zone.  H was also riding a little more cautiously than he sometimes does - aftermath of Friday's crash - and as a result, both of us stayed upright and in one piece.  Also of note: in addition to a bunch of big blue-headed lizards (not sure what species), we saw one desert cottontail and two jack rabbits.  Milton would have loved that!

Circle Uh-oh more like it

hard to beat

 Sunday we hooked up with our buddy Ted for a MTB session over at Round Valley.  No photos were taken but here are some highlights:

• It was an absolutely spectacular day: sunny, clear, not windy and never hot, pretty much perfect for MTBing.
• Because it was a little cooler, there were lots of dogs out with their people including, but not limited to, a 16-week old rez dog puppy, a white-blond golden retriever who was very proud of the stick he was carrying, an enormous 9 month old brindle mastiff puppy named Fergus and two Great Danes even taller than the mastiff.
• We did over fifteen miles, one of the longer rides we've done this season.  I can't recall the route exactly but it involved Matt's Flat to the switchbacks that replaced My Nemesis (my personal name for a formerly gruelling climb straight up a narrow drainage), to Rademan Ridge (which is still rocky and not that much fun) and down Rambler, then up the sagebrush switchbacks of Rambler, then up further on PorcUClimb, then down Rusty Shovel.  At this point, Ted mentioned he'd like to do Big Easy again (the trail with the piano) so we went out on Ramble On (which is still awfully rocky and reminded H and me why we don't ride it very often) and then doubling back on Big Easy and then out.
• I started out riding okay but didn't have good focus - look, sego lilies!  look, a dog! - and ended up feeling like I was doing a lot of flailing.  H, on the other hand, had a great day: strong, fast, good bike handling.

Not as much as a highlight: weeding the rockscape on the north side of the house when we got home.  The post chores patio G&Ts were a good reward though.

alta ridge run (not running)

I had big plans for the weekend: I wanted to do a hike, ride MTBs, take Milton to a bar and - unfortunately - do some weeding.  Saturday morning, fairly early, H and I headed up to Alta for the hiking segment; Milton, not allowed in Little Cottonwood Canyon because of dog vs. watershed reasons, was pouting so much that he wouldn't look at us when we left.

Alpine meadow full of buttercups

There were a number of cars in the parking lot above the Albion lodge when we got there some time before 8, although it felt like some of them might have belonged to guests at the Snowpine Lodge.  It certainly wasn't as full as the White Pine lot, which was already overflowing.  When we drove past on the way down, there were hundreds of cars parked on the road.  It's a shame: I like those hikes but I cannot imagine doing them with all those people.  And the wear and tear on the terrain - I shudder to think.

View of Sunset Peak from Catherine's Pass

We had much less foot traffic to deal with, passing several parties on their way up and several parties on their way down.  We went up through Sunnyside to the Catherine's Pass trailhead, then up through Catherine's Area to the pass.  Although I didn't take any pictures, the wildflowers are starting to go off: buttercups, geraniums, sunflowers, paintbrush and more for which I've forgotten the names.  Still too early for lupine and the gentians but they are on their way.

From the pass, we did the loop: up to Tuscarora, then to Wolverine, then around Wolverine Cirque and down Patsy Marley to Twin Lakes Pass, and finishing out through Grizzly Gulch.  There were actually more people up on the ridge and the cirque than we've seen before, and GG was seeing a bunch of folks who were getting their late morning hike on.  

Wolverine Cirque view

We decided to make it up to Milt by going out for lunch and beers after our hike, heading up to the Campfire Lounge in Sugarhouse.  H and I had earned our bar food - vegan wings and tater tots - and split a pitcher while Milton charmed everyone in the vicinity.  We met a couple of nice dogs, Rudy and Pepper, and talked with their respective people for quite a while.  I'm pretty sure the bacon Milt scammed from the nice doctor from New Jersey more than made up for his having had to miss the hike.

Hike stats: 6.29 miles; 2:30 hours/2.5 m.p.h. moving; 3:08/2.0 overall; 2,120 feet of elevation