So I rode home today from work. The thermo on the bike computer never dropped below 101. 
Which made Deer Creek seem easy, since by the time we got up to the trailhead it was registering in the low 80's. What a difference a little elevation & shade makes.
My buddy picked me up at my pad at about 6:15 and we were in the Deer Creek parking lot by 6:30. The initial climb was not too bad until the third and fourth pitches. I was having to stop fairly often and catch my breath.
Then a push up the wall (I had no legs to even attempt it) and another grunt to the Red Mesa junction. We continued the climb to the top of Red Mesa (temps were in the high 70s by now) and did the fabulous traverse around the mountain. I had nearly forgotten how fantastic this loop is. Lots of rocky goodness along with sections of flowy dark trees.
We blasted down the double track back to the Red Mesa junction and climbed up Plymouth. Actually I pushed most of the way. My legs had pretty much abandoned me. Pushed to the high point, let the fork out to 125mm and started the fun, fun, fun traverse of Plymouth mountain. More excellent tight singletrack with lots of big rocks to keep it fun, fun, fun. I made it up the last short hill without the humiliation of walking yet again, then flowed down the smooth singletrack back to the main trail.
And made up for all that walking at the wall. I stopped and let my buddy make a couple stabs, but he got stymied by a large rock shortly into the mayhem. He stepped aside and I clipped in and picked a pretty smooth line down through the slabby boulders. By the time I'd gotten past the boulders into the loose $hit I let the front brake go and let speed be my friend. A little sketchy near the bottom and I was across the (dried up) stream.
We then hauled down the rest of the doubletrack and finished with a bit more singletrack at the end. A great, short (10 mile) after work ride. I'm knackered. Completely.
Which made Deer Creek seem easy, since by the time we got up to the trailhead it was registering in the low 80's. What a difference a little elevation & shade makes.
My buddy picked me up at my pad at about 6:15 and we were in the Deer Creek parking lot by 6:30. The initial climb was not too bad until the third and fourth pitches. I was having to stop fairly often and catch my breath.
Then a push up the wall (I had no legs to even attempt it) and another grunt to the Red Mesa junction. We continued the climb to the top of Red Mesa (temps were in the high 70s by now) and did the fabulous traverse around the mountain. I had nearly forgotten how fantastic this loop is. Lots of rocky goodness along with sections of flowy dark trees.
We blasted down the double track back to the Red Mesa junction and climbed up Plymouth. Actually I pushed most of the way. My legs had pretty much abandoned me. Pushed to the high point, let the fork out to 125mm and started the fun, fun, fun traverse of Plymouth mountain. More excellent tight singletrack with lots of big rocks to keep it fun, fun, fun. I made it up the last short hill without the humiliation of walking yet again, then flowed down the smooth singletrack back to the main trail.
And made up for all that walking at the wall. I stopped and let my buddy make a couple stabs, but he got stymied by a large rock shortly into the mayhem. He stepped aside and I clipped in and picked a pretty smooth line down through the slabby boulders. By the time I'd gotten past the boulders into the loose $hit I let the front brake go and let speed be my friend. A little sketchy near the bottom and I was across the (dried up) stream.
We then hauled down the rest of the doubletrack and finished with a bit more singletrack at the end. A great, short (10 mile) after work ride. I'm knackered. Completely.
