Northern Migration: Salida Local and Global
When I arrived in Salida ten days ago, the ski hill was getting hit by a lightening storm while a terrible head-cold was knocking me on my chamois. Plans of snowboarding Sunday morning were cancelled as I was much happier laying in bed all day feeling sorry for myself. In fact, it wasn’t until Wednesday that I felt well enough to ride.
Getting aboard Shirin I climbed Poncha Pass and back, about 1.5 hours. It was painful. The return to elevation, the head-cold, my aching body, the terrible head/cross-wind all conspired to make me suffer. It was just as I needed.
A couple days later I finally got out on Isabelle for an after school mountain-bike ride on the S Mountain trails with the toughest of the tough, Taf. We both felt like taking it easy and honestly the ride was more about catching-up with a friend than it was about riding single-track. Although, the single-track was pretty fantastic.
Sunday morning I rode, a real ride, one with heavy-breathing, sweating, huge smiles, laughter and even new trails.
Reilly and I were joined at the F St bridge by five others ready for a beautiful day of riding and we would not be disappointed. Heading up the single-track, we soon began to slog out a long dirt road climb; Frontside-L’il Rattler-North Backbone then way up road #175 and #181. With my head down I inadvertently missed my turn; I’d been off the back by a couple minutes. Though I did realize my error after just a few hundred yards, when I caught the others I made sure to brag about how tough I was for riding bonus miles. They didn’t buy it.
Back on the bikes we descended–then climbed–then descended a whole lot more as we hurled ourselves down Cottonwood gulch. It was spectacular, everyone riding well and the trails in perfect spring form. Despite a couple of flats and a broken saddle(none mine) we couldn’t have been any happier. Fred, wanting to add a bit more mileage to the day, suggested we ride South Backbone. When the others learned that I’d never ridden that piece of trail before, they all laughed and cheered knowing how much fun I was about to have…and by fun I mean a tough steep technical climb with a similarly stimulating descent! Yeehaw, I love this stuff!
Here is some interesting information on various studies on resveratrol and the promising results. – According to a study done by the Dept. of Science and Technology at the Ohio State University in 1997, resveratrol find out this link levitra sale was able at a cellular level to protect the body from the harmful effects and properties of mercury then you would be able to make firm erections. How Erectile Dysfunction Occurs Despite the fact several disorders may vardenafil online australia take a look at the pharmacy shop here physically offend the men, however impotency and erectile dysfunction are the disorders that can harm the men’s potential inside out. purchase cialis online unica-web.com Since then, it is largely used for eliminating erectile dysfunction. It took a long time view that link online order for viagra for researchers to find the exact connection between Erectile Dysfunction and for the high cost of the medicine; they are not sure to be safe. Back where we started, our group of seven–which had shrunk to five–now found itself part of a serious mountain-biker mob. There must have been a dozen of us, all in kit, on killer bikes, fit and ready to ride. We must have been quite the spectacle…of awesomeness!! Some were just beginning their day’s ride, others had been out a couple of hours. Regardless, together we all headed out of town, over the highway and up the Race Track Trail. While I’ve certainly gone down that single-track hill many times, it was a treat to ride it in the opposite direction. At the summit, we regrouped. We chatted and joked; we talked foot-ware and trail conditions; we mentioned all the other cyclists we’d seen while congratulating ourselves for taking advantage of such a spectacular April day in the mountains. To end the ride, we explored the Lost Trail reroute, a tremendous effort thanks to Salida Mountain Trails.
After the ride was done, after all the high-fives had been given and plans were made for later that evening(Mexican food, lots of Mexican food), I was asked what my favourite part of the ride was, what I enjoyed most. I thought about the great trail conditions, I thought about riding South Backbone for the first time and climbing a trail I’d previously only gone down. Then I thought about all the people I rode with. Friends, good friends, acquaintances, fellow local cyclists..my community. The people with whom I rode well represented the strength and character of the Salida cycling community; tough, passionate cyclists who enjoy a good ride while supporting each other on and off the saddle.
Riding, laughing, sweating, smiling with that group of people, I understood what I enjoyed most about my ride. Simply, it was being a part of that group, a part of that community. What more, that group, that community, surrounds me, it is everywhere.
It is in south-west Texas and the Colorado Rockies. It’s in Canada, Peru, England, China, Australia and everywhere else in the world. As a cyclist, our community surrounds us. And that makes for a comforting feeling; knowing that where-ever there are two wheels, there is home.
