Full Swing

by Greg

Something like a full swing of seasons, here, at the end of this year. Plenty of riding, and it seems like we've collected a few photos to show for it. Chased spring flowers down south in Arizona. Rode through a dusty desert spring closer to home. Pedaled flower-strewn alpine trails for summer and golden-leaf-strewn trails for autumn. Got chased back to the desert by some early storms. Then a last stab or two into the high country. And then back home and nearby for this long, lingering desert autumn, an autumn that continues to now -- the trails are still dry -- in late December.

Enjoy. And hopefully be inspired to get outside and ride.

Desert Escape

by Greg

No Dogs. No Trina. Plenty of Dirt. Rock. Water. Cactus. Lots of canyons.

I had time but she didn't. Colorado had snow, which I'm not that great at camping in. I headed south/southwest into the desert. Sought dry warmth. Found it. But also found rain and chill. Visited some places I hadn't explored before. New bike trails in Arizona. California's Death Valley. Other places along the way. Saw some creatures. Met a few people. And had a buddy from home join up for the last part of the trip. I'll let the photos tell most of the story.







Water was a major theme of the trip. While I traveled, the whole Southwest region saw rain. Dry washes were running. Rivers and creeks were full.



To dodge the rain, I headed for Death Valley, the driest spot in North America. It rained. Most of the non-paved routes were closed. Dry rivers ran over dirt roads. Water collected in the bottom of Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level.







When the skies cleared, the mountain tops were covered in snow. Some canyons dried quickly. Water lingered elsewhere, ice in higher places.



























Thanks for checking in, on our lately-much-neglected blog.

Ice Time of Year - Redux

by Greg

Last year, we studded our tires, loaded our fat bikes with three days of gear, and went to ride a remote desert river in the frozen depths of winter. But the river wasn't actually frozen. So we made do with an alternative bit of fun that involved rock and snow and side-canyon ice.

This year, we picked a smaller, much-more=likely-to-be-frozen river, re-studded our tires, loaded up our fat bikes for three days of riding and camping, and…. found out that this river wasn't actually frozen.

So we made do with a little bit of side-canyon ice, and lots of dirt, snow and chunder. Plus beautiful canyon country, campfires, petrified logs, icy river crossings, and a spectacular slot canyon. All in the kind of remote location that serves to satisfy us. Not bad for a backup plan. 

I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking. Happy way to start the New Year!