Grand Lake Outdoors

Girls' Trip Coming Up!!!

2009-01-20T09:18:00.003-07:00

A random and unplanned road trip is in my future. The goal is to leave Friday and be gone for we don't know how long. We're all completely broke and just want to hit the road for as long as possible. The posse includes: Julie, Mandi, Jess, and myself. We've never all traveled together so it should be interesting. All we know is that we want to head southwestish to warmer and drier climates so camping and biking is possible. If you have any suggestions, or a couch for us to crash on, let me know!!! Pictures of the debauchery will follow as they become available...

Finger Painting with Oreos

2009-01-03T18:39:00.005-07:00

It's been too long since the last post, so I decided to put an end to the hiatus. Not much happening but work, work, work around these parts except for a rather entertaining evening about a week ago... It involved watercolor and acrylic paints for the most part. Then, out came the Oreos. Anyone who knows me, knows my close relationship with the tasty little sandwich cookies. It started with the idea of a portrait of my buddy Austin and ended up with me eating Oreos and then using the chewed up paste as a sort of finger paint. I must say, it actually was a pretty successful medium and the impromptu piece looks a bit like the subject. Mandi agreed, although she's not a very objective judge of my art; she loves it all.

One's (maybe obviously, maybe not) Austin and the other involves dental floss, modge-podge, and watercolor. Fun night!

Oh Pagosa

2008-10-28T09:05:00.011-07:00

For the first time in I don't know how long, I was a regular old tourist! I traveled on a weekend and did all of the touristy things there were to do in Pagosa Springs. It was a girl's family weekend and my aunts and cousins from both Arizona and Omaha, as well as my mom and myself all met up for a little family fun. And fun we had, let me tell you! We stayed in two separate condos: one for the moms and one for the cousins. Most of our time was spent talking and playing games like Catch Phrase (my favorite!!), Guesstures, and Apples to Apples. Just a bunch of silly board type games that were, I must say, quite a riot with 6 female family members. It was pretty great to see everyone; to be honest, I was happily surprised.

Then on Monday I had the day to slowly make my way back to Grand Lake. I decided to try to find a good place for a quick ride and then head homeward. The day before I found a bike shop that I thought I could stop by for some ride ideas. I pulled up, got out and asked the guy rolling bikes out where a good mountain bike ride would be. He simply said, "I don't know, I don't ride mountain bikes." Can you believe that?!?!? Neither could I. After a bit more prompting, he told me that there is a dirt parking lot a few miles down the road that had some kind of a trail leading out of it. Not exactly the help I was hoping for. Oh well. I took matters into my own hands and decided to drive around town looking for perhaps another info source. Then, I remembered reading something about a mountain biking area behind the post office. Found it! It was called Spa Mountain and it was pretty cool to have a trail system right in the middle of town! I briefly looked at the map at the trailhead and figured it was a small enough area that I couldn't really get lost. I also saw that one section to the east of the mountain was rated red (most difficult) and not recommended for mountain biking. I hit the trail and off I went. Climb, climb, climb and then I found myself in a bit of a clearing with a great view. I wasn't too impressed with the amount of marking of the different trails. Once in a while there would be either a green, blue, or red number nailed to a tree but a few times I got a bit confused and ended up not on a trail at all. Finally, I found a blue arrow pointing down the back of the mountain, which I decided to follow. After a fun tight switchbacky descent, I ended up dead ending into a river!

So, after admiring the river and sheer cliffs to the west where I had just come from, I backtracked a bit and found what kind of looked like a game trail, or rarely used steeeeeeep trail that I eventually understood to be that red trail that wasn't suggested for mountain bikers. Now I see why. I climbed and climbed and climbed (on foot pushing my bike since the pitch was so steep) and laughed out loud at how crazy this idea was. Hoping that it would eventually lead back to the less intense trail system, I kept going. Finally, I ventured upon this

Holy SH*T!!!

Ssscccaaarrrryyyy!!!!!! I thankfully walked up on it and was pretty grateful that I wasn't bombing down the trail and then thinking mid-air that, "Oh, isn't this special?!" Maybe if I was some kind of downhill daredevil this would be fun, but I still don't think that there is enough of a landing area. You just shoot right into the straight down narrow steep singletrack. You'd have to land it slowly and beautifully to not just tumble down the crazy steep edge of the mountain! I don't get it. But maybe that's why it isn't widely used. I did actually see a whole bunch of tire tracks around it though. IMBA, this area needs your love!!

Steep, off camber, crazy!!!! After about a half hour of hike-a-bike and taking pictures, I got to some rideable trail and recognized where I was. I finished up the ride and headed back into town for pizza and tea for the road. It is such a beautiful area that I had to stop every few mile to admire the scenery. Here are a few more photos...

Treasure Falls and a few photos from the top of Wolf Creek Pass, which may be one of my new favorite passes in Colorado.

Alright, enough already!!! Hope you enjoy the pics!

Yet another road trip

2008-10-06T17:02:00.012-07:00

This time we headed westward to drier warmer climates (it started snowing this morning by the way) and ended up in Fruita for a few days. We left G.L. on Tuesday after getting a bunch of work-related errands out of the way so we could hit the road stress-free. Basically any time we travel anywhere near Edwards, we have to stop and see our buddy Frank who owns Moontime Cyclery there. You should also know that it's unheard of to show up at Moontime without a sixer of some tasty barley pop from the Cork & Bottle next door. This time our brew of choice was a delicious Red Truck IPA from the Palisade Brewery. After a few hours of shop b.s. we said goodbye to Frank and hello to the road!

The sunset was so beautiful that even Echo appreciated it!

We used a free La Quinta coupon we had (and upgraded to a jacuzzi suite) and hit the hay after a delicious meal at our favorite Fruita dining establishment, Fiesta Guadalajara. And a fiesta it was indeed! Man we love that place. Good service, awesome food, and the best margs this side of the border.

The next day we woke up and drove around Fruita for a while figuring out where we wanted to camp and where to ride the next day. Highline Park was the camp spot for the next two nights and the Kokopelli Trail side was the ride locale.
We gradually set up camp and enjoyed a few adult beverages which may have helped us come up with electrical tape as a broken tent pole solution!

We knew the last time we camped in Salida that a new tent pole was in our future but didn't know just how urgent that was. As you can see, we did a poor job at taping it up but it made it through 2 more nights!

After we got all set up at the camp site we meandered back into town for some grub at the Hot Tomato Cafe. Pretty tasty pizza joint across the street from OTE bike shop. I'd eat there again. New Belgium on tap with happy hour specials and live music. Not bad, not bad at all.

Pretty sunset we enjoyed during a walk by the lake.

The next day we decided to ride the Kokopelli side off the Loma exit and really had a great time. Usually we ride Mary's Loop to Horsethief, throw in Steve's for good measure and then ride Rustler's to wear out the dogs. This time instead of the first climb up Mary's we took the next climb (which was a bit steeper but definitely managable) which apparently was the Wrangler loop and connected it to Mary's, then Steve's, then part of a new trail but ended up turning around and riding Mary's back out. Then we picked up the dogs and did a quick lap around Rustler's.

Pictures never do the scenery justice!!! It was a perfect day to enjoy a little time in the saddle. The sun was shining and the views were spectacular.

After the ride we re-organized the vehicle and took a little break in the shade before heading in to town for food and then back to camp.

Beauty!!! Another amazing sunset on the lake. We took a fun lap around the lake at dusk before hitting the sack. All in all, a great day of riding.

The next and final day, we decided to try a ride at the top of the Colorado Monument. As we were cleaning up camp, I was loading up the bikes and noticed that a thorn was the culprit of a flat rear tire on Tim's Orbea. No big deal, flat tire, right?! So, I loaded the bike (after debating whether or not to change the flat before loading it on the rack) and we headed into town for a cup of coffee before heading to the trail. Grabbed the joe to go and started the beautiful drive up the Monument.

This is what we saw when we went to unload the bikes...

Tim's rear wheel was trashed! It looked like a potato chip! We don't exactly know what happened but assume that we must have hit a bump that was severe enough to crack the rim (which may have already been weak?) at the seam. We still don't fully understand how that happened. Oh well. Needless to say, our ride was shot so we decided to take a little hike instead. Not what we had in mind for the day, but nice nonetheless.

We enjoyed our trip so much that Tim & Rob are headed that direction again this week. Also, the 24 hours of Moab is this weekend so get out there and have a good time!

2008-09-21T19:29:00.008-07:00

Last week Tim and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary by taking a relaxing trip to Salida! We camped, hiked, stayed in cheap motels, and rode the Monarch Crest Trail.

The first night we decided to stay in a hotel room since we rolled into town a bit late after indulging in some tasty tacos & margs in Leadville on the way. The first day was actually filled with snacks along the way...anniversary cheese fries were first on the list. We hit up the Dairy Delite in Hot Sulfur just after our departure from G.L. Yummy yet disgusting all at the same time.

Copper had a food coma after the cheese fries...

The next day we just acted like tourists. As we left the hotel that morning we ran into a cyclist (Matt) on his 1800th mile of the Great Divide Trail. He started in Banff, Alberta, Canada and was heading down towards his family near Austin. He stopped to chat when he noticed our 2 bikes on the back of our truck. We talked about his trip and the benefits and downfalls of 29" wheels compared to 26. He noticed Tim and I were both on big wheels and stated that he wouldn't be doing the trip on anything but! He also explained that the ride was not too much singletrack like the description suggests and his fully suspended Ventana was a waste of weight. The final geeky point I have to touch on (and then I'll get on with it, I promise) is that he was pulling a B.O.B. trailer and lamented over the fact that he didn't have just panniers. Again, not a necessary accessory: panniers would have been sufficient and easier to get around with. He ran into 6 other folks from the UK (all on 26" wheels) on the GDT also and they were caravaning and camping it together. We ended up camping next to them that night. Good luck guys & have a blast!!
That day we spent some quality time at the local coffee shop and set up camp on their deck with the lappy and a latte. Now we know why our customers are always smiling!! The Salida Cafe, or Bongo Billy's, is right on the river and conveniently located next door to Absolute Bikes which gets our vote as the coolest bike shop in town (there are actually 3 shops in Salida!). We really did as little as possible that day; just read guest guides and planned the rest of our stay.
We found a place to camp near town and after having a tasty dinner at The Twisted Cork we hit the hay in preparation for the big ride the next day. This little mushroom lived on one side of our tent, and the GDT crew lived on the other!

We caught a shuttle up to the parking area at Monarch Pass and hit the trail! So, here's the onslaught of MCT pics. Enjoy! We only got lost 3 times. No big deal!!! We decided to just use the little shitty map that we tore out of the mountain biking guide we picked up the day before. Bad idea. Just a suggestion to future Monarch riders: buy the real map. It's worth every penney of that $11.99!

The trail is super cool because of its diversity and incredible views from every direction. There's scree fields, rocky sections, steep jeep roads, scary switchbacky descents, and nothing but fun. Fun that is, until you're kinda lost for the second time and you'r hungry and the clouds are starting to say "get a move on." Luckily at that point we ran into 2 guys on atv's and they pointed us down the Silver Creek section that was the best singletrack of the trail in my opinion.

Tim looking cute at the first "we're kinda lost" point

I just want you to all look closely at the new trend I'm setting: sleeveless jersey and armwarmers. I know, I know, you wish you would have thought of it first. I'm just so dang innovative! (or geeky, whatever you want to call it.)

http://www.singletracks.com/php/trail.php?id=929
This little link gives you some maps descriptions and more pictures.

We finished it in about 5 +/- hours and made it back just before the thunderstorm arrived!

We love Salida because everyone is on their bikes!

Us: after a little time at Amicas, a cool little pizzeria and brewery. Um, we like their IPA.

Sorry Echo, you don't pose well with hats on. Copper, sadly, does. I'll have to get some other sweet Echo dawg pictures up here!

All in all, awesome trip. So great that we extended it by a day. We got back late Friday. Sleep now, must stop typing...

More pics from Doe Creek

2008-09-10T20:03:00.000-07:00

Timmer and me

Charlie & me

Doe Creek (Doh! Creek if you ask me)

2008-09-10T14:26:00.004-07:00

So here are the pictures from last week's climb fest.

Top of Doe Creek, looking towards Strawberry Lake Loop.

Matt, Charlie, & me!

How many Trek store sales managers does it take to change a flat?

For some reason I took a million of these pictures of my bike leaned up against this old barbed wire fence. I remember thinking how tough it looked. Funny!!

Sweet singletrack!!!

Doe Creek

2008-09-08T12:53:00.002-07:00

Our friends Charlie and Matt from Omaha were just up for a few days and we took them on the Doe Creek trail up to the Strawberry Lake loop and back around. It was a lot of tough climbing in my opinion and my flat-land buddies agreed but rode really strong. I have a few entertaining pictures that will appear sooner or later...

Pics from Yesterday's Ride

2008-08-20T09:50:00.003-07:00

UP UP UP!!!

Beautiful at the top. Almost worth the pain!

So Rob, Mandi, Tim, & I ventured out on a fun little (actually neither) ride yesterday to go explore some of the seldom ridden single track this area has to offer. Oh boy did we see it! Rob has the GPS info but I'd venture to guess it was over 30 miles of off road craziness! We started at the new rec district trails and then headed out over the Colorado River, behind the Baptist Camp, up to Kawunechee Road (gravel & steep), up some more, hit some of Super Dave's trails (which need a little love), up some more, to the Blue Ridge trail (scary steeeeeep and narrow singltrack), to Wolverine more beautiful singletrack, up some more, past tree line which put us on the top of Pulfrey Peaks, then down to Gilsonite and down back to Kawunechee, and home. We ran out of time towards the end since Tim and I had to be to work by 3pm so had to take the road from CR 4 back to our house. Not too much pavement for a 5 hour epic. I think there was about 2,200 ft of elevation gain. Seemed like a lot more!!!

The Big 'N a.k.a. Can you say Eh-pick?!

2008-08-19T13:48:00.003-07:00

I've never eaten a donut so fast. And I'm a good donut eater. We just got back from about a 5 hour ride up and over Pulfrey Peaks. I don't even have the energy to type. More later... Now we have to go to work. Oh boy. I pity the coffee drinkers we'll encounter now.

Trail Volunteer Day

2008-08-18T15:07:00.003-07:00

About a month ago a trail day was organized and whoever felt like putting in some time to better our trails was welcome to show up and move some logs! I just went for the free lunch (don't tell Janice). There was a pretty good turn out and we accomplished more than was planned. Thanks to everyone who participated. You'll notice in the picture on the far right, Jeremy Kennel wearing his nice work clothes and sandals and worked away anyway!! We think he came planning on a ribbon cutting or something. He'll be a great politician some day!! You rock Jer.

New Rec District Trails

2008-08-18T14:59:00.003-07:00

Basically every Monday and Thursday ride has turned into checking out the new progress on the rec trails. Here are some photos...

Tim & Janice have been putting in lots-o-hours on these trails and the word is starting to get out. Several times when we've met in the parking lot for the ride, other cars are there; we have mixed feelings about this. Part of me thinks it's great to have people out there enjoying and checking out the trails we've worked on, and the other part thinks, "these are our trails dang it!" Oh well. Nothing we can do now.

Steamboat...cont'd

2008-07-25T08:33:00.002-07:00

Here are a bunch of pictures to make up for my long-winded story from below...

THURSDAY NIGHT GROUP RIDE!!!

2008-07-23T18:50:00.002-07:00

(Here's my new fork!!)

Meet at The Village Hub @6pm; roll out shortly thereafter. Oh yeah, and Robby Rob has new gear to sport!!!! Yes, I'm serious, I wouldn't jest about something that important.

Be there or be square. Rec District Trails most likely.

Steamboat Trip: Singletrack, Kombucha, and my friend Mandi!

2008-07-23T10:22:00.007-07:00

This trip was so much fun that if I describe and relay every piece of the fun, this would be way too long of a post! Basically, from the moment we left Grand Lake, til the moment we returned, fun was had by all...

It started out with a late departure from G.L. since I got out of work a little late. Little did we know that the Strawberry Hot Springs, where we were planning to stay for the next two nights, had a last check in time of 9:30 p.m. Well, we left G.L. at about 7:30 and knew that there was probably no way to get there in that short of time, especially since we wanted to catch a bite in Steamboat before checking in. I called to verify that we wouldn't be totally locked out if we arrived after that 9:30 deadline and was given the answer that no, we wouldn't be homeless for the night if we weren't there exactly at 9:30. So, given a bit of freedom, we ventured into Steamboat for some Mexican food and mojitos at The Cantina. The food was decent, drinks even better, and the entertainment was second to none! The entertainment being: the goofy underage bus boy who sat down at the table next to us and wouldn't leave us alone!! He was so funny. He just kept interrupting our conversation and telling us about his life and love/hate relationship with Steamboat. We asked him what there was to do in the fine town of Steamboat Springs on a Sunday evening (meaning what bar would provide us with some fun) and he proceeded to tell us that later that night he'd be heading over to his friend's house, who was 21, and would get some beer. Oh man, I guess you had to be there but it was all we could do to not just explode with laughter right in the poor kid's face. Funny.

We left The Cantina and headed up to the springs. I really wish I had gotten a picture of the gate keeper/night watchman, Les, because that would really complete this post. Unfortunately, I didn't and will just have to do my best to paint you the picture. We rolled up to the gate ( at 10:45) and were greeted with a cloud of cigarette smoke. Enveloped in the cloud was Les. Short for Lester, or Molester, or Leslie, we don't know but what we do know is that he takes his job quite seriously! We got about a 10 minute dissertation on all of the rules and regulations of the Springs. Spoken in a slow, monotone, raspy old man voice, "There will be no glass on the property. If I find any glass, one or all of you will be asked to leave the premises. County says no alcohol; owners say no late hours. Everyone has to be out of the pools by midnight; yes, there is someone here watching after midnight." Mandi and I kept sneaking glances at each other and trying not to laugh at good ol Les giving us the lecture that he had given probably 2538 times before us. At the end of his speech we had to hassle him a bit. We asked if he enjoyed his job and how long he had been there. Then he loosened up a little and turned out to be a decent guy. Our advice to you: even if you've never been there before, when you encounter Les and he asks if you have been there, just lie, save yourself at least 20 minutes and just figure it out on your own.

We left Les and drove down to our little cabin in the dark. I got out, ready to turn on my handy headlamp and wouldn't you know, out of batteries! So we stumbled down the path and stairs to our rustic accomodations for the evening and fumbled in the dark with the match Les had given us to light our gas lamp in the room. Turned out fine. Took an evening dipin the springs and had a nice night.

The next day we woke up and headed into town for breakfast at Winona's. Great little place; check it out if you're around. Then Mandi had to go to a meeting for work and I was left to my own devices for a few hours. I walked up and down main street and actally went shopping; I know, I know, you might not think of me as a shopper, because I'm not. But dang did I have fun! Book stores, shoe stores, outdoor shops, you name it, I was there and spending money! Strange but true.

Met back up with Mandi and hit up a few bike shops for trail info. We heard from 2 different sources that the trail leading right out of the Hot Springs would lead us to some other trails and turn into about a 2+ hour loop. Perfecto! We decided to get a quick bite to eat to sustain us for our ride and couldn't decide what to eat. Almost ate at Winona's again but didn't want to spend $10 on a wrap. Instead we thought we'd check out this cool little natural foods market for a quick snack. So instead of spending $10 on a delicious Winona's wrap, we each spent about $10 on random health food stuff: I got a plum, a Mary Jane chocolate chip cookie, and a glass bottle of Kombucha. Ah, Kombucha... Mandi bought a chocolate bar, a peach, and some crackers. Wow, money well spent. The purchase of the chocolate bar brings us to the next entertaining turn of affairs. Keep in mind that it is a rather warm day in Steamboat and we realllly don't want our $4 bar of deliciousness to melt. We stopped at one other place and mistakenly left the bar in the car. Oops! We then realized, after such a close call with losing our post-ride reward, that we would need to take it with us where ever we went; it wasn't to be left alone in the heat of the car!!! I thought that it would be happier resting in a nice bed of ice; we stopped at Quizno's to get a quick sandwich and a cup of ice for our precious chocolate bar. It worked! We were able to enjoy the bar after the ride, and it wasn't melted!!!

Back to Kombucha. For some reason the bottle caught my eye; whether it was the promises of energy and wellness contained within or the fact that it was something that I'd never tried, I had to see what it was all about. Apparently it is a tea and ginger concoction that is fermented and tastes pretty bad. I somehow drank almost all of it but was left feeling a bit disappointed; the best part was the name.

We then headed back to the springs to find our new trails for the day!! After situating our chocolate bar in its bed of ice in the cabin, we headed out.

This was the beginning of the trail. It started out downhill following this creek out of the springs. Then all of a sudden the trail stopped following the water and hooked a sorta (not really) sharp right up and away from the water. Unfortunately, I continued to follow the river and came screaming into the dusty corner too fast to successfully stop. Presto-chango: I was instantly transformed from a confident singletrack queen, to a bleeding lump of distress on the ground. Still clipped into my pedals, it took me a minute to regroup and realize what happened. Mandi came around the corner and asked where the blood was coming from. I thought it was from my leg, which hurt a bit more, but nope, it was from the gash on my right arm.

It was almost kind of funny because I'd been bitching to Mandi about how I felt naked without my gloves and sure enough, really ended up missing them after cramming a few rocks into the palm of my hand...

Ride Tonight!!??!!

2008-07-17T11:00:00.003-07:00

Weather permitting, we shall ride tonight!! It's clouding up a bit now but a quick sprinkle might just provide tacky perfection on the new trails for this evening's ride. We'll just have to see. Meet at the Hub @ 6pm tonight and roll by 6:15. Hoping to hit the Rec. District trails by the golf course. Tim's been putting in a bunch of trail time.
Also, THANK YOU all for reading and posting on my little blog! It makes it so much more fun when I feel like people actually enjoy the pictures and commentary. The stat counter was at about 8,000 just about 2.5 weeks ago and now is over 19,000!!!! Hooray. Thanks again. Fun stuff.
Happy Trails,
SJ

Thursday's Mosquito Fest

2008-07-10T22:00:00.003-07:00

Stopped to feed the mosquitos and enjoy the view from the top. The view nearly made the insufferable climb worth it...nearly...

Fairly good turnout for this evening's ride: Rockstar Rob, Big Jim, Jimmy Reed, James Reed, Lisa from Cali, Mandiiiii, Super Dave, & yours truly. I kinda feel like I'm missing someone but it may just be the post-ride consumption of El Pacifico's giant margaritas!! Tim was unable to ride & took one for the team by closing up shop and letting me ride. Thanks Timmer.

So, I had never been on this trail before and all I can say is it's damn rocky. I know, I know, we live in the Rocky Mountains but still! This was unusually rocky in my opinion. No big wipe outs that I was aware of but it was tricky to get started once you bumped off of a rock going up a super steep section. Oh, and then the log crossings, oh, and then the narrow treed sections, oh and the mosquitos. Did I mention the freaking mosquitos?!?!? Someone, for the love of God, remind me to get some dang bug spray!!!!! At least we made some mosquitos happy.

So the ride was good and then the mexi-madness that insued was almost better than the ride. Ok, not really, but a close second. I'm afraid I'm addicted to the supreme bean burritos. (You thought I was going to say to the margaritas, didn't you?!)

Monday night ride will happen but I won't be there. Mandi and I are taking a girly trip to Steamboat Springs and intend to ride a sweet little trail that leads right out of the Strawberry Hot Springs. I'm excited. More pics to come.

Happy Trails,

Group Ride Tonight!!!!

2008-07-10T08:36:00.002-07:00

I hesitate to even type this (get ready to knock on wood) but it looks like the weather should hold up for us tonight!! We're planning to meet at the shop at 6p.m. and roll out by about 6:15. Jimmy Reed and the boys have been putting together and grooming a new trail off of North Supply!!!
The positive thing about all of this logging is that we have no choice but to make new, better trails! Tim is out right now too, at the Rec. District, putting that new trail system together. Exciting times. And, from the sound of it, the trails are coming together pretty darn fast. There is already about 5 miles of rideable singletrack available now for us all at the Golf Course (Rec. District land). Tim and Janice have been working their butts off to bring us some excellent new riding opportunities. Thanks guys.
Anyhoo... Shop ride tonight. Probably beers afterwards. Be there or be square.

Last week's group ride/hike

2008-06-26T09:25:00.003-07:00

So, unfortunately but necessarily, most of our trails have gone to trash. Logging operations have completely destroyed some of the best singletrack I've ridden. Depressing but true. Our rides as of late, have mostly included bushwacking (and wrecking if you're me) and hoping to find tidbits of trails left from the destruction. The good part is, we're in the process of working with the Rec District to build a bunch of sweet new ones. Also, log riding skills have no option but to improve!! We basically just head out knowing that there will be some hiking, ok, alot of hiking. So much so that Rob and I are forming a hiking club. Not really...yet. Another good thing is the views have really opened up; you can see the lakes from just about anywhere now. Despite the hiking, last week's rides were entertaining. We dragged Rob out again; I think he hates us a little bit less than last time, so that's good. Also, Kirk and Jimmy & Jed Reed were out and about with us. Good time.

Tonight's ride: meet at the shop by 6p.m. and we are thinking about driving out to CR 4 to ride Spruce Em Up again. We'll see. Meet at the shop and we'll figure it out. Happy trails.

Trip to the springs

2008-06-19T21:07:00.005-07:00

That's right folks, the glory hole. This was actually kinda cool. It's an old collapsed mine that now is a migratory destination for bats from all over the country! Crazy. We were in the springs one evening and got dive-bombed by some scary bats. Kept us on our toes!

Last week Tim and I took a little break and headed southwest towards Salida and that area. We camped at some great natural hot springs down that way and really had a nice little getaway. Aside from the gale-force winds. And the sun burns. And that one endless hill... Anyway, good to get out and about! Here are a few photos.

Ride Info...

2008-06-18T16:46:00.002-07:00

There are now 3 rides out of the shop per week!!! Hooray! Monday nights: off road. Meet either at the shop or trail head @ 6p.m. Call in the afternoon to see what we're doing.
Wednesdays: Meet at the shop @ 6p.m. for a road ride into the park. Karl is leading this one.
Thursdays: Same as Mondays...definitely off road but call in the afternoon to get the details.
Pics to come soon....
SJ

Dirt Rides Are Back!!! or Rob Rocks!!!!

2008-06-04T10:09:00.004-07:00

We all decided that we'd had enough of the road and last minute we switched the ride up Trail Ridge, to a ride up Spruce Em Up Jack!! Great decision, I'd say. There was a decent turn out too: Mandi, Annie, Tim, Joe, Dave, Jim, Ryan, and our new all-star, Rob!!
We'd been harassing Rob for quite some time now about his need for a mountain bike. Good finally outweighed evil and now Robby Rob has a nice little Orbea Lanza which he seems to love (or at least did before we made him ride with us the other night!) After Spruce Em Up, we looped into the Bull Mtn. Loop which was definitely affected by the logging operations that are happening everywhere these days.

Poor Rob, not all trails are so friendly, are they?! You reallllly impressed all of us. So here's Rob: skinny little white smoker dude with a ridiculously positive attitude and great sense of humor but not much of an atheletic past. We drug him around for over 2 hours and I never heard a negative word. Love you Rob!! Tomorrow is another dose!

Annie and Jim! Beautiful back drop that is never done justice by our little camera.

The aspens are really starting to make it look like summer!

Part of the crew laughing about who knows what.

It was a bit of a mud fest in a few spots and everyone's posterior showed it. So, here's a nice butt shot for you!

So, Mondays and Thursdays will be off road rides from here on out. We're talking about maybe alternating houses after the ride for a little food and beverage action. This Thursday, like tomorrow: Meet at the shop by 6 and we'll ride up towards the rec district trails. Our house after the ride for fire, food and fun. I promise not to fling burning marshmallows. (Sorry Barry!)
Happy Trails.

Monday Nite Group Rides

2008-05-13T09:55:00.002-07:00

So, Monday night rides have started up again. The last few have been a bit chilly but it's really fun to be on the road again and off of the trainers inside sweating on ourselves. Last night we knew as we started that there was a potential of some bad weather heading our way. Nine of us left the shop at about 6pm and by the time we reached the top of the road the weather had started blowing in. Shortly thereafter I thought I saw something (that resembled a snowflake) fall out of a tree. I asked if anyone else saw it or felt any raindrops and I was just brushed off as crazy Sarah. Then, a few minutes later we were full in it! It started as sleet and then quickly turned into snow. If that's not motivation to pedal faster, I don't know what is. We made it home chilled to the bone but happy to have another 25 beautiful miles under our belts. Join us here at The Village Hub every Monday night by 6p.m. for a fun ride into the park!!!
Then, once the trails dry out (which at this rate, may never happen) we'll be off road.
We woke up to 5 inches this a.m. Great way to start May 13th!!!!
We're moving to Mexico.

Moab Part Deux

2008-04-29T09:50:00.002-07:00

So, anyhoo... carried home by alternating between the backs of Barry and Annie. You guys are life savers.
The night basically ended there until at about 2 a.m. we heard a horrendous noise coming from some poor unbelievably sick soul. I assumed that it had something to do with the tequila shots at the Rio, but came to find out later that morning that it was Terry sick from the salmon wrap he had enjoyed that evening at the brewery. Sorry again for that Terry; it sounded like you were dying. I think the sounds of the moaning and groaning in between actually puking that got to me the most.
Tim woke up at 4a.m. to get ready for race time!! Got all decked out and hit the road to be on the course by about 5:30a.m. It was supposed to be about a 92 miler and he had hoped to be home by approximately 4 that afternoon. So the rest of us decided to ride and enjoy the day and try not to think too much about the pain that the race boyz would be experiencing.
The day started pretty slow for those of us who had partied a little too heartily the nite before. I basically lounged around and bitched for a while about the blister I had acquired from dancing the night away in Birks w/o socks. Barry, Abbi, Julie, and Ryan ventured out to find some caffeine and food while Annie and I sat outside in the sun and tried to find a suitable trail for the whole group to enjoy.
Finally the food group returned and we had picked out a mild trail: Klondike Bluffs.
While they were out, I had talked to Julie and she'd decided to rent a bike for the day. So I'd made several calls to local shops and found the most economical/only available option and reserved it for her. Then, we find out that Abbi and Barry are not going to be riding with us and so Julie can use Abbi's bike. This creates a bit of an issue with trying to get out of the rental reservation; finally, it's all taken care of and we decide to leave for the trail head.
Meanwhile, Mandi's out on some marathonish run through a canyon and is supposed to meet up with us to ride that afternoon.
Annie and I basically waited around for everything to get taken care of and by the time everyone was ready, it was about 1:30. Yikes.
So, we rolled out to the trail and rode for a few hours. Poor Julie had never really ridden off road, let alone in Moab. She was a total trooper though and made it up whatever we threw at her. I kept telling her that we were almost to the top about every 5 minutes for encouragement. She rocked. We finished the ride and decided it was time to head home for showers and adult beverages.
We stopped on the way home to locate some beer and boy howdy, was that a challenge! We were looking for the liquor store so that we didn't have to buy 3.2 beer. We didn't find the liquor store but instead stumbled across a gas station that advertised beer in the window. We walked in and got sucked immediately towards the walk-in beer cooler. Hooray beer! Or at least that's what I thought when I saw the Red Stripe label staring me down. I figured that even though some other near-by options were 3.2, surely they wouldn't defile a Red stripe. I was wrong. We bought several different sixers of various libations and headed back to our condo.
The plan for the evening was to wait for the race guys to get home and then go to dinner. In the mean time we were going to snack, drink, and be merry. Well, I had decided to give Tim until 6ish before I started to worry. So as 6 o'clock passed, 7 & 8 o'clock, I slowly started to freak out. I knew that something was up and we decided to send out Dave to walk to course backwards and try to find him. Jamie was the other racer that day and had ridden about 40ish miles and called it a day; so he was back by about 2pm. Tim finally called my phone at about 9p.m. telling me that he was sorry that he wasn't home yet and he was ok but not anywhere near the end of the race. Then, I got another phone call at about 10 and he was pissed. He didn't know where he was and explained that after it had gotten dark it was really hard to see where the trail was considering it was on a big slickrock mesa. At this point I really was starting to worry. He tried to reassure me that he had everything he needed and would be fine, but I wasn't so sure. Everyone at the condo was also trying to tell me that Tim's a resourceful guy and he'd be fine, but I could tell they didn't quite believe what they were telling me. This is when the bag of Oreos came into play. I started demolishing them; it was a nice flavor compliment to the watered down Red Stripes I was pounding at this juncture. Basically, the rest of us who were waiting at the condo drank our weight in beer and margaritas and mowed through a few bags of chips with Mandi's tasty home-made salsa. I was frantic and finished off nearly the entire bag of cookies when Dave called. He informed us that he had been walking for a while and there was no sign of Tim. It was at this point that we called the race director who got ahold of Tim and tried to help walk him through getting back on the trail. He told us that it sounded like he had about 2+ hours left if he was where it sounded like he was.
I kept trying to call Tim and Dave to get any updates I could but had no luck. Finally at about a quarter to midnight I got ahold of Tim and before I even heard Tim's voice I heard the barking of Dave's dog!! Hooray beer! So, he was found and ended up finishing the race. Nice job Tim! That was his goal: to finish the race and he did. It turns out he took a wrong turn on Poison Spider which threw him for a loop. He survived and all is well.
The next day we were supposed to check out of our condos by 11a.m. Abbi made a few delicious quiches and somehow set off the smoke detectors. LOUD!!! But probably still not as obnoxious as the next door neighbor children hooting and hollering the whole weekend. So we checked out but didn't really want to return the the reality of Grand Lake so packed up and headed to the river. We all sat around and drank the remaining alcohol from the night before and had a gay old time. There was kite flying and dancing and shenanigans galore. All in all, a wonderful trip. On the way back we all stopped in Fruita for our favorite mexican restaurant and it was a great way to end a great weekend.
Until next time...

MOAB!!!

2008-04-02T13:36:00.002-07:00

This one may have to be a 2-parter since I'm at work in between customers.

Basically, Moab rocks.

The group headed west on Friday afternoon and arrived in town around 6ish. Went to dinner at the Moab Brewery with the gang and had a blast. Everyone enjoyed their food and tasty hand-crafted beers and it started out to be a great trip. After dinner, the racer boys decided to hit the sack and rest up for their big day on Saturday. The rest of us decided that the night was young!! I had unfortunately left my I.D. in Grand Lake and the law-abiding Utah folks are strict with carding everyone who enters any bar. Thankfully at the brewery it wasn't an issue.

The first bar we wanted to visit was a no-go since I was unsuccessful with my bribery. The female bouncer at the door had no sympathy for my story so we travelled onward. Our next stop was kind of a last resort that was conveniently located about 3 blocks from our condos. It was called The Rio!! At this point I was determined to talk my way into this place; it turns out, attitude really is everything. I went up to the geeky mohawked bouncer guy and explained that I was really truly old enough and wouldn't start too much trouble and so he let me in with out my I.D. Hooray beer!!
We sauntered up to the bar and picked up some tasty beverages before heading back to the corner foosball table. After a quick game I decided that the perfectly good dance floor (complete with stripper pole) needed some attention and I was just the gal for the job! It's kind of liberating not knowing anyone in the entire town and therefore being able to enjoy the anonymity and cutting loose. Good times... Anyhoo, about 3+ hours later I had created a nice little blister and decided that my Birks just weren't the dancing shoes I needed. So, ditched them and continued dancing sans shoes. Great idea, I know. Basically the entire evening involved picking out the most nerdy guys we could and luring them to the dance floor. It was a huge success and Abbi gets props for the day-glo orange vest guy with dreads. I didn't do too poorly myself with victims including head-to-toe-denim-guy and fast-footed-gay-mexi-man. Damn that was a fun night. Oh yeah, Barry: this is my jam!!!
So, that was Friday night. Thank goodness for good (drunk) friends...my foot was soooo sore that I some how got piggy-backed home by

Friday...

2008-02-20T10:21:00.001-07:00

A few Omaha buddies are headed this way for the weekend and a bunch of us from up here are meeting them at W.P. for some fun on the hill. Join us!!

Thursday

2008-01-31T13:17:00.000-07:00

So, the last few Thursdays have been my day to myself. And, I'm really enjoying them! Today I went to yoga again which was really great and then came home thinking I'd take a short ski in the field with the dogs. Geared up, tried not to kill Echo for barking her head off, and hit the field. Then, we skiied through the field and I figured we'd all (Echo, Copper, and myself) enjoy a bit of a change of scenery. We always just ski the field for a quick dog-tiring activity but this time I decided that the lake would be a fun option. Field, through the trees, to alley, cross one sorta busy street (which was still snowpacked = happy skis), and voila! Le lake! We didn't even really get onto the lake though b/c the snow was sooooo deep that the dogs were really struggling to leap through it. Actually I was having just about as much trouble...I kept sinking up to my knees in powder. We've been getting so much snow lately that it was crazy out there. Untouched powder. Fun stuff. So we turned around and headed back homeward. Copper kept stopping every few yards to de-snowball her paws and Echo was trying to tell me to hurry up. We finally made it home tired and happy! Now the dogs are both sleeping which was the goal! Hooray for snow! Now I think I'll curl up on the couch in the sun with a good book. I like Thursdays.

Customer Appreciation Nite

2008-01-23T18:11:00.000-07:00

Imitation is the best form of flattery...
Dave's in the cool club
Super Dave
Mandi & Trustin

Tim, Dave, Shane Hooray Beer!
Sock shot
Trying to see if blondes really do have more fun. I really don't know why I'm posting this one...

Backroom boys

Super Dave
MMMandi
MMMom

Thanks to my mom and dad for coming out to the event! And also, everyone loves the fireplace which was also thanks to them.

Customer Appreciation Nite Part Deux

2008-01-23T17:50:00.001-07:00

They were making fun of the fact that I roll my jeans. They obviously aren't part of the cool club. Mayor Russ!!!
Jake the Snake
Slappy
Shane, Mr. Lebowski
Lipstick Liza

Jamie, Smiling Bob from that one commercial...
Jess loves me!
Jeff...rockin in the wig
Big Tim...hoodie winner!

Jeff, w/o the wig. Thanks for the awesome music!

Darci, Mrs. Lebowski
Karla the photo bug
Jeff
crowd shot

Customer Appreciation Nite

2008-01-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

Joe Kirk
Annie
Dot & Karen
Robert (guitar man)
1/2 of the crowd

Amy, Craig, Mari

DJ Rob

Thanks to Joe, I have pictures now available to post from the Hub's B-day party back from mid-December. More to come...

Quick Update

2008-01-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

I just tried to buy an adapter so that I could download pics onto my pc, but once again, no luck. Curses!!

Anyhoo...I've been attempting the art of skate skiing again this season. It depends on the day but it seems to be going ok. Pretty cold today but I'm thinking I might head up to the Nordic Center and give it a whirl.

Did a bit of back country skiing last weekend with some girlies and had a good time...or did we have a better time at the brewery afterwards?? It's close; both were fun.

Spin class has been going well. Between 5 and 10 participants each time. If you're interested, just call the Hub or post a comment. It's Mondays and Fridays at The Village Hub from 6-7pm. Join us!

I'm going to a yoga class this a.m. with some buddies from the shop. We'll see how that goes. The last time I went to a yoga class was about 5 years ago trying to get ready for an adventure race. Liked it then, hope to like it still.

My buddies Charlie and Troy are up from Omaha this weekend so that should be fun. They're travelling around Colorado snowboarding. Lucky ducks.

Last but certainly not least: The Snowshoe Fest!!!! This Saturday, January 19th, Grand Lake, be there or be square. Activities all day starting with the race, which Tim's directing again this year, that starts at 10 a.m.!!!!

Over and out.
SJ

The Cool-Club Card

2007-12-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, I'm a card-carrying member of the United States Bowling Congress. Bet you wish you were this cool.

At least it's not Elementary level

2007-12-14T16:02:00.001-07:00

The Village Hub Customer Appreciation Nite

2007-12-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Oh what a night!!! Wednesday we had a little get together to celebrate the Hub's first birthday. Happy Birthday Hub! We've almost burned you to the ground (intentionally & unintentionally) but somehow we've all made it through the first year. Hooray! Robert "the Guitar Man" played, as well as Jeff Higley with his guitar, and then a guest musician from Ohio, Amy, and Craig, and Mari (some regulars) whooped it up with a flute, guitar, and wooden spoons. It was pretty dern fun if I do say so myself. My parents came up from O-town for the occasion and brought us a fireplace which has made the newer side of the shop a lot more cozy. Thanks guys. Also, thanks to all of our locals who get us through the winter!
I'm desperately trying to post some pictures and my computer is the problem, I think, not the camera's memory card. Shucks!!!

2007-10-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here are a few Fruita pics that Mandi took and I scanned to post! We ended up suckering in a good crew to ride with out there. It ended up being Slappy, Karl, Mandi, Tim & me; it was a blast. Campfires, food, fun!!! Margaritas, Horsethief Bench, double sleeping bag. Life was good. Day one we rode the Kokepelli side: Rustlers' with the dogs, then Mary's to Horsethief, then almost decided to hit Steve's Loop but our stomachs started asking for food and margs so skipped that and just looped back to the car and hit the road.

Rolled into Fiesta Guadalajara almost hangry (hungry + angry) but were soon satiated by the best margaritas ever and tasty veggie enchiladas. I made the unfortunate mistake of eating some random pepper off of Mark's plate and thought that I was going to implode. Hot does not even touch what this pepper was. I was dipping my tongue in sour cream for a bit of relief. Bad idea. Oh well. A few drinks later we were back at our campsite (which we had to ourselves, by the way) for a few more Mandi-made Margaritas which were hard to beat. I did have to try riding some stupid trick involving a parking block and Crocs and ended up eating dirt. Landed on Echo who was less than pleased with my awkward dismount. Other than that, pain-free day. Laughed a lot and enjoyed the cool but nice evening.

Next day, packed up camp, leisurely breakfast and then off to the 18 road side by the Bookcliffs. Gorgeous day, once again. Due to the late night before we decided to make it a fairly short day. Started off with Frontside with the dogs to wear them out and then hit Prime Cut down and Kessel's Run up. Which is not the preferred way to ride that trail. If you ride it down, it's just fast slalomy fun but uphill, it's not my cup-o-tea. So, after we rode it up, I convinced Mandi to ride it back down with me, the fun way to redeem the trail to her. We hung out at the vehicles for a while rehydrating, or I guess further dehydrating, since the beverage of choice was barley pop. Then it was time to go and Mandi & I rode Kessel's the way it was meant to be ridden; boy did we feel fast!! I don't know if it was the beers or the lack of boys or the sheer joy of the day but it was super fun that way. The boys packed up the trucks and met us at the bottom. Good way to do that!

Overall, perfect weather...a little warm and i got a bit burnt, decided to wear the stripedy socks on day 2 (mostly b/c i was too tired to look for actual cycling socks, in the pit of despair that the Landcruiser becomes on trips like that, but also to fend off the sun)! My legs were burnt from the first day of riding. Weird. You'll also notice that my hair got pretty nappy those 3 days sans shower or brush and it ended up taking 43 minutes to rip through on the way home. Hats were my friends.

Thanks to you fools that hung out with us out there. Let's do it again sometime!!!

Fruita Bound

2007-10-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

Just a quick invite to anyone and everyone: We're on our way to Fruita here for a few days of snow-less riding!! Slappy, Hot Karl, Mandi, Tim, and I are going. Join us!!! We'll be at Highline state park camping Monday and Tuesday nites.

Hello.

2007-10-21T09:00:00.001-07:00

So, I left my purse at a friend's house last night and my keys and cell phone are currently unavailable to me. This is an attempt, lame I know, to get the message to Tim that I would come into work if I had a ride! If anybody reads this, please : post, e-mail me, or come pick my sorry ass up! Thanks, Sarah

Some News fer Yous

2007-10-17T19:38:00.000-07:00

Alright, here's some stuff to know: it's snowing, yes really; Tim and I are really married; Slappy's out of the hospital and seemingly ok (for now); we just ordered a new memory card for the old camera so new pics are just around the corner. Also, spin class may be starting up again sooner or later...let me know what you think.

Hot Dog Eating Contest

2007-09-21T21:50:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, you heard it here first: we're having a hot dog eating, beer drinking contest tomorrow night at our house, 'round 7pm. Be there, or be square. Do it. Do it.

Long Time, No Type...

2007-09-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

So, it's been a while but I'm trying to get back into the swing of things again and reappear as a regular blogger. The last few months, as many of you know, have been more than hectic and so the free-time factor was nonexistant. But now, fall is here, the wedding went off beautifully, shop is slowing down, I'm going to have 2 days off a week again, Fruita trips again, margaritas in Fruita again, Dinosaur burger!! Woah, somebody stop me.
Group rides are up and going again after the wedding week off. We rode last night and it was the maiden voyage for the new Ellsworth Evolve. Before we even reached the trail-head, my brand-spankin'-new-never-even-been-ridden bike fell off the roof rack due to Slappy putting it on funky. Luckily, no harm done and we went for a really crazy ride. There were about 8 of us: Slappy, Jimmy Reed, Dave, Tim, Ted, Mandi, and I. We headed off a little late for a pretty steep unknown trail and by the end, I'd crashed, Ted crashed, and we were riding in almost blackness. We're all ok and had a blast by the end of the ride (I can't say I was happy all the way through). We loaded up and headed to Ted's for a few brews. Good night all, in all. Ted, Slappy, and I did have to form a new hiking club (I'm not only the president, I'm also a member) as the three of us did almost as much hiking with our bikes as we did riding them. Gotsta sleep now. 'Nite.

Mid Summer Soire

2007-08-24T17:04:00.001-07:00

Mandi & Me

Annie & Mark

Chubby Bunny...I didn't win.

Since my camera is on the fritz, I decided to post a few pix that Slappy sent to me from the little get together a few weeks ago.

T & Me

Thursday night rain out.

2007-08-24T16:56:00.000-07:00

bummer! the rain always seems to come on Thursdays, just in time to muddy up our trails rendering them impassable. There were about 5 road riders that left from the shop on Wednesday night, so that's coo. We're hoping for dryness next week! Fingers crossed.
over and out
sj

August 3rd ride.

2007-08-05T13:35:00.000-07:00

Mark, myself, Mandi, Travis, Annie, & Big Jim headed out (oh yeah, and Karl the photographer) up North Supply and noticed all of the logging going on. We usually ride Thursday nights off road but due to the rain we rode Friday instead. Good turnout and good times. Margs afterwards at El Pacifico.

'Nother Group Ride

2007-06-06T16:42:00.000-07:00

These pics are from a week or 2 ago. Hans, Glick, Joan, and Ted. Then another group w/ Jimmy & Joan and Bill. Thanks for riding!! I don't think the ride is going to happen tonight considering the incredible winds and dropping temps. Snow's in the forecast for this evening. Crazy mountain weather. Also, there will not be a mountain ride tomorrow night as I'll be in Omaha for about 6 days. Rides will resume as normal next week. See you then!

More Group Rides...

2007-06-01T16:49:00.001-07:00

I'm having some issues with posting pictures lately...my camera is unruly. Anyhoo, I started a Wednesday night road ride that has been going pretty well. We've had anywhere between 4 and 12 riders rolling up Trail Ridge. Starting this Thursday, I'll be leading an off road ride as well. Come ride on the road Wednesdays to warm up your legs for Thursdays in the dirt!! What trails we ride will depend on who shows up and the ability level of the group. There's also talk of a Saturday a.m. shop ride that would meet at the shop at 9ish, eat a huge breakfast burrito, and then ride it off. Or, ride enough to justify a burrito afterwards. Your thoughts are appreciated. Comment at will.

I said yes

2007-05-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't already know (or haven't received an e-mail from my mother) Tim and I are getting married. The boy proposed a week ago and I happily accepted. Happy days!

Huge Group Ride

2007-05-08T17:42:00.000-07:00

They just kept showing up!

A bit of road-side repair!

I've started a little Wednesday nite road ride that has turned into a bit of a success! Last time 12 riders showed up and we made our way into the park. It was a lot of fun (for me anyway!) and we're hoping for fair weather tomorrow night to continue the rides. Also, good news for those of us who enjoy getting off road to ride. We (Tim, Dave, Glick, and I) checked out Spruce 'Em Up Jack today with relative success. It was definitely muddy in spots and in fact there were plenty of areas still covered with snow. Overall, a good time. Batteries died, otherwise I'd have pics to post of that too!

Stop what you're doing and watch this!!!

2007-03-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLMpbQxqi0o

Cut and paste this link and watch it. Whoa.
Is it just me, or is this pretty amazing?!

Fruita & Friends!

2007-03-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago when Charlie was staying with us, we decided to show her the wonders of Fruita! I think she had a pretty good time; we did anyway! Here are a few pics from the dirt.

This part of the trail was a little rocky!

A Dog's Best friend

2007-03-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Echo and her new best friend, Mr. Squeaker. Don't tell Copper.

Charlie & Troy's visit

2007-03-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

A few of our friends came up for a stay with us and we had a pretty good time. This first picture of Troy is to get back at him for all of the lovely pics he posted of me on his blog...which will remain nameless...

It's Fruita Time (aka mud season here)

2007-03-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

On Monday Tim, the dogs, and I headed westward and found ourselves at the Kokopelli trailhead. Dry trails and warm weather = just what the doctor ordered. We had a total blast and I must say, I rode better than maybe I ever have. Whether it's the spin class or the fact that I may finally be acclimated to the altitude, something was going in my favor. We rode Rustler's Loop, then Mary's Loop, and then the next day hit up the 18 road trails. Zippety Do Dah, Kessler's Run, etc...wonderful!!!! I had fun, Tim had fun, the dogs had fun. What more could you ask?! Perhaps great margaritas at our favorite Mexican restaurant?! Yep, that helped. And the nice jacuzzi suite at La Quinta (Spanish for dog-friendly waffle house) didn't hurt either. Anyhoo, here are a coulple of Fruita pics. Enjoy the warm weather oozing from these shots. Notice that there are very few pics of the actual single track trails. Now that I don't have to stop every few moments to catch my breath, the photo ops seem fewer and farther between.

A few signs that you'll only see in Fruita...

Spin Class Yo

2007-03-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

So, spin class seems to be a hit. Each class sees between 6 & 9 participants. This pic is of the beginning of class when everyone is complaining of the cold. Sara, in the back row, has a fur-lined, hooded coat on. They used to ask me to turn on the heat and I just tell them "give me 5 minutes and I'll turn on the heat!" Thanks to all who participate. I'm having fun and hope you are too. Show up on either Wednesday or Sunday nights at about 6:15 (we start pedaling at 6:30) or Thursday mornings at 8:15 (pedal by 8:30a.m.). Class lasts about an hour and is a pretty decent workout. If you have questions, email me at sarahj5@hotmail.com or call The Village Hub.

Ladies' Spin Class

2007-02-03T19:55:00.000-07:00

Since it's snowy and you can only ski so much, I'm starting a spin class for ladies only on Wednesday nights from 6:30-7:30p.m. For those of you who are interested, let me know and we'll figure out how many trainers we need to get in. Again, it's Wednesday nights and all you need to bring is your bike and a good attitude! Even if you don't have a bike but are interested in participating, let me know and we'll work something out. Should be a good time and a good way to stay fit during the long winter months. We'll be having it at the Village Hub (on the bike side) here starting in about 2 weeks. Post a comment or call the Village Hub 970.627.5095 for more info. Thanks! Also, for you guys that think this sounds like fun, let me know because I'm thinking about doing 2 groups per week, one ladies only and one anyone and everyone.

Slippery Little Suckers

2007-01-28T21:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm attempting the art of skate skiing and there definitely are some more techniques that I'm hoping to pick up along the way. Currently I'm just picking myself up off the snow. 1st time on the dang thangs: Monday with a lessson at the touring center. Got the jist of it, I do believe. Then, today went out with the girls, Mandi and Petra, and had fun sliding around. Thanks for your patience gals! Now for tomorrow; Dave, Tim and I are hoping to get in a few k's. Pictures maybe eventually. For now it would probably be hazardous to the camera's health to be in my pocket considering my lack of stability and close relationship with the hard ground. Maybe next time camera, maybe next time.

Another Fun Trip

2007-01-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

This past Tuesday & Wednesday Tim, the dogs, and I escaped from Grand County again for a little more R&R. This time we headed way past Leadville to some magnificent hot springs over-looking the San Luis valley. We had so much fun, we hardly wanted to come back home. The day started in Grand Lake @ about -20 degrees, according to our thermometer off our back deck.

We encountered the Collegiate Mountains on our way.

Mo mountains, mo mountains, mo mountains.

Here's the road that took us straight into the mountains to the springs.

We had fun skiing with the dogs for a few hours up the hill a ways to get a better view of the valley and sunset. Beautiful!

After a slippery and harrowing descent, we headed back to our cute, rustic little cabin to change and get ready for a soak in the hot springs. We had several pools to choose from and we opted to hike for several minutes in the blistering cold up an icy dark path to a natural soaking pool to watch the sunset. It was worth every cold step! We admired an incredible sunset and view of the valley and mountain range across from us. The only bad part was trying to get out of the 96 degree water into the 0 degree weather waiting to punish us outside the comforts of the pool. Since the sun went down, we decided to go find another, warmer pool closer to our cabin. So, after several pep talks to each other we made our way out of the first pool and into our towels and boots and scurried down the trail to a little hot tub which was at about 100 degrees. That was exactly what we needed after the chilly trip down.

The next morning we woke up and went almost immediately to the little hot tub we had enjoyed so much the night before. After a nice soak there, we decided to check out the sauna. The heat was a bit intense in the newly built sauna but luckily it was equipped with a cool pool in the middle of the small room. Another neat place! I know that we're planning another trip back to these springs as soon as we can!

FREE COFFEE

2007-01-15T20:27:00.000-07:00

Alright all you blog readers...here's a call to action. The first person to post a comment gets a free drink at The Village Hub. Do it, do it.

THE VILLAGE HUB

2007-01-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here are just a few quick pictures of our new shop. Thanks to our willing patrons for allowing me to snap a few shots. It's a comfortable little place that hopefully invites you to stop in and stay a while!

More Celebrity Snowshoe Race Photos

2007-01-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

The RMNP vs. Forest Service was a heated battle!

Some of the Park guys wore traditional garb. It was fun to see them try to complete the course with their huge old shoes.

2007 Grand Lake Snowshoe Festival

2007-01-14T10:42:00.000-07:00

Tim, ready to go...
Tim, around the cones...
Wes, jumping through the hoop for the win!

Yay Mike Long!
Here are a few quick pics from the snowshoe festival celebrity race. It was a lot more fun to watch than these pictures can relay. Tim had to race a Crescent Moon Snowshoes rep, which, perhaps needless to say, didn't go too well for Tim. The opponent, Wes, who is a really cool guy, is tall and fit and had no problem getting through the course with ease. Basically what it entailed was getting through a hoola-hoop, bounding over hay bales, running through a bungee cord section, and weaving through cones while balancing a ball on a spoon. At the end, contestants had to stomp on a balloon and then do the whole obstacle course backwards. It was a riot!

Dogs and Skis

2007-01-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

Today I got a chance to get out and enjoy the snow! The dogs and I strapped on our skis and skied right from our back door, across the street and into the big field. We did a few laps around and then Echo wouldn't stop barking (she gets a bit excited when we're playing outside) so we headed back toward the homestead. She mellowed out slightly so I decided to put in a loop around our yard. That was fun! Then after a few laps around the house Copper was stopping to chew the ice balls out of her feet so we decided to call it a day. Good times!

2007 Grand Lake Snowshoe Festival

2007-01-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, you've been waiting, and Tim's been preparing. The 3rd annual "Catch the Spirit" Grand Lake Snowshoe Festival is upon us! This weekend, the 12th-15th, Grand Lake will play host to a busy weekend of snowshoeing craziness! Pick up a schedule of events at The Village Hub or the Grand Lake Chamber of Commerce to see what all is going on. The main event is the race starting at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, the 13th. Town Park is the place to be to participate. Register NOW at www.grandlakesnowshoefestival.com or at Town Park on the day of the race for $10 more. Do it! Tim and some other of G.L.'s finest will be participating in the celebrity race so come and cheer them on or... Sign up for either the fun run or the competitive 7K race (a USSSA qualifier!) and have a gay old time. See you out there! Also, on Sunday morning The Village Hub will be selling coffee at the Hospitality Haus and donating all proceeds to the Greening of Grand Lake, which is an effort to restore life to the Grand County forests that the pine beetles have wreaked havoc upon.

Road Trip Photos

2007-01-10T08:11:00.000-07:00

Tim and I had a blast the last two days. We decided that it was time to get out of Grand County and take a little random road trip. We looked online for dog friendly hotels around Frisco or Steamboat or Breckenridge and found a great quaint little place about a block off of main street in Frisco. The Woods Inn http://www.woodsinn.biz. It's defenitely worth checking out if you'r in that area and need a cool place to stay. All of the rooms are decorated differently and we stayed in the European Winterhausen room. It was kinda funky with a bunch of different art work, really high ceilings, a fluffy down comforter, a nice outdoor covered hot tub, and really friendly staff. Unfortunately, we gorged ourselves on tasty margaritas and mexican food and didn't end up getting down to check out the hot tub for ourselves. Fun place. Our only complaint was that it wasn't very sound proof. Every time someone came or went in the rooms next door, we knew about it. We'd reccommend it anyway.

The next morning we got up (after getting up several times throughout the night to deal with the dogs, namely Copper), checked out and went to find coffee.

I had a huge breakfast veggie, cheese, and egg bagel sandwich with an Irish Cream Latte which was very good. Tim shared part of my huge bagel and had a latte himself. We hit the road and decided to check out Leadville since I'd never been there and Tim wanted to see Melanzana http://www.melanzana.com which is a place there that makes and sells fleece gear. We both bought really cool fleece tops and then took a walk down main street to an antique mall. This was a huge neat old building jam packed with stuff from bottles, to postcards, to skeleton keys, old jewelry, you name it, if it was old, it was there. I found a cool skirt that happened to fit, and that was our only purchase there.

We left Leadville and decided to go sledding on some random mountain on the way back towards home. We stopped at some resevoir in Summit county and sledded ourselves silly. The dogs were loving it and we couldn't believe that such a simple contraption could be so much fun!

After we pulled ourselves away from the sledding hill we decided to head back homeward. We of course had to stop at the Dam Brewery in Dillon on our way back. After a few beers, we headed home. It was so nice to get away from work for a while. Colorado has so many neat places we want to see that we can't decide where next trip will take us.

1st XC Ski of the Season

2007-01-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

My buddy Amy called the other day to see if I could sneak away from the shop for a while on Sunday to go try out our new skis that we both got for xmas from our boys. We headed up into RMNP to the Bowen-Baker trail head and skied for about an hour and a half. It was rediculously windy but other than that, we had a blast. First we had to cross a big meadow and then we got into the trees which was a lot more entertaining. We struggled on a few hills and laughed our butts off. I'm feeling it a little bit today. Thanks Amy! Anybody out there wanting to ski? Tim and I have Mondays and Tuesdays off now!! Hooray!

Latest and Greatest

2006-12-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, it's been quite a while since I've posted last. That's because Tim and I have been busily putting together our new business: The Village Hub. It's a coffee shop/bike shop combo with comfy seating and wi-fi. We just opened last Saturday and it's going great! Thanks to everyone who supports us with their caffeine addiction. Pictures to follow. Who wants to ski?!

Omaha Rides

2006-11-13T11:42:00.000-07:00

Well, we're back from our little trip to our home town of Omaha, Nebraska. When we left Grand Lake, we had about 6 inches of snow in our front yard and we rolled into 60 degree+ temps in O-town. Needless to say, we rode as much as we could! First we rode Branched Oak just outside of Lincoln, NE which is where my first off road race took place. I think this was the first trail that I got to introduce to Tim; he generally is the one showing me all sorts of new trails. It was pretty fun, and perfect weather. Then we rode teeter-totters and elevated trail features at Lake Manawa but neglected to take the camera. The other pics are from Lewis & Clark Monument in Council Bluffs. That is a beautiful place! Great single track that is Tim's favorite in the area. The pictures don't do it justice.

Now, back to reality and more snow here in the high country. I think we're finally ready for it so bring it on! Hopefully it will accumulate enough for us to play in since my new back country skis just arrived.

Snowdawgs

2006-10-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Copper and Echo love the snow. It seems to bring some crazinesss out of them that I can't explain, and they're not telling either. So after a good romp session out in the new snow, I let them in and Copper was covered with snowballs that were stuck in her fur! She was instantly busy trying to remove them by herself; I realized that this looked like it might be a lengthy process so decided to get out the scissors. Unbelievable!! She was covered! I'm pretty sure she's looking forward to our trip
back to O-town. This is only some of the hair/snowballs I removed! She was happy at the end of it all though.

Fun Monday Niter

2006-10-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

This ride took place a while ago and now that it's snowing, I'm dreaming of dry trails. I suppose these pictures will have to tide us over for a while. We, meaning Tim, Matt, Joe, Dave, and myself, met up CR 4 and rode Spruce 'Em Up Jack , connected into the Bull Mtn. Loop, and then rode the road back to the parking area. It was a long ride for me but fun, nonetheless. I just got some sweet new shoes and my cleats weren't quite positioned comfortably (which probably added to the long feel of the ride) but was glad to have finished it with the boys.

A few special little riders.

Top o the loop. You can see the lake if you look close. We're up pretty high.

Bull Mtn. Ladies' Ride

2006-10-19T12:39:00.000-07:00

Matt and I have been harassing his wife, Sarah, for quite some time now about getting on a mountain bike. Finally, we succeeded and she joined me two Tuesdays ago for a little spin on the Bull Mtn. Loop. This is the loop that I always take people on who are a little unsure of their off road skills. It's a nice short wide loop with not much climbing and very few technical sections. She rocked and I don't think I scared her out of trying again! Next time we'll check out Spruce 'Em Up Jack to test her abilities! Thanks for joining me Sarah! Now if only this snow would go away so we could get back out there.
Actually, Tim and I are thinking about doing a snow ride sometime soon. Who's with us?! Warm gear and fat tires are recommended!

The Adventures of Tim & Jim

2006-10-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pictures from Tim & Jim's trip to Rabbit Valley for trail building. Lucky for them they snuck in a ride before they had to start working on hiking trails.

They had a blast and learned alot; now Tim can incorporate his knowledge into the trails we'll be building here.
Big Jim coming down the trail.

LADIES' RIDE TONIGHT!!

2006-10-03T11:42:00.000-07:00

DO IT!! Sarah A, possibly Mandi, and myself are riding tonight up CR 4. The more the merrier. We're thinking Spruce 'Em Up Jack would be a good one for all ability levels. Soooo, meet us at the Idleglen parking area at 5:20ish. Call me if you're running late, otherwise, we'll see you there!!!

Pictures From Below

2006-10-03T10:50:00.000-07:00

I think that I wrote too much below because it wouldn't let me put any pictures with my verbiage. Anyway, here are the accompanying visuals. Enjoy!

Lost Lake Hike

2006-10-03T09:48:00.000-07:00

Last Thursday Tim, the dogs, and I went on a little excursion up CR 4 and ended up on an amazing hike! Neither of us had checked out the trail to Lost Lake so we decided to see how it was. BEAUTIFUL! We are definitely going to do some camping up there, either in the next week or two or next year.
The trail began with a steep descent towards a creek that was so clear you almost didn't know there was water in it (until Copper discovered it for us). All along the way I kept thinking about how much different the trail would have appeared if we were on our bikes. I wouldn't have probably enjoyed as many details of the trail that I was able to take in at this slower pace. I realized that hiking is more enjoyable than I had previously thought; usually while hiking I'm always wishing that I was on my bike so I could cover more ground more quickly. The dogs were running around like crazy, having a wonderful time. We trudged through snow and ice and mud and over bridges and through creeks: it was what a hike should consist of. We couldn't believe how much fun we were having. Finally we reached a sign that said Lost Lake pointing right. We walked another 20 yards and saw what I was afraid was Lost Lake. It was a marshy, swampy, not too beautiful pond (at best). Copper loved it and didn't hesitate to wade right in, covering herself with mud. Yuck.
We sat down on some rocks for a moment and watched the dogs enjoy themselves before we headed on. "That's not Lost Lake, right?" I asked Tim, beginning to understand why it is still 'Lost'. "Nope, it can't be." We hiked on. More and more snow began to surround us as we climbed up a rocky ice trail.
Quickly we reached the top and were blown away by the view of the crystal clear lake that confronted us. We decided to explore the psuedo trail that lead us around the lake. We followed it until it would disappear and we'd climb over huge rocks right next to the water. It was kind of sad at one point when Tim and Echo and I easily bounded from rock to rock and Copper froze with one hind leg on a rock and one on solid ground. She stood there whimpering and didn't move until I climbed back down and had to physically pick her up off of the rock. We tried to show her that she could swim around the parts that involved rocks and she finally figured it out. Then everyone was happy. The hike around the lake was challenging at parts and we had to climb over snow covered boulders and trust that the ice wouldn't break through to water.
About half way around the lake, I became aware that I was getting a blister on my right heel. It was ignorable at first but then became a nagging issue; I stopped a time or two to try to loosen or tighten my boot but nothing really seemed to work. Blisters are funny because they are such a small thing but they can really slow you down! As I walked, I realized that with a blister every step is either up-hill or down-hill. I loved the downhill sections.
We began the hike back towards the truck and couldn't stop talking about how cool and scenic that area was. We can't wait to go back! The dogs were tired, we were happy, and we all ate well that night. I'd highly recommend this trail to anyone who's looking for a secluded picture perfect trip.

Views From The Top

2006-10-03T09:04:00.000-07:00

This ride was just about a week ago but I'm a slacker so there hasn't been a post yet. Anyhoo, we (Tim, Brent, Pat, Jim and I) met at our house and CLIMBED up the back of Green Ridge. Just when we thought we were at the top, we weren't; we continued to climb and climb and climb. It was worth it for the views of Lake Granby at the top. Then we bombed down the back into a sage field where the trail seemed to kind of disappear. Tim swore the trail started up again, "just around that sweep," no such luck. We trudged through an entire field of plants that didn't think we belonged there and all ended up with scratched up legs.
Miraculously, no one broke anything (bike parts or otherwise) which was surprising since it was a challenge just to stay on your bike without getting tangled in tall plants. Tim kept reminding Patrick to slow down and be aware of his derailleur. Half of the group was walking; the entire group was cursing and laughing. Finally, after crossing a swampy creek, we saw a little strip of steep single-track climbing straight up a hill. *I guess I'm used to saying hills because I'm from Omaha but I think we climbed up the back of a freaking mountain*. No matter; we did it and ended up climbing as much as we did at the beginning of the ride.
I must confess: there was a point there when I was less than happy with our group leader because it was getting dark pretty dang quick and we still didn't know where exactly we were. It turned out fine though and we got back to the road just at dark. Thanks for riding!

Grand Lake Sports' End Of Year Bike Sale!!

2006-09-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, we're selling off our rental fleet and have a few choice bikes for you. We have ALite 1000's in a few different sizes, a few XC104/204's, some old school 3spd cruisers, 2 road bikes, a 20" kid's bike, and more!! Comment, call, or stop in with questions!

Spaceyear 3000...

2006-09-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well, Tim just called me over to the computer to show me that C & Marce commented on my little blog. And I about freadked b/c we're at 3000, according to my site counter dealy. Anyway, I'm happy that you wrote, Charlie, b/c I was thinking that you hated me for taking off in the late evening. It was really good to see you all and I'm really happy for you with your new downhilling career.
When I sat down, I thought I had a lot to say...it's seemed to escape me now.
Here's what I did tonight: worked @ ye old' bike shop and sold 3 bikes (which is like, um, a bunch of bikes in one day for Grand Lake Sports), went on grueling but beautiful shop group ride, took picutres, kept riding, went home and did not shower, changed out of bike gear, did not wipe mud off face, went to brewery,(where i just got a job, worked there 2wice so far) w/jim& tim, jake was there, brewery was busy and kenny was by himself, worked at brewery, made some cash, all drank free, came home, took out contacts, became possessed by internet demon, posted pictures...

Oh My Snow!

2006-09-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Being from Omaha, I'm used to some kinda crazy weather but I can't say that I've seen it snow this early! Here's some pics for the folks back home. Enjoy. Copper is already trying to roll in it and eat it.

The Leaves They Are A Changin'

2006-09-16T09:49:00.000-07:00

Tim was outside cleaning off his bike from Monday's sloppy ride and I had to capture the color of the aspens in our front yard.

Pre-Snow Group Ride

2006-09-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it started out that we were going to do a nice easy loop at Bull Mtn. I guess sometimes plans change. Instead we climbed the entire night: up Soda Pass to Blizzard Pass up Eagle's Perch and then back Kawuneeche Road back to the trucks. It was the most climbing I think I've ever done. We had a pretty good turnout too; Tim, Big Jim, Crash (I mean Jake), Dave, and myself. Then, out of the blue here comes Patrick smokin' down the trail after us! We were all pretty amazed (especially Pat) that he caught up with us. It was a great ride. Thanks for showing up!

As Daylight Fades...

2006-09-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

Sad but true folks; we're running out of daylight ride time. So...bust out your lights! We haven't had to yet but that time is almost upon us. We were able to ride twice this week, sans lighting systems. First on Monday night at Spruce 'Em Up Jack and then last night at Snow Mtn. Ranch. Decent turn out both times. Thanks to all who joined us. Starting this coming week we're closing the shop at 5pm instead of 6pm Sunday-Thursdays so that means meet at the shop for our Mon, Tues, Thursday group rides at 5 instead of 6.
Also, good luck to Matt Allen who's racing solo tomorrow at the Kona 24 hour race at Snow Mtn. Ranch. It's a fun fast course; we know you'll do great! If anyone wants to help us cheer him on, we'll be heading out around 6ish on Saturday to the Ranch. Join us out there if you want. Free camping and fun for everyone!

Good time group ride

2006-08-26T10:58:00.000-07:00

I forgot about these pics from one of our last group rides. I recruited a random customer to ride with us; so, thanks to Greg from the East coast for riding with us! It was a good time even though the daylight is getting away from us a little too quickly these days. We're hoping to resume some consistency with our group shop rides again now that the season for us has slowed considerably. So here's the schedule: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday meet here at 6. Monday is our co-ed anyone and everyone ride; Tuesday I lead a women's ride; Thursday Tim and I lead a men's and women's ride. Fun anyday you choose! Come out and play.

Dreaming of the off season

2006-08-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

(ok, turn your head to the side)

Our buddy Ted and some friends of his went up to the San Juan islands to do a little kayaking. I loved these pictures and thought they'd be good ones to share. Enjoy!

This Week's Group Rides!! Join us!

2006-08-13T14:42:00.000-07:00

Rides are on for this week! Monday (all are welcome to join us), Tuesday (Ladies only!), and Thursday (guys' and gals' separate rides). As usual, meet here at the shop by 6 and we'll roll!
See you in the dirt!

Monday Nite Ride, Tuesday Nite Race...Do It!!

2006-08-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all! It's been a while since we've had a solid group ride; Tim & I have been busy w/our new house. Things are on their way back to normal so we're hoping to resume our weekly rides.
Tomorrow we're definitely doing our "Anyone & Everyone Monday Nite Ride"; so meet us here by 6 and we'll roll. Also, this Tuesday nite anyone who wants to join us for a little trip to Snow Mtn. Ranch is invited to meet here at the shop at 6pm. The last of the Tuesday nite race series is the 8th and since we helped sponsor it, we're heading out to provide some prizes for the award ceremony. Anyone and everyone is welcome. It should be a good time. Questions, comments, concerns...post 'em or email or call.

Tuesday Ladies' Ride

2006-07-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

This Tuesday Amy and I checked out the Bull Mtn. Loop up CR 4. Beautiful views and good company. This Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday more shop rides leaving here at 6ish. Post a comment or call w/questions!

Upcoming Rides

2006-07-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

MONDAY: anyone and everyone (men & women)
TUESDAY: Ladies' Ride (Possibly snow Mtn. Ranch?!)
THURSDAY: Ladies' Ride and Men's Ride (girls: we'll do better w/planning than I did last time!)

For all rides, meet at the shop at 5:45 and we'll leave soonafter.

We're open to suggestions!!! Have a trail you've been wanting to check out? Let us know and we'll see it together.

Thursday Nite Ladies Ride!!

2006-07-15T11:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mandi & Sally for riding with me once again. Our Thursdays are turning into one adventure after another! I kinda got us stuck far away from our vehicles at the end of the ride. We parked at the bottom of North Supply but then took some cool trails (backwards from what we'd done on Monday night) that ended us up in the golf course at about 8:20 when it was getting dark. Thankfully I got ahold of Tim and he picked us up and drove us back to our cars. Anyway, good job girls and thanks for your patience while I was navigating the right way to go! We'll see you next week! Here's the girls jumping logs and crossing creeks. Way to go!

Doe Creek Wednesday

2006-07-15T11:01:00.000-07:00

After briefly recovering from the Monday Nite Ride, Tim took me on another big ride Wednesday. We headed up the Doe Creek trail and then did the counter-clockwise Strawberry Lake loop. I did my fair share of walking; some of those hills are tooooo steep. I was amazed at the grade of those climbs! Even despite the overly challenging climbs, it was a beautiful area and the weather was perfect. Thanks Tim!

Monday Night Ride

2006-07-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

We waited and hoped for a rain-free night and finally Monday was a winner. Skinny J, Patrick, Wheelie, Tim, and I rode some Rec District trails. Since Tim was the leader, it involved a bunch of climbing; I was hurting the next day. Good times, good company, and good single track.

Rain, Rain, Go Away!!!

2006-07-08T16:59:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, the moisture is great but it's really putting a damper on our group rides. We're hoping to ride this week on Monday (anybody & everybody), then Tuesday (women's ride), and Thursday (men's and women's rides). Come and join us for one or all of the fun!

More 18 Hr Pics

2006-06-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

JP finallllllly sent me some more pictures of Tim actually riding his bike in Fruita at the race. Beautiful lake!

Ride Ride Ride

2006-06-20T09:45:00.000-07:00

Lots-o-riding going on! Last night for our Monday nite co-ed ride we had a decent turn out: Tim, Big Jim, Skinny J, JP, Wheelie, and me. We started out at the golf course and rode pretty much all of those trails and then over into the forest service land as well. It was grueling and included plenty of creek crossings and other craziness. It wore me out!! Then, when we all rolled back to our vehicles, someone had random bike-related parts neatly placed next to all of our vehicles! How bizarre! We piled them all up by a tree to make a shrine to the bike witch. A head shock, a Yakima bike rack, and a rotor were all left behind. Whoever did this, you had us guessing!
Tonight, as usual, I'm leading a Ladies' Ride that will leave from the shop. Meet here at 5:45 and we'll leave soon after. Call or post any questions.
Then, Thursday night, we lead both Women's and Men's rides so join us then for more off road fun. Again, meet here at 5:45. See you on the dirt!

Heeeerrrrrre's Ellsworth!

2006-06-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

What fun! I'm afraid that I need an Epiphany now. It was such a solid ride; you could bomb downhill over anything and everything and it still climbed really well (an important combination). Good times. We had an awesome turn out...12 of us out there in such short notice was pretty good for little ol' Grand Lake. Thanks a ton to Mike and Carol (the Ellworth folks) for coming out and showing us what full suspension bikes are supposed to feel like. They will be at the Winter Park Fat Tire Festival June 23-25th for more demo rides, so go ride them and then we can order 'em up for you! You can also check out their tour schedule at www.ellsworthbikes.com

Yes, we're still talking...

2006-06-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

These are called divorce bikes for a reason! We tried our luck on a fancy schmancy Ellsworth full suspension tandem. It was so difficult we barely made it up the first little hill. I think the problem was that I was kinda steering from the back and Tim wasn't exactly vocal enough about when to and when not to pedal. It was a riot! We couldn't stop laughing. I think if we just tried it for a little while longer, we could have done it. Good times.

DEMO RIDE!!!!

2006-06-13T12:59:00.000-07:00

Ellsworth is coming, Ellsworth is coming!!!! That's right, you heard me: the boys from Ellsworth are going to be here with about 20 different bikes for us to take out and ride.
We're oh-so-excited. And hope you are too! Meet us here, at the shop, at about 1:30 on THURSDAY or at 2pm at the Idylglen parking area up CR 4. Come one, come all. It's going to be a blast. Free demo rides for everyone who shows up. So far it's Tim, and I and about 6 other riders. You'll be sad if you miss this one.

Thirsty anyone?...

2006-06-06T16:13:00.000-07:00

Here's the 'creek' crossing which I like to think is more of a river. A few people made it across successfully, I wasn't one of them. Most of these pictures are of the more entertaining people who took a swim. Enjoy.

Great Group Ride

2006-06-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who joined us for a nice little ride last night! There were 10 of us out there riding up North Supply, South Supply, Middle Supply, Burn, etc... Fun stuff! Who knew there were even that many mtn bikers in this area! It was awesome. We are going to do a Monday night and Thursday night shop ride every week, starting next week. Meet here at the shop at 5:45 and be ready to leave by 6pm. Also, I lead a Ladies' only ride on Tuesdays and Thursday nights. Meet here at 5pm. So, last night involved a long climb, a creek crossing, and some loose rocky downhill rutted stuff. Here's the proof!

RIDE tonight!!

2006-06-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

Hello All! We're getting a good group of people together tonight to ride the Supply trails (north, south, middle, etc...) Meet here (Grand Lake Sports) at 5:45 and we'll leave by 6pm. Otherwise, you can meet us at the trail head; go out CR 491 to basically the end and we'll be there by probably 6:15ish. Grab your bike and a buddy and ride. So far we've got about 5 people...good times will be had by all. The weather looks to be great tonight. Enjoy it while it lasts, the rest of the week might see some storms. Questions?? Post a comment, call, or e-mail us. See you on the dirt.

Tonight's Rides

2006-05-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

We're crossing our fingers in hopes that the storm just blows by so that we can ride tonight! The Ladies ride leaves from here (Grand Lake Sports) at about 5:15pm and we're going to ride over to Green Ridge and catch a few easy off road trails. Also, Tim's hoping to get out of here by 6 and park in the Idylwild parking lot up CR 4 and ride Spruce 'Em Up Jack or something up that way. Again, weather permitting! Join us for a ride tonight or keep checking the blog for updates on other shop rides. The Ladies' Ride leaves from the shop every Tuesday and Thursday at 5pm and the rides that Tim does change day to day. Call (970)627-8124
or e-mail glsports@rkymtnhi.com for info!

Dave's New Toy

2006-05-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

It's a good thing Dave came in to pick it up when he did; we got sick of wiping all the drool off of it. Have fun buddy, let us know if you need anything.

Public Poll Question #1: yay or nay on the gold headset? (Like any of you will actually post your answer:) Worth a try anyway).

Ellsworth Epiphany, size Large! ....... 29.21lbs not too shabby for a big travel bike! Nice set up.

Rumor has it that the trails are open up by the Baptist Camp and North supply. GO RIDE!!!!