Playing around

I

concrete

II

rock

III

IV

V

I shuttled myself (translation: I pedaled the highway) to the top of Bug Springs. Despite El Tour being yesterday there were plenty of roadies out. Catching and dropping me was a forgone conclusion. Mellow climbing was the intent, but that’s often easier said than done.

I absconded to the dirt, thankfully, and set about to set myself on fire. I hit play on the MP3 player, but not for motivation, for strategy. Distorted guitars pounding in my ears would disguise the inevitable sound of my tires sliding.

And that was the only way this steep bastard of a climb was going to fall — stay focused and do not believe for a moment that you won’t make it.

Soon enough I didn’t need my mp3 player. My heart was exploding out of my head. I found myself in “the rough” as opposed to the “fairway”, and I put a foot down. I had made it further than I thought. Just a bit to hike up, then down into the forested wonderland of Bug Springs.

I took a left turn to descend the old Hoodoo line. Fun traversing led to a slickrock playground (see above map, subtitled “rock“. Ditching the bike and exploring by foot was required.

I also wanted to make sure the narrow chute that looked like the trail really was the trail. I didn’t imagine myself riding it. But I could see how it could be done.

Looking back up at the Hoodoos (above), it’s hard to imagine how the trail works its way through that labyrinth. I didn’t ride much, but didn’t plan to either.

Rideable, if erosive, trail took me back to the main Bugs trail, where coasting and smiling ensued. Ditto that on descending Prison Camp. Someone has done a lot of work — it’s fast, open and potentially more climbable (good for AZT 300).