signs and fun things from a road trip to the Little Red Riding Hood Ride in Utah

[marni]

bike duchess,

I actually graduated from U of U and most of my relatives lived olr are living in SLC, Provo or up around Malad, Idaho so I am pretty familair with the area. No, we drove to Park City and took the trails form there although riding up Emmigration canyon looks like it might be interesting, even the pass looked almost doable. Taken in perspective, SLC is about a 110 times more bike friendly and bike safe than Houston. The area along 1300 east west of state street is very similar, road wise and traffic wise to areas I have to ride in to get out onto the two lane country roads. I just don't have the snow to deal with.

[marni]

[[/ATTACH][/ATTACH]

Report from Todays ride along the Jordan River.

We drove down to about 7600 southand 8th west and found a trail head parking lot. The trail was through country side and scattered suburban communities south and west of central Salt Lake ( road numbering starts at 1000 south, 1000 east, 1000 west etc and is mostly set up on a grid system although the spacing between the streets is variable.

The trail was pretty flat, perhaps with a false flat downhill, or maybe it was a tail wind. On either side of the path there were vast swaths of what I think was a shrub (coniferous or sage related?) called Mormon tea interspersed with swaths of flowering Russian Olives as well as blooming tamarisk, sundry wildflowers including poppies, prickly poppies and a yellow vertical yellow flower I know as butter and eggs but is probably something else. After a couple of miles the trail swung east away from the river and ended on a side street in a light industrial and office area. This lasted about 2 miles and then we got on another street which was wider and led to the golf club where the trail pickend up again along the river. We continued on for another five miles or so until we came to a park with facilities where we turned around and rode back to the car. We kept looking for a map of the overall trail at one of the various parks and or trail heads, but because the path itself runs through various municipalities, each of which is responsilbe for their section of the path and green belt, we couldn't find one. It must exist somewhere because the plan is for it to eventually connect with several other paths, but ...

Again it was a beautiful day and again we rode with the sound of running water, however subdued. Lots of little wren and sparrow type birds, an occassional crow but no magpies. Lovely view of snow topped Wasatch range to our east and south east as well as an infrequent glimpse of whatever range it is to the west that holds the kennecot copper mine.

A nice end to the Salt Lake city pahse of the trip. Tomorrow Kris and I revverse the drive back to Albuquerque, hopefully without the tornado like skies and the downpours, Thursday I will take a day off from the driving and then Friday I will start the two day safari back to Houston. Many happy memories to review along the wayas I return to life is real life is earnest daily life in the real world of solo training and riding in Houston heat, headwinds and humidity.

[Skippyak]

Honestly, those bike trails maps make my eyes bleed. They are supposed to join up but who knows quite when LOL.

[malkin]

The maps are pretty funky...
Glad you didn't have the festival of flat tires that one sometimes gets riding on the Jordan River Parkway, although if you want to practice your tire changing skills, that's the place for it!

... infrequent glimpse of whatever range it is to the west that holds the kennecot copper mine.y.

Those are the Oquirrhs.

Mormon tea is ephedra!

[thekarens]

Beautiful!