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

[BikeDutchess]

So glad you are enjoying your cycling adventures in our fair state! When I first read your latest ride report, I thought you biked up Emigration Canyon and then biked on to Park City - please tell me that's not what you did because I would feel totally inadequate! Hope you enjoy the JRT - watch out for those goatheads.

[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.

[marni]

Shiprock , Navajo Reservation, New Mexico

Back in Albquerque after a day long road trip through Utah, the corner of Colorado and New Mexico, down past Shiprock and through the Navaho Reservation to Albuqueque. Two pithy signs:

"It's your temper, please keep it." in a DQ .

"Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved"

and a haiku about the scenery in Canyon lands:

Sun pierced female clouds
Drape red rain skirts on the land
Aah, sweet release.

Today in Albuquerque, shifting bike into my car, packing park stand Kris is gifting me along with several warps for my Navajo loom gifted from Luli ( also a weaver, hand spinner) a green chili enchiladas final fix at Monroes and then off tomorrow on the two day return to Houston and reality mode.

[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!

[marni]

I ride on Bontrager rice lites with kevlar- I have only ever had one flat in the 7 years I have been riding. I was the only rider on both the Southern Tier who didn't get a flat period and definitely the only one who didn't suffer from a goats head attack. I'd like to think it is my vigilance in checking and cleaning my tires and brake pads after every ride as well as during my reaching down and letting the tire squeeze through my glove while I am pedaling if I have gone over something or rolled the bike over questionable terrain, but I suspect that it is more that it is an excellent product. Either way I luvs my kevlars, although I will admit to changing them out about every 3,000 miles or cross country ride, whichever comes first. I do have one pair left that got changed out before the 3000 mile limit and I plan to give them to a young man down the street who needs a spare set to put on his trainer bike-

Malkin,

As far as practing tire changing, I much prefer an occasional practice session in the comfort of the heat or ac.

Thanks for the name of the mountain range and now that I see ephedra I remember I used to know that years ago, but these days its a miracle if I remember anything from ancient history.

[Skippyak]

I pretty much won't ride those trails because of the flats. Liberty from farmington to SLC was fine but the west and Draper is just always prickle city.

[marni]

Safely home in Houston after a two day 15 hour drive from ABQ. Made it into the driveway and got everything before the rain hit. Currently buried in dogs and cats.

Pithy Sign from the road seen on an elaborate engraved wrought iron gate "Deep **** Cattle Company."

need to take a couple days to get laundry done and re-enter reality.

[OakLeaf]

Looks like a wonderful trip. Thanks for sharing! Hope the transition back to reality goes smoothly.