Get Dirty!

Hup, hup, hup!

Chainsaw attacks the barriers at Xilinx.  This set was only half height but claimed a lot of would be bunny-hoppers

Just like in cyclocross a bit of pain and effort was rewarded handsomely for the Alfords this weekend, with a great visit with FR friends and family being the payoff.  If it's worth doing, it's worth working for.  Chainsaw pulled down a great 11th both days and had some grins too, she may be hooked.  Trout got to hang with his little buds Shannon and Beckett, his favorite Aunt Jen and we even got to see Uncle Pete among other oldies but goodies. Thanks to Jen and Grandma Penny and the Wachtelsmachers for hosting us and thanks all who came out to cheer on Chainsaw, she really appreciated the encouragement! Peace, out.

Moab!

So, it's been a few years since I was in Moab. Fruita is just too close and flat out has better riding. However, Amanda had signed up for a half marathon down there last weekend and we have a few vacation days to burn. Use them or lose them.

We drove down Thursday and managed to get a fairly decent campsite close to town before venturing off to get in some late afternoon riding. Amanda is up to 6 rides on her new-to-her Stumpjumper. She really enjoys riding a real mountain bike and each ride has resulted in huge improvements, but from a small base as we say in the market research biz. The Slickrock practice loop wasn't the best place to start so we ventured into Poison Spider for a guidebook and map.

The Bar M Trails are a little more user friendly and gave Amanda a chance to get comfortable on her bike. And like most of the riding in Moab, the views are amazing. Arches National Park. If you look closely, you can see one of the Window arches in the middle of the picture.

The next day, we dug into the guidebook in order to find a longer ride that Amanda and I would enjoy. The ride out to Gemini Bridges isn't too technical and this slickrock is definitely Amanda's speed. She managed to drop a couple of the smaller ledges later in the ride. I learned how to take pictures like this from Alford.
However, although I was the only bIKE cLUB member within 300 miles, we still had some standard bIKE cLUB issues on the ride. Somehow, I got a flat riding uphill.
Oh yeah, that map came in handy.
I told Amanda we would end up down there in Bulls Canyon.

We ended up here. Gemini Bridges.
Standard Tourist Picture. On top of Gemini Bridges
In case you couldn't see that arch in the first picture, this is what it looks like up close.

With Amanda saving her legs for the half marathon, I got a couple of rides in on my own. I hit Amasa Back on Saturday morning. If you get a chance to ride it, and happen to run into a 60 year old Canadian guy putting on body armor that tells you that Jacksons is perfectly rideable and that you should ride it with him, don't listen. Just don't.
On Sunday, I rode Porcupine Rim from camp. It was a lot harder than I remember. This is Castle Valley from the top of the climb. Last time I was here, I was with Matt Cheseaux. We had headed out a day early for a Fruita trip. Same weekend of the Fruita cheerleader appearance. The night before, I slept in the back of the truck and he was in his bag on the ground. The drive back to Denver he was sick as a dog.

Too funny

You're speakin' to the choir here son

"Some girls like to go fast!  Some like to go slow.  That's the problem" - Trout Alford

I feel the need, the need for speed!

Trout workin' the pedal bike!

Akai shows up for some hot laps, running training-wheel free.  Trout needs a couple more weeks with the outriggers...

For Brad...

Americans Get Majority of Exercise While Drunk

Very important study:

http://www.theonion.com/video/study-americans-get-majority-of-exercise-while-dru,18198/#

Chainsaw & Trout battle for 'Cross supremacy!

Chainsaw mid throw-down. Note wicked Moots

Trout workin' the barriers

But there can be only one!  Trout probably deserves it too since he did like 25 laps for warm up and 50 more for cool down after decimating the Strider field at the Frisco Cyclocross event on Sat.  That little girl with the pink Strider and the butterfly wings? Destroyed, ego crushed, wings wilting rapidly under the relentless pressure of Trout's pace and smoothness over the barriers.  Chainsaw dug deep, real deep on her brand spankin' new Moots too, but there's no replacement for chamois-time, and this year she hasn't had much.  Couple more weekends though and she'll be back to the head of the field where she belongs!  Maybe even this weekend in Buena Vista if none dare join us for a Vernal, UT trip...