Sunday, April 6, 2008

Saturday ride

Friday I rode gravel from my house almost to Banner before heading back home, today I started at Banner and rode a little of the Riverside loop. The dirt was fine, but there's still plenty o' deadfall and a ton of debris.

Derailleurs beware.

When you got further into the loop, it kinda loses the trail (I did anyway). There's just so many leaves and sticks its a little hard to see the tread. Rakes needed.
I didn't check out the newer stuff at Banner, because it was probably too soft. So i headed south to Ahquabi.
Its hilly between Banner and Ahquabi; this was one of the biggest.
The top in the picture isn't even the top, it keeps rolling up past there. I have another hill on my road bike loop from my house I call Fat Ass Hill. This one I dub Col d' la Graisse Arriere (thanks Alec Trebek). It was a blast on the way back, with the wind at my back.

I sorta took a round-about way to the lake, getting turned around a bit south of Indianola and adding a few miles. I was trying to do gravel all the way there. I didn't quite make it, but got closer on the way back. It was about 19 miles there and only about 14 back. Ahquabi really is a pretty lake.


The lake trail at Ahquabi was mostly dry, but with some real problem places mixed in. I had to walk through some of the soggy stuff, most of the trouble was at the west end of the lake. It was probably 80% good 10% too soggy to ride but walkable without looking like a mud creature and 10% mess.

Some Jackleg has rutted the crap out of parts of the trail; think Sycamore at its worst. It looks like most of it is minibike. I saw a little ruffian tooling through the campground on one. These look like they've been here awhile, still I considered circling back to the campground to do a little education just in case the 'lil offender had some other ideas. I believe the children are the future...just maybe not this one. There was mucho big hills between Banner and Ahquabi, so I too tired for education. Maybe next time Little Trail Destroyer Man, maybe next time.

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