finally got a big ride in

Lots of pictures today. I finally was able to get in a quantifiably large ride today. The only rule was home by 1pm. I could leave as early as I liked. Seeing as how I'm normally not a morning person, I was pretty happy to make it to Peaceful Valley and be pedaling by 7:15 am. I know, I know - all this about PV? I guess I can't get enough. I wanted to get my fill today, though. The addiction to PV is costing me bucks when gas is $4 a gallon!

So I pedaled off with neither coffee nor warmup. It was a rough start to the day. I was all over the place, dabbing and floundering in sections that I normally do not. It is a tough climb right out of the gate, though, full of all the good stuff like roots, rocks, steeps and babyheads. Guess I'd have to warm up first.

The plan was to head south on Sourdough, past Brainard Lake Road and up to the Little Raven Trail. I had tried a few weeks ago but got denied. Too much snow up high relegated me to a mostly out and back on Sourdough. I had received recent information that indicated Little Raven was finally dry. It took me about 2 hours of climbing to get there, but I made it. Good views abound at the start of the singletrack.

The trail was wet at first, but it didn't take long to turn into sweet, sweet singletrack.

I don't think too many people ride Little Raven. That's ok with me.

The Forest Service even let BMA get creative on some bog sections.
Don't think of Little Raven as much of a descent. It's a tough traverse with a descent that is oh, too short. It's a shorty but a goody, and definitely worth the effort it took to get there. Another reason I hit the Raven was to dump out at Brainard Lake. Ever wonder exactly which peaks are the "Indian Peaks?"

Another beautiful thing about Brainard Lake is that it's also the highest elevation start of the South St Vrain Trail. SSV is almost too good for words. It's hard. Lots of natural rock gardens, funky lines, and other sorts of punishment. To make it down the upper SSV without breaking something is good news. I was feeling good, but not that good. A few dabs and I was back down to SSV's intersection with Sourdough. It was about 10am by this time. I really still wanted to ride Buchannan Pass today, too, but made a mental note that I had to be back to Beaver Res Road by 10:30 for that to happen. Otherwise, I wouldn't have time to climb to the Wilderness Boundary and back again. I made it to the road by 10:37 so I figured what the hell.

I think it's also important to note that I had been riding with my Ipod so far that day. As I approached Beaver Res, I had Willie on the jukebox singing "Uncloudy Day." Just as the song ended, the potd quit on me. It'd been a while since the battery recharge so I stuck it in my pocket. I think this was an omen. Just then, it started to rain. heh, heh. Thanks Willie.

I knew I could make it back to the car by 12:30 but I had to boogie. I had my sights set on Coney Creek Road. Let me tell you that all of those babyheads that make up that road don't do anything to make you feel more fresh at the end of along day either.

Finally, the boundary of Indian Peaks Wilderness. From here, a quick descent would bring me to the Buchannan Pass Trail. There's lots of water up there, too. Good thing for all of the foot bridges. To ford the water crossings on the jeep road entails sloshing thru a 20 yard water bog that's about 3' deep. I was happy for the board walks. I was tired so I walked them, too.




Buchannan Pass was sweet and suculent. Definitely worth waiting for. I had to flintstone it thru all of the rocky mazes at the top. I had nothing more to give and was feeling pretty tapped out at that time. Good thing it looked like this.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Buchannan Pass is also one of the wetest trails we ever ride. It doesn't matter what time of year you hit it either, it's always wet. This season seems even wetter so far.

By now it had been raining on and off since Willie left me down on Beaver Res Rd, about 45 minutes. I had never ridden Buchannan Pass in the rain, though, so I guess it was about time. It was good. I managed to make it down to the upper trailhead by the time the thunder got too loud. A few more minutes and I was back to the car.

I got a little muddy on that one.

I felt pretty wiped out but not as much as I thought. I was also happy with how I rode. When I was adding up the ride last night, I figured it would take me about 6 hours. My late start meant I had to bust it to get the ride done. I kept the snackin' and the breaks to a minimum and rolled in at 12:15 on the nose. 5 hours! I was pretty stoked to beat my forecast.

If anyone has read this far, remember the Big Fall Ride that I try to do every year? It's coming up and it's going to be bigger this year. 5 hours just isn't long enough :)