Winter is just around the corner.

     While this summer was a very wet summer on the divide, all of the wet weather did give way to a beautiful autumn and Indian Summer here in Clark/Steamboat Springs which I published some photos of in my earlier post. In recent weeks there have been a few spats of wintery weather which have made for a few mornings of waking up to about a half-inch of snow in the yard but usually it burns off by afternoon. This week the weather snapped into a wintery pattern that felt a bit more resolute, dumping a couple inches of snow even at valley levels with highs in the low fourty's(Fahrenheit) during the day for a few days straight. While this wasn't the first time this year my tires have touched snow, it's the first time I'm noticing north facing slopes and shady areas holding snow and shady dirt roads becoming packed into ice ruts. Yesterday the temperatures were to soar into the low 50's, so I took off for a ride that would end up being sloppy, but a ton of fun.
 I rode out of the driveway as the late morning started to warm up, turned a right and started to descend Willow Creek Pass. While my tires whirred below me I was thinking about where I should go ride this day. As the bottom of the pass approached I started pedaling at high cadence, it felt good to get the legs spinning. A couple miles later I arrived at the Clark Store and went inside to get some fuel for the day.
 After paying for my goods and exchanging pleasantries with some of the staff I headed out of the store, packed up my backpack and started rolling out of the parking lot headed south. "Hmm," I thought, "where should I go ride?" In the end I decided to take a route I've taken quite a few times before, it leaves asphalt about a quarter-mile south of the Clark Store on RCR60(aka Greenville Rd.) and begins to climb. Gradually getting steeper as it goes RCR60 eventually becomes FR471. This day the climb got to the point of having to dismount and push in a few spots, the grade combined with packed icy road had my back tire spinning.

 
     After climbing about 1400 vertical feet through beautiful aspen groves and pine forest RCR471 tops out at a gorgeous overlook that looks towards the Zirkel Wilderness and the Continental Divide. This is my usual spot when riding this route to stop for the first time and refuel so I slugged down a few gulps of green Gatorade and ate a Rice Crispy Treat while taking in the view.

  
     The dirt road descent from this point is playful and fun, lots of rock hopping to be had. This day I had to approach it with a bit more caution as the shady spots were holding some snow, slush, and ice covered puddles. As I descended a couple of hunters on ATV's whizzed by going the other way and smiled and waved. Everyone was out enjoying the beautiful day in their own way, and loving it.
    At the bottom of the descent I quickly split off left to FR468, a more primitive 2-track. No one had been down it. Snow covered with a couple of inches I was leaving the first tracks. It was a good feeling to know I was only one who ventured back here so far on this day.

     Riding at a steady but slow pace I was taking it all in, seeing animal tracks in the snow as I passed by otherwise undisturbed aspen groves. I stopped a couple of times just to breathe deep, smile big and chuckle to myself while thinking... "gosh I love it here!".
     FR468 degrades after a while and becomes more technical, predominated by huge 4-wheeler mud holes and man-eater ruts, which are now filled with puddles covered by ice and snow. I had to hop off and push through a few sections that have some of the bigger holes. I was delighted, this was exactly the kind of day I wanted on the bike, something a little different than the usual, and no one around.

     FR468 eventually rejoins FR441 and I swing left, headed downhill. As I hit the junction of FR440 I started feeling my steering go squirrelly, I looked down to see if the road surface had gotten softer. Nope. But I did have a half deflated front tire...
    Not 15 minutes earlier plowing through slush and snow with my usual Maxxis IKON 2.2 I had been thinking that it may be time to change out the front tire for something a little beefier with more aggressive lugs(I was getting some deflection that was affecting my control with the 2.2 in snow/slush). Specifically a Maxxis Ardent 2.4 I had sitting at home came to mind. So... I saw the tubeless flat as more of a blessing, now I had an excuse to swap the tire when I got home!
     I pumped the tire back up and got it to pop on the bead, leaving just a slow bubbling bead leak. I hadn't added any Stan's to the tire for quite some time so I'm sure it was simply out of Stan's sealant and all the moisture I had been running it through had loosened or dissolved part of the seal on the bead. With a slow intermittent hiss audible I started rolling downhill again, the road rolls it's way down to Seedhouse Road going past the South Fork trailhead on it's way. Just before Seedhouse Road FR 470 crosses the Elk River at a beautiful spot.

     I swung a left on the paved Seedhouse Road and made my way back on a slow leak, stopping back at the Clark Store to grab some dinner to take home and then riding my way back up Willow Creek Pass.
     What a great time I had playing in the mud and snow this day, it made me feel so alive and served as a gentle reminder that winter is just around the corner.

Fish Creek Reservoir, a local treat.

     On August 30th, 2014, I started up Spring Creek Trail on a ride before work. After the trail terminated at Dry Lake I had a bit of extra time so I kept going up on Buffalo Pass Road. I got just past the second gate area and ran out of time. Having to turn around to go to work on a near cloudless day was torture. I knew I had the next two days off and decided I needed to finish what I started, so, the next morning I strapped on the bike bags for the first time since Tour Divide and started up Buffalo Pass Road for a quick out-and-back over-nighter.
     I rode out of town after having coffee and gathering up supplies, across the flats of Strawberry Park and swung a right on Buffalo Pass Road. The road soon turned to dirt and I started to ascend, after making it through a few curves in the upwardly mobile road I saw a familiar vehicle parked on the side of the road, my good buddy Harry digging around in the back of his 4-wheel-drive van. Right then a 1954 Jeep pulled up, a couple more friends of mine, and then a motocross bike comes ripping up to us, yet another good friend. Everyone was headed up Buffalo Pass for an afternoon barbeque at Summit Lake. After some socializing on the side of the road and me fending off offers for a motorized ride to the top of the pass, the eclectic group of vehicles sprung into action and began screaming up Buffalo Pass Road looking like a bunch of odd super heroes with our unique powers to get to the top. I, on my touring bike, was not the favorite to get to the top first.
     After a few thousand feet of climbing I got to Summit Lake and joined the festivities, immediately greeted as I rolled in with an expected "what took you so long?" comment from the motorists. We all laughed and I parked my bike and grabbed a bratwurst that was offered to me. "This bratwurst was worth the climb!" I mumbled as I finished it. After some socializing we all wanted to kick back by the water and went down to the shore to relax and look out at Summit Lake, a beautiful spot.
     A couple hours later I saw the sun getting low enough that I needed to get moving to finish my ride and find some free camping for the night. I bid farewell to my friends and rolled off towards Fish Creek Reservoir, which I had a tip from local bike shop owner Chris Johns had some great riding near it and some great free camping. He couldn't have been more correct. I descended the road from Summit Lake to Fish Creek Reservoir, went past the National Forest campground and found a phenomenal spot to camp for free right at the foot of the reservoir. Kickass! I dropped camp and had some dinner, a couple of roast beef sandwiches I had gotten at Backcountry Deli in Steamboat before I left. Right about the time I was getting relaxed after dinner the sun started setting and I got to watch one heck of a show, colors changing by the moment as the sun dropped behind the reservoir.
     As I lay in my tent, the temperature rapidly dropping now that the sun was away I kept thinking about Tour Divide, how lucky I was to have had that experience, and how much I love this sport called bikepacking.
     I awoke the next morning, crawled out of my tent and looked over the reservoir, what a beautiful place. I proceeded to pack up my camp as lazily as a man can while being driven by mosquitos and got all my gear situated back on the bike without getting eaten alive. I wanted to go past a gate I had run into at the end of the road the night before and see if I could get out to the dam before returning to town.
     It wasn't long before I had achieved my goal and got to the dam and a beautiful view looking out over Steamboat Springs. What a great way to start my morning. I then back-tracked the route I had traveled the day before and made my way back down the pass to the coffee house I'm writing this blog entry from.
     The downhill on Buffalo Pass Road was fast and furious and I felt my touring bike flow kicking in, handling the heavy bike brings out a different style of riding for me, and makes dirt roads a joy to downhill, flowing through rocks, pot holes, and washboard relatively peacefully and quietly. I had the big grin going and could think of nothing but how lucky I am to be able to do this, literally right in my back yard for a quick overnight trip. I can't wait to get up Buffalo Pass again and start exploring the multitude of roads and trails up there. So remember all you Steamboaters, bikepacking paradise is right in your back yard, and you can ride to it from town.

My Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 at the foot of Fish Creek Reservoir.

Sunset at Fish Creek Reservoir from camp.

My rig and a great view from Fish Creek Reservoir dam.

North Routt in the fall, what a pleasure.

 For those of you who know me you know I recently relocated from South Routt County to North Routt County. For about the last month and a half I've had the pleasure of exploring the Clark/Hahn's Peak area as my free time has permitted and have been absolutely loving the riding. Colorful locals, named single-tracks, unnamed single-tracks, ATV/OHV chunk trails, MOTO trails, Jeep tracks, dirt roads, peaks, valleys, lakes... they all come together to form a little known slice of heaven between Steamboat Springs and the Wyoming border and form some of the ribs of the Continental Divide. The best part being that it's now all accessible right out of my driveway!
     Now, here's the cherry on the sundae... I also moved in just as autumn was arriving, and North Routt is renowned for it's autumnal display. It's been a while since I posted so I figured rather than doing individual ride write-ups ad-nauseum I'd opt to get things going again with a photo collage overview of this fall's riding in and around North Routt County. Hope you enjoy the eye-candy. I know I did while riding it!

Hahn's Peak Lake

Willow Creek Pass

Sand Mountain from RCR62

A snow capped Hahn's Peak in the distance from RCR62

Steamboat Lake/Sand Mountain backdrop from FR410 above Hahn's Peak Village

Pedaling through beautiful Aspen groves on FR490.A on Hahn's Peak

The Zirkels in the distance from FR490.A on Hahn's Peak

Colorful display on FR403 just east of Clark, CO

A magnificent display looking towards the Zirkel Wilderness from FR468

More colorful Aspen groves on FR 468

Another nice display on FR468

Unnamed singletracks to explore through golden fields.

A snow capped Farwell Mountain from Pearl Lake. I had summited Farwell on my bike just a few days before the snow hit.

My trusty steed at Hahn's Peak Lake.

Zirkels in the distance from FR411 on Hahn's Peak

Steamboat Lake from Hahn's Peak

Majestic views on a gorgeous fall day from FR 411 on Hahn's Peak

More majestic views on a gorgeous fall day from FR 411 on Hahn's Peak

The foot side of Sleeping Giant(Elk Mountain) can be seen in the distance in the center of the photo, taken from the summit of Beryl Mountain next to Hahn's Peak.

Poking around at the edge of the Flat Tops

Well, it's fairly early spring here in the greater Steamboat Springs area which makes it time to start assessing the rideability one of my favorite places to do some gravel grinding, the Flat Tops Wilderness. With peaks and parks that extend up over 12,000 feet of altitude I had no doubts that I would be stopped at certain points due to snow pack but alas, one must try. Here are a few shots from a 62 mile ride that took me up every dirt road that accesses the Flat Tops between Oak Creek and Yampa.

Rio Blanco County Road 8, The road to Dunckley Pass

Entering Rio Blanco County climbing towards Dunckley Pass

Just before the end of winter maintenance on the road up to Dunckley Pass

Just a few miles up the road is closed still in early spring

Descending back down to the valley from the road closure

For anyone interested in more detail on this ride the full details are available here.

New Pedals!

Upgraded my pedals today to a new set of Shimano XT's!

Welcome!

The infamous first blog post.... hmmm... This blog will be a learning experience and an attempt to document some of the adventures my life may take me on, mostly related to biking and bikepacking. Welcome everyone and I hope you find some of this useful.