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.