KRob said:
Hope you can make it, Matt. But leaving the wife with a scout fundraiser to go ride sounds like trouble to me. At least it would be in my home. Friends of Scouting time? I've been in charge of that for like the past 5 years..... I got off the hook this year
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When you come out at the top of Red Valley how far do you go down before crossing over? I think the swoopy section from the top of Devils Escalator down to the crossover by the tank (heading in the CC direction) is some of the funnest ST on the loop. It looks like you cut that off on your route. That and the ride down Red Valley just make it really hard for me to even consider riding that loop clockwise. Why do you like it better clockwise?
I'm the Stake FOS Chair this year and we are pretty much done -- minus 1 or 2 wards. Friday is our wards annual YM/YW fundraiser/cake auction/service auction.
I used to like riding the single track from the top of Escalator down to the overlook -- but that trail is really different (wider) and less likely to run into a joshua tree than when I started riding out there. I don't know if the trail itself has changed that much of if additional travel or technology on my bike has made the section less exciting.
I feel the same about Red Valley, it has become such a freeway. You can go as fast as you want without some of the technical features to make it interesting. I'd rather climb on the boring stuff and weave my way down the technical and rocky stuff. I know, I must be very weird!
I've attached a photo from last nights ride showing a little of what I'm talking about. The trail used to have a sweet rolling drop with a root drop in this section. I've drawn lines across where the trail tread used to be. It used to be fun little section -- now it is just a straight shot. I remeber that root from the first time I rode that trail in the fall of '93. Also the rain never used to run down the trail there - now it does. I have to figure out what we can do protect that section from water and make it more fun to ride. Maybe we can rebuild the humps and rock armor the trail tread. That red clay is the challenge - I don't want to change the character of the trail. But, we have to do something to prevent further erosion from making it even worse. There is that one rock drop that still brings a grin to my face when descending Red Valley though.
I think I want to try the Bonnie and Clyde (BLM's New 33 trail) from Latenight one of these days. It's the trail that goes up Red Valley past the over look and down the Valley east of Cottonwood/Red Valley. We use the upper section of that valley on the Blue Diamond to Jean ride and I have never ridden it all the way back. I bet the trail is nearly invisible with plant growth this year -- besides it's not a trail that gets much use anyway. It has peaked my interest for an adventure ride.
matt
PS. You guys pick up a gold adjuster cap on the trail today? I noticed my fork lost the rebound adjustment knob during my ride yesterday.
