Riding in august...ugh

We have had a relatively mild summer out here in the mighty, mighty Grand Valley with copious precipitation...but as we all knew deep down, the stinking hot days of August had to arrive sooner or later.

They are upon us.

There is still plenty of spectacular riding to be done though, just requires a little different approach (and a boatload of water)

Doug and Mel are guided back to the barn in the witching hour by Mount Garfield and Mount Lincoln- it is easy to be talked out of the climb over Horse Mountain (commonly referred to as the "Demoralizer") in the depths of August, and when temps cool we'll add that back onto the Palisade Classic loop.

The next afternoon Trish and I rolled out with long late afternoon shadows to put the LTR Sports Orbea demo 29er through its paces. We played with it on the forest service climbs, the loose rocky descents and the swoopy desert single track out back of Horse Mountain as the heat and light faded for the day- then rolled home along the irrigation canal in the cool, quiet pitch dark of night.
Aaaah, a most excellent adventure indeed.
(Stay tuned to see just what rig Ms Trish chooses to reward herself with when she finishes her Tour de Iraq and reinvents herself as a X-Country hardcore)

Later in the week as late afternoon temps on the Valley floor hovered around 100f, Melinda and I took it up onto the Grand Mesa and into a whole different world-

...temps in the 70s, shoulder high grasses and wildflowers going off nearly camouflaging the singletrack (a bizarre juxtaposition to the wildfire going off all week to the north).

The singletrack of the Flowing Park Loop is deceptive- especially when it is so overgrown. This was my first spin out there and I was super impressed by the challenges presented by the variability of the alpine terrain- a very cool hiatus from the steamy red rocks and ledges of Grand Junction and Fruita- complete with the flickering light of tight aspen groves and the sweet underwheel cush and crunch of evergreen stands.

Bobbing and weaving our way through the lava rock boneyard at "Land's End" we had a surreal view of the smoke plume billowing over Grand Junction- and, yet, could still make out layer after layer of colorado and Utah mountain ranges.
and it's back to the truck just as the light begins to fade beyond Flowing Park Reservoir, the squeeters burst forth for their evening meal and the temps nudge toward sweatshirt...perfecto!
Like I said, lot's to ride in august...