Thursday morning I cruised down to Auburn to ride one of my favorites, the Forest Hill Divide Trail. The parking lot was PACKED with vehicles totting empty bike racks, but much to my surprise I found the trails rather vacant. I was also thankful for the vast trail improvements that had been put in place since the last time I was on the trails. I took it easy and enjoyed my 65-degree sunny day off.
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Ride details can be found here.
Abdul's mother graciously provided us with a wonderfully prepared bird and we (Abdul, Zarah, Adam and I) provided all the other fixings. And for the four of us, there was definitely not a shortage of food. We rounded out the evening making music with full stomachs and happy hearts. Oh... and then Abdul and I found some Karaoke at Coopers in N.C.
Friday was another beautiful day so I got up early and headed for another bike ride. I got an early start so I could have time to get to Sugar Bowl to pick up my season's pass and then head to Reno to the Sierra Trading Post outlet for some x-mas shopping. I picked a trail that I've hiked a bit and always wanted to try on bike; it was also high in the mountains on the way to Reno. The Grouse Ridge Loop is a beautiful, under used hiking, and even less used biking trail that circumnavigates several glacier lakes in the massive granite formed Sierras. It's about a 40 minute drive northeast on hwy 20 and another 40 minutes drive into the Nation Forest on roads that look like they were designed to eat Chevy Malibus. Once back there, I could have sworn I was in the middle no where without a soul to be seen - A much welcomed treat from the migraine-headache inducing 'holiday cheer' ramping up for the 2008 season becoming evident throughout urban USA.
Grouse Ridge is primarily a hiking trail that sees one or two bike every couple of weeks. The trail is a moderate hike or a strenuous bike ride. Due to both snow and rock gardens the day turned into more of a nature hike with a bike as an extra complication than a mountain bike ride. I still greatly enjoyed the day just being alone in the peaceful wilderness doing what I enjoy.
Some of the bolder fields the trail went through.
One of the many glacier formed lakes the trail skirts around.
A little waterfall created from the natural spillway of a lake.
Another glacier lake, this one with some bushes growing in it, I wonder what this looks like in the summer at full bloom?View Larger Map
The loop I had intended to ride is comprised of two loops and is actually about a third longer. I turned back after about 1 mile of the southeastern loop because the trail was in pretty bad shape. Ride details can be found here.
Once I reached the car I was far too tired to do anything else (like pick up my Season's Pass and check out Sierra Trading Post) besides drive home, and that even proved to be a challenge.
Friday night I tagged a long with Abdul as he painted up the street of Nevada City. The bars were slamming for once on account of everyone being home for Thanksgiving. I felt like I lived in a town that actually had a night life for once!
Saturday, after a slow start, several of us (Abdul, Amil, Jimmy, Michelle, Kristin, Myself and 3 others who's names have escaped me) ate brunch at Ike's in NC. Normally I would leave such mundane details out, but it was at this brunch that my weekend plans became abruptly altered. Saturday and Sunday were beautiful days and I had planned on using them by hitting up some more great trails, picking up my pass, and doing a little x-mas shopping (and, if super productive, maybe even a little engineering). Unfortunately though, as I was entertaining a youngster, the little devil accidentally poked me in the right eye with his little, sharp, pinkie nail. I can't say so for sure (because I did not see a doc), but I'd say his little serrated finger nail sliced a tiny cut into my eye causing a rather uncomfortable sensation for the remainder of the weekend. Whatever it was, just focusing the eye caused enough aggravation to stop me in my tracks. So for the remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday I was reduced to my pillow, I could not read, watch TV, drive and for sure not ride without the eye tearing up and forcing itself shut. The aggravation ensued until Wednesday, when my eye finally healed and I got back to 100%. And boy was I thankful.
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