Monday, August 30, 2010

Aspen Vista Ride



Yesterday we drove up to Santa Fe where the temperatures are cooler and the views incredible. We wanted to test out our 80s vintage mountain/touring bikes. There's Lane with his all-chrome Ross. Aspen Vista is off the winding and climbing road to the Santa Fe Ski Area. We've done this ride before-actually we seem to do it annually and right about this time of year. It is a steady climb on a forest road and is enjoyed by hikers, cyclists and dogs.

Although heavily traveled toward the bottom, we had the road to ourselves as we inched toward the top. We saw mountain jays, ravens, chipmunks and squirrels and lots of fungi. Here were just a few examples:







The route we usually take makes a loop--from the trailhead, to the ski area, down the ski slopes and along the road back to the car. On this day we almost made it to the ski area. We were both exhausted and I was worried about what looked like an incoming monsoon.

 

The ride down was swift and over too fast. The storm never materialized and we enjoyed an early dinner in town before hitting the road back. As I rode to the co-op today I was reminded about just how hard my legs were worked. Satisfying.

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