Hot dusty miles

In what is becoming habit we roll out of camp just before 10am, this in most part because it’s just too darn cold to get up before the sun reaches camp. When the sun does reach you it goes from cold in a puffy to hot in a t-shirt in a matter of minutes. 

Hot is a decent summary for the day in general, but that would leave out all the good bits.

Sections 18 is a lovely little treat, the climbs are mellow, the trail rideable and you get some great views when you pop out of the trees. The second half is in a high medow full of beautiful yellow flowers and give you a spectacular view of the valley and dome lakes in the distance. The 12 miles goes by fast and we are on the ride around the wilderness section making good time to our lunch stop by the lakes. In my head they are lovely have a nice shady spot to have lunch and offer a great opportunity to have a mid day swim.  In reality they are scummy, probably toxic and have a plenitude of dead fish dotting the surface. In addition there isn’t a lick of shade. We do find a standard well pump and pump and filter water while we eat our lunch wraps baking in the sun. While we are stopped a father son combo who are riding the divide stop to get water too. While they are stopped they share that they are averaging over 100 MILES a day... the kid is 14. 

Feeling substantially less hardcore we carry on into the hot afternoon sun and ride another 25kms before we find any shade. 

The afternoon heat drags on and we slowly make our way up and over Piñon pass and down into a verdant valley surrounded by high rock bluffs and dotted with ranches. Six kilometres of private property bring us back to national forest and we make a camp in a beautiful canyon surrounded by high rock bluffs and are lulled to sleep by the nearby stream.