Wind Songs: Shower, Food And A Nap

Yesterday I went for a bike ride.

I rode a borrowed mountain bike for a few months when I first arrived in Juneau.

But have not been on a bike since last June.

My Mountain Boy and I dragged my bike out of the storage shed and quickly realized that the back wheel was "dragging" and that it needed to be taken into a bike shop for some TLC.

LCs bike frame is a little too big for me, but I have ridden it before and quickly decided that I would be riding it again.

After many years on a bike, and after spending more hours than I could count riding trails close to my house down in Tennessee (the only place that I continue to miss after 15 months because I spent years running and biking on the trails and kayaking on the lake and truly loved that place) it felt very foreign to get back on a bike.

Did I have any bike fitness left? Could I climb any hills at all? Did I even remember how to clip into the spd pedals? I had no idea but was eager to find out.

I lowered LCs bike seat, successfully clipped in and rode out of the gravel and dirt driveway, turned right and rode to the end of the road testing the bike out.

It felt very good.

And it felt great being on a bike again.

After testing out the waters I rode past our driveway, waved goodbye and happily rode down the road.

The same road I had walked in the mud and snow with Jamie a few days ago.

Only now the snow was gone and the road had quickly dried out again, becoming its usual dusty self............

I had told LC before I left that since this was my first time on a bike in a long time I would be staying on the dirt and paved roads close to home.

Of course I did not do that.

Within 10 minutes of leaving the house I found myself on BLM land (as I probably subconsciously always knew I would) and very excitedly rode on dirt pathways in terrain free of homes and people and dogs and horses.

There was nothing out there but wide open.

Riding off road feels so different from simple "road riding" and I was very happy to be here, instantly moving from biking to exploring mode.

It felt very natural and I quickly remembered how much I liked to ride.

What was here? I wanted to find out..............

LCs bike at a trail intersection.

I took these pictures while debating which way to go..........

I decided to climb a small hill so that I would be up on higher ground and could better determine in which direction I wanted to travel.

I did not make the hill - I would like to put it down to being in the wrong gear and stalling out half way up, and that was part of it.

But in reality I am as rusty as hell. I was in too big of a gear and I did stall out, but a year ago I would have made that hill without a problem.

Cutting myself some uncharacteristic slack I walked my bike up the rest of the hill and looked around.

I am not used to so much space.

It seems endless and I could see for miles in every direction.

I took a long look around, used Heart Mountain in one direction and the snow-packed mountain range in another direction as place markers, picked a trail and rode on...........

The remains of an animal leg found on the side of the trail.

I also saw the full remains of a deer down in the valley during this trip.........

After riding for only about 20 minutes I came across a fence line and gate blocking my path and assumed that I was hitting private property.

The sign on the gate indicated that the gate was still on BLM land, and it asked people to close the gate behind them.

Happy that I could continue on the same path I looked doubtfully at the gate, which was a complicated mess of wood and barbed wire, and decided that it would be easier to simply haul my bike over the gate and crawl underneath it. A lot simpler than messing with a dubious looking gate.

Bike haul - no problem.

Crawling underneath the gate though quickly became a non-issue when I saw how muddy it was, and I ended up squeezing between wooden posts and barbed wire.

My bike shoes were full of mud by the time I was done, but me and bike both made it through the obstacle in the trail unscathed and I was ready and eager to continue on.

After standing on a sage bush I took my bike shoes off, banged them together to get off the worst of the mud, tied them back up and moved on again.

Before moving on though I called LC to let him know I was out on BLM land.............

Riding another 20 minutes I again came across a gate, which this time indicated that I was hitting private property.

Unperturbed, and still greatly enjoying not only my bike ride, but also the freedom of space and the beauty of the sunny day, I turned around and headed back the way I had come.............

Making my way back to the gate I had maneuvered previously I stopped and considered my options.

I could climb back through the fence again and just head back towards the house.

Or I could climb back through the fence again, take a left and head into the hills.

And then I looked to my right.

Low land - hills - more hills in the background.........

The house backed onto BLM land...........

I made the decision to try and find my way back to the house via BLM instead of heading back onto the roads.

WHAT FUN!!

I smiled inwardly. Life was good.

I maneuvered precariously down this hill that was a little gnarlier than it looks in the picture.

Not gnarly like some of the rooty and rocky downhills I used to encounter during training in Tennessee, and definitely not like some of the ridiculous downhills I confronted in races, but for an out-of-shape-newbie-again-mountain-biker it was one small challenge in an exciting and challenging outing............

Once down in the low lying valley I quickly wondered if I had made a mistake.

It took only a few minutes before both tires became full of mud and I had to walk my bike.

And with the mud accumulating on both the tires and the bike frame the wheels finally stopped rolling altogether.

A couple of times I knocked and dug mud out from between the back wheel and the bike frame, but within a minute it was again full of mud.

Eventually I found myself wearing bike shoes completely covered with mud carrying a bike completely covered with mud.

Fun times...........

It was a crazy situation to be in, but honestly I was having a really really good time.

I was calm and peaceful (and muddy) and eventually I found myself standing beside this creek.

It was sunny and warm and I was alone in a lovely place............

The trail I eventually came across close to the creek.

By this time the ground was getting drier, and I was not yet able to walk my bike, but could now at least push it again...............

Found on the bank of the creek............

As I continued to follow both the trail and the creek I became aware of two things:

1. I was going to have to cross the creek eventually in order to be able to continue in the direction I needed to go

2. I was going to have to find a way to get my bike up and over the sandy and rocky hill close to the creek.

As I continued to push my bike and take pictures I began to scope out a way to get across the creek (hopefully without getting wet - a nicety but not a necessity) and a possible route up and over the immediate hill...........

Made it across the creek with dry feet and only one wet wheel.

Good enough..........

Finding a deer trail up and over the hill.

At the top of this one there was one more rise (I had forgotten from adventure racing - there's ALWAYS one more rise) but made it without incident.

Enjoying the effort.

Enjoying the adventure...............

The view from the top of the hill.

These pictures do not do it justice.

They do not clearly demonstrate just how big this place is. Nor how green everything is slowly, but very surely, getting.

It was a clear day and I could see forever.............

After spending more than a few minutes standing looking out over forever I turned and looked at the landscape in front of me.

It was vast.

OK - Heart Mountain over my left shoulder. Snow pack mountain range at 6 o'clock. Trail going in the right direction.

I was good-to-go................

After biking in open plain country for about 20 minutes I surprisingly came across a small herd of cattle grazing.

A small herd minus one.

I have no doubt that this huge animal, sitting alone 100 yards from the rest of the herd, and sitting tightly against the fence line, was in labor.

I watched her from a distance for a few minutes and debated whether or not to hold up for a while to see if I could witness this new birth.

I was quite a way from her but in the end was concerned about being an upsetting presence, and quietly but reluctantly continued on............

I could see Heart Mountain.

And the snow pack mountain range.

And the horse farm with all the red buildings the next road down from where I lived.

And the power lines.

I knew where the house was, and by this time I was consciously trying to make my way closer to the power lines which were very close to the house.

Surprisingly I ran smack into private fenced property, and had to take a very large and unexpected detour.

By this time I had been roaming the streets and trails and mud holes and creeks and valleys and hill tops for the better part of three hours and was getting both tired and hungry.

I had had a very great time out there but was ready to go home, take a shower, eat some food and take a nap.........