Two days short of my XX birthday and Fall has quickly disappeared in the Rockies after the last big snow storm. The colors of the trees are gone, given way to grays and silvers of the denuded trees. The shed leaves cover the ground and the trail, matted together by the moisture. Traveling the path at a high speed requires a good memory since the rocks are now hidden beneath the leaves, their points camouflaged by the now earth toned foliage. Slower and steadier through the twists and turns.
It’s tights and long sleeves season now. That always makes me self conscious as I ride the streets toward the trail head. Full finger gloves cut the wind but the cold is starting to work its way in until I can build up some heat. A mile or two in and temperature inside is able to counteract the increasing cold. I thought I would beat the incoming storm out but it seems instead that headed out just as the front edge was pushing over the mountains and down into the front range. Calm gave way quickly to the leading winds of the pressure change.
I’ll admit it. I hate riding in the wind. In the upright position of a mountain bike your torso becomes a sail and sometimes, no matter how hard you pedal, you don’t seem to make any forward progress. Worse yet, yesterday witnessed that weather anomaly that remains a mystery; the multi-direction wind. Normally, unless you ride out in a perfect circle, you will face one general direction going out and the opposite coming back in. Yesterday, the wind managed to track me and blow against me both ways every time I came out of the trees into the open. If the Wind ever establishes a facebook page, I will not be a fan.
Despite it all, it’s hard to beat a ride, isn’t it?
LOVE | ACCEPT | FORGIVE 