Thanks

Ugh...it's been 4 days since I've gotten on my bike, and, I feel terrible. The break was nice, but, not expected. I figured I'd be able to ride down in Durango, but, the snow started Thursday and didn't let up until mid-day Friday. Here's a recap of the last 4 days. Not sure how detailed it's gonna be, cuz, well, just cuz...

Wednesday Amy & I rolled out and officially got on the road after the generic "load up on food for the carride so we don't have to stop" stop to D-town about 12:30 sharp. The drive is relatively easy all the way, save for the backside of Wolf Creek in the crappy weather. We made it, without incident or snowflake, to the folks at about 6:30. Just in time for dinner! It was nice to have a few hours to chill out with the family prior to going to bed. When we woke up Thursday, there was some rain coming down, which, eventually turned to snow. The snow got progressively heavier throughout the day, and, Amy's early departure looked to potentially be in jeopardy. However, this area (as well as Colorado as a whole) gets snow all the time, and, have the whole flying in the snow thing pretty much dialed in. We enjoyed a delicious dinner of Tofurkey and vegetarian side dishes (a regular turkey was served too), then headed to the airport at about 6:00pm.

My folks neighborhood up in the hills is actually down in the Animas Valley, and the fog/low clouds loves to collect there and sock things in nicely. As we climbed highway 250, the road was getting more slippery, and the snow was blowing heavily. I could tell Amy was getting a bit antsy/nervous about not making it out, but, once we hit the edge of town, the snow ceased, albeit temporarily. The Durango Airport is on the South Eastern most tip of the city, and, the snow was worse there than anywhere else! Regardless, we made it with plenty of time to spare, and, they actually departed early. She landed safely and got to bed early for her big weekend of shooting Matisyahu's video.

Friday, I woke up to about 8 inches of snow on the ground up in Rockwood, and realized my hopes for a ride were dashed. We headed into town and hit the normal few spots for shopping...i.e Gardenswartz, Mountain Bike Specialists, and, of course, the Steaming Bean. I came out empty handed in all! However, I might send my reinforcements back into Gardenswartz for a recon mission on their sale racks. They had a sweet Cloudveil coat/ski coat on sale...about 40% off! Anyway, we returned to the house afterwards for a bout of leftovers, and, curled up on the couch to watch some Thomas the Train & Madagascar DVD's with Riley, evenutally hitting the hay around 10pm.

Saturday's wake up came early, and we headed out for the long haul back into Denver caravan style (sis/broinlaw/riley in one car, me int he prius). We stopped at Doughworks for a few breakfast burritos. I gotta say...GREATEST BREAKFAST BURRITO EVER!!!! I finally got some normal strength coffee (I love my folks, but, dang, their coffee is weak!), and we were off. The weather was a bit hairy out of Durango to Pagosa, but, the clouds broke at the start of Wolf Creek Pass, and it was just breathtaking! As the miles ticked over, the wind picked up, and, upon rolling into Salida, we were greeted with a CDOT sign of "Winter Driving Conditions Ahead. Use Extreme Caution". Normally, this doesn't bother me after 15 years of living here. I feel I am an excellent snow driver. However, the Prius having only front wheel drive vs my Subaru 4, and, knowing the few passes we'll have to cross, I definitely got concerned. As we approached Red Hill pass, I could see the fellow 2WD's coming down and figured, if they could make it, we'll have no problems,as was the case. I hit the house around 4pm and caught Amy before she went to Matis's Ogden show. It was great to see her after 2 days apart.

That Sat eve, I headed to teh Handlebar and Grill to catch up with the riding crew for a bite. Cummings, Jordo, Darren, Appleby, and a few other peeps enjoyed a very "lively" dinner, and I headed home where the early morning departure finally hit me.

Sunday I awoke to heavy snow and blustery temps. My plans for riding were again dashed, and I hadn't been on my bike since EARLY Wednesday morning (6:30am! OUCH!). I eventually just sat around on the couch all day and watched bullshit television, in between running a select few errands. I felt awful! I hate being lazy to the point where you FEEL lazy. Right now, my legs are dying for a ride, and, while I typically take Mondays off, I am going to do my best to hit the next 3 weeks as hard as possible before leaving for North Carolina for Xmas. This 3.5 week block will hopefully take it's toll, so, the rest is needed and WANTED. I've got to start transitioning to some longer rides, vs the 3-3.5 I've been doing. I miss the 4 & 5 hr voyages. I think riding without the ipod, as well as riding with the Saturday crew, has really put me into the mindset of riding a lot harder for a lot shorter period of time. I guess the proof'll be in the pudding. I have many many photos, which, I will upload in the next day or so. Until then, giddy up.