back in the saddle again

It's been unbelievably gorgeous here - in the 60s or maybe even the 70s - so this afternoon I went for a bike ride. Except that I tend to forget that it's still, technically, winter. Which is why I decided to ride up Junction Creek, which is a road that heads out of town and then turns to dirt as it enters the National Forest. I don't think it actually goes anywhere, but it climbs to some nice views, and there's an overlook I have tried once before to get to and didn't make it then, either.

Emphasis on the either, here. Just past the NF boundary the road was closed (to cars), but I rode around the gate, of course. Then I started hitting the snow. I think I did a dozen portages over the course of what I will guess was three (steep, uphill) miles. It was still fun - it was lovely! But what a trip to be sweating and hot in a sportsbra and bike shorts, the sun beating down, and have to hike across a snowbank. Man, I love Colorado.

Anyway, I finally turned around when I hit a stretch on the north side of the mountain that was deep snow for as far as I could see. But just before that I got a great view of the LaPlatas and the backside of Perins Peak, all streaked with snow. And I got covered with mud on the way down. But damn, it was fun.