The small frickin loop. The trail gods did not give us an easy time of it yesterday.
I have pics but the net isn’t playing nice, so here’s one of Bear’s.
The litany of errors and mishaps:
-Everyone was late, in various ways.
-I couldn’t recall the precise location of the trailhead by the recycling plant, or the correct route up to Airport Mesa.
-Slow leak in the front tire, and a pump (mine) that wouldn’t work.
-Front goes flat for real an hour later. Hole in my spare tube and a hasty patch job that initially didn’t work.
-Chad flats, realizes one of his spare tubes is a schrader.
-Sean almost drops his bike in the creek creeping across icy rock.
-Sean almost drops himself in the creek ~60 seconds later doing the same thing.
-“Interesting” route finding and hike-a-bike past the Cow Pies.
-Chad actually drops his bike 12 feet down a steep rock slope.
-Lost chainring bolt (mine).
-Cold stream crossing.
-Front flat on the road, 1/2 mile from the bike shop, for no reason at all.
-Brain dead and/or stoned shop employees.
-Loosening left crankarm on the way up to the trailhead to meet back up with the crew.
-Chad’s car taking ~2 hours to start this morning (diesel, baby).
All told: more mechanicals in one day than I’ve had in the thousands of miles of riding all damn year.
Instances of fortune:
-Gorgeous clear and crisp late fall weather.
-BLUE sky.
-Snow hiding in the north slopes (see above w/r/t ice).
-Kickass, kickass technical trail riding (the south side of Airport is just fantastic).
-Being told “your’s doesn’t have any springs?!” by cute female hikers while riding (very well) down the above.
-New, brilliant, burly, backcountry trail.
-Aching shoulders from 6k of SS climbing in 28 miles.
-Sparkling, fresh Hef from the Oak Creek Brewery.
-Chad’s car taking ~2 hours to start this morning.
C’est la vie.
Bedrock & Paradox 
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