8/6/13

Rode Dead Cattle today. The rain we had Friday night and then Sunday night eroded parts of the trail so badly hat I had to hike the bike a bit. The first and second big climbs were bad. The section of trail that comes out of the arroyo just before Rattlesnake Hill was the worst though. The water had taken out huge chunks of the bank leaving holes 1 to 2 feet deep in the trail.

I had thought to do Nessie's Humps as well but didn't feel up to challenge today so just did the basic loop.

Mud, Mud & More Mud

Decided to go down to the Corrales bosque along the Rio Grande. I was hoping that the sandy areas that everyone tries to avoid would be firmer and they were but there was so much mud and veggie matter mixed-in that for long portions my tires were rolling adobe bricks. The tires could not shed mud fast enough. Bike got a good wash afterward.

8/4: A Hawk, Loose Bolts and A New Trail

Starting from the second access for Two Wash Loop I went up Second Wash Trail instead of coming down it. I managed to scare a large hawk, probably a red tail, that was perched on top of a juniper.
I couldn't get my left cleat to clip in so I stopped and examined it and both bolts were loose. This is the same shoe & cleat that gave me problems several weeks ago. I tightened them up the best I could (didn't have an allen wrench) but would lose one of them by the end of the ride.

Part way up Second Wash Trail I turned right onto a cattle path and followed it up and out of the wash. After following a couple of dirt roads I came to another cattle path which came out across from one of the openings in the fence along 29th Rd (check google maps). Turning right I rode part of the Big 8 and then  back across 29th and then down the return trip on Second Wash.

Conditions: Humidity - about 55%; Wind - a gentle breeze; Temperature - Lows 70s F; Tread -  mostly firm, but soft in a few places which surprised me because of the rain we have been having.