Playing in the mud at Calvin Crest and at home

While most folk were racing at Platte River, Paul, Joel and I decided to hit up Calvin Crest to see how the riding would be. All I can say is wow, the place always amazes me. It was in great condition, we had to push a tree off the trail but that was about it. Besides nearly losing my bike on the road, nobody got injured during the ride. All in all it was a great day of riding!

Paul and his new Krampus

So my buddy Joel hasn't been on the trails in about many many years, since he lived in Pennsylvania. I was expecting him to bring his full suspension Cannondale. I told him how easy Calvin Crest is to ride, not much climbing, one of the more tame trails in the THOR network. He called me Saturday morning after already leaving his house, telling me that he had watched a video online and wasn't sure what to expect. He was thinking Mopac trail like, somehow he got it in his mind that there were multiple types of trails at Calvin. Especially after I had talked it down just to get him out to ride with us. Whoops, and that is where I had made my mistake. I asked him which bike he was bringing. His new All City cross bike. HIS CROSSBIKE??? Is it too late to turn around and get your full sus rig? I'm already on the road. Alright then, see you there. I hung up...and just chuckled. It was gonna be a long ride for Joel!

Joel and his new All City

Well Joel actually did alright. Besides not being able to stop too well with the canti brakes, he kept up with us most of the ride. Log crossings didn't even stop him. Until near the end. One mistake sent him flying off the bike. A mistake like that and its hard to ride the same afterward. Hoping he had fun anyways!

Great work to those that put in the new section of trail. It is SWEET! Very long, swoopy climbs and downhills like Jewell, and there is a slight drop off while going down a steep decline. I had to look at it first and think about it. The bypass was just as steep and hairy looking!

It doesn't look like much of a dropoff, and its not. But its fairly steep

It was a tight turn

It was a steep hill. And yes, his bike is way over there

Two creek crossings were enough to get the bike covered in mud. They were fun, but not sure how it'll sustain repeated use this year. We ended the ride with a trip to the Wooden Windmill, that was closed. Ended up eating at Irv's where I had the large New Yorker and a crap ton of beer. I was already dozing off on the ride home (Paul drove) from the food coma!

That was the large sandwich. Not to be confused with the small sandwich, the 1/2 small sandwich, or the 1/2 large sandwich. All of which are choices at Irv's in Fremont.

Playing in the mud:

 Tomatoes, red and green peppers, jalepeno, hot peppers, and basil.  

I planted a ton of stuff this weekend. Playing in the mud after playing in the mud. In the front I planted Asiatic Lillies, Colombines, Impatiens, some Juncus twisty grass, and some blue flowers. This neighborhood looks dull, needed to liven up the neighborhood with some color! My house is the only one with any flowers. Let's see how long I can keep them alive!