Sunday, January 13, 2013

secret stash


What with winter doldrums upon us, it's easy to get jaded with the lack of diversity the weather offers ABQ by way of riding. Around here, the middle of winter leaves us but a few of options with clear singletrack- White/Red Mesa, Placitas, and our adjacent foothills.
 

It's always right around mid January when the days are shortest, the cold most wretched, that my usual loops seem all played out, bleh.

Add to that, we've been beset by a covert trail sanitizer since way back into summer. Our beloved trails are unmistakably under attack- rocks and obstacles removed, vegetation cut back, technical sections slowly smoothed and widened akin to a jogging path. Sigh.


To beat those blahs back, lately I've taken to exploring 'new' trails in our foothills- little used by bikers for one reason or another. Each one narrow, sketchy, offering a bit of a challenge to this weekend warrior.


And not yet on The Sanitizer's radar.


Here's hoping they stay that way.



6 comments:

  1. I can sympathize with you about the Sanitizer. I have a local WMA piece of public hunting land that is adjacent to a State Rec Area. Lately it has been hacked apart by park officials who have been carving trail after trail through the woods. Eventually there won't be any woods left after they get done making the outdoors "safer and more accessible"!
    Whatever happened to the wild in wildlife???

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    1. So true. What gets me is the short-sidedness of it all. Once sanitized, you can't bring them back. Just as you can't grow new rocks, you can't convert a jogging path back into challenging singletrack. Vandalism, pure and simple- hope they catch the jackwagons responsible. Mjh

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  2. Mike can I commission you to do my photography? Stunning pictures as usual.

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    1. Thx Howard- yet another way to beat back the winter blahs! ;-) m

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  3. Mike - I used to have a great setup over by La Luz. Darn near impossible to describe though. But eventually I'd get over to the Piedra Lisa trail and even ride the legal part as an out and back. Singletrack, roads, a few out and backs, but pretty much all to myself. And if you want some hike a bike you can always ride the rides in the Juan Tabo basin...lots of stuff back there.

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    1. That's precisely my thinking these days- get onto those tracks I've overlooked in plain sight. Just to sample some new tread- have found a couple of gems already. Thx for the tips on JT Matt, stay warm up there. Mjh

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