day of the dead

happy halloween everyone!

October Skies

The boy enjoyed his first rocket launch with his Cub Scout Troop: dunno who had more fun, the kids or the Dads! Must admit its fun being a Dad to a Cub Scout, you get to relive childhood a bit yourself. Luved the image of kids and grown men alike chasing wayward rockets thru fields of chamisa, sage, cholla on the West Mesa. I think the boy had more fun chasing to tell the truth!

Area 51: MountainBike App

A new feature debuts: Area 51. Showcasing technology and gadgets that make for more fun in the outdoors.

First up, some technology we can all get behind: MountainBike, a new mountain bike trail App available for the iphone. Search for trails, trailhead directions, trail ratings, nearby bike shops, pretty schweet.

Singletracks: ABQ Foothills North

ABQ North Foothills is simply a blast to ride! Flowy singletrack predominates and yet there's still enuf tech riding to satisfy the rockhound in ya. And yet it proves a mere 15 minutes from la casa de Roughriders.

Popular trailhead access is via Spain, Montgomery (Embudito), ABQ Tram, and Elena Gallegos Picinic Area. You'll find there's a nominal fee req'd to access via the Tram or EGPA, making Spain and Embudito the more logical choice for regular riding. Embudito also offers a bonus mile of tread before you intersect the track coming up from Spain, making Embudito my preferred launch point for ABQ FH North.

To begin from Embudito TH, you'll initially follow the venerable Trail 365, then onto various linked trails to circumnavigate the Elena Gallegos bowl. General traffic trends counter-clockwise, however I mix it up once in a while to vary the climbs and downhills. You can string together various loops and figure-eights to highlight sections to your liking, there's really a ton of mileage to be discovered. Highlights are noted on the map, just start double-clicking and zooming to explore around.

ABQ FH North is popular with runners in the AM, hikers all day long, you'll want to watch your speed on the blind corners. All users seem to get along, please maintain good ettiquette to keep things friendly up there. Wildlife seems mostly limited to cottontails, prolly a symptom of the trail's popularity. Keep an eye open for rattlesnakes however, esp on the northern trails in the height of summer, I've skipped a few heartbeats the last few years.

There are a coupla neat options to consider:

1. Snake Cuttoff: a Roughrider favorite skirting the Elena Gallegos picnic area on the north. Ride it downhill but of course, a flowy, curvy, ton of fun, made more so by recent water bar work that'll give the daring a bit of air.
2. Water Tower extension: you can add a coupla miles to your ride by heading north off Chipped Tooth toward the Tram/Water Tower TH. Ride this leg as an out-and-back to keep from poaching the Wilderness trail a bit to the East (patrolled).
3. More fun (and mileage!) to be had by stringing together ABQ FHs North and South. By hugging 365 leaving the South Foothills area, you'll be shunted onto Glenwood Hills Drive for just about 2 miles before you head up to Embudito Trailhead. Treating NFH as a lollipop, you can head back down to SFH, a ride of 18-20 miles, pretty schweet for its proximity to ABQ's outskirts.

ABQ Openspace Map of Elena Gallegos

ABQ Foothills- North

mountain biking the aspens 2009

Wow, where to begin? I guess it began with a collective vow to return to the scene of last month's crime: Winsor Trail, SFNF.

What could possibly make that epic ride better?

How bout bombing down trails newly paved gold by the shower of aspen leaves?

Or maybe crisp blue skies, with yesterday's dusting of snow still lingering on the north slopes,

and grove after grove of slender aspens at the peak of their glory?

How bout ear to ear grins....

and sharing a moment of laughter?

...to say nothing of the welling of pride at the sight of twin bright flames, unquenchable in their element.

What of marveling at the world awash in gold.....

........and copper.....

....and the myriad of colors between?

How bout the freedom in napping away a tiring ascent, immersed in a tawny high-mountain meadow?

How about good tread?

All this, and sharing the moment with your favorite people on the planet?









Yeah, that might do it!

mjh

Cross Training

ABQ Roughriders ditch the bikes for 5k run this am

The boy ran the kids K afterward....he's a runner that one!

Kids both placed 1st! Darlin Wife: 3rd! Me, well, they don't give out hardware for 4th place. ABQ Roughriders all top 5 finishers tho', not too shabby!

Signs of Fall

ABQ Balloon Fiesta 2009. Tip: we took advantage of the new Bike Valet service, worked out sweet enuf. We parked in vacant lot adjacent to north diversion channel bike path, just where it crosses under Paseo. Balloon fiesta park proved just about 10min bike ride away,

Dawn Patrol kept us entertained on the ride in, some more than others: the boy crashed his bike twice, eyeballing the balloons instead of concentrating on his riding, can't say I blame him, it was awe-inspiring allright!

Winsor Trail: Parte Deux

winsor trail, SFNF

Big Tesuque TH

wow

aspen vista trail

refueling at the Shed, SF

fish can't read

New 'zine hit the interwebs, check it out! Fish Can't Read
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Today's ride

Signs of Fall