Just gotta ride :)

[MacDuncan 131]

Another Saturday morning rolled in after a long work week, the kind of week that also keeps the chores at home from getting done during the week, and that seems to guide the "task vs fun" balance for the weekend.  That, along with some recent injuries had me realizing that I hadn't been on my bike for over a month. Then, Bagstr posts Colorado info and that reminds me that I should get some miles in so I can be multi-day ride fit before mid-July.  Then Greenhorn shares that he riding, no matter solo or with a bud, and bsham takes off on an adventure too....  Thank goodness for this website - So ..... I look down at my gardening gloves and think, what the heck am I doing pulling weeds like an old fart when I could be out riding somewhere - anywhere!!?!, So I call a bud to meet me and ride knowing that I will likely be going solo.  He gives me grief for calling him at 9:30 am to meet me an hour away at 11, but says sure.  Good buddy!   Coming from different parts of the County, we meet at the Yeti, or sasquach,  at 11:30 (Ranchita in case you don't know).  I already had a route chosen, and he said sure.  We took off on a couple mid-size orange dual sports and zipped over to Warner Springs, then out Lost Valley, knowing that although that paved single lane begs to zip zam zoom, there could always be some truck wandering the other way, dag nab it.  Once we passed the campground, we started to dance on the bikes (it wasn't pretty, but I was at one with my partner , and sometimes the bike led the dance even though I had intended to do all the leading). The Anza route from the glider port seems to been recently scraped, but it was fantastic dirt and it felt a million miles away on a true adventure.  We hit the 371 and gassed up as we had intended to ride down bautista(?), which I hadn't done before, but my buddy said that he had never done Thomas mountain before, and our goal was to go up Bee canyon, so Thomas mountain it was.  Wow, he and I rode the entire Thomas mountain from the east entrance all the way through to the orange groves and did not pass even 1 car...either direction,  on a Saturday (only 2 mountain bikers), That sure seems like a rare treat!  I was going about as fast as I could being respectful to blind curves, hikers, and Mountain bikers such that I could always stop if there was action around the corner.  Although.... I may have had a few long skids from entering a corner a little too hot.  When we popped out of the orange groves, we were only a few hundred yards away from Bee canyon.  When we entered Bee Canyon, and it was different world,  as we passed many jeeps, trucks, other motorcycles, quads, lots of dudes shooting guns, the nastiest white silt that offered ZERO visibility for 1.5 seconds a few times, and that was far too much time to be on a rocky mountain road with traffic to be riding blind. And, I hit a swarm of bees, and one little sob slipped under my chin strap and gave me a big nasty sting on my neck - grrr.  However, after about 6-7  miles, we seemed to be back alone just in time for my buddy (a much better rider than this rookie) to turn off the main route and lead us up some gnarly step slippery 4s01? trail that was supposed to be intermediate for bikes, but advanced for all other vehicles. It was beyond my skill set, so I felt lucky to have had only one slo-mo tumble sliding backwards at 3 mph , definitely was beyond my comfort zone.  But, once at the top, No big deal  - haha.  We then looked down upon the original trail that looked like it was headed more towards Idyllwild, but we were headed north.  I didn't know there were so many beautiful tracks up in that area since my hiking trips usually had me going over towards the PCT, or the San Jacinto peak, and my mountain bike trips usually have me playing on the Hurkey Creek side of the ridge.  But West of Idyllwild, oh my, very nice indeed. We eventually hopped out on the 243 and had to go 6-9 miles south to get back to Idyllwild for gas, and a stop at the Lumbermill pub for a burger and a cold one. Once refueled, bikes and riders, we decided to take the hiway to Anza before hitting dirt again.  It was around 6 pm and as we passed Hemet Lake, the shadows were long and the smell of pine strong....  so Damn nice!!  Then a turn on 371 to get back to Anza to find dirt again and this time the bike let me lead a higher percentage of the time as we worked our way back towards Warner Springs.  A smooth, brisk, but cautious ride down to the gliderport and an quick ride back to Ranchita, and of course, a celebratory brew.  A great day with excellent conditions except the last 100 yards in Ranchita where the wind was blowing HARD, and COLD.  165 miles of getting back on the horse.  All good, just a quick Saturday Wander, and not too many aches today, except for that darn bee sting   .  Hope to see ya on the trails.  Cheers. 

[Wierdrider 187]

Nice wander about, I still need to get up Thomas mountain and Bee canyon.

 I did a little bit of wandering on the Wee up there on Saturday ( just getting ready to write up a rr ). 

 It's unlike you not insert a photo or two.