Driving all night is always interesting. Usually, I am the strong one after midnight, carrying us until Shannon is rested enough to start back, usually in the daylight. It was quite the opposite this time. I was tired from the late nights of packing after work and from being sick. I have been coughing at night and it has kept me from sleeping soundly for the past two weeks. I was useless much of the night. I just couldn't stay awake as long as I normally can. We did 4-5 hour shifts behind the wheel while the other one dozed. The weather cooperated for the most part, though we did hit some nasty thunderstorms in Missouri and in Wyoming.
5am moonlight in Nebraska
A few storm clouds ahead as we cross the middle of Wyoming
The only stop for longer than 5 minutes was in Cheyenne, WY at Sierra Trading Post. We didn't score as many killer deals as last year, but I did leave with a nice pair of Carhartt pants for work. We arrived in West Jordan just before dark after a little over 24 hours of driving. Gma and Gpa had brought a little pop-up camper for us to sleep in. It was the perfect accommodation for us. We were out of everyone's way and kind of had our own little house. Perfect for a vacation!
I took three bikes again this year. This time though, there was a road bike tucked in the backseat instead of my hardtail. I brought just one mountain bike for me, the big mountain Remedy. Shannon brought my Dad's Superlight, which has been her mountain bike of choice since she started riding trails a few years ago. I was determined to hit up some of the awesome roads I saw last year. I couldn't wait to see how high I could climb!
The first morning after our arrival, I wasted no time in getting on the bike. The plan was to hit Park City and ride some of my favorite trails that I have been missing for almost a year now. I realized during preparations at the house that I had forgotten the shock pump that fits my Remedy. It has a tricky valve on the fork that requires a deep head on the pump. I brought a pump, but it was the shallow one. So, my first stop was at the local bike shop around the corner in Sandy. They didn't have a pump with a deep head, but did have an adapter that they said they use on their older Manitou forks.
I drove the back way from the valley over the mountains into Park City. The drive took me up Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd., a road that I was hoping to ride sometime in the first few days. It was a beautiful drive through the canyon and had some steeper pitches at the top as you near Guardsman Pass. The road brings you out at the top of the Park City area. I parked pretty high up the mountain and planned to hit the Deer Valley Resort trails first. I got changed, pumped up my tires and then got the new adapter out to adjust my suspension air pressure. I screwed it into the fork and SNAP! The thing snapped right off, leaving a huge chunk of metal inside my fork valve. I didn't freak out at first. There was a tab sticking up, so I grabbed some pliers and attempted to grab the tab and twist the piece out. It was a great idea, but the metal was weak aluminum and the tab popped right off. I must have moved the metal a little bit because it was enough that it engaged the needle inside the valve and let out all my air. Now I was stuck on the mountain the first day with a flat fork.
Back into the car I went. I descended down the mountain into town where I stopped in the first bike shop I came to. I went inside and asked if they had any tool that could remove the piece. They told me it would take most of the day and I should just leave the bike, but they were sure they could get it out. So I left and headed back toward SLC to eat lunch with Shannon and the crew. I got on I-80 and the phone rang. Bike was done! Heck yeah! The guy fixed it and didn't even have to replace the valve. I was so excited!
When I got back to the shop, the guy that had fixed the bike was gone to lunch. The guy that checked me out must have thought I was an idiot. He kept saying that he had never seen anyone break an adapter because nobody uses those. He also tried to tell me my bike was in bad shape and needed a full tune-up. Yeah, buddy, I don't think so. He tried to play off of what he thought was my ignorance. I checked for a shock pump and then left. They only charged me $10 to fix the fork.
This shop did not have a pump either, so I went on the lookout in every shop in town. Luckily, Park City is full of shops. Finally, I found a place with a pump that would fit! And it was $65! I almost had a cow. It's a nice Specialized pump that will also double as a frame pump for tires. It's a great trail tool, but I still was kicking myself for leaving my perfectly good pump at home.
The pain in my wallet was gone as soon as I hit the trail. It was late afternoon now, but I was finally getting to ride! I tooled around Bald Mountain for a while. It was my first ride on a mountain bike since February. Kind of sad huh? Never thought me, the hardcore mountain biker, would ever go 6+ months without riding on a trail. I felt like I hadn't lost a step though. I made a few mistakes jumping roots and things, but the Remedy is very forgiving with its six inches of suspension. It made me feel like I was just as sharp as last year, even though I know I wasn't quite as fast in the corners.
Looking toward Park City from Empire Pass
Another view of Park City from the Team Big Bear trail
Looking into the Heber Valley from the remote Bow Hunter trail
Huge dandelion along the side of Bow Hunter
Looking down on the Jordanelle Reservoir from the top of Bald Mountain
Looking west from the peak of Bald Mountain
USGS marker atop Bald Mountain. 9356 ft. elevation.
Here's the video of my first day of riding:
Day 1 video
I didn't get in as much riding as I had hoped, but the altitude made the short ride plenty long. I was exhausted after only three hours. I felt so out-of-shape. Those six hour road and mountain rides I had planned for this trip were starting to sound more like death marches. Like my fork adapter, I am feeling broken after the first day.
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