ON YER BIKE!: On dirt roads...

From September 5, 2012

Well,I'm back on my bike...kind of. I'm cleared to ride my road bike. Soo, true to form I twisted that to mean that I could ride my mountain bike on dirt roads. I have also made the case, quite convincingly to Mary, that "I'm doing it for Dinka." "She needs out so very badly." Of course, the truth is that it's me who needs out so very badly!

From September 5, 2012

A rare summer rain storm had left Moab as cool as an early Spring day. Dinka and I headed into the back country for our first ride in 7 weeks. The lingering clouds were perfect for an out of shape human and a heat sensitive little dog.

From September 5, 2012

It's amazing the perspective that only a month and a half off can give. Being freed from my wheelchair and mobile again has allowed me to appreciate all the little things one no longer notices until mobility is suddenly taken from them. The pounding of your heart, the sweat in your eyes, the intense pain in your ass from sitting on a bike seat for the first time, can all be joyous occasions to be celebrated.

From September 5, 2012

Even the Anasazi understood the pain of returning to the bike after a long absence. Pictured here is what is known as "The Birthing Scene" but it was actually a drawing of an old Anasazi women describing how bad her butt hurt after her first bike ride.

From September 5, 2012

That first day back was a good day...

From September 5, 2012

Getting up early to beat the Summer heat is something I have found annoying in the past. However, this year it's something to be savored. When injured there isn't a lot of desire to get up and get moving because, well, you can't! So getting up early for "road ride" number two was pretty sweet. Mary, Dinka and I headed out on another cloudy day to explore roads that one would never ride when tempted by all the sweet single track we have in this valley.

From September 5, 2012

My new Sugoi compression sock keeps the swelling to a minimum and is quite a fashion statement to boot. It wouldn't surprise me if you begin to see top pro roadies emulating my style after they see how much more fun my road rides are then theirs.

From September 5, 2012

That second day back was a good day...

From September 5, 2012

I had planned on not showing off our new camper, "The Rover" until we were finished painting it, but with its first adventure now in the books it is hard not to show it off. Especially with the story fitting in so well with the dirt road theme of this blog post.

From September 5, 2012

We set out after a crazy stormy night to link Fruita to Rangely by jeep trails and roads. We'd stop and explore by bike when the mood struck us, helping me to get my road ride fix for the weekend. The storms however were quite intense, leaving big mud holes and washed out roads to deal with. All was well getting over Baxter Pass, only using four wheel drive a few times.

From September 5, 2012

We were seriously in the middle of nowhere, ninety miles by trail from Fruita when we came across the worst wash out of them all.

From September 5, 2012

We got the truck across, but the camper wasn't going. The cut was 6 ft deep and more then a tire across guaranteeing a roll over if I tried to drag it through the chasm. Luckily there was an old rotten log nearby that seemed like it 'might' be strong enough to support a 2000 pound camper. Just in case it wasn't we stuffed the spare tire in the hole and the table from inside the camper. Being that I could no longer back up, or go forward, this solution HAD to work.

From September 5, 2012

I told Mary to hold down the shutter button on the camera. If the camper flipped at least it would make for a great photo. Well....the log broke. But....momentum was on our side. Our little Rover will live to wander another day.