Freedomflyer 1,770 Posted October 10, 2022 (edited) Had an awesome weekend, was my wife's birthday. The anniversary weekend was going to be a tough act to follow but.......not so much, was a gorgeous day that turned out to be so much more than we had expected. We had invited several friends to come join us for a planned ride but none of them could make it. Football games, sickness, yard work, just too much stuff going on. In the end it worked out for the best. I'm learning that time spent one on one with the bride of my youth is very special. We love to take others on our rides but with that comes expectations and sometimes unneeded pressure. Our rides alone are much more relaxed and laid back. No worries of others getting weary, or impatient with time spent exploring new trails. Best to explore, get familiar with the area, then share. This weekend was just that. A ride with no pressure, no push to be back by a certain time. Just go ride some new areas and get done when we get done. Wasn't sure how the day was going to be, drove into fog that lasted for 45 miles, drove out of it about 5 miles before our destination. We went to one of our favorite areas seeking some new trails that connect with ones we are familiar with. We weren't disappointed. The day was perfect, temperature wise, not a stitch of wind, barely a cloud in the sky and a starting temp of around 50°. Cool enough for a sweatshirt or jacket, but not cold. Decided to start at the top of the pass which is on the continental divide. We drove over an overpass above the I-90 interstate, and connected with a gravel road that would, after a couple of miles, take us onto a forested trail. The trail opened onto a winding maintenance road underneath a major 5 wire power line for about 3 miles. There were some pretty amazing fall colors as well as some very interesting rock formations. This area is really unique, has huge granite rocks jutting out of the ground as well as randomly sitting on top of other rocks. Some of them are huge, no idea how big until you get right up next to them. After working our way down the maintenance road/ trail, we went back into the trees onto a two track then onto a roadway that lead to a familiar trail. We worked our way back to the trails we frequently ride via a culvert tunnel under I-90, then down to a beautiful little area next to a creek for some lunch. The colors were just popping amidst the rocky mountain junipers and pine trees. After lunch we decided to drive an unfamiliar trail that I suspected would take us below an old trestled train bridge. I was correct and it took us down into the bottom of a drainage that crossed a small creek on a cool atv bridge. From there we worked our way out of the drainage back up to another familiar trail. After reaching the top, we decided it was getting late in the day and should probably back track to some other familiar trails and work our way up to where we had parked. We moved through the trails quicker than expected and git back to the truck at about 4:30. Decided it was too early to quit and went back out to hit some more unexplored trails. We found a couple loops that took us to some really neat areas that had some spurs coming into them from some other trails we had been on but had turned around due to time constraints. We know now we can connect this with other looped rides in the future. We were so thankful to get out, and have the day together, we put on about 45 miles by the time we got back to the truck. Loaded up and headed home. Pulled in about 7:15 which is almost dark now but witnessed a huge moonrise on the way home. Sprayed the machines down, filled them with gas and reloaded for the ride we took today. We are trying to get as many in before the snow flies. Hope you enjoy the pics. Edited October 10, 2022 by Freedomflyer 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freedomflyer 1,770 Posted October 10, 2022 A little lunch then some more exploring. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freedomflyer 1,770 Posted October 10, 2022 Not quite ready to be done so a bit more exploration. 3rd pic in, the only red we saw all day. 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fishfiles 19,695 Posted October 10, 2022 Nice pics as always !!! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
_Wilson_™ 6,430 Posted October 10, 2022 Beautiful pictures FF thank you for posting them. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riverc 1,092 Posted October 10, 2022 (edited) Looks like y'all had a fun day, your wife seems to enjoy riding and being outdoors. Edited October 10, 2022 by riverc Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Derf40 132 Posted October 10, 2022 We're just down the ridge line from you. Our sentiments exactly. We enjoy every minute of it. Thanks, take care...derf qur Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
PROV 1,388 Posted October 10, 2022 Hey!!! Those two people look familiar 🤣. Looks like a great ride and awesome pictures. Happy birthday Renee. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freedomflyer 1,770 Posted October 11, 2022 😁 Thanks Prov, Will pass that on to my bride! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Freedomflyer 1,770 Posted October 11, 2022 Riverc, Yes she loves being out, converting to the machines we did made all the difference in the world for her. If she's not comfortable she's not going to want to go, if she doesn't want to go she's not going to gain experience, if she doesn't have experience, she's not going to have confidence. She is growing more and more confident as she rides. Prov can attest to her abilities, and complimented her when he was here in August. She is really starting to have a lot of fun. Was a blast this last weekend, were able to hit some some trails that were more technical. Was fun to see her make good decisions and pick good lines throughout the turns. Hope to be able to do it for years to come. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
