Voyages on Two Wheels – 22 July 2011 – Mt. Charleston

Last week wasn’t the worst, but I’ve had better.  I woke up Wednesday with a nasty attitude, my shoulder hurt for no reason, and I was tired as hell   I wasn’t in the right frame of mind and wouldn’t be 100% up to the task of riding safely that morning so I took the car instead   Part of being a safe rider in my ever so humble opinion is knowing when to stay the heck off the bike.  If you’re pissed off or too tired, you won’t be properly focused.  You could fail to notice a car or a patch of gravel and end up laying on the roadway.  You could screw up your clutch or throttle control and have a similar incident.  I’d rather not end up as an accident statistic, so I’ll take the car at times

Getting in the car after being on the bike so much is a strange experience.  I’ve noticed that aside from the novelty of air conditioning and music, there’s also a feeling of constriction from the seat belt and the outward visibility is terrible compared to the bike.  Between the rear view mirror and pillars dividing the windows, there are a ton of blind spots in the car   I much prefer the view through the huge eye port on my helmet – it’s almost like there’s nothing there   Add to all of that the fact that the car doesn’t lean in corners like the bike does and that there’s no wind etc. and the car becomes seriously boring.  I still find myself surprised at times by just how much different it is to lean into the corners, to put a foot down at a traffic light, and to have to lean forward when I accelerate on the bike.  It’s all part of the grin factor that comes with riding

22 July 2011 - Near Lower Lee Meadows on Mt. Charleston

 Now, the temperature hasn’t been quite as bad as it could have been, but it’s still been hot.  Yes, air conditioning helps but I find that there’s still an artificial feel to it.  Also, there’s not all that much in the way of good smells around the city.  It was time for a bit of a change in pace.  After leaving work at 1630, I decided to pick up some liquid refreshment and head on up Mt. Charleston for some nicer surroundings

22 July 2011 - Near the Upper Bristlecone Trailhead on Mt. Charleston

 I swear I nearly froze a couple times yesterday but I enjoyed every second of it.  Cool, clear air with just a hint of humidity was just what the doctor ordered   Aside from the temperature differential, the mountain always smells wonderful!  There’s the vanilla aroma from the Ponderosa pine trees for one thing, but then there’s the Christmas tree smell from all the fir trees as well and it all helps to remove me from the week that was

22 July 2011 - On the way back down from Mt. Charleston

 Still, all good things must come to an end sometime and I headed on back down the mountain.  The temperature rose steadily as I dropped from 9,000+ feet down to the 2,500 or so feet above sea level we live at here in the valley.  The wind picked up while I was on the 95 coming back into town which added a little extra adrenaline to the mix, but I’ve started to get used to it

Overall, it was a very nice way to end the week and kick off a three day weekend

That’s it for now, but I hope you have a great day

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