Biking in Bedrock

Keen to do some training for La Ruta, Erik and I headed to St. George, Utah for Thanksgiving. Erik's Aunt Peggy calls St. George home. She and her husband, Bob, generously hosted us for the weekend. St. George is a bit like Bedrock, but with modern amenities and no living woolly mammoths. 

We arrived in the late afternoon and Bob took us for a ride on the Zen trail, which is less than a kilometre from his house. Normally used as a hiking path, I think, the trail was somewhat technical and totally unspoiled (so much so, in fact, that we actually lost the trail). I was impressed with his technical riding skills and learned a few things by watching.

Mountain biking is a really neat way to discover different places. Unlike road biking, in which you are merely taking in the view from the comfort of the predictable pavement, mountain biking enables you to get closer to the earth. You can feel the texture of the soil or sand or rock upon which you are riding. You are closer to the trees and the vegetation. It is a much richer experience than you can get on the road. 

We rode until the sun was setting and it was too dark to continue. It was a perfect warm up for a weekend of riding and inspired Erik and I to scour the local maps to decide where to ride the next day. The icing on the cake at the end of a beautiful evening ride was a delicious homemade dinner and wonderful company. Peggy is quite the chef.