Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Remember that video clip from Fox News in... May? June? I finally have a link to it! If you'd like to see me and Mystic on TV check it out here. Note it's a huge file so you're better off just looking at it instead of downloading it. All I remember from the day is that it was wicked hot out and there were two rangers on the mountain so poor Mystic had to be on leash most of the time (he has a habit of chasing things on Mount Sanitas where we hiked).
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Between work, personal life and other little nit-picky life things, my head has been clogged with stuff. However, there's something to be said for getting out in the elements that makes things better. I hiked in the rain on Saturday and biked in the rain on Sunday, a rare treat here in Boulder where saving something for a rainy day means you will be putting it off for a good 6 months. Then last night I was biking up at Heil Ranch and saw a trio of black bears romping through the woods not far from the trail-- very cool! I think it was a momma and two adolescents. When black bears are healthy, their fur looks like they are wearing a fuzzy set of feety pajamas. I also saw some old friends--a pack of about 30 wild turkey that hang out at the ranch.
In my nerdy life, I finally completed my NES completion quest of Castlevania 2, all endings. Believe it or not, the "worst" ending was the most enjoyable playthrough. Because the endings are based on your completion time, taking your time and exploring every inch of the game means you get the dud ending. But, I also realized that if the game had been translated properly it would be very plausible to play through it without needing any outside hints or tips. The hidden tip books (invisible unless you use Dracula's eye relic) all have tips that ALMOST makes sense, such as "Wait for a soul on Deborah Cliff with a red crystal". Confusing syntax aside, if they has said Kneel at the base of Deborah Cliff with a red crystal then things start making some sense--except of course, the game never mentioned where Deborah Cliff is.
Also of interesting note is the "Green Hell" dead end just above Castlevania and past the town of Yomi near the end of the game. There seems to be no purpose to this area except the option to climb an invisible staircase as a novelty.
And as a bonus, out-of-the-blue I decided to put Stinger in the NES and give it a whirl. Despite not playing through it in years, I was able to beat it without dying the first time through and muscle through a second playthrough in hard mode right after. I also racked up an impressive 1 million + score. Not bad for not playing in a while and I can check it off the NES completion project as game # 20.
In my nerdy life, I finally completed my NES completion quest of Castlevania 2, all endings. Believe it or not, the "worst" ending was the most enjoyable playthrough. Because the endings are based on your completion time, taking your time and exploring every inch of the game means you get the dud ending. But, I also realized that if the game had been translated properly it would be very plausible to play through it without needing any outside hints or tips. The hidden tip books (invisible unless you use Dracula's eye relic) all have tips that ALMOST makes sense, such as "Wait for a soul on Deborah Cliff with a red crystal". Confusing syntax aside, if they has said Kneel at the base of Deborah Cliff with a red crystal then things start making some sense--except of course, the game never mentioned where Deborah Cliff is.
Also of interesting note is the "Green Hell" dead end just above Castlevania and past the town of Yomi near the end of the game. There seems to be no purpose to this area except the option to climb an invisible staircase as a novelty.
And as a bonus, out-of-the-blue I decided to put Stinger in the NES and give it a whirl. Despite not playing through it in years, I was able to beat it without dying the first time through and muscle through a second playthrough in hard mode right after. I also racked up an impressive 1 million + score. Not bad for not playing in a while and I can check it off the NES completion project as game # 20.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
It occurred to me I didn't give a frisbee tournament update (or any other updates this week). The bad news is I didn't repeat as summer champion in 2008, the worse news is that only 6 players showed for the tournament (7 is the number needed on the field). As a result we had to forfeit or try to play with 6 players and no substitutes-- and as expected, we lost though we put up a good fight. In the losers' bracket, we did pick up a seventh person and won two games in a row in convincing fashion before bowing out of a fourth game because the 6 of us had played 3 hard games with no subs. So while we didn't even get off the ground, those of us who were there played well and we had fun. And no one (on our team) got hurt. One of the other games hauled a woman with a concussion off on a stretcher -- par for the course in an ultimate tournament.
In other news, I finally got a new pair of Vans for biking - I went with the red. Anyone who has looked down at my feet in the last 22 years knows exactly the style I went with. I may pick up a second pair of "gargoyle" colored shoes for actual wearing around. It's wild to think Vans was a hair from going out of business around 1995 (at that time they only offered 3 pairs of "authentic" shoes: black, black and white and blue. Now there's a zillion patterns. Weird Al and I couldn't be happier (and they are great shoes for mountain biking).
I've been apartment hunting a bit too, which is a pain because it's a "landlord's market" these days. Dumpy, crappy location places are starting at about $800 so I may have spend a bit to get a nice place. In the meantime, I'm still biking a lot and might be heading out to Kenosha Pass or Crested Butte this weekend. My car is also a bit shaky these days, so now would be as good a time as any to win the lottery.
Oh and I got a new credit card with Xanadu's picture on it! And I'm working through all 3 endings on Castlevania 2 -- I got the "hardest" one, which is supposed to be the best ending but is kind of lousy (but it is in color). Two more to go (I've seen them before, but this is for my "NES Completion Project" started last year).
A quick note to mention a happy, let's see, 25th birthday to my cousin Marc! My you continue to stomp arrows and write cool tunes. Also, in a blogroll coincidence, my Internet informants say it's Steph's birthday too! May your sleep-walking husband never pee in your closet or on your cats! Steph is.... 32?
Hope you guys had a great day, I'm going to go do something fun in your honor!
In other news, I finally got a new pair of Vans for biking - I went with the red. Anyone who has looked down at my feet in the last 22 years knows exactly the style I went with. I may pick up a second pair of "gargoyle" colored shoes for actual wearing around. It's wild to think Vans was a hair from going out of business around 1995 (at that time they only offered 3 pairs of "authentic" shoes: black, black and white and blue. Now there's a zillion patterns. Weird Al and I couldn't be happier (and they are great shoes for mountain biking).
I've been apartment hunting a bit too, which is a pain because it's a "landlord's market" these days. Dumpy, crappy location places are starting at about $800 so I may have spend a bit to get a nice place. In the meantime, I'm still biking a lot and might be heading out to Kenosha Pass or Crested Butte this weekend. My car is also a bit shaky these days, so now would be as good a time as any to win the lottery.
Oh and I got a new credit card with Xanadu's picture on it! And I'm working through all 3 endings on Castlevania 2 -- I got the "hardest" one, which is supposed to be the best ending but is kind of lousy (but it is in color). Two more to go (I've seen them before, but this is for my "NES Completion Project" started last year).
Sunday, August 10, 2008
A quick note to mention a happy, let's see, 25th birthday to my cousin Marc! My you continue to stomp arrows and write cool tunes. Also, in a blogroll coincidence, my Internet informants say it's Steph's birthday too! May your sleep-walking husband never pee in your closet or on your cats! Steph is.... 32? Hope you guys had a great day, I'm going to go do something fun in your honor!
Saturday, August 09, 2008
I'd say Friday was the best day I've had in a while--we had our summerfest celebration, AKA the Natural Habitat Adventures company picnic, at the Boulder Res. Due to some interesting logistics, I started my day by driving to the res itself then biking from the res to the Lee Hill Drive open space trailhead. The reason for the 4-mile bike commute is that we began our day with a 4-mile hike (what a coincidence) along Boulder open space trails to the res. The day was foggy and cool, a nice change form the blasting furnace of 100 degree days that dominated July. As a result the hike was quite pleasant and everyone arrived at the res in one piece (as far as I know).
The party itself was a lot of fun, though it's always slightly weird to be around the families, couples, etc. And it's weird to think it's been 5 months since winterfest and the scary discovery of Mystic's epilepsy. Nonetheless, there was boccie, volleyball (our team defeated a group of "Junior Rangers") and good times. As always, and Marc will appreciate this, I committed my typical faux-pas by wailing an unsuspecting co-worker (female) in the head with a rubber football. It wasn't *really* my fault as my receiver ducked off to grab a beer mid-throw.
Fun and sunburns were had by all. After the res, the majority of the crew went bar hopping but I opted to go for a mtn. bike ride at Heil Ranch. The sky was dark, almost black by mid-afternoon but I decided to chance the storms. As it turned out, the rain never came but the distant rumble of thunder echoed throughout the ride. The light had a mysterious, eerie edge to it and as the case has been, there were barely any people out. After the ride, I sat and watched the storms and veins of lightning hitting the Denver area to the east.
Best of all, when I got home I was tired---for real tired. I'd been logging about 4 hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks and even had a night where it felt like the lining of my stomach had completely dissolved away my organs (I bravely fought off the nausea and scored a victory by getting maybe 4.5 hours of sleep that night AND not puking). Friday though, I crashed. I was toying with the idea of hiking in the Indian Peaks today but my body had other thoughts, even sleeping through a buzz alarm for the better part of 2 hours.
It's probably for the best since I have our Ultimate Frisbee Tourney tomorrow. I did sneak out for yet another ride at Heil Ranch and pushed it a little harder than normal. I broke my personal best time for the ride at 1 hour 18 minutes, two minutes faster than my previous best time (the route I take is the main trail to the Wild Turkey Loop, then back down). I probably would have taken another minute or two off but trail crews changed a fun and fast part of the trail by adding huge rocks and obstacles (I assume in an effort to get people to slow down?) I wasn't expecting them and nearly ate it when I hit my foot/pedal on an unexpected rock (it broke the strap on my pedal and gave my toes a nice bruise).
Tonight, I went out for solo pizza and now I'm getting to bed in a bit to be ready for tomorrow. I hope the weather holds out and our team brings their A-game (we've won 6 of our last 7 games, so we have momentum). I'm ready to go all out and then take the autumn season off from ultimate to concentrate on other stuff. I also need to start apartment hunting soon, as I had asked my landlords to end my lease Sept. 1 -- I thought I'd be in a different place, literally and figuratively. I know they want to rent it soooo I'm going to see what's out there. There's a good chance I can convince them to renew my lease but with them out of state for a while, I won't know.
Anyhow, that's life for the last few days. Oh one last note-- Xanadu and I got to visit my old apartment today, as my old landlords were cleaning it up for new tenants. Between where I am now and there, the old place was a bit better but I needed the change of scenery. I wonder if Xanadu remembered her old haunts?
The party itself was a lot of fun, though it's always slightly weird to be around the families, couples, etc. And it's weird to think it's been 5 months since winterfest and the scary discovery of Mystic's epilepsy. Nonetheless, there was boccie, volleyball (our team defeated a group of "Junior Rangers") and good times. As always, and Marc will appreciate this, I committed my typical faux-pas by wailing an unsuspecting co-worker (female) in the head with a rubber football. It wasn't *really* my fault as my receiver ducked off to grab a beer mid-throw.
Fun and sunburns were had by all. After the res, the majority of the crew went bar hopping but I opted to go for a mtn. bike ride at Heil Ranch. The sky was dark, almost black by mid-afternoon but I decided to chance the storms. As it turned out, the rain never came but the distant rumble of thunder echoed throughout the ride. The light had a mysterious, eerie edge to it and as the case has been, there were barely any people out. After the ride, I sat and watched the storms and veins of lightning hitting the Denver area to the east.
Best of all, when I got home I was tired---for real tired. I'd been logging about 4 hours of sleep a night for the last two weeks and even had a night where it felt like the lining of my stomach had completely dissolved away my organs (I bravely fought off the nausea and scored a victory by getting maybe 4.5 hours of sleep that night AND not puking). Friday though, I crashed. I was toying with the idea of hiking in the Indian Peaks today but my body had other thoughts, even sleeping through a buzz alarm for the better part of 2 hours.
It's probably for the best since I have our Ultimate Frisbee Tourney tomorrow. I did sneak out for yet another ride at Heil Ranch and pushed it a little harder than normal. I broke my personal best time for the ride at 1 hour 18 minutes, two minutes faster than my previous best time (the route I take is the main trail to the Wild Turkey Loop, then back down). I probably would have taken another minute or two off but trail crews changed a fun and fast part of the trail by adding huge rocks and obstacles (I assume in an effort to get people to slow down?) I wasn't expecting them and nearly ate it when I hit my foot/pedal on an unexpected rock (it broke the strap on my pedal and gave my toes a nice bruise).
Tonight, I went out for solo pizza and now I'm getting to bed in a bit to be ready for tomorrow. I hope the weather holds out and our team brings their A-game (we've won 6 of our last 7 games, so we have momentum). I'm ready to go all out and then take the autumn season off from ultimate to concentrate on other stuff. I also need to start apartment hunting soon, as I had asked my landlords to end my lease Sept. 1 -- I thought I'd be in a different place, literally and figuratively. I know they want to rent it soooo I'm going to see what's out there. There's a good chance I can convince them to renew my lease but with them out of state for a while, I won't know.
Anyhow, that's life for the last few days. Oh one last note-- Xanadu and I got to visit my old apartment today, as my old landlords were cleaning it up for new tenants. Between where I am now and there, the old place was a bit better but I needed the change of scenery. I wonder if Xanadu remembered her old haunts?
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Ah, we have a rare treat here in Boulder: a rainy night. We usually only get about 10 full rainy days a year, so it's nice while it lasts. Of course, as I say that the rain has just about stopped but it's finally cooled things down a bit. And good thing, since I'm going to try and ride my bike to the new offices in Louisville when I can.
The ride is about 10 miles each way and I was able to do it in 35 minutes (would have been slightly quicker if there hadn't been construction on one of the main roads). There are some bike paths I can take as well. Tomorrow I may get in early because I have a lot of work to do updating Good Nature. If you haven't signed up for the e-news updates or seen the site, check it out-- it's good reading and getting better all the time.
I can't believe it's already Thursday (in 2 hours). I'm hoping to try the Audubon/Paiute route on Saturday and then summer's ultimate frisbee tourney is Sunday. My team is interesting-- we lost our first 11 games, mostly because people didn't show up. Then we won our last 6 of 7, 3 of those against top teams in the league. So who knows what will happen. We have a good shot at going somewhere and I think if everyone is on their A games, we could go pretty far. I have to add I am a defending champion from last summer's tourney!
I got a last minute plea for help from the Boulder Weekly to whip up a mountain bike story for this Thursday's issue. Deadline: last night. Luckily, this is more along the lines of what I consider fun writing so the actual story was easy enough to pice together. The problem was I needed a good picture to go along with the story, so I was able to sucker my friend Karina and her friend Corrynn, both Women's Adventure staffers to head up to Betasso for an evening photoshoot. Corrynn is a real-deal photographer and most of the shots she took were of Karina, so I guess technically I didn't have to be there. It was still fun to get out and ride again (for a 5th day!) and interact with real humans for the first time in a while.
And without my knowing, Corrynn scored a sweet picture of yours truly. It looks like I'm going a zillion MPH but the truth is I was probably going about 6 over an easy part of the trail. See what a good photographer can do for you? All I need to do is photoshop in some rippling forearms and bulging calves and I'm all set!
In February, I volunteered a copy of my book plus a guided hike to the Shining Stars Foundation, an organization dedicated to fighting children's cancer. The hike/book were to be auctioned off and the lucky winner gets a day in the mountains with me (ok, it's not quite as cool as the bike ride with Lance Armstrong, but hey at least I'm putting myself out there!) As much as I dig publicizing my book, this kind of stuff I'd rather do under the radar since I don't want it to seem like a cheap ploy to bring attention to my professional endeavors. I know my family and friends have been affected by cancer's unwelcome presence in our lives and so in a small way, I'd like to be able to help--it's my pleasure as the token expression goes. And lucky for me, the winners of the auction were awesome people whose company I genuinely enjoyed.
Joanne and Angelina parlayed victory at the auction table into a hike to the beautiful Lake Isabelle area in Indian Peaks (my "backyard mountains"). As the above picture shows, you simply couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. Natural Habitat Adventures was gracious enough to give me Friday off and what a day it was! Despite the heat wave we've been having in town, this winter was a good snow year so all that melting ice makes for colorful fields of flowers in alpine areas. Joanne was an especially keen flower hunter and clued me into a few I'm sure to remember: Parry's Primrose, Bistort, Globeflower and Cinquefoil. Joanne also owns a catering company and knows how to incorporate a lot of the wild, edible plants from the mountains into great meals, which reminds me, I better invite her to go camping soon! I'll carry the pots and pans if she does the cooking!
I wish I had taken more photos--I think I broke out my camera for 3-4 pictures; luckily Joanne requested the shot on the right of Angelina at the lake so you can actually see how clear the day was. Those clouds in the background were the only ones we saw all day! Overall, it was a lot of fun and I hope to stay in touch with them in the future. And if you ever need an event catered in Denver/Boulder, check out Joanne's company Three Tomatoes. In fact, I'm trying to think of an event to make up just so they can cater it! Anyone up for an impromptu 10-year from graduation college celebration?
Now with all that being said, the hike is not a component of this strange summer, as mentioned in the title. There's a lot changing out here and despite some more personal strides--my book is selling well, the job is good and Colorado is beautiful as always--there's an unsettled feeling in the air. This isn't to be confused with an unsettling feeling; a more fitting metaphor may be the way a foot in clear water stirs up mud and the slow wait that ensues as the particles drift down, repairing the transparency of the water.
On Thursday and Friday, I took the mtn. bike up to Hall Ranch, which might have been a ghost town. The 100 + degree temps kept people off the trails and despite my inherent hate of heat, I felt compelled and restless to be out there. That type of isolation however, is when nature feels like a shrine. On Thursday, I got a late start but rode the whole challenging loop until dusk, my head spinning between the technical aspects of the ride, staying focused on the trail and dissecting thoughts about life. Long bike climbs lend themselves to a lot of introspection, followed by a required cleansing of the mental palette unless you want to smack into a tree at 25 mph if distracted by pondering a missed opportunity in the past. That's what's great about mountain biking; it FORCES you to be in the present. Friday (after the hike in the Indian Peaks) I rode hard again, better than the day before, clearing all the technical sections of the trail minus one stupid obstacle I've never cleanly ridden.
No matter. I got the twilight show again, that wonderful light that elongates the shadows of the wheat-like grass and softens the world into darkness. Saturday I felt spent from the heat and the exertion of the previous rides but still brought myself up to Walker Ranch just outside of Boulder. And yet again, I had solitude and amazing landscapes to behold in the waning daylight. As my body was jarred about, the thoughts in my head were no less clear and further less resolved, but luckily they were neatly contained as not to infiltrate places they should not wander.
And finally, the plan for today was to try a third class loop of Mount Audubon via the southeast ridge (a scrambling, off-trail adventure) then traverse over to Paiute Peak for a fun loop. I set my alarm for 5 AM but when it went off, my body and my mountain instincts screamed to stay home. The heat, the mental fatigue and the physical wear and tear of 3 days of hard mountain biking had taken their toll. Plus, something didn't feel right about the day. Usually, the prospect of hiking has me waking up long before my alarm, eager to partake in the adventure. Instead I stayed in, slept a bit longer -- and woke up to rain and clouds in the morning sky. Most likely I couldn't have completed the route in these conditions, so it was a minor victory that was 50% precipitation, 50% laziness.
It was nice to be home on a quiet Sunday, but a persistant restlessness kept me itchy to be doing something. I did sneak up to Betasso and ride 2 laps as hard as I could -- and as my 4th straight day of riding, was a bit sloppy. I even got passed on the trail for the first time in a while but I didn't really care. I was riding because I had to do something, had to be outside and not sitting around. I came home tonight, played with Xanadu a bit and now here I am. Sleep hasn't been coming too easy but I think that my body is going to take advantage of its fatigue tonight.
The ride is about 10 miles each way and I was able to do it in 35 minutes (would have been slightly quicker if there hadn't been construction on one of the main roads). There are some bike paths I can take as well. Tomorrow I may get in early because I have a lot of work to do updating Good Nature. If you haven't signed up for the e-news updates or seen the site, check it out-- it's good reading and getting better all the time.
I can't believe it's already Thursday (in 2 hours). I'm hoping to try the Audubon/Paiute route on Saturday and then summer's ultimate frisbee tourney is Sunday. My team is interesting-- we lost our first 11 games, mostly because people didn't show up. Then we won our last 6 of 7, 3 of those against top teams in the league. So who knows what will happen. We have a good shot at going somewhere and I think if everyone is on their A games, we could go pretty far. I have to add I am a defending champion from last summer's tourney!
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
I got a last minute plea for help from the Boulder Weekly to whip up a mountain bike story for this Thursday's issue. Deadline: last night. Luckily, this is more along the lines of what I consider fun writing so the actual story was easy enough to pice together. The problem was I needed a good picture to go along with the story, so I was able to sucker my friend Karina and her friend Corrynn, both Women's Adventure staffers to head up to Betasso for an evening photoshoot. Corrynn is a real-deal photographer and most of the shots she took were of Karina, so I guess technically I didn't have to be there. It was still fun to get out and ride again (for a 5th day!) and interact with real humans for the first time in a while. And without my knowing, Corrynn scored a sweet picture of yours truly. It looks like I'm going a zillion MPH but the truth is I was probably going about 6 over an easy part of the trail. See what a good photographer can do for you? All I need to do is photoshop in some rippling forearms and bulging calves and I'm all set!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
In February, I volunteered a copy of my book plus a guided hike to the Shining Stars Foundation, an organization dedicated to fighting children's cancer. The hike/book were to be auctioned off and the lucky winner gets a day in the mountains with me (ok, it's not quite as cool as the bike ride with Lance Armstrong, but hey at least I'm putting myself out there!) As much as I dig publicizing my book, this kind of stuff I'd rather do under the radar since I don't want it to seem like a cheap ploy to bring attention to my professional endeavors. I know my family and friends have been affected by cancer's unwelcome presence in our lives and so in a small way, I'd like to be able to help--it's my pleasure as the token expression goes. And lucky for me, the winners of the auction were awesome people whose company I genuinely enjoyed. Joanne and Angelina parlayed victory at the auction table into a hike to the beautiful Lake Isabelle area in Indian Peaks (my "backyard mountains"). As the above picture shows, you simply couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day. Natural Habitat Adventures was gracious enough to give me Friday off and what a day it was! Despite the heat wave we've been having in town, this winter was a good snow year so all that melting ice makes for colorful fields of flowers in alpine areas. Joanne was an especially keen flower hunter and clued me into a few I'm sure to remember: Parry's Primrose, Bistort, Globeflower and Cinquefoil. Joanne also owns a catering company and knows how to incorporate a lot of the wild, edible plants from the mountains into great meals, which reminds me, I better invite her to go camping soon! I'll carry the pots and pans if she does the cooking!
I wish I had taken more photos--I think I broke out my camera for 3-4 pictures; luckily Joanne requested the shot on the right of Angelina at the lake so you can actually see how clear the day was. Those clouds in the background were the only ones we saw all day! Overall, it was a lot of fun and I hope to stay in touch with them in the future. And if you ever need an event catered in Denver/Boulder, check out Joanne's company Three Tomatoes. In fact, I'm trying to think of an event to make up just so they can cater it! Anyone up for an impromptu 10-year from graduation college celebration?Now with all that being said, the hike is not a component of this strange summer, as mentioned in the title. There's a lot changing out here and despite some more personal strides--my book is selling well, the job is good and Colorado is beautiful as always--there's an unsettled feeling in the air. This isn't to be confused with an unsettling feeling; a more fitting metaphor may be the way a foot in clear water stirs up mud and the slow wait that ensues as the particles drift down, repairing the transparency of the water.
On Thursday and Friday, I took the mtn. bike up to Hall Ranch, which might have been a ghost town. The 100 + degree temps kept people off the trails and despite my inherent hate of heat, I felt compelled and restless to be out there. That type of isolation however, is when nature feels like a shrine. On Thursday, I got a late start but rode the whole challenging loop until dusk, my head spinning between the technical aspects of the ride, staying focused on the trail and dissecting thoughts about life. Long bike climbs lend themselves to a lot of introspection, followed by a required cleansing of the mental palette unless you want to smack into a tree at 25 mph if distracted by pondering a missed opportunity in the past. That's what's great about mountain biking; it FORCES you to be in the present. Friday (after the hike in the Indian Peaks) I rode hard again, better than the day before, clearing all the technical sections of the trail minus one stupid obstacle I've never cleanly ridden.
No matter. I got the twilight show again, that wonderful light that elongates the shadows of the wheat-like grass and softens the world into darkness. Saturday I felt spent from the heat and the exertion of the previous rides but still brought myself up to Walker Ranch just outside of Boulder. And yet again, I had solitude and amazing landscapes to behold in the waning daylight. As my body was jarred about, the thoughts in my head were no less clear and further less resolved, but luckily they were neatly contained as not to infiltrate places they should not wander.
And finally, the plan for today was to try a third class loop of Mount Audubon via the southeast ridge (a scrambling, off-trail adventure) then traverse over to Paiute Peak for a fun loop. I set my alarm for 5 AM but when it went off, my body and my mountain instincts screamed to stay home. The heat, the mental fatigue and the physical wear and tear of 3 days of hard mountain biking had taken their toll. Plus, something didn't feel right about the day. Usually, the prospect of hiking has me waking up long before my alarm, eager to partake in the adventure. Instead I stayed in, slept a bit longer -- and woke up to rain and clouds in the morning sky. Most likely I couldn't have completed the route in these conditions, so it was a minor victory that was 50% precipitation, 50% laziness.
It was nice to be home on a quiet Sunday, but a persistant restlessness kept me itchy to be doing something. I did sneak up to Betasso and ride 2 laps as hard as I could -- and as my 4th straight day of riding, was a bit sloppy. I even got passed on the trail for the first time in a while but I didn't really care. I was riding because I had to do something, had to be outside and not sitting around. I came home tonight, played with Xanadu a bit and now here I am. Sleep hasn't been coming too easy but I think that my body is going to take advantage of its fatigue tonight.
