Paddlers

We've been spending more time on the bikes than in the boat, but today we went to the lake to work on EDO's j-stroke.  It wasn't fair really:  The wind was strong and the lake was rolling:  Not many people could have kept a heavy canoe in line.  But she worked diligently for 90 minutes and showed a lot of improvement.

Blackhawk

EDO went to soccer camp at Snow College.  While she was away, VSO and I spent a couple of days riding the bikes on the Blackhawk Trail in the mountains of central Utah.  The reviews were mixed:  Parts of the trail were fast and fun, but others were deeply trenched and difficult to navigate.  And, even above 8,000 feet, the sun felt very hot.  On the other hand, we were fortunate to have shade and a shower back at the bunkhouse.

700 Club

In late may, within a couple days of each other, Philip Roth and Tom Wolfe passed away.  The end of an era, I suppose.  Or several eras.  Fortunately for lovers of literature, Rural Ways lives on.  In fact, this is our 700th post.  Seven hundred.  A towering literary achievement if we do say so ourselves.

Speaking of achievements, EDO applied her legs and lungs to the Sidney Peaks Trail yesterday, riding it in both directions.  Actually, we all tried it, but she was probably the last (wo)man standing.  There was plenty of arduous climbing, hindered by 40 MPH winds, and the rest of us were trying to find the phone number for AirMed.

The Loop

VSO made these pictures, but we all made the loop:  The Navajo Lake Loop.  It has been three or four years, so I had forgotten what a good ride that is.  There are at least ten miles of single-track, most of it fast, except for the portages.

Speaking of (No) Clouds

In glancing through my almanac, I found that the first week of June has frequently been clear and sunny.  And when the air is clear in southern Utah it is very clear:  The past few days have been nearly cloudless, and visibility has been without limit (impeded only by the curve of the earth).  From the Sydney Peak Trail yesterday we could see past the Paunsaugunt Plateau all the way to Powell Point.  There was one little cloud, though, and it reminded me of a crab (below).