Another Run-Ride

We got it today.  The whole loop.  No sheep camp.  EDO ran and I rode the bike.  Finished in less than an hour.

Snowy Silence

We did get some snow in southern Utah this week.  Not more than an inch or two, but it sure was beautiful.  I was in Center Creek climbing the ridges with the gentle sift of tiny flakes falling around me.  Perfect silence.

Easy Hiking

It has been a couple of years since I last scrambled to the top of this particular rocky ridge in Center Creek.  The last time I was here, the brush was thick and the views were limited:  To hike around required a bit of thrashing.  Now that the Brian Head Fire has burned through the canyon, the views are more open and the walking is much easier.

Crossing the Basin and Range

Sometimes people ask me about the commute.  "It's OK," I say.  "Not too bad; takes about nine hours; a full day, but do-able."  Well, to provide a little more detail:  The commute requires a complete crossing of the Great Basin, from the Sierra Nevada on the west to the Wasatch Plateau on the east.  And, instead of one big basin, most of us know it as "basin and range country," meaning that for every basin you cross, you have a mountain pass to navigate, too.  So, while some people tell me, "you can lash the steering wheel, set the cruise control, and go to sleep" (above), each nap only lasts for 40 to 70 miles because then you need to come off auto-pilot (below).

What the crossing really comes down to is avoiding three things:  Driver drowsiness, road construction, and fauna.  (Each of these is famously described in one of the band's biggest hits.)  If I can stay awake and miss the orange cone zones, I am nearly home free.  But, there are also a lot of animals out there and that is probably the biggest risk.  Ryan told me that he once crossed from Lakeview, OR to Price, UT in one shot, picking off rabbits at rate higher than they could reproduce!  So far, after 25 round trips (50 one way trips!) in the past two years, I feel extremely fortunate to have hit exactly one (1) cow.  At any rate, the worst part of the day is when the sun is about to set (below).  My eyes want to close and the animals want to wander into traffic (such as it is).

Guitar Girls

Earlier this year, the band covered Steve Earle's "Guitar Town"—an alt-country classic.  EDO played lead while VSO laid down a steady rhythm.  (Does anyone else have trouble spelling rhythm?)  As always, this production simply shows that the girls are both beautiful and talented.  Listen here.

Lions, Tigers, and Bears

WARNING:  This post contains graphic images.  Not suitable for Bambi lovers.  On Tuesday, I went to stretch my legs at the track.  The track is on the campus of Lassen Community College (LCC).  While I walked, I was surprised to see two deer grazing on the soccer field.  I shouldn't have been surprised—there are deer everywhere—but I realized that I had never seen them on the well-watered field before.  On Wednesday, I returned for my track laps and noticed just one deer (above).  Well, I encountered the body of the deer; the spirit of the deer had (hopefully) reached deer heaven.  On Thursday, I returned for my daily track laps (have I mentioned that I am a creature of habit?) and found the gate locked and signed (below).

Because the track was closed, I went out to the Bizz for an hour.  After about half a mile, I encountered a steaming pile of bear poop, which caused me to start thinking:  If you are a reader of Jack London (or H.H. Monroe/Saki), you know to be afraid of wolves.  But should we be afraid of lions and bears?  I'll grant that petite females don't want to see a lion on the track at dusk, but can closing the gates save us?  Instead of walking on the track, I went to the Bizz and walked in the woods (below).  Was that a safer choice?  I guess I feel as though wild animals are everywhere and that, if they want to eat us, . . . Oh, My!  On the other hand, as VSO pointed out, the closure was probably dictated by a lawyer for the LCC's insurer.