RIDE LONG AND SMILE

While camping near Carbondale we got a lot of constant rain - very uncharacteristic of Colorado. It rained most of the weekend so we were fortunate to have a dry tent. It did make for some interesting race conditions, but this little fellow didn't seem to mind at all. One morning the clouds were cradled up against the mountains. I loved this little farm nestled in the valley. At the Independence Pass the willows were beginning to push through the snow to bud. What a rough winter they must have had!

Last weekend I had a really fun 80-mile ride on the mountain bike. Unfortunately it wasn't all on dirt, but the parts that were dirt were great. At the half-way point I stopped in a bit of shade for some snack - an apple, some jerky, and an energy bar. The climbing was insanely hot. I don't know that I have ever sweat so much on my bike. By the end I drank 16 lbs of water. Luckily this spigot was flowing with nice, cool water. The sections of sweet flowing singletrack through the woods made it all worth it.

While recently traveling to Wisconsin for a wedding I couldn't help but notice all of the beautiful barns speckled across the landscape. It reminded me of the musty smell of the old family barn growing up. It is a place where it is okay to be dirty and oily feel like you are putting in a hard day's work. The first two pictures were captured under a nearly full moon in the great state of Wisconsin. These barns are along the front range of Colorado.