Under the category of “it’s a small world”, a few weeks ago Ms. Seeking and I were walking around the Salida Art Festival at Riverside Park checking out the artisanal offerings when I came to a booth featuring handmade pottery.
I looked up and saw one of the guys I occasionally ride with talking to the artist and I stopped to say hello. Then I noticed the artist was none other than Texas mountain bike race promoter and potter extraordinaire, Paul Uhl. My brain did one of those things where it recognizes a face but it’s so out of context that it takes a second or two for the neurons to access the database of names. Fortunately for my socially incompetent self, he was wearing a name tag and when presented with that cue everything snapped into place.
Salida has a thriving art community with multiple galleries downtown and public art shows several times during the summer. It turns out Paul has friends in town and has frequented the Salida art shows for years. We struck up a conversation and before long the topic turned to mountain biking. He mentioned that he was planning to ride the Monarch Crest with some friends on August 5th. Not being one to miss out on a group ride, I asked him if it would be ok if I joined them. He said sure!
So yesterday we all met at the top of Monarch Pass for a mountain bike ride and a bit of a reunion of Texas friends, friends of friends, and miscellaneous wayward acquaintances from the Texas mountain bike community. We initially had a group of 10, all skill levels, some who had ridden the Crest and some who hadn’t. It was a perfect sunny, windless day on a trail that never ceases to amaze.
First stop to regroup at the top of the Jeep-road climb before starting the singletrack.
Young gun Cooper picking his way through a rocky section.
One of my favorite trail shots of all time. View from the top of the Crest.
Our group topping out.
The hardest, most beautiful mountain bike race I’ve ever done, the Telluride 100, was created by this guy.
Our group contouring along the Continental Divide.
Stop for a quick break and regroup.
Back to climbing. Who said this thing was mostly downhill?
Regrouping at the top of Marshall Pass. Halfway there.
Climbing the Colorado Trail we spotted a local out for a stroll.
Almost home, the Rainbow Trail.
It was a long, but fun day in the mountains. That’s what the Crest is. As someone in our group said along the way, this trail has everything. True, it does. And it was fun to share it with friends old and new.