Like A Bat Out of Hell

Ok...imagine 60 degrees, a cold rain, a lightning storm, and a bike outfitter that doesn't give rain checks, and you'll have our Monday afternoon. Since bad weather has a tendency to crop up in the afternoons here in Summit County, outfitters don't make weather exceptions. We had scheduled this bike trip, and it was going to happen no matter what.

The outfitters drove us to the rest stop in the Vail Pass and dropped us off. Over the crest of the hill, lightening was lighting up the sky. Mom and I put on our sweatshirts and took off.

Now Mom didn't like the idea of biking in a thunderstorm, so she decided she was going to get off the mountain as fast as possible. She would have given Lance Armstrong a run for his money if he had been present. All I saw of her was a blip in the distance way in front of me.

The bike trail is completely paved and runs 14 miles down the mountain to the town of Frisco. It winds along mountain streams and through the tall pines.



Now, this is America, and so, of course, halfway down the mountain trail is a Starbucks in the resort of Copper. On any other day we would have passed by, but by this time our hands were so cold we needed something to warm us up. Two hot chocolates did the trick.
We continued down the mountain with the rain picking up. The water from our rear wheels made an interesting pattern up our back. We arrived in Frisco cold and wet...and yet surprisingly satisfied. I do think we would have enjoyed it much more had it been sunny and had we ridden the trail at a slower pace. But nonetheless, it was worth it.
Mom is headed for a massage, and I am going to swim a little. Then off to dinner. Tomorrow is our horse ride...in the morning this time when the weather is much more predictable.
Love you,

Dad