Saturday, January 2, 2010

New Years Eve

Today’s off road adventures were wonderful. I rode from the Olde Road to Rio Grande Village at the south east edge of the park. After gassing up, I rode the River Rd. East and then took the Glen Springs Road. My goal was the infamous Black Gap Road (not maintained). It was pretty rough with lots of rocks and ruts. The most difficult section was a step up on to a ledge. Large stones had been layed down to create a ramp. Once I made it up the ramp, the large stones at the top bounced my front end all over the place. I made it through alright. I found the bike handled very well even with the load that I was carrying.

The rear shock did well. I replaced the original with a better one and this was it’s first serious test. It felt balanced and seemed to work well. I never bottomed the suspension, which is a good thing.

The feeling of the open desert is one of raw, vast wilderness. There is NO water anywhere, and the vegetation is primarily small bushes and cactus. It’s very foreign as I’m used to green New England. I found fossils of clamshells, which reminded me of the fossils I found in the Sahara Desert as a boy. I’ll mail one home before I cross into Mexico.

The moon is full tonight and it is a “blue moon” which is when there is a full moon twice in a month. This feels like a special full moon. I send out a prayer that any gifts that I have been given be put to the fullest use to benefit people and creation. I know that my prayer will be answered and for this I am grateful.

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