Spring freeze

The sharp contrasts of life in the West continue to impress me. Last weekend I was worried about baking in the Sonoran Desert oven, and this morning I was left wondering when I would ever be able to feel my toes again. My knee has been improving with a week of babying, so last night I headed off for a quick overnighter to get a few miles in on my new bike, evaluate my knee's progress, and test some gear. I convinced Caroline to join me, and I think she was pretty quickly kicking herself for doing so. Right now my fingers are still a bit sluggish from the cold descent down from the foothills, so here are a few photos instead of excessive words.

There's something disturbingly unwholesome about stream crossings in the dark. The Tabeguache Trail always comes to mind when I encounter one of these...

A nice campsite high in the foothills, and with the fire ban lifted two days ago, we enjoyed some warm flames

Um, wait. What just happened? And 4" of it!?

Progress was slow navigating frozen ruts, hidden rocks, and slippery slopes

Gobble gobble! Share the trail! Gobble gobble!

Mud, fog, and frozen up drivetrains on the ride back down to Boulder

The new bike has been initiated.