Loco Local


While out riding yesterday it dawned on me that although I’ve posted several times since arriving in Terlingua nearly four weeks ago, I’ve not actually posted about any of the specific rides I’ve done in that time. And since I’m riding about three or four times a week, it’s not for lack of material! So my dear friends, let’s get blogging!

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Yesterday’s ride was a 46km loop starting and ending at Desert Sports. Because it has been rather cool at night recently–close to or below freezing–the normal 10 o’clock start time was moved back to 11am, giving the desert a bit more time to warm up. And boy, did it! Although my Terlingua friends may have mocked me when I said 27deg/cel. was hot, yesterday certainly was the warmest day since I arrived Dec. 2nd.
After a last-minute tire change to avoid a side-wall blow-out, by about 11:30am the six of us were ready to go. Mike, Rick and I started out with a rip through the Miracle Mile and the Bonus Miles; a couple miles of local trails that rise and fall, twist and turn like a roller-coaster. Though not too technical, the ever-so tight turns and constant switch-backs make these trails dizzying and difficult. And though they are just the local back-yard trails, they offer an prime example of many of the features one will encounter elsewhere in desert. Popping out of the trails near my trailer, we rode the black-top for a hundred yards, past the Ghost Town graveyard, and onto one of the coolest features out here; the Cakewalk.
This nerve-racking piece of trail was actually the first place I was taken last winter. Rolling along you soon find yourself riding down a razor’s edge spine. This super narrow trail requires you to feather the brakes so you don’t get going too fast before the hard right turn that jettisons you down that spine and in to the rocky/sandy creek-bed. If you make an error, even the slightest, you will go tumbling down either side for a hundred feet, landing on a pile of rocks. As Kt told me that day back in February, “Alex, follow my wheel; don’t think, just ride.”
After the Cakewalk and a mile or so in the creek-bed, we grunted our way up the climb to Reed’s, around the infamous Chump Rock[nailed it the past two attempts] to meet our fellow riders, Kt, Crystal and Melissa. The six of us then headed west through Reed’s Plateau before joining the Lajitas trail-system. NB: all the trails we’d been riding so far are unofficial, locals only on private land. As such, I’ve been told not to post the data/map from my Garmin cycle-computer. [And you know me, I always do as I’m told…]
Once on the Lajitas trails, we rode The Outer Loop, which included several hard miles, in sand and against a strong head-wind. Here the land is mostly flat with lots of sweeping corners, allowing you to really open it up and fly. The winds continued on beyond Fun Valley until we finally turned back, now heading east on some of my favourite trails in the Lajitas network. While still fairly open, allowing for more high-speed riding, there are also many sharp corners, rock gardens and steep drainages to negotiate, some very challenging indeed.
Returning back over Reed’s, we then made our way down that big hill and along the road[unless I actually say a road is paved, assume it’s a dirt road] towards the next climb, up the Crystal Saddle. From there, it’s up the rocky and very technical creek-bed until the Impossible Climb behind Patrick’s house. Triumphing over the impossible, it’s just a 1/2mile back to Desert Sports to celebrate another great day in paradise.