*images not from my trip, but stolen from google search results. I did ride the trail pictured here, Joe's Ridge, which scared the living hell out of me.

Well, winter's finally coming to an end in the mountains, and though we had snow as recently as last week (and, um, maybe again tonight), I am in "Spring Mode". That means that rather than pushing projects and duties aside for snow-related things, I'm instead pushing them aside for springy/summery things.

For example: last week I swapped the snow tires off our cars. I de-thatched and aerated our lawn. I spent a good amount of time in the yard pulling up all the work I had done with a little landscaped section around a tree and some bushes (woodchips and landscape fabric), killed the grass that had grown through it all, then put down new (GOOD) landscape fabric and some new woodchips. This past weekend we all went camping (which I'll get into more below), Caroline's first trip (she was a CHAMP). Have a (very) sore rear end from mountain bike rides this weekend... Yes, it's finally spring. My next huge tasks are to clean up the deck (whose peeling paint makes our house look like a hovel), hang our ski-lift-chair swing, and SERIOUSLY clean out the garage and workshop. Then get a new boiler, and start saving to replace the rotting windows in Caroline's room (well, that has to happen before next winter, anyway). And GET ON THE BIKE.

I'll say it here so I can be held to it, though it's ambitious: my goal for the summer is to summit Rabbit Ears Pass on the bike. Which means, I need to actually RIDE my bike this year. More bike commuting, more rides at lunch, etc. And after this weekend, I'm ready to get going. Well, all of me except my butt, at this point. I think I mentioned above that it is SORE.

So Friday I skipped out of work at one to pick up a bike I had rented, pack our camping stuff (the Audi was REALLY packed down) and head out to Fruita for our camping/MTB trip.

I have just spent the last 20 minutes or so looking for videos or pictures of the trails I went on (D and I only rode together once, on Sunday - on Rustler's Loop). I didn't take a single picture while riding (too busy, umm, riding), but we do have some from camping and a little extracurricular activity in the Audi. Our friend Scott has some pictures of me on the trails which we'll get posted shortly.

Saturday morning, the girls went out for a ride (about an hour and a half or so) while the guys watched the kids, then we swapped and the guys and I rode for a couple hours. Then it rained and rained and rained (of course - we were camping, after all).

But had a GREAT time and we're both really glad we made the trip out there. A different kind of valley than we're used to here in Steamboat, Fruita (and Grand Junction to the East) was, I assume, carved out by the Colorado River (which was just a short 150-foot drop below us on the Rustler's Loop trail). We live in a pretty awesome state.

Anyway, on Saturday I hit the Kessel Run (TOTALLY did it in less than 12 parsecs), Prime Cut and Joe's Ridge.
Looking at the stats it doesn't seem that impressive, but for my first ride of the year (and really only second MTB adventure), it was just at (or above) my limit.

Overall a great, great weekend.

After we get some of our pictures posted, I'll have Dana post as well.