Sunday was a beautiful day. The Ellsworth begged to get out of the garage. I was happy to comply.

 

The original plan called for a short ride on Green Mountain. It snowed lightly on Saturday, so I wanted a dry trail to ensure a good ride. Since Green Mountain is completely exposed, it was sure to be dry.

 

Something clicked when I hit Wadsworth. Instinct kicked in and I turned left to head south (Green Mountain is north). For some reason, I couldn’t get Waterton Canyon out of my head.

 

Waterton usually isn’t dry until mid-May at the earliest. Sure, we had a dryer winter than normal, but the north-facing trail segments would still be muddy at best. My plan was to ride as far as the trail would allow. Hopefully, that would at least be to Lenny’s Rest.

 

What a great plan.

 

At the dam keeper’s house, I was stopped by six young deer munching on grass. I spent 15 minutes in awe of the animals, enjoying a green treat. At one point, they walked less than five feet from my seat. It was truly beautiful.

 

Four big-horned sheep greeted me 15 feet up the trail. They were absolutely massive, jumping up rocky slopes with ease. There is no shame admitting that I’m terrified of big-horned sheep. One could snap my knee and femur with a mere twitch of its neck.

 

Grunting and huffing up the singletrack, I was surprised to hit Lenny’s Rest with only a three-foot section of mud. At the top, a fellow rider alerted me that the entire Roxborough Loop is dry. Off I went, shaking off the cobwebs of a year without heavy mountain biking.

 

The ride went smoothly. At the end of the day, nature provided six deer, eight big-horn sheep and plenty of canyon and mountain beauty. A C-130 also flew overhead at one point. What a beautiful day. I need to start riding with a camera.

 

Mileage Update:

• Mileage Goal: 2008
• Mileage Total: 247
• Mileage Remaining: 1761