I think it is rather fitting that my first post be written about my spontaneous two-day road trip to ride some of the best mountain biking trails in the country! Friends, it doesn't get much better than this, so follow closely!
My first stop was Fruita, Colorado for the Fat Tire Mountain Bike Festival. I decided to pack up my Escape (with 180,000 miles on it!) and head west...alone. I needed some time away from home and for me this meant getting lost in creation with just me, myself, and Queen G. Ah yes, pardon me for not introducing Queen G! She is my all-mountain, full-suspension (5 in. of travel in front and rear) mountain bike (2009 Giant Trance X2). Of all my bikes, she is the queen. I used to dream of her when I went to bed at night (I am only half-kidding)!
Queen G and I arrived in Fruita mid-afternoon on Friday and I was able to get in a 3-hour ride on some of Fruita's most popular trails...Kokopelli's Trail. This trail is a 142 mile multi-use trail that goes from Loma, Colorado to Moab, Utah. Although I didn't dare attempt to ride all the way to Moab, I was able to hit up 3 trails, 1 of which satisfied my longing for technical terrain and beautiful scenery. Also, I was blessed by the sun poking itself out for the majority of my ride!
I enjoyed Fruita and wished that I had more time to explore the hundreds of trails it has to offer, but the weather had some other plans for me. Friday night it rained for over three hours, soaking the trails and leaving a muddy mess for Saturday riding. Therefore, my mind wandered and then my car wandered that same direction...all the way to MOAB, UTAH! It is only a 100-miles southwest of Fruita, so I figured why not? I had never been to Moab and they say the weather is very mild there this time of year, plus I was desperate for some incredible riding, surreal views, and beaming sunshine! And, WOW, I got all 3!!!
I'm not really sure how to describe Moab and these pictures don't do justice. I was only there for about 4 hours, so I only got a taste, or rather a tease. But, from what I did see and experience, I wondered if I had died and was in Heaven already! The beauty of creation that I saw brought me to tears...I didn't know how to react! It was surreal! It was just me and Queen G listening to worship music and experiencing God in a way that filled my spirit with Life, peace, joy, and awe! I saw Him everywhere; I felt Him everywhere (not in a pantheistic way though)! I didn't want to leave because His presence was overwhelming me and I couldn't get enough of it! 4 hours was WAY too short but then again, it was just a blessing to be there and ride at all because after all, it was not part of my original plan! Thank God it was part of His because those 4 hours filled me and even though I was exhausted when I finally got back home 6 hours later, I felt more full than I have in a long, long time! I praise Him for His ability to speak to us and fill us up through His magnificent creation!
