Snowboarding in Telluride one day and mountain biking in Moab the next. That’s how all my weekends should be. While snowboarding is fun, it doesn’t give me the same feeling that biking does. With snowboarding, I’m confined to the ski runs and dependent on lifts. If I had to buy a season lift ticket, I probably wouldn’t. On my bike, however, I can go anywhere and as far as my legs will take me.
But, I have discovered that
technical skiing through the trees is a lot more fun than groomed runs. The
Enchanted Forest is my favorite run on the mountain for just that reason. Most
of the run is pretty mild, but my supervisor and I took a wrong turn and wound
up on a short double black diamond. It was steep but manageable, just had to
dodge a few exposed rocks. I think snowboarding will become more fun as my
skills progress, so I’ll keep at it.
Saturday was my first trip out to
Moab, just two hours from my new house! I stopped in an outdoor tour shop for
some trail advice and a map, and came out with a week’s worth of trails. I
ended up riding Slick Rock just because I recognized the name. The landscape
was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. A massive expanse of sandstone. The “trail”
was a series of strips of white paint, and would otherwise be nonexistent. It
was a great ride with the biggest challenge being the steep grades. Traction
was better than pavement. Lucy had a blast too, even though she ran through a
cactus while chasing a coyote. Hopefully, that was enough to discourage her
from harassing other wildlife. I can’t wait to spend a whole weekend there. The
Moab Brewery was pretty nice too.
In other news, I got moved into
my new house. I like it so far, even though it’s a ways out from Telluride, and
I’m still living with the same roommates. My posts will be a little sporadic
until we get Internet set up. In the meantime, Merry Christmas!
