So Many Hot Air Balloons!!!

Dave says: This fall I taught three sections of the ethics course in the online MBA program. I had great students and the course went well. When my teaching was over, It was time to get outside for a week with a road trip. My first stop was Moab and I drove right to the start of the Slickrock trail where I had just enough time to ride the loop before dark. As a 16-year-old kid on a carbon hardtail with 2 inches of front suspension, this was my favorite trail and it amazed me that such an incredible trail could exist. Now, with a modern trail bike and 150mm front and rear, Slickrock is still a great trail but lacks that white-knuckled sense of adventure that comes not knowing if you'll be able to make all the obstacles or not. 

The next day, I got in two of Moab's most epic rides. When I woke up in the morning and saw the rain pouring down, I was worried that I wouldn't get to ride. Fortunately, it was a quick storm that dropped some water and then moved on. By the time the shuttle dropped us off at the top of the Whole Enchilada (technically Hazard Pass), it was 40 degrees outside and damp but there was no rain. It was 30 miles straight downhill on some epic trails including the top stuff, UPS, LPS, and Porcupine Rim. Here, the modern trailbike helped out a lot in terms of gobbling up chunky boulders and dropping off ledges. I managed to break a spoke somewhere along the way but rolled into town without additional incident and the guy at the shop quickly fixed my spoke and earned some extra $ from me. 

After a quick lunch across the street, it was off to Amasa Back and Captain Ahab. After climbing up Hymasa to the top, I dropped into Ahab and what a ride it was. Favorite Moab trail! Maybe the best trail anywhere although the three "H" trails in Sedona and Gooseberry Mesa are in the same ballpark. Tons of drops, tons of just makeable obstacles, tons of chunky slickrock and natural formations, tons of tight moves, and tons of views (just don't get too close to the edge). It's everything I love in a black diamond mtb trail and I was smiling like crazy the whole way down. Rolled into Fruita in the evening dead tired and had Dominoes bring pizza right to the hotel.

The next few days I spent with Keith, Rob, Scott, and Brian on some amazing trails in Fruita. There are three great riding areas each worthy of multiple days. The trails tend to be fast and scenic but with occasional obstacles to keep you on your toes. We camped out in the Book Cliffs area on the north side of town and had a great time. We rode all day, broke some bike parts (not me), had some crashes without serious injury (not me), and had a blast. This was my first real exploration of Fruita and I'll definitely be back. On Friday, it was time to pack up camp and drive to Albuquerque for the final part of the trip. Coming over Ouray through Silverton and into Durango was absolutely gorgeous with fall colors and a light dusting of snow on the mountain peaks. Wow!

Alisha and Skye were supposed to arrive on Friday at 10 pm but the airline was slow and somehow let too many people onto the plane. It was midnight before I got them and Skye was still awake (despite her normal 6:30 bedtime) but she was a trooper nevertheless.

We stayed with Alex and Elizabeth who were tremendous hosts even though everyone in their family was sick. On the first day, we went to the park and aquarium in Albuquerque. Skye loves looking at the fish. On day two, we woke up early for the main attraction: the Balloon Fiesta! It was quite remarkable to see hundreds of hot air balloons inflating and lifting off right at sunrise. Skye was entertained and so were we. Ballooning may seem like a relatively calm sport but it looks to us like balloons don't steer very well and so we're inclined to stick to biking. The whole trip was a ton of fun and a great way to celebrate the conclusion of my teaching for the year.