A Girl In Every Port

If I were a pirate, and I’m not, and if I were single, and I’m not, I’d have a girl in every port.  Instead, I bring my bike with me as often as I can when I travel.  And I’m never let down with finding a new awesome ride, like today.

My buddies joined me, Matt and Jeff. (They live nearby to where I’m staying, they are not the girls in the port!)

I said lets head south, to Hobble Creek Canyon.  Matt had never ridden there, and Jeff couldn’t remember the last time he’d been up there.  It used to be one of my go to rides back when I first started riding and they had to have paved more of the road since then.

Indeed.

Even the road from Provo to Springville is much better than 32 years ago.  Wider.  Smoother.  It took real faith back then to believe you could get there and back safely.  Back then the road was 2 lanes each way, and that was it.  No median, no bike lane.

There’s a nice bike trail that takes you out of Springville up to the Hobble Creek Golf Course.

We did Left Fork first.  It was about 12 miles of 1-3% climbing on an empty country road, accompanied by a full, flowing stream.  So pretty, so green.

Towards the end of the road, I saw a monument and read in bold print Edwin Whiting – Pioneer.  Edwin Whiting is my great-great-great grandfather.  I knew he had been an early pioneer of Springville but I had no idea the monument was there.  These early pioneers were so tough and smart and resilient.

He was a lumber man, and I can see, feel, hear and smell why he loved this beautiful valley.

We hung out at the top a bit, then bombed back down to go up Right Fork.  This road is even quieter…

… until we saw people on the side of the road shooting rifles and pistols.  Kind of unsettling, for this city slicker.

We rode up high.  The road ended after 8 miles, so we went around the gate and climbed higher.  The pines’ scent, rich.  The stream’s power, potent.  We were higher, but there seamed to be more oxygen.

On the way back we hit 7-11 for water, Lay’s, Coke and Dr. Pepper.  Sugar, fat and more sugar… mmmmm.

In Provo, we rolled through campus.  It was empty. Saturday + School’s Out.

A stop at the Maesur Building for a quick photo.  As Goldbrickers, we took a picture there each Fall – Jeff and I, not Matt.

It’s Spring and love is in the air high above Hobble Creek.