The Big West Fork Loop

It is such a satisfaction to finally finish a ride! Every time I have gone up West Fork, I have turned around for one reason or another. Not that I was even trying the same ride each time, but wherever I have been headed up there has always eluded me until today.

As usual, I saw real fishermen.
But it was the cartoon variety that I photographed today.

After I got past the 7 mile mark, and the road tilted up, I thought I wouldn't see people anymore. Beautiful tributaries, yes; but people, not so much.

I can't get enough of this stuff...

The next photo is of a place I never got to before. When heading up West Fork Trail (2n25), I hit snow and turned around. When heading up Redbox Rincon Road (2n24), it started to rain. I had a goretex raincoat, a long billed cap, wool socks, knee warmers, and I should have been fine, right? Not without gloves, I wasn't! I'm telling you, white boy be crazy!

We were following the power lines...

Notice how I said "we." That's because I ran into a couple on full squish bikes at the junction of 2n25 and 2n24. So while I thought I was being all hardcore, thinking I'd be all alone up there, all I was doing was catching up to a couple of mountainbikers who have almost two decades on me.

Maria and Jim were fine company.

Except for the part where Jim slashed his tire...
...twice!

It was a great day up there, and I finally did the whole West Fork Loop (as I call it). Plus I met some compadres. The ride was not such a big deal, at only 4000 feet of elevation, but it felt soooo good.

Here is a picture of a tree:

That's a tree, all right!