Sourdough: Corrida de Toros

Head hung low, a thirsty breath from his massive lungs, a pounding heart driving those powerful legs, a posture broken only by his fiercest tail whip, focused ahead, leading with a crown of horns there is no retreat.  Instinct drives the bull to incredible lengths, sometimes for senseless purpose.  It wasn't instinct that propelled me forward but it took the will of a bull to get you through the 4 foot snow drifts on Sourdough this past weekend.

All the moisture gave the forest a  freshly watered flavor.  I have never experienced a forest so fragrant;  a breeze flowing through the dense pine forest, nothing to pollute the air but seeping pine oil and damp pine cones.  The flowing streams provided the soundtrack to the day's activities.  There were many downed trees which added to the aroma, like fresh cut wood soaking in the melting snow.  The trail may have been overcome with snow but you could still get a sense of the abundant shade offered along the way.  There was too much snow to detect the actual tread but if it was anything like the first 2 miles it would have a mix of smooth crushed gravel, hard packed Dirt or rocks, some jagged enough to pierce a tire.

The snow had a consistency of a snow cone and felt like sandpaper against your skin as my feet plunged the 3 to 4 foot snow drifts.  You forget the winter conditions until you begin to feel the freeze upon your feet.  My feet got so cold I had to stop twice to wring out my socks while my toes thawed in the scorching sun.  My relationship with the bike was also interrupted as it progressed from riding to walking to carrying and finally dragging.

Despite the extremely difficult conditions, I was having a great time and all I could think about was reaching Little Raven.  I had to use the trail markers extensively because the trail was completely obscured.  Here's a tip: if your trail is concealed and you feel you may be off track, set your bike down and try and locate the last or next marker.  Most markers are within view of each other so keep searching but never lose sight of your bike.

Continuing along, feet frozen from the brutal trail, I spotted a short clearing, like a spotlight from the sky penetrating the dense pine forest of the Indian Peaks Mountain Range.  I removed my shoes and socks and placed my feet on the only rock exposed to the direct sunlight.  Looking down the trail I couldn't see an end to the snow drifts.  The day was winding down and I hadn't seen or heard any other trail users all day.  I had about 2 hours of sunlight left and I knew the conditions behind me but I wasn't sure what lay ahead.  If  I did reach Little Raven I would need to head back anyway.  I would then continue on Sourdough down to the north then ride the Hwy back to the trailhead or turn around and retrace my steps.  I was completely spent at this point, I had no clue how much longer I would be trekking through the snow in cycling shoes and the last thing I wanted was to get lost in the forest.

After about 15 minutes of calculating my next move, I decided that the safest thing to do would be to turn around.  So back I went through all the snow again, all the while being treated to an unbelievable scented forest, a smell you absolutely won't forget.  Later on I would discover that I was about a mile or so from the Little Raven trail junction.  I also learned quickly how difficult it is to ride challenging terrain on clipless pedals when your feet are freezing - you should avoid this if you can.

I traveled about 4 miles in and 4 miles out on a trail fit for the true mountain biker.  It will require great balance, strength and stamina plus some of the rocky sections are tough to pass without the proper skills.  Linked is a partial map and even though my speed was reduced by the snow drifts you can still get a sense of the elevation changes up to this point.  Link to my Garmin page connect.garmin.com/activity/322133742 for some useful information if you plan to ride Sourdough.  I should have a complete map that includes Little Raven at some point.  Till then, have yourself a fantastic ride.

A.R.