Posts of out order: Out and back from Hope

Maybe blog posts are out of order, but everything else in life feels quite in order, in all respects.

Time to get up to speed, catch up posts from the remainder of the summer some other time, maybe.

Adam, Brian, and I rode Resurrection Pass Trail from Hope to Cooper Landing and back (76 mi. round trip) on Sunday. This was the second time Brian and I did this ride this summer, and really the third for Brian, who also did the Soggy Bottom, which also ties in the Devils Pass Trail.

I did this particular ride on my 26-inch hard tail, as opposed to my full-suspension rig, so it was twice the ride it usually is for me. Hard tails are fun, they make you ride and don't cut you much slack, but that's not always a good thing on a ride that takes 9-10 hours.

We got a late start and ended up riding back through the pass at sunset, which would be awesome anytime of year, but this time of year with the fall colors and snow, was mind-blowing. We arrived arrived back to the cars at 9:15. The last 5 miles were pretty interesting: No lights so lots of faith and trusting instincts; and as Adam said, "avoiding anything on the trail that was big and white" (i.e., pretty much guaranteed to be a rock, root, or puddle). As for dark, wheel-eating holes, or bears prowling the banks of Resurrection Creek: well none this round. The scattered leaves did provide a great contrast to the dark trail surface in the twilight that reminded my of those glow-in-the-dark star stickers I had on the ceiling of my room when I was a kid.

Foliage is at its peak, and foliage here is just as abundant in the canopy or tundra as the forest floor.

 

At the pass, southbound.

The mountains south of the pass had a light coating of snow that was melting in the mid-day sun, making them glisten.

Juneau Lake, southbound.

Also.

Also.

At the parking lot in Cooper Landing the temp was 65 degrees and very comfortable. It would have been tempting just to fall asleep in the sun.

Northbound, stopped at the benches above Swan Lake for a snack around dinner time.

Brian joining us for some food before making the last push.

I talk a lot of smack about Resurrection Pass Trail:
It’s not technical;
It’s always muddy;
Most of it is flat;
Too many people;

The feds pump too much money into it;
There’s better places to ride.
That being said, I bet I’ve never ridden it once without having at least one moment where I’ve gone “Wow!” And fallen off into the bushes.

Approaching the pass around 7 PM.

Adam, catches up after layering up as we begin our final descent in coordination with the falling sun.