December 14, 2014

After a three week break, Rick and I spent Friday evening through Monday at the cabin.  It seemed unlikely, but we took the mountain bikes in hopes of at least a short ride on Saturday.  The weather was decent, and we were able to get in another great 20 mile/almost 3 hour ride on many of our favorite trails without freezing to death.

We had Friday dinner at the Western Bar and made a shopping trip into town after the ride Saturday to the usual places and to the newly opened Family Dollar store.  It was actually quite impressive and will make the planning for our future trips much less stressful.  They have a decent selection of just about any basic items you would need.  Before, if you forgot the basics, you got to make a 30 mile trip down the mountain to Alamo!

We ate mediocre nachos at the Lodge, stopped by the bakery, and drove down to High Rolls for some shopping on Sunday afternoon.

Rick worked some more on the downstairs bathroom remodel, and I cleaned the cabin before we headed home late Monday afternoon.

This weekend marked exactly one year since our first trip to the cabin after buying it last December.

Cloud Country entrance by day......

And by night....

View from Mexican Canyon Trestle looking toward Alamogordo and White Sands

Ski Cloudcroft after the snow on Sunday

Christmas at The Lodge

Webcam view on Sunday morning

Toby poses in the wreath

November 23, 2014

Rick left on Tuesday to work on the guest bathroom remodel, and the cats and I joined him on Thursday evening.  He worked on plumbing, built and stained new cabinets, textured and painted the walls, and put up/stained/polyurethaned wainscoting.  The project is not completely finished but is getting close, and it's going to look great.

It had snowed earlier in the week, but Friday's temps were at least upper 40s so we took time for a mountain bike ride from the cabin.  It ended up being snowy and muddy in a number of places, especially on the north sides of mountains and in the trees.  We stayed warm for most of the ride, but the trip down James Canyon ridge in damp, sweaty clothes in the cold was brutal.

We had to make a trip to Alamogordo on Friday afternoon after the ride for firewood and plumbing supplies.  We loaded the trailer with wood with a little help from our bakery friends who were also getting wood.  We didn't ride on Saturday due to time constraints and the memory of Friday's cold ride, but I had plenty of exercise as I had to unload, wheelbarrow and stack the entire trailer load by myself while Rick worked on the remodel.  We headed into town in the late afternoon for our regular trip to the bakery, cheese store, bike shop and Western Bar.  The Baylor-Oklahoma State game wasn't on our tv at the cabin so we watched the first half at the bar (sic 'em!).

I headed back to Lubbock on Sunday afternoon and Rick stayed an extra day to work on the bathroom more.

Peg (the 3-legged deer) is back!  We hadn't seen her since March and thought she hadn't survived.  I wonder where she's been!

November 3, 2014

It was another great weekend at the cabin.  The weather was decent for early November in the mountains, and the mountain biking was excellent!  Same crew as last time.  We rode 40 miles over 2 days with 5 1/2 hrs total riding and 4400' of climbing.  

Rick's new full-suspension Specialized Stump Jumper

End of the road in a new area we rode on Saturday 

Searching for an old trail on the other side

Found the trail and headed up the side of the mountain

The trail

Nice morning by the fire with Toby

At the top of the last climb of the weekend near Wofford Lookout at approx. 9200' elevation.  The legs, and even arms, are toast!

October 20, 2014

It was probably the most beautiful and enjoyable weekend for scenery and mountain biking yet.  Amy had work and school obligations, but Vince was available for another great weekend of mountain biking.  We arrived Friday night and made our now regular trip to the Western Bar for the usual:  green chile cheeseburgers, onion rings, Moose Drools and coconut cream pie.

Saturday morning was quite chilly and drizzly, so we hung out at the cabin.  Rick and Vince cut down a large, dead fir tree (I'll get the video attached at the end of the post along with one or two MTB videos), and I wasted a lot of time watching an unpleasant football game.  

We headed out toward James Canyon by mid-afternoon and rode 20 miles on some great trails and fire roads.  The trees were turning, and the weather was quite fall-like.  After the ride and a nice warm shower, we headed to the ski resort for the obligatory wood-fired pizzas which were excellent as always.  We, unfortunately, learned that they'll close for a while after next weekend for some remodeling and to get the lifts inspected and ready for possible snows and ski season.  We'll hope for a great snow season for them and that they'll reopen soon!

There was a good chance of rain on Sunday, so we loaded up the bikes and got a much earlier start.  We rode from town and headed out north to some familiar trails (including a difficult single track, the Wofford lookout climb which goes to almost 9200' elevation, and our favorite single track) and a new one that loops around a ridge near the meadow where the wild mustangs are usually hanging out.  The mustangs were there again, and the stallion kind of challenged us.  

We rode 16 miles, and it really felt like riding in a postcard.  The trees were incredible.  The temps were in the 50s, and it started raining a few miles from the end which unfortunately kept me from stopping and getting pictures of the beautiful areas of red maples and trees near town.  Next year!

We headed back to the Western Bar after the ride for green chile enchiladas.  Vince headed back, and we went to High Rolls for the Apple Festival and one last trip to the apple orchard.  It was a great weekend.

The meadow.

Difficult 1.25 mile climb back up the fire road.

Our favorite single track.

The favorite single track.  Note a large tree has fallen across the trail.

Aspens just east of Cloudcroft.

Aspens in James Ridge area.

The new trail which loops around into the back of the meadow.

James Ridge area just north of Twin Forks.

View of Sierra Blanca from Wofford Lookout north of Cloudcroft.

October 6, 2014

Zinker Canyon climb 

Amy and Vince joined us for a beautiful weekend in the Sacramento Mountains with the leaves beginning to turn at higher elevations.  Rickey, Vince and I decided to attempt the round-trip mountain bike trip to town using the northern route.  We've recently been scouting out the trails but had not done the Zinker Canyon Trail portion, and it turned out to be TOUGH!  The weather was perfect, which was good because the 32 mile round trip ended up taking over 4 hours.  

We had just enough time when we got back to the cabin to shower, change into a different set of cycling clothes, load up the bikes, and head to the pizza place for a very late lunch(?)/dinner(?) before driving down to White Sands for the Full Moon Bike Ride.  It was actually about 3-4 days short of the full, full moon but was still impressive.  Amy rode with us, and the 16 mile ride was her longest bike ride ever.  Unfortunately, the flashing bike lights triggered her migraines and a crash onto the sand didn't help matters.  It was a very long and tiring but fun day!

Needless to say, none of us were too excited about riding on Sunday, so we hiked the Osha trail and went to an art show at zenith park.  After a little shopping and lunch at the BBQ place, Amy and Vince headed back home.  Rick did more work on the main floor bathroom, and we returned home late Monday afternoon.

Zinker Canyon climb

Aspens near Wofford Lookout

Wild mustangs in the meadow

Full Moon Bike Ride at White Sands

Osha Trail

View of Mexican Canyon Trestle, highway 82, and White Sands