Where? Paradise Valley. When? TODAY!

Alright... feeling sorry for myself and the lack of a planned tour for this year yet - I decided to head out on the Santa Cruz Tallboy. I have been slowly re-invigorating my mountain bike riding since I purchased the Tallboy last year. So to some degree, I am going to use the mountain bike as my summer focus until I do end up with a bonified bicycle tour on the Salsa. Well that is the plan at this moment in time.

Paradise Valley or more correctly... Paradise Valley Conservation Area is about 20 minutes from my house. Its in Snohomish county - sort of behind Woodinville. For those of you who do not know the area too well - this is about an hour north east of Seattle - but still in the 'burbs if you will. Got it? Good. There about 11 miles of multi-use trails. Not any real climbs - pretty flat. Its well maintained - The Evergreen Mountain Bike Alliance has done a lot of the work to develop this area. Most of the trails are pretty mellow- but a few can be technical. And there are a few trails with human made ladders, platforms and drops.

>>>> Click pics for larger size:

So this is the site of my first endo in many years. It has probably been 25 years ago in Southern Oregon when I was living down there and riding my Klein all over the Ashland watershed since I have gone over the bars! While being pitched over the bars, I thought this is going to hurt. I landed on my right should / side with a deep thud right on the trail. Once I immediately realized I was not hurt - I started to laugh out loud. Got up and dusted myself off.

In this pic you can see the divot (in front of the fern) where my wheel stopped cold and over I went.

Some of the laddered sections on Cedar Run.

At the end of a long ladder that progressed to a high drop, I noticed this tacked to a tree. It was only when I was at home and did some internet surfing that I learned this guy passed away on the trail from a head injury. This was just last month. He was doing what he loved I'm sure.

This was some stump that has become a bit of a shrine of sorts. This is down the trail a ways, not associated with the accident above. It just looks like trinkets and such. Oh there is a beer bottle too.

This is the sign leading into Cedar Run. One way only. This is pretty technical and a lot of fun.

Here is a plot of my ride. Not very far - but hey it was a good ride anyway!