Auburn, Day 2

Today started earlier (didn’t have to pick up the bike; merely had to wheel it out of the hotel room) and went longer. I started with something new, and was about two miles down the road when I realized I forgot my trail map. Engaging a total guy cliche, I did not turn around.  Luckily they had this great map at the trailhead, and I just took a picture of the area I needed to navigate. Go technology!

 

This particular trail was different from yesterday — more meadows and woods, less scrub and creosote.

 

Still plenty of elevation change.

 

That red clay leaves a nice coating.

 

Feeling oddly good, I decided to re-ride yesterday’s trail. It was as I remembered, but I looked at the map less. Because I didn’t have it. At the very zenith of all the climbing, I met a couple of nice older ladies, out for a stroll. We bid each other good day, and one of the ladies said, “What a nice day. The flowers are beautiful.” And they were. Sometimes we can’t see the flowers for the trail.

 

After artistically capturing the beautiful flowers, I put my phone in my pocket and rode downhill for three miles. It was an exhilarating end to a couple of marvelous days in Auburn.

Many thanks to the nice folks at Victory Velo for renting me a great bike and for being, you know, groovy.