Big Mountain

I have fallen behind on my blogging.  Frankly, I haven't felt much like writing this past while.  But here goes.

On Friday, I added another notch on my belt:  we cycled up to the top of Big Mountain - another place I had never been before.  The ride is an extension of the Emigration Canyon ride, which I hadn't done in almost six weeks.  I could see how much my level of fitness had changed during that time when I saw how much more quickly and easily I was able to ascend the hill leading to the first summit at Little Mountain.

The ride on up to Big Mountain was beautiful, but the last few miles were challenging.  The elevation gain from Little to Big Mountain is almost exactly the same as the gain from the mouth of the canyon to Little Mountain, i.e., approximately 1200 feet.  I again came down with what I dubbed "pre-summit whine," wondering whether I could make it to the top and wanting ever 30 seconds to just turn around and coast down.   

On our way to the top, I experienced another first:  we came around a curve, and there smack dab in the middle of the road was a moose.  Mark was ahead, and I saw the moose turn his head and look at Mark.  Before I could get my phone out to take a picture, however, he (the moose, not Mark) had gone on down into the trees at the side of the road.

I got up early on Saturday and went for a ride by myself:  the loop from our house to the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon and back.  I rode hard and shaved three minutes off our best time so far on that route. My legs were really feeling the workout on Sunday, when Mark and I rode together down to Draper and around the Point of the Mountain into Lehi, then back home - another 50-miler.  I knew that I would need a rest day after those three days of cycling.

On Saturday, I had the Quads again.  I took them first to the zoo to see some things we hadn't had time for last week.  That's what's great about a pass:  we can go for as long as we want, and none of us have to feel guilty for not getting our "money's worth."  

On Saturday, we focused on the apes and the cats.  I always like to point out to Aaron, Esther and Annie that the Siberian tigers (also known as Amur tigers) and Amur Leopard are native to the region where they were born: Primorsky Krai in the far east of Russia.

The port of Nakhodka, birthplace of Aaron and Esther

I don't recall previously noticing the Amur leopard that Hogle Zoo has.  I was surprised to learn that there are only about 40 of these animals in the world today, and I was amazed that one of these is at Hogle Zoo here in Salt Lake City.

That afternoon, I took the kids to see "The Three Stooges."  I was reminded why my mother never let us kids watch the TV show when we were little.  The funniest moment in the movie for me was near the beginning.  The Mo, Larry and Curly were dropped off at a Catholic orphanage as infants, and Levi said, "I've seen previews of this part, where they were raised by the "black people" (nuns in full habit).  Out of the mouths of babes ...

While I was at the zoo and the movie, Mark (who had a rare Saturday off) was working on finishing the new little patio in the back corner of the yard:

The nearby Buddha seems to like the new little Aspen grove

Back to Sunday's ride, I had another opportunity to change my rear tire.  I'm just grateful it happened in a safe location near a nice shady spot where I could change it.

How 'bout them legs?