Dirt(y) Pictures...

A gathering of the In-Laws prevented me from attending the SoCal Trail Riders (STR) Governors Ball in Blackstar Canyon yesterday. However, I have managed a couple dirt rides over the past week or so, both local, well known routes I just never get tired of:

nothing but steep roads around these parts; helmet suggested, climbing legs required

because it is so deep and narrow, Cucamonga Canyon is one of the most dramatic

landscapes of the local San Gabriel Mountain frontage

well someone certainly likes their ride. or does Soma, in this case,

refer to something completely non-cycling related?

i topped onto the little plateau above Marshall Canyon behind a father and son riding ahead. also up there were twelve deer, the largest local herd i have ever seen. usually there are four, five, maybe six. to see this many together you usually have to go deeper into the mountains

i have always figured this must be a firefighting reservoir - the sloped portion where i am standing collects and directs rainwater into the concrete reservoir where it is stored. a hatch on the top (not visible) has been ripped off so that you can see into it, and it is full. whatever its intended purpose it certainly provides a great perch with a view of the road to Potato Mountain, Frankish Peak in the back, and some dark clouds racing in the sky

farewell old tree. this old oak on the downslope side of the Palmer-Evey had been dead for quite a while. its bleached skeleton always stood out starkly between a couple live oaks. most of its white, twisted branches were so brittle that they snapped off when it crashed down. it provided great photo opportunities, so i was kind of sad when i rode up to where it stood and found that it had toppled during the most recent winter storm