Two Wheel Tuesday: The Middle

Another Tuesday. I slow up, soft pedal, then stop pedaling completely and coast, as we ride along the perimeter of la Casa de Carrion. I peak over the wall, or fence; covered in distictis, aka Trumpet Vine, it is hard to tell what lies beneath. What lies beyond, though, is what I seek; a view that might reveal something of the old adobe. Walls, windows, roof, I don't know what I expect, but in a thoroughly modern city I find it cool to glimpse these vestiges of another time, another culture. Such thoughts don't last long on Tuesday. In another few meters we reach the dirt, object of our obsession, leaving little room for historical distractions.

Dropping and snaking through the switchbacks off the middle of the dam, climbing the hills around the Raging Waters parking lot, over the bridge and through the woods, back up the far side switchbacks, and "where is everyone" anyway. Turns out no one else did that part of the loop on this evening. Boy was I surprised. Almost as surprised as the two teens walking up the trail at the bottom of the switchbacks - "do you know where the waterfall is?" I almost laughed, but stifled it. They had been told there was a significant drop of water, a "cascade" even. "Sorry guys, but someone has sent you on a wild goose chase" did not convince them and off they went on their futile search. Perhaps they found their cascade at Raging Waters?

It was another fulfilling Tuesday - riding, a "Four on the Floor" anniversary brew, spicy rice bowl, and many of the old crew back in the group. Good to lift my head from studying the rocks and dirt in front of my wheel and see Carla, Rae, Sam, and Larry back in the bunch. 

For as long as I have been riding this area (SoCal) the name of one of the riders pictured here has been a constant in the peloton. A local legend, can you guess it?