Let the Season Begin!

It's that time of year again folks. It's time to get out and dust off that mountain bike, and hit the trails. If you're living around Colorado, you know we haven't had a lot of snow on the front range, so the moisture is way down. The upside is that you can ride just about anything all the way west to Buffalo Creek. The downside is that the ground is very dry, and prone to damage.

I was in Buffalo Creek last week, camping and taking in some good riding. I was amazed at how little snow was up there. I was even more amazed that with the high winds and dry vegetation that someone would be dumb enough to have an open fire. But there it was...in very high 30 mph winds, someone had a fire going. Evidently they didn't notice the 140,000 or so acres that burned before they go there. I was heading over to talk to them about it when the Forestry Service beat me to it. Given the tongue lashing they got, I'm sure that won't happen again...at least not by those folks.

Taking care of the forest is a good thing to keep in mind when you're out riding. I mean, making sure you don't burn the forest down is a good thing, but more often people are just not considerate of others. Make sure you clean up after yourself. It goes without saying that if you fix a flat, don't throw your tube into the woods. Also, make sure our wrappers, and other various trash makes it out of the forest with you. I have yet to ride near Denver where I don't see various pieces of trash from someone who was there before me. I'm not talking beer bottles here (although I see those as well), I'm talking about the empty tubes of GU and powerbars that make it onto the trail.

And speaking of consideration, Mountain Bikers often get a bad name for their trail ediquette. I'm not sure it is all that deserved, but sure enough we have our bad guys. So this year when you're out riding, take the extra effort to slow down for others, no matter who they are. It will make a good impression either way. Be kind...if it's not returned, so what. Just wish them a nice day and move on. At least Karma will shine on you. Well..happy riding! SirRexALot