Friday, September 24, 2010

Boys' Day Off

Today I did something with my boys I have been wanting to do for a lifetime, and especially ever since O finally tried riding a "two-wheeler" (he is so incredibly AK-like stubborn!). For some still unknown reason the boys had no school today. I somehow convinced them to go mountain biking with me.

Without doing the rail trails in Park City (which thinking back, would've been actually really good) I tried to think of a more flat trail, which around here, I mean we live against a pretty large Mountain, is tough not to find a good trail with a climb. I came to think of 'Mormon Trail' which has a great rolling section at the start. We drove PJ and her carpool to school and started with breakfast (the chosen trail simply is not trailer friendly, so we had to go without her).

I tried to start with the bike ride in order to be able to bribe them incessantly with breakfast, but realized that when we would be finished with the planned bike ride, it would most likely be lunch. We started 1.5 miles from the start and went back to avoid the drop down to the trail from the Reservoir parking lot. And it is single track. I have not admitted this to anyone, but the first time I rode this trail two years ago it kind of freaked me out, not that I am a pro, but I have been riding since High School (El Morro & El Toro/Irvine) and lots around Park City, Salt Lake, even Moab since then, and this is really skinny, not very forgiving single track. Furthermore, it is totally beautifully overgrown so I don't even like to stop, let alone put my foot down for fear of critters, okay specifically rattlers (which I know there are tons there!). But, it was "flat" and I know of others who have taken their kids and it was all good. Enough said.

We did it and I loved it. They sort of complained the whole time, O definitely wanted to turn around before H, but H still said there were too many rocks (there really aren't comparatively and that kid has shocks! we'll get there), but we loved stopping at the bridge, picking apples from the random apple tree, scoping out the cellar of what we think was an old homestead (complete with 70's looking cans that the boys were sure were from the "real old days", I didn't even think of bursting that bubble), a wicked cool caterpillar H saw and keeps talking about, an awesomely perfect spider web, the gorgeous colors of the autumn leaves sometimes covering the trail (complete with the coolest "orange" description by H that I can't remember), my new found favorite lightest yellow/almost white fall leaf, later describing to PJ (H) that we rode on the Mormon Trail today and what that was ("you know 'This is the Place' and the Pioneers..."),and the boys talking about how great it was being "in nature". We rode probably 2.90 of the planned 3 miler. See it was a success, but they would never admit it (because that would please me too much!).

Someday they will appreciate it, right?

Next time I promised them a "wider" trail. Any suggestions?

And no pictures, so lame.

1 comment:

Visit Park City said...

How fun! Hope it turned out to be an awesome day. If there are any great pictures, we'd love to see them on the Park City Facebook page. Become a fan and post to www.facebook.com/parkcityUT

O Ye That Embark in the service of God - Holden to Peru Trujillo South Mission 9/11/19

Holden has been called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Peru Trujillo South mission.  He spe...