porkyandthemob

The trail zigzags in and out of sagebrush and large rocks with a slight decline; perfect for a fast pace, adrenalin pumping, mountain bike ride.  The trail’s barely a foot wide.  In the summer, Cirsium perplexans (Rocky Mountain Thistles – my best guess anyway) stand just high enough in all the right places to scratch your legs, forearms and cling to your socks (it just takes a mere 4 days to pick out all the burrs).  The trail sits on the third step of the mountain which is about 1,000 feet above the valley floor, or so a rather credible source once told me (REI bought altimeter-watch combo, $175.95 at time of purchase – best friend I ever had cause it didn’t leave me stranded on top of Mt. Ogden my first time skiing, Sam I hate you – but I’m not bitter).  Scrub oak sits at the very top of the step, right as the mountain gets steep again.  Here herds of mule deer can be seen in the summer – this is about as low as they get that time of year.  On several occasions I’ve seen large majestic mule deer bounding through the sagebrush and into the scrub oak just as quickly as I spotted them.  And what follows mule deer?  That’s right class: cougars.  This is a prime location for these excellent ambush hunters.  There haven’t been any attacks in this particular area (and frankly it’s been years since anyone was attacked in
Utah), but I wouldn’t go slopping sheep blood all over myself before a ride and become an ambush-ee either!

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