During this past week, I took a “personal day” from work and headed out to the Laguna Mountains for a day on the bike. I have ridden the Big Laguna Trail (aka “BLT”) lots of times but never really all the stuff at once. The BLT has always been inconjuction with something else like a camping trip with the boys, the Single Speed Summit, or part of the “Tour De Noble”. Either way I have done the various part but not all of it at once. Today I was going to put all the pieces together.
I left mighty early from home at my usual heading off to work time. Right off the bat it felt great to make that first left when I usually go right. The drive was great. I felt like an enlighted lemmin heading towards a hills, while the rest of the world marched towards the 9-to-5 cliff in their shiny metal boxes. (Yes, I am a Police Fan). I watched to the sun break over my destination in the distance. I was enjoying a cup of coffee like I always do in the mornings. This cup used the same grounds, water and machine as yesterday, but it just seemed to taste better when facing east and away from the city.
When I arrived at the trailhead at the Meadows Information Kiosk east of Big Laguna Meadow, it was a glorious morning with a slight crispness to the air with the smell sound of autumn as a slight breeze rustled through the trees that still head most of thier leaves. Heading out on the trail it was obvious that I have been slacking on the bike as of late. I really did not care at this point as I had the whole day and I was out myself. This was not to be a training ride, this was about “Just Riding”.
All throughout the day, I took all the forks in the trails that I normally don’t take. I went up trails I know are best done the other direction, but hey, I wanted to see what was at the top. I focused on the all the upper trails to the east- northeast of the meadow to start with before venturing down to the meadow. I would end making a couple trips down to the meadows just to catch the next spur trail that heads uphill and away from the meadow.
I would only see a couple of bikers and a hiker over the course of the day and it was just perfect. I felt so alive and revived during this ride. It is funny how therapuetic the sound leaves crackling under your tires and a cool breeze on you face can be. This ride was an MTB version of a Day Spa and it was just what the doctor ordered.