Fire and
Rain.....Fog and Bagels
Rod's Back Door to Sage
Ranch and Back Again
Saturday
10-22-05
Saturday morning found a
disappointingly small, yet enthusiastic quartet of riders show up for
Rod's Annual Sukkah Ride. Meeting at the corner of Roscoe and Valley
Circle on an overcast day, we set out to explore the recently burned
area of the northwest San Fernando Valley. The scorched landscape,
dampened by rain earlier in the week and dimmed by this morning's fog, created
an aura of magic and mystery for us to play in.
Leaving the
pavement, the intrepid adventurers Rod, Jamshyd and Joe enter the burn
area
Jamshyd and Joe head
down the initial section of singletrack thru the scorched
hillsides
Across the scorched
landscape....Joe and Rod in the distance....but where is
Jamshyd?....
Jamshyd squatting in
the distant fog....taking care of business?
Black ash from the
fire collected in low spots, washed down from the recent
rain
A bit of green
in an otherwise monotone landscape
During our explorations we
discovered, among other things, that our old rope and wooden "ramp" we used to
lower ourselves on the usual return trip was gone, presumably burned up in the
fire. Eventually we arrived at Woolsey Canyon Road for the pavement climb
up to the Boeing plant (we had an informative conversation with the security
guard) and Sage Ranch.
Near Sage Ranch, Rod
displays a section of fiber optic cable that is being 're-strung' after the
fire
A smiling Rod pedals
happily thru the thick fog enveloping the Sage Ranch
loop
Joe leads
Jamshyd down a blackened path in Sage Ranch as the thought of fresh
bagels begins to enter our minds
Leaving Sage Ranch with hunger
pangs stirring, we headed back down Woolsey Canyon Road. While Joe, Rod
and Jamshyd headed back into the dirt for the return ride home, I,
still feeling a bit ill from a recent cold, continued back
on the pavement. Meeting back at the cars, we followed Rod from his "back
door" ride to his literal back door where we were treated to a
wonderful feast of bagels and other delectables for the Sukkah holiday.
Under the sukkah,
host Rod, Jamshyd, Joe, and I enjoy the bounty provided by Rod and his wife
Charlene....THANKS!!!
Have a great
week!
Robco Baggins
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RCYMountainBiking.com
