Monarch Crest Minute

Shaine, Richard and Sebastian on Monarch Crest with the 14ers Shavano and Tabeguache in the background.

Ahhh, Monarch Crest — good times! I try to hit up the ‘Crest when I can — the tough climbs, fast descents and rolling terrain are some of the finest true mountain biking anywhere (a good deal of the climbing is over 11,000 ft.) This year’s ride offered a bit of carnage with 4 flat tires between our crew plus a severed rear derailleur on the last 5 miles for me. But we patched our tires, turned my bike into a fixie and had a blast wrapping up.

It’s funny how hard we work for those moments of nirvana — good trails, good company and functioning bikes are just part of the equation. We train our bodies to push the climbs and flow the singletrack. Most of us devote great portions of our living hours to jobs that give us the paycheck that buys us freedom in small increments. We count the days and months between the next great adventure, hoping that our years are measured in summits and rides rather than coffee breaks and credit cards.

All I’m saying is it’s so very nice when the balance tips in the favor of the things that nourish the soul; a little inspiration can go a long way.

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