Feeling ambitious...

So this morning I decided to hike to the top of Clarks Peak a different way than I did it last time. My plan was to ride up to the top of the ridge, then follow the ridge out to where it ends at Clarks Peak.

Well, the road I took to the top of the ridge was really nice, not too steep and since it was a dead end I didn't have any other traffic, which I always like. Unfortunately I ended up a lot farther away from the peak than I wanted to be and there is another road that gets me much closer that I should have taken, so I stopped short of my goal, got some sun while I ate my lunch and just enjoyed the solitude. It wasn't all that smoky so I took a few... ok, lots of pictures. (but only posting 2)

The first picture is of the way I went along the ridge and way off in the trees you can see Clarks Peak. I took the other picture above the other road that I will take next time I do this. The saddle between the peak and where I was standing has a pretty ridable road in it and makes the walk a lot shorter. Not that it was all that far today, but I will get to the top this way next time I try this.

It's all good and my ride/walk today came out a little over 15 miles. Saw only one truck all day just as I was heading back to my truck.

Tom's Thumb

Not my friend Tom, but I'm really not sure where the name came from. Yesterday I took my bike up to the top of Janesville Grade and headed up toward Thompson Peak.

I decided to ride up a road I hadn't been up for many years and ended up on the escarpment at Tom's Thumb, a huge granite rock that local rock climbers must have named. There are quite a few pitons embedded on the almost sheer rock face. I tried to climb up the only side that looked like it was climbable without ropes but chickened out after getting over half way up since I was alone and if I fell it could be a long time before anyone found me. The right side of the rock in the bottom picture is the one I tried climbing. It really didn't look too tough and next time I get a buddy to go with me I might try getting to the top.

I went all the way around this thing and checked it from all angles. The downhill side was really impressive in it's formidable appearance and I took the bottom picture looking up at it from near the bottom but you can't get the full perspective. It's a little too steep to climb from this side but you really can't tell from this view.

Climbin' and ridin'...

Had a nice visit with my sister Pat the last few days but yesterday she stayed out at Linda's so I went bike riding. I wanted to climb another peak I hadn't been to and that's what I did. I'm starting to like this bike riding/hiking thing I have been doing lately. I ride my bike as far as possible and hike the rest of the way to the top of whatever mountain I picked to climb. This one was Papoose peak. In the first picture the highest point is not what it seems. It's to the right of center and doesn't look like the highest point from that vantage point.

When I got up on top I found an old road that I could have easily rode up on so if I go up there again I'll try the road next time. I took the wrong route up through the brush and got into some very heavy snowbrush and manzanita and going uphill against the brush is always the hardest. Once I got up on top though, it was easy going.

The view from up there was nice and it wasn't too smoky. Total of 12 miles today including the hike up to the top of the peak. Ya gotta love this stuff... I sure do!!