Perspirate, Evaporate

Eons ago in Biology class, I learned that the human body produces perspiration to cool off; at the time, that seemed like nothing more than a puzzling theory. In the summertime, this east coast empiricist observed that perspiration dripped off her face and ran in a river down the center of her back; it drenched her clothing and made her feel sticky and miserable.

When the humidity is 90%, there is not much evaporating going on.

For the west coast empiricist, perspiration is a textbook experience. There were no water boys on Metcalf today, but a slight breeze on the exposed climb helped lift the moisture off my glistening skin. Despite the blazing sun, the core of my body felt cooler as an underlayer wicked the wetness away. Coasting down a stretch of road at 44 mph felt like a veritable blast of air conditioning. Theory in practice!

The southernmost segments of the Coyote Creek Trail (officially designated COY14 and COY15) were new to me, and I was glad to follow the leaders. Without local knowledge, good luck staying on the trail: intersections, spurs, and road crossings are unmarked.

Our ride leaders, training for an upcoming excursion, bracketed our small group on their low-geared touring bikes—complete with fenders, racks, and loaded panniers. The rest of us were just riding for the fun of it. [Really. Climbing Metcalf is fun. Really.]

Will I embark on a bicycle tour some day? Decidedly ... maybe.