Leapin' Lupines

Taking advantage of another day off to [what else] ... ride my bike. And, lucky me, one of our club's rides was headed for Uvas Canyon County Park. This being a weekday, we'd be sharing the roads with fewer vehicles.

There was some uneasiness about whether we could enter the park. Another group had recently been turned away when the ranger insisted that admission was not free. [Hmm.] That has never been the case, before—even after reservations became required (for vehicles).

And it was not the case, today. [Whew.] I was all set to challenge the ranger to Show Me the Actual Regulation; approaching the entrance, I noted the sign that posted the fee for motor vehicles. But we just pedaled on through unchallenged, as we always have.

The condition of the private stretch of road, through Sveadal, was more hazardous than ever. I feel their pain (literally!), all those park visitors traversing the crumbling road through their community. Who should really pay to maintain, or better yet, improve what's left of the pavement?

As we prepared to return, I announced my intention to capture shots of the fields of lupine we'd passed, and was pleased that our group included a few kindred wildflower-spirits.

Biking to (and from) our rendezvous point added up to my longest ride so far this year: overall, 54 miles, with about 2,500 feet of climbing. When I got home, I felt ... oddly ... perky. [Stay tuned.]