Pinelog

I wouldn't normally write about an after-work ride, but last week, I managed to ride Pinelog for the first time in a million years.

I just spun a figure 8 on the roads, but even doing that it was clear that a lot had changed!

The roads are way less accessible by trucks these days, and mostly look like this:

Basically doubletrack.

Nearly every little side road/trail has been crosscut. Most are choked with lezpedeza. Some with young pines. I have no idea which are still passable, even on foot. I may have to totally re-explore the whole system at some point.

The overlook is getting to be less and less of an overlook.

I had to hold my phone way up high through the one gap in the trees to get that shot.

The church is the same.

Or, it looks the same from the outside, at least.

The Lewis Furnace is still standing, but the area surrounding it is densely overgrown now. There's barely a campsite, and the road that led to it before is more of a trail now. Not even doubletrack.

It's still a road up over Pine Log Gap. In fact, it had been freshly graveled in a few spots, and it was loose and shifty.

On the backside, the Cripple Creek Ore Bank was full of water. Unusual this time of year. I could barely make out where the old railbed diverges away from the modern road. If I didn't know it was there, I'm not sure I'd ever think to look for it.

I always love these rocks.

My modernish iPhone washes out the color less than my old 4s did, but it still doesn't quite capture the colors.

The old lower lake was fully planted, and the view of Pine Log Mountain was as striking as ever.

My 34-11/52 felt really good up there. I never felt too spun out. It even felt good on the road, coming back around toward White. I could stand and crank when I wanted to. I could spin up over Wolfpen Gap when I wanted to as well.

Nice!