I had been across it dozens of times on bike, on foot, and in 4×4, but never realized it was there. An aqueduct. The reason I had noticed it this time were the recent signs of machinery used to clear the ditch of debris and vegetation.
I followed it to the north where it joined up with a stream and a diversion. Then I followed it south where it became elevated as it crossed a gulch. The water sitting in it was still half-frozen.
It can be harsh living at elevation 8300 feet. Especially harsh are the winter winds, blowing with sustained speeds of 40-60 miles per hour, for 5 or 6 days straight. Then an early spring day, like today, comes along and reminds me why I live here.
I hopped on my bike, rode up the peak-to-peak, to an area most people refer to as West Mag (as in magnolia). My original destination was the Champion Mill, but like last time, never made it. Last time I was distracted by an aqueduct, which I should re-post here for completeness. This time I was simply not feeling the energy. I’ve been dealing with a relapse of west nile the past few weeks, which flares-up a couple times a year. This time, after following forest road 355 and taking a unnamed trail, I stopped at a tributary to Beaver Creek.
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I don’t know why I want to spend time customizing the perfect design and images for this blog, when I expect few visitors. I guess it’s a creative outlet, something that I can take pride in. Other than that, part of me thinks it’s an utter waste of valuable spare time. I’ve got a list of dozens of minor style tweaks I want to make, as well as re-doing the top banner image.
I want the top banner to be the image that speaks a thousand words about me. I have such varied interests and plan to write about everything ranging from hiking to music to programming. While I have some ideas, I’m not sure yet how to integrate all of that into an image. My Photoshop skills are rusty and will add to the time this will take.
Patience is in order. I don’t have to do it all at once.
