Favorite ride

Yesterday morning Keith stayed with Luke so I could do my favorite bike ride, for the first time since we moved back.

It's a 20-mile roundtrip ride up Emigration Canyon, with a consistent 5% grade and an elevation gain of 1478 feet. That means it's a hard climb on the way up, and a fast coast back down, which is sublime on a hot Utah summer day.

I went early so there weren't many other riders out yet and the light was beautiful at that time. It was a great ride except for two things:

1. I'm out of shape.

I used to ride Emi several times per week, so I know exactly how long it typically takes (or, took) to reach the top (50 minutes; one crazy day I did it in 48). Yesterday it took me 61 minutes = pitiful. I'd better find a way to get out there more often.

2. I spit a big phlegm ball on my leg... twice.

I've been a bit congested for two weeks now so it wasn't surprising that I had to choke up some phlegm a few times on the ride. I tried spitting to the side, but two times the gooey blob landed right on my leg. Gross.

But all in all, being out on that familiar ride reminded me, again, of why it's nice to be back in Utah.

Here's the view at the top: