Barking Spider came and went this weekend and unlike last year when I was cursing my bike, my physical fitness and some of the riders, this year was a delight. Interesting how much can happen in a year. I still had to dismount on a few climbs but mainly due to other riders. The big deal was the dude I passed on slow climb to the summit that breezed past me on a short narrow pitch right before the descent through the rock. Obviously he didn't want to get stuck behind anyone on a section where passing was difficult, but it was a gutsy move and I give him credit for it. For the record I finished 10th about 10 minutes behind the winner in my classification.

So April comes to a close with one of the best months of riding I've ever had to start a season. I should have 500 miles under my belt by May 1st and the mountain biking has been mixed in more liberally than in springs past. I hope this will lead to some more adventurous riding in the area so I can experience more of what the region has to offer. With the way gas prices are, I'm not sure I'll be doing much venturing to Moab, Salt Lake or Tahoe for riding excursions, but I think I should have plenty to work with her and I still have plans to publish what I do and document for the future.