None Shall Pass...

None Shall Pass, Even For a Quick Look.
Honest, Ranger Smith. 
I'm just looking for my lungs.

 With much of the forest closed off due to Stage III fire restrictions, scoring a ride is becoming harder if one likes off-road amusement. My old trails in Bayo Canyon are apparently closed off, as is much of the mountain in Santa Fe. La Tierra trails and parts of Pajarito Mountain remain open.

Meanwhile, back in Fanta Se, all of the national forest pulloffs on Hyde Park Road were blocked off today, as was the overlook at the top, as I discovered after chugging up and looking for a place to rest, get rid of some oxygen deficit, and recuperate for the somewhat technical descent.

I suppose the alternative to the trails is, after all, a road ride. If one has a road bike and proper gears, that is easy enough. Indeed, with all the trails closed, bicycles seemed to outnumber motor vehicles on the ride up and back down Hyde Park Road today so it was a welcome change from the madhouse of busy weekends on the mountain, watching for some clueless tourist to swing in or out of one of the numerous pullouts  that happen to be on the far side of a hairpin curve during a fast descent.

West side of La Tierra Trails, which are open and fun

More stuff on the West side of La Tierra Trails

For those without a road bike, its not that hard to snag a pair of smooth tires or even a second wheelset and put them on the off road machine. I  did that, as shown below, a year point five ago when I had shoulder surgery and decided to fit my double boinger with road hoops so I could take advantage of suspension while the shoulder healed. My Mavic Speed City wheelset worked best, but I am not sure those are available any more. At least some suspension bikes allow one to lock out the suspension or put it on a firm setting, so one doesn't have to go boinging up the mountain. I think some of the recent high tech stuff even avoids the operator-induced boinging on its own.

But I suppose the bottom line is pray for rain.

The Stumpjumper in yet another incarnation,
fitted out with road hoops and smooth tread.