Tag: critters

Local Running Amuckness

It has really felt good to be able to ride again and I have been working on getting back into shape while taking a measure approach to the riding as the knee gets stronger.   I certainly do not want to have a relapse of the pain issues.

North side of Lake Hodges

I have been able to get in three rides in this past week.    First of was Lake Hodges where I did the north and south sides for about a 20 mile effort.

Local Sauce

I did my local ride from the house and felt pretty good on it.

At the top of La Costa

And I meet my buddy Dave for a ride and La Costa which included some of the Back 40 goodness.    Maintaining proper social distancing was pretty easy with Dave.   I could barely keep him within 100 feet let alone 6 feet.

Came across this healthy looking bloke out on the trail.

On the backside trails we came across a Rattler.   He was pretty happy where he was at so we had to give him some encouragement to get off the trail.    There were no sticks of the appropriate length around so I stood behind my bike, held onto the saddle and rolled the bike up close to the snake.  One the front wheel got within a foot of the snake he figured it was best to give up his ground.    If you have your arm outstretched to you saddle and lean over while you do this you can keep seven plus feet between you and the snake.  I like to get these folks away from the trail when I encounter them as you never know when some Ahole is going to come along think these things need to be killed.

After we got this fellow to move along we finished up the ride.   I felt really good about how I finished up the ride.    It was a good week of ridin

Post HO HO HO Daley

After partaking in all of traditional Christmas time feasting it was time to try to knock a little of the growing HO HO HO off of my belly with some miles and some climbing.   Daley Ranch offers plenty of that.   I decided to switch my routes some on my two rides out here this week.  I decided to start out with a climb up the boulder loop which I have not done it quite some time.   While on the climb I came upon a Kangaroo Rat.

Ain’t he cute?

So I have seen plenty of Kangaroo rats out on the trail when night riding. This was my first time seeing one during the daylight and certainly catching one. I actually caught this little critter several times while trying to get the photos. Other than a couple ticks on its under side it seems to be healthy. I’m pretty sure its behavior is going have it being a coyote or hawk snack very soon.

Blue skies, green grass

It was has been really pretty out here lately with the winter storms bringing in some much needed moisture.

The Pacific Ocean in the distance

It was pretty nice to do some of this area in the opposite direction than what I normally take.   Seeing things from a different perspective as well as at a different speeds put a nice “new” twist on things.

Snow on Palomar Mountain

I  always think it is a treat to see and visit snow without snow coming to visit me.

 

Snooping around near Santee

Yesterday, I met some of the usual and some of the not-so usual suspects for  a bit of riding and exploring around the Santee countryside.

We certainly got in some tough climbs.

We also got in some skinny singletrack

 

The Santee hillsides are mighty green this time of year.

We got to watch a coyote stroll along the far side of a hillside we were on.

He was a healthy looking fellow.

Later on in the ride we came across a fairly large red-tail hawk that allowed me to get surpisingly close.

After the bird encounter the rest of the ride was a series of steep up and down fireroads before calling it a day.  It was a good day to be on a bike.