Yankee Springs - Long Trail

I went mountain biking with a group of friends from work today at the Yankee Springs Recreation Area.  We went there once before and did the short loop and the first half of the long loop.  This time, we wanted to try the whole long loop.

We had heard that the second half of the long loop was more challenging, and it definitely was!

Right after the turn off to the second section, I knew I was in for a bit of walking.  The trail was more technical than what I'm used to but still doable.  I walked down a few scary looking hills...and up a few steep ones.  But I don't feel bad, because the people I came with walked up a few of those hills, too, and they just got back from a mountain biking trip in Colorado!

The trail took us around a valley called the Devil's Soup Bowl, where the ground fell away on one side of the trail.  I am happy to say that I resisted temptation and did not fall into the Soup Bowl like a stale oyster cracker!

And just as I was getting tired enough that I started zoning out for short periods of time, we arrived back at the parking lot - 12 miles of mountain biking in the humid heat successfully done!  What a workout!

Having completed the challenge of Yankee Springs' mountain biking trail, it was time to celebrate our accomplishment with beer and Mexican food.  It's true that biking and beer go together so tasily well.  Yum!