Upshift Issue 31 - March 2019

Far too soon, the sun was getting low in the sky, so Stephen and I reluctantly pointed our bikes back toward the truck as the desert started to come alive in the golden hour glow that turns the views up to 11. Cactus spines glow in the golden light, in stark contrast to the deep blue of a sky cleared by a recent storm. We savored each corner and every foot of trail knowing that soon we would be staring at the snow once again. The desert comes alive in the winter, to the point that it could be mistaken for someplace else when the summer’s heat significantly changes the way everything looks and rides in just a few short months. Needless to say, the wildflowers and hero dirt aren’t going to be here like this by the time typical riding season starts, and the snow is melting up high. Now is the time to be in the desert.