Eklutna fall colors

At the start of the trip.

Friday afternoon five divas pedaled to the Serenity Hut at Eklutna Lake. Gloria, Jo-Ann, Corinne, Bev and I took in the sunshine and views of the fall leaves and glacier-fed lake. Corinne's husband, Paul, joined us for the day trip. He graciously took group photos with at least three cameras - here's one of them:We took our time... and took lots of photos, marveling at our good fortune after a summer enduring countless rain showers during group rides.

Gloria

Jo-Ann, on her Trice recumbent, who is responsible for rescheduling this trip. Thanks!

This is me pulling my BOB - I'm pretty darn happy!

We shared the cabin with a couple bemused hunters that night. They kept their distance, being outnumbered as they were...

Next day we went for a day hike up the valley to get closer to the glacier.

Corinne, Bev, Gloria, Jo-Ann

Alas, the trail disappeared into steep, loose rock before we could see the moving mass of ice. After a snack and a bit of hiking upward to get some better views, we headed back to the cabin where we met the newly-arrived Saturday gang: Karen, Ann, Terrie and Katherine. Lori and Stacey and friends joined as day-trippers.

One view of the Serenity Hut.

We shared snacks and hot beverages in the sun on the back deck of the cabin before waving so-long to our guests and settling in for another evening. Dinner, a hike. Star-gazing. We hit the forbidden subjects: politics, religion, puberty and shoes.

Sunday morning made three in a row with more sun and cool temperatures. Coffee. Pancakes with blueberries. Clean-up, then the ride out. I don't know if anyone really wanted to leave.

Thanks everyone for organizing and pitching in to make this a fantastic weekend. Special shout-out to Mother Nature: "Thanks, sister; it was great!"

posted & updated by rose

A Diva-licious weekend at Eklutna

If you were in southcentral Alaska this weekend, you know it was the best one of the 'summer.' More reports of the Diva weekend at Serenity Falls Cabin will be coming. Here's a glimpse of the weekend -- Bev pedaling along the shore of Eklutna Lake, pulling a Bob trailer filled with good things to eat and drink.

Last Scheduled Ride ... who told the moose?

We were treated to a beautiful fall evening in Kincaid for our last scheduled ride of the fall.

Several moose turned out to wish us a happy winter (even though some of them will still be turning us around on trails while we're skiing). This mama and calf even had their own gate to prevent us from descending to their grazing spot.

This bull eventually wandered into the woods so we could continue on. We'd already changed course twice.

the end

Racing sunset and the rain

Divas gather at the top of a hill

Sometimes it's hard to believe that any place on earth is more beautiful than our little corner of Alaska. That's what I kept thinking last night as we biked through the spectacular fall colors of the Campbell Tract and Bicentennial Park -- extensive red carpets of dogwood, brilliant yellow aspen leaves, deep golds of the birch trees, and the constant verdant green of our spruce.

The rain did not dampen my appreciation of this place and it didn't seem to dampen anybody else's enthusiasm to hit the 10 mile mark.

And we did that. We started pedalling up Viewpoint and up up Homestead to the Hillside Loops. Then we looped around the Abbott Multi-Use, Besh, Lighted, and Service Loops back to Homestead. Back on the Campbell Tract, we gave up hills for the windy narrow paths of Lynx, Moose Track, and Salmon Run. We returned to the parking lot right at sunset (8:16 pm).

Thanks, Divas, for a great ride!

Photos by Rose:snow creeping lower

for gloria

At play in the fall colors

Seven Divas unafraid of a little rain and mud departed from the Campbell Airstrip Trailhead. I got a little dizzy with all the loops we rode, totaling 9.66 miles. Somehow we managed to ride Old Rondy and make a loop of it with the new MLK Jr swath and still end up at the beaver pond. Here we enjoyed the colors of fall, the various props, and the swampy patriotism of other park users.

We instituted a new tradition of cookies half way through the ride (thanks, Gloria!). Then somehow we did P-38 Lightening both ways, and Birch Knob, Moose Track, Lynx, and Coyote, before arriving at the parking lot for more cookies and ginger tea by Kass. Somewhere along the way we forgot about the rain, rode Salmon Run both ways, and had a great time.

American Gothic, Divas style

Rose takes time to stop and smell the dogwood

Gloria, Terrie, and Kass pose in the outdoor portrait studio

Our photographer, Corinne.

Rainy at Kincaid

Twelve of us started from the Raspberry Trailhead in a light sprinkle. Lori and Michelle co-led us on a wonderful tour, including Roller Coaster, Mize Loop, and Margaux's Loop. The rain never stopped, though it did get stronger at times. The trails looked slick but no one wiped out, not even on Little Niagara.

I was lucky to be wearing my fabulous harlot shorts. They shed water and were completely dry at the end of the ride! Lori made an erroneous comparison of these very stylish shorts to a postal uniform. Here I present a side-by-side comparison for your review (stylish harlots on left; utilitarian uniform on right):



Neither rain, nor hail, nor sleet, or snow, can keep a Diva off the trails!