If you said, "Is that another reality show?" you get no bonus points, but I think we're onto something.
I spent some time outside with Murphy this morning. Before we got out of bed, he was a sweet boy: cuddled up on my chest - on his own! That is a first. It must have been too much for his sensibilities, because he spent the next two hours being a pill. He is not allowed on the kitchen countertops, so of course, that is the only place he wants to be. To be fair, he only got up there about 40 or 50 times. So, he and I were cordially invited out to the courtyard. He got to walk around on his own, off the leash. Yes, I kept a close eye on him.
That wasn't the shit show. Early this afternoon, I got out for a ride. I didn't decide which bike to take until I was in the garage... looks like a good day for riding the CTX. Beautiful sunny day; predicted high of 80º, it was 75º when I headed out.
I fully expected South Mountain to be full of traffic - Sunday drivers and all that. I headed there not expecting an exhilarating ride. Got there, and the traffic was less than I expected. Most of it was driving slow, though... maybe because a couple days ago, a woman was killed on this road in a roll-over accident; seriously injured her two kids. It had been all over the news.
I get it - it is a mountain road with a lot of tight curves, and up and down grades. The truck in front of me (California plates) was driving slow, with their driver's side wheels frequently over the double yellow line. It meant traffic coming the other way had to swerve on this narrow road... and the woman driving the pickup hit her brakes with each car coming the other direction. I gave her plenty of room, expecting her to trade paint with oncoming traffic.
Fortunately, she went straight where there was a turn off to more fun twisties... and not a single vehicle in front of me for the several miles to a parking area. And a stop for a couple photos...
The CTX in the first photo, the view from my parking spot in the lower image. Back on the bike, heading back. On the first part of this road, there was again no traffic... until I came up on a car where the girl driving it was stopped in the driving lane, while she was scrolling through her phone! Stupid. I got around her, and she was oblivious to the traffic that had to stop behind her. Onto the main road down and... a pickup stopped in the driving lane, while a kid leaned out the window to take a photo. He took his time composing the image on his phone. As I saw another car coming up fast behind me, I honked. They were in no hurry to get moving again. Again, I passed on the double yellow, to keep from getting pancaked by upcoming traffic.
I wonder why anyone would think it is acceptable to stop on a narrow two-lane mountain road... for any reason? The rest of the way down the mountain wasn't crowded with traffic, but about every 5th vehicle coming at me was over the centerline. Not as blatantly as the woman going up the mountain, but still road hazards. There was a pickup and 4 motorcycles pulled to the side in a curve - something had happened there: one of the bike riders (you could tell by what he was wearing) was directing traffic on this blind curve. I have the feeling that the pickup crowded a rider off the road.
No stupid driver tricks the rest of the way home. Going up the mountain on a weekend last month, I told myself not to do that again. I didn't listen to me. Really, the ride was very pleasant, with the exception of some stupid people in cars and trucks. Sunday drivers. Stupid drivers. I will probably ride there again on a weekend, but you can be sure I will be very vigilant.
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