Thursday, March 24, 2011

Bavarian Riviera

Cross bike out the door from my house, over picturesque farm roads, through villages being drenched by sunshine - ah, spring! Rolled over the foothills to the Alps, the hills were glowing an emerald green, before beginning my ascent up the Vilstal direction Tannheimer Tal. The climb was playful full of short sharp ascent and descents, winding with the river through the valley, gaining overall altitude at a conservative pace. In the shadows it was moist to where the cross tires sounded like tearing velcro, and even met some snow along the way. On my final ascent I was met by a nearly 1km long snow field, partly rideable the other part requiring 'cross shoulder carry. Up the last steep pitch was a fight against gravity, mud and snow. Once over the top, an aw-inspiring snow covered Alp panorama greeted me as the warmth of the sun was my companion rolling down the other side into the valley of Tannheim. Scurrying along the valley floor, my bike was aimed towards Graen, a light ascent the whole way, the back roads sometimes were covered by the remains of a nordic season that has slowly disappeared. I even road a section of groomed trail that was somewhere between ice and a slush cone, a section on which I could actually get really motoring down. In Graen, made left and turned back towards Germany, as fast mountain road descent that sent spray up from the occassional snow melt streams that criss-crossed the road way.

Back in the Freistaat, I started exploring new back roads weaving together a sweet rolling route of pave, gravel and even double track through the fields back to Fuessen.

Yes it was a good day.

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