Harvest Moon Ride & Beer Swap Report

Monday night was the Harvest Moon Ride and Beer Swap. It started off a little rocky, as there seemed to be some confusion as to the start time. Roger was a half hour early, I was ten minutes late. Jeff P was right on time. But since Ash Canyon is a small place, it’s no surprise that we all found each other pretty quickly.

Jeff P and Ray

Jeff P found me early on, and then we found Roger and Ray at the top of the 7 steps trail. It wasn’t long after this that the moon started rising in the east. There was a little smoke in the air, and the moon had a reddish tint to it. It was a beautiful sight to see it come up over the mountains.

Where’s that guy that said I wouldn’t need lights?

Things really started to get dark along the Four Day trail. Roger, the only rider without a light, was wondering just who it was that said we wouldn’t need lights for this ride. I switched mine on and rode off. I noticed that having a bar mounted light was a little difficult, since my bars were not always pointed ahead while I was climbing. It was also hard to look through the corners. I can see how an additional helmet light would help tremendously.

Why is the moon so damn small on camera?

After riding the Four Day trail, we regrouped near the creek crossing on Ash Canyon road. As we talked, the moon grew higher in the sky, and it started to get much brighter. We shared lights going back down Ash Canyon Road, but by the time we got to Deer Run, Roger didn’t even need a light anymore. Ray switched his off, saying his was screwing up his balance.

Beer Swap Above 7 Steps

We stopped again at the top of the 7 Steps trail, and began the beer swap. I don’t think Ray had a beer, so the discussion about who was having what beer broke out between the remaining three of us. It was like watching Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on first?” routine! In the end, Jeff P retained his can of Guinness, Roger got my icy cold Sierra NV Anniversary Ale, and I got Roger’s slightly warmer Kona Brewing Long Board Lager. Hey, he’d been riding since 6 PM, so I guess he had an excuse. All were good, and we enjoyed looking out over the city lights, watching the moon continue to rise.

It was really starting to get bright out, and we rode pretty fast down the remainder of trail, Postal and Jack Rabbit. We had a great time, and I don’t think we should wait too long before doing this again! Get some lights everyone!
Moon Over Carson