Perfect Day

I was complaining at work about the unavailability of decent mountain biking areas after yesterday's debacle with boulders the size of soccer balls. A coworker told me about the Melshei area, and pointed me to an incredible map site, www.norgeibilder.no. I had been disappointed with google earth, as they had really horrible resolutions for much of Norway. This site showed such a close-up of our new house, that you could tell what I was wearing if I were outside when it was taken (we have two more weeks before we actually move in). It is really quite amazing.


Anyway, I had a general idea of where Melshei was, so I headed through Sandnes. I ended up stuck behind a cement truck on 44, and a group ride caught us. I should have asked where they were from-- they looked like a decent group. We drafted off the truck for a few miles, then I peeled off and up the hill out of downtown. I easily found the forest area.

I think I am turning native. It was a whopping 48F on this, the first day of June. I wore shorts on my ride-- out of principle. I was actually quite comfortable. There were all sorts of trails. They were mostly in a wooded area. Some were service roads that eventually degenerated into singletrack, then a mess of boulders that were impassible. Other trails were nicely groomed, and apparently marked for biathlon-- which doesn't make much sense, since I can't imagine they have enough snow there. There were several kilometers of trails-- enough to keep me interested for a few hours.
The trail spilled out into a pasture surrounding a lake.
Overall, it was a perfect day. After tomorrow we have another three day weekend. Another religious holiday. Living in a church state has its benefits.