Alpine Loop

I recently discovered the best place to go road biking around Provo, the Alpine Loop. Saturday morning I went around sunrise the sky was cloudy. Just like it's been for the past two Saturdays here. I rode down Provo Canyon and took a left at Sundance onto Alpine Loop Road (S.R. 92). It's a great time of year for this sort of thing. The scenery is great with the autumn colors and the weather isn't very cold yet. I rode up the switchbacks past Sundance and Aspen Lodge. The aspens are all yellow this time of year. Some deer crossed the road in front of me. When I reached the summit at 8,054 feet it started to rain, ice cold rain. I began the descent and since I was wearing short sleeves and didn't have gloves my hands started to go numb on the handlebars and my face started to freeze. It was great, I was really living for this half hour I could just sit back and take in the scenery. Through American Fork canyon and Pleasant Grove and then the downhill ride was over after 15 miles.
I road the Alpine Loop again Tuesday morning. This time it only took three hours from my house up the canyon and back through American Fork. This time was better because there were fewer cars on the road. The descent was faster since I had gloves this time, but my face still froze on the way down. I was going like 40 miles an hour and had to keep an eye out for rocks in the road there were a few. There's a pothole in the road that I hit every time.

Dave Zabriskie can bike the Alpine Loop in one hour. I'd be doing good if I could finish it in two hours. There are some good places to go around here. I would like to explore more of the Lone Peak wilderness area and go up to Park City before the roads get covered in snow.