7-19-11. Back Logging, big rides.

As the title states, I'll begin the process of looking back into the annals of time, and start to drop more beer knowledge on y'all. Another great detail to this post is the amount of riding I've accomplished lately, it's 3 days into the week on my heart rate monitor and I've slammed the heart rate zones, and blasted calories from my love handles.  Even Emily says so.

Beer:

    Blue Moon Belgian White: This beer needs no review, if you don't know it. this site isn't for you.  One of the most prolific, tasty, and easy Belgians on the market.  It's deliciously smooth finish make it a beer enjoyable all year round, and likely the most widely spread Belgian white on the market.  A-.

     Alaskan Amber: I'm pretty sure I wrote about this.

     St. Cloud Belgian White: previously reviewed.

     Grain Belt Brewing Nordeast: an unfortunately cidery let down...

     Brother Benedicts Bock: I believe I've written about this little gem, if not.  It's more or less un-remarkable; in the medical sense...  It's a bock, darker heavier, yet to me, kind of slightly out of my palate.  I just feel like this beer was missing something. maybe compassion. C+

     McSorley's Irish Pale Ale:  A delicious beer brewed in NYC, it's a nice little twist on the pale ale.  Nothing that will blow your mind if you've done extensive Pale Ale investigation, however a nice break from the monotony of the Pale.  I'd recommend this one.  Also as an aside, I've been told that this is from the Oldest Irish Tavern in New York.  Solid A, just not quite the +...

     Harvest Moon Beltian White: previously consumed, and enjoyed. My assumption on the differentiation from the norm on the spelling was to allure more possible drinkers into thinking it's a new variety, or a beer so good spelling and grammar were tossed to the wind. The latter on me...

    Bayern Amber Lager: Previously described as an exceptional Amber from Montucky!

    New Belgium Blue Paddle Pilsener Lager:  The only beer I know of that was named after a boating race.  The FiBArk festival in Salida CO has all the goods on this beer. New Belgium named it for the event, and it's an awesome pilsener for a hot summer afternoon.  Very crisp, very delicious.  A.

     Indian WellsBrewing Co. Death Valley Pale Ale: Gerry disapproves...

     Big Sky Brewing Co. Summer Honey seasonal: A deliciously simple beer, take a sweet simple amber  with a pale like crispness, and add honey for a sweet aftertaste, and a smile overwhelms your insides.  A+

     Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Union Jack IPA:  A nice simple, hardy IPA, it's very good alongside a tasteful meal, IPA's can overpower a generic food, and I enjoyed this one with either a bolder steak, or by itself.  Great IPA for the cooler climes.  A

     North Coast Brewing Co. Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale: Se Magnifique! A wonderful beer with a taste that will push you into your seat.  It's one of the most delicious Belgians I've had, It's more akin to a Delirium Tremens than a traditional Belgian.  It's sweeter, and smoother.  Oh how smooth, it's like a Velvet blazer in the 70's, or whenever their prime was(If Velvet blazers had a popular era). A+

Bikes:

This was an Epic Fail as far as adventures go...  It was reported to be an awesome trail, however it was decent, it was most certainly not intended for mtb's.  Brandon Tracy, my cycling and general adventure comrade. We started up the Bees Knees loop, and went out to the end of Desert Classic, took a wrong turn, did an extra 2 mile there and back.  And ended up hike-a-biking for longer than I care to say.  We made it up to the top of the desired descent, however it was hardly a mtb trail.  It was a rough ride down.  Fun, but challenging.  all told ended up at about 3 hours and twenty-something minutes for roughly 11 miles...  The next day was an easy day, with a small ride to get the legs moving again.  However, the day after that, I made a classic dumb choice.  I'll take a long ride during the midday heat here in AZ, it was a cooler than average 108 at the start, but reached temps of 118 during the last leg of the ride.  I left from the house, westward on Desert Classic(DC) ascended Telegraph, then rode National all the way eastward to the end of the trail, and took DC back to the house.  After that one was said and done, I was completely exhausted, 3 hours, twenty-something minutes again.  But this time with a more respectable 23 miles, I only had to go up one pass, and rode the ridge for the length of the trail, which was nice in parts, but a fair bit of walking in others.  Definitely not a ride I'll repeat in the exact fashion it was completed in...  I'll alter it a little to ride the road, and then catch back up with the trail at the next intersection, foregoing the walking and adding to the riding and enjoyment time.

In other more pertinent news, it's less than 10 Days until the wedding!  I'm so excited that Emily and I are both getting restless for the day to just be here!
thanks for reading
-ids