This past weekend I was toying with the idea of a Sima Xian Shan ride to toughen my legs up a bit now that I can climb again. I saw Michael Turton's wonderful set of pictures and (a) wondered why I hadn't joined them, and (b) why I hadn't taken a beautiful day to hit one of my favorite climbs.
Today I received word from Steen, a regular reader, that the road on the back side of the mountain has been cut off by a nasty avalanche.
Unfortunately, Steen had to find out the hard way by slugging his way up the quad-bursting ramps on the southern side of the hill, only to charge headlong down the other side into a debris field that would not let up.
In cases like this there is no real great option to salvage a ride.
Steen had to get a lift home.
You just never can tell what some of these roads are going to be like week to week and month to month.
So, for anyone thinking about this route, look at the alternate at the top of the mountain (left and across the ridge not down). It looks like it may be some time before they clear the mess.
Many thanks to Steen for getting the word out.
mm
