27 Mountain High in Durango, Colorado

I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and the trees of the field their fruit.

Leviticus 26:4  NIV

If you enjoy mountain trails, trees, altitude and endurance rides, then Durango, Colorado is a “must-ride” destination for you. The first year I rode in Durango, the bike club I belonged to camped in the beautiful mountains outside of town; it was a foretaste of what the San Juan Mountains would offer a few years later. On our second trip, we rented a condo for our stay there. I was awed by Colorado’s mountainous terrain, towering green trees, ferns, grasses and flowers; the trails were wet, steep and fast, sometimes muddy and generous with roots. This was quite the contrast to southern Arizona’s  hot, dry, rocky, sandy, steep and technical trails that are salted with drops and canyon crevices, not to mention temperatures to smolder by.  

What a change when I had to wear a rainproof jacket and warm riding clothes in the summer! The trails in Durango were so muddied at times, that my tires, chain and cranks became thick with red clay; all I could do was sit on my bike and slide down the trail, crash to turn, and use my feet to brake. On other days, the rides were dry, cool; the sound of pine cones crackling, and the hush of pine needles crushing beneath our tires would serenade us on our fast descents.

After every ride that year I was glad the bike club had rented a condo where I could retreat to our refuge for a hot shower and an evening by the fireplace. It was a long drive back to our home state of Arizona, but ride-memories kept our minds occupied, our conversations lively, and experiences that would last a lifetime. 

Lord God, I thank you for both rain and snow on the field and mountain. I appreciate the cool winds that surround me when I become weary, and I am grateful for the seasons of my life when I learn to take one day at a time.

Challenge 27:  Have you noticed how it’s the simple things in life that come your way boosting you through tough times?  How about that morning ride when your buddies make you laugh, or the sprint you thought would burst your lungs? You made it, and you felt good doing those intervals.  The seasons of our lives are similar.  When the going gets tough, you know the rest; go out and GET GOING!  This is your time, your season; enjoy the simple things, and find yourself amazed at how God brings you through.