It was the most perfect Moonlit mountain bike ride that I have ever biked, especially on my favorite Rocky Canyon Trail. I was ramping up the trail over half way to the top when I first viewed the large glint of moonlight peeking at the top of the hills. I stopped to watch it rise just above the hill. It was glorius. Biking up a little further, the Moon set behind the hill as the trail was ascending towards that hill across the canyon. Then, as the trail turned, the Moon rose again a second time. It was really kewl. The time was 8:06 p.m. PDT, on September 1, 2001.
For awhile at the trail-top-turn-around the Moon bathed me in her silvery light and cast my shadow. It was really beautiful with some reddish twilight from the sunset o'er the horizon to the West above the Santa Lucia Range, our coastal mountains.
On my bike descent the long silver rays of moonlight swathed the trail in between shadows and my own silhouette. The Moon set and rose again several more times for me in this almost surrealistic experience. I have never seen the Moon rise and set about 5 times in a half hour. As I biked to the lower half the shade was dark so I had to walk my bike over one gully.
See Moon rising over hills.
The hills seem much higher down lower as the trail descends to the bottom of the canyon. Up higher the trail is elevated more above the canyon stream bed so the rising moon or Sun shines more towards the top. The canyon broadens out higher up as well so the walls of the hills are further apart letting more light shine.
As a finale the quarry wall was bathed in moonlight illuminating the rock crunching machinery that looks like some alien monster long-legged spider in the moonlight. The Moon skipped playfully through the Digger Pines and the Blue and Live Oak trees as it appeared to ride along with me. It continued that, even across the river setting again behind the oak forested hills along Halcon Road skipping teasingly through the trees. As I biked West-NW onto Viejo Camino at the horse arena my silhouette appeared again to join me like a shadow friend. Back on busy El Camino Real I was returned to the reality of city street lights and fast night time traffic. Another day and another night Rocky Canyon calls!
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