Yeah, it was on CGOAB before the site owner turned it into a binfire. Five years ago this week - photos popped up to remind me, and I just popped in to prune out some dead links.
That Lava Dome is still in service as my commuter - and I've repaired the cracked seat tube on the Cannondale it replaced, now running as a drop bar monstercross. I like keeping old stuff in use.

LOL, Classic summary paragraph, succinct and very much to the point!
Really enjoyed this journal and it felt a little Deja vu, I think I read it a while back on CGOAB.
I’ve toured through much of the same area over the years but never really appreciated the extent of the mining.
A lot of what you write resonates with where we live now (Canmore, Canada). It’s now a lively mountain resort town but as late as 1979 it was a pretty rough and dirty coal mining town. Much of that is lost on the current tourists and few realize that when they are xc sking or mountain biking at the ‘88 Olympic Nordic Centre on the flanks of beautiful Mount Rundle, that it was an open pit coal mine in the 1970’s.

Yeah, I take a dim view of littering, and do regular clean-ups on my local trails with grabber and bag. If you're not part of the solution...

Hi Scott. I converted the bike I used for that trip into a kind of gravel bike just prior to the lockdown - drop bars, fat semi slicks. Works really well, and would make a good Sales mile muncher.

Terrific journal, Pete. I’ve wanted to visit the Dales for a long time, and this strengthens the urge. We’re dedicated roadies, but really does look like country best seen by a mountain bike. Thanks so much for posting it here. I hope you’ll bring across some of your others.

Love that you got that couple to do some trash and recycling work in exchange for the push. Great idea.

Enjoying this journal immensely. Thanks for putting it up here.

Some might consider you to be a tourist also!