The long awaited summer solstice is finally here today, June 21st. With the sun rising at 6:25am and setting at 9:00pm we get the benefit of nearly 15 hours of daylight. As a matter of fact every, day this week will be within a second or two of the same. This means that Atlanta cyclists have plenty of time to get a nice hour + ride in everyday after work. If you have to work late, you should be able to get your ride in early, before work. This is not to say that night riding is out of the question, however, for the majority of riders in Atlanta, there is definitely a preference to daylight riding on the longest day of the year.
To shed some light on the traditional American summer solstice celebration, there is no better place to look than to our good friends, the Pueblo in Arizona. The western most member of this people is the Hopi Indians. One of their biggest festivals of the year takes place in Oraibi which is the oldest Hopi village on the third mesa. To grow crops in their semi-arid land, the Hopi believe they must cultivate the favor of the spirits who have power over nature and weather. The festival in June accentuates how important the favor of these spirits is for all plant life, especially the sacred corn. The hopes of the people rely on the corn receiving the special blessing of rain to support its growth to maturity. Each June, on the longest day of the year the katchinas will appear from their cloud homes to be among the people and renew the powers of fertility and rain. Precisely at sunrise on the dance day, the katchinas appear and proceed in single file to the plaza, bringing gifts of food to the people—symbols of what the coming harvest will bring.
Even though his origin is somewhat uncertain, Kokopelli is considered the most well-known of the Hopi spirits. According to their lore he represents the spirit of fertility. His image can be found carved into rock throughout the four corners region. Due to the fascination that the Kokopelli has had on the mountain biking enthusiasts of this region, many people have begun to identify his image with cycling in general. In fact, there is even a 142 mile network of dessert cycling trails that bears his name. The Kokopelli Trail connects the trails of Fruita and Moab, making it the regions most famous and extensive trail system. The network was created by connecting a variety of differing trails that include singletrack, sandy roads, dirt roads, occasional mud roads, and even some pavement.
While we do not have a desert trail adorned with ancient Kokopelli carvings in Atlanta, we do have 15 hours of daylight to ride in celebration of the summer solstice. We can certainly ride the route most convenient to us while giving thanks to whatever spirit that moves us. Whether that be Kokopelli, or just our own spirit of adventure that reminds us to get outside away from our computer, TV, and iPad and ride our bike for the pure joy that has inspired us to do since we were 5 years old. It will take us back to a simpler time when the primary directive from our parents was the usual “Just be home before it gets dark.” A time when spontaneously chasing the sun’s golden ray could make life so easy to endure!
Happy Trails
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