Author: Rod Hart
Friday afternoon I received a group email from Scott L
(You think I know enough Scott's yet?) asking if anyone was interested in
riding some trails on CX bikes. Uhhhhh, yeah!!!! All in!
We agreed to meet up in South Prairie at 8:30 am, then
ride out towards Fairfax bridge. It was not the most beautiful morning, it was
cold, wet, and cold, but I was very excited. You could liken my excitement to
that of a child waiting for his birthday.
Scott and I hit a few small trails before getting to
Carbondao, where we then transitioned to a long trail that took us towards
Fairfax Bridge. This being my first experience not on the road, I was unsure
what to expect. I A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y loved it. I had the time of my life, and
cannot wait to do it again.
The trail we were on took us past an old structure, that
Scott told me was an old dynamite storage house. It was very neat to see, all
the wood was gone and only stone remained. It had also become overgrown with
bushes and trees. So, what do you do when you see a structure like that...Duh,
use it to go to the bathroom.
At some point, we hit some good CX cycling...There were
rocks, logs, water, and mud. I learned that mud is so much easier to crash on,
compared to grass and asphalt. At one point, my left side was completely
covered with mud! I was very pleased with myself, and could not have been
happier. I also manage to crash and fall into some bushes.
We also road down to an old camp. There are no houses,
nor footprints of the houses. However, there was a big open field. After riding
through the field, Scott asked if I thought I could ride up a hill. I said I
could try, but waited for him to give it a shot. If this hill did not have a
grade of at least 45%, then I would be wiling to eat mud...wait, I ate lots of
mud on this ride. Scott, gave it a good effort, but after about 5-10 ft up the
hill he crashed. We then ran up the hill with our bikes on our shoulders.
We road for a while longer, experiencing some rain, hail
and sleet, before deciding to turn around. It was at this point that I realized
I was VERY VERY VERY cold. I also realized that I had not eaten while on the
ride, and thus was having even more trouble warming up. It also did not help
that I was covered in 38 degree water and mud.
Scott was the ultimate trooper, and kept by my side
through the walking, slow riding, complaining, near crying, and my almost
succumbing to the oh so warm fetal position. Ok, most of that is true, but I
did not come close to crying...maybe!
We finally made it back to to Wilkeson and I told Scott I
was going to do the least manly thing ever...I called Bella to come and get me.
I thought I could go into the one breakfast restaurant, but it was closed. I
thought that since it was 11 am I might be able to go into the bar, but it too
was closed. I then went into the "corner store" and promptly found
out that they had no bathroom, nor did they have any hot water.
The lady working was kind enough to offer me my least
favorite beverage...Coffee. I hate the smell of coffee, and find the taste even
worse. I can honestly say that I have consumed coffee 1-2 times in my life.
While waiting for Bella, I consumed the offered coffee. It might have been the
worst stuff ever. I would guess that it was 2 years old, burnt, and HOT!!!
I slowly drank the disgusting brew, while my body shook
so hard I thought I would fall over. My fingers, as the thawed, hurt so bad I
really did want to cry. Slowly I warmed, some, and Bella appeared. She wrapped
me in a blanket, not to keep me warm but to keep her precious car clean, and
drove me home.
What an almost epic ride, and a total blast. Hopefully
Scott will give me another chance.
