Short Story

[Divscotty]

Describe your favorite single track or section in a succinct paragraph. Paint a picture with words.

I'll give a try, but the written word is not my given art form.

At 6000 foot elevation a bottomless blue sky frames the lava rock strewn trail. Seven miles of steady, but not steep climbing culminates in a roller coaster ride along a ridge line. Twisting a tight section of trail with pine branches brushing, then back off the seat for a sweet steep drop with a sharp left at the bottom, tuck the left knee in to miss “Shin Banger Rock”, keep the speed up to crank to the top of the ridgeline. Only two more miles to the top then it’s a one fast ride back down.

Divscotty

[Vanna]

Park your truck and let your bike out to roam up a surprisingly easy dirt road. Ride it above treeline and eventually push your panting bike (if you're me) to the saddle of the mountain. Meet with a sweet little single track just on the other side of the ridge and begin traversing with her until she brings you to some meanie-looking rocks, some of which will extend into spires taller than you. Your sweetie trail is rocky and narrow and you decide (if you're me) that you'll try to ride it maybe the "next" time you come here. Concentrate on not looking down as one foot pats the rocky wall and the other stays tucked safely in it's pedal. Take care not to smack your knuckle on the wall as I did the last time (but that's better than leaning the other way). Diligently, you make your way to the other side of her rock field. You pass through some tangly willows that still hold the evidence of another traveler; a wide white mountain goat no doubt has lost some fur in the bushes. At last you reach the large meadow at a shoulder of the the great mountain and you breath again and claim your moment in the sun; the desent has begun. You hang on and enjoy the ride down the twisting switchbacks as the sweet singletrack keeps her promise to be good. She's challenging but not cruel. You are all fluid and focused and you calmly make your way through her forest. Over rocks and roots, she brings you to a small waterfall. You dismount once more (if you're me) and carry your machine over the slippery rocks. Once again, you're moving nearly effortlessly down and you sense the ride is nearly over. Ride through willows taller than you and come out onto a new dirt road on the opposite side of the mountain. Look back at the little hole that you just projected out of, remembering some of the details that you just whizzed by, scratch your head (if you're me) and wonder how you're going to get back to your truck.

[free spirit]

Ahhh, New Hampshire. Always have to climb and lose a lung or two while warming up to get to the sweetest single track. But it's worth it.

Tight, twisty. Over smooth solid rock, then the sharp edges of the tire eaters. Fast decent with very sharp switch backs in between the trees. A few easy rollers of clean track with no rocks thrown in to allow you to regain your rythym. New fallen tree to create obstacles on the uphill which nobody will move. Haven't mastered this one yet, kind of a steep incline for me to try and ride over a >15" tree.

Then some more smooth track with no rocks leading to riding over a stone wall onto the dirt road. Your choice to take the road or cross over it to another stone wall onto some more, smooth single tack. But take care, this section's steeper and quicker with the same sharp switch backs and trees waiting to hug you.

What awaits at the end of the trail? A great swimming hole for those hot summer days.

[batgirl]

My window of opportunity falls on a mild Saturday in November. Climbing steep red rock, sandstone and bentonite hills up toward the Velvet Ridge. 8000f feet plus. layer upon layer of rock, sand, time, age, and breaths of sandstone monuments. A trail with a 180 degree view of the Freemont River Valley... Teasedale, Torrey, and Bicknell, Utah. Snow has already dropped onto the high peaks of the Boulder and Henry mountains. I turn left too soon and become lost. Michievious time for this rider girl. I speed up while dodging juniper and pear cactus while free riding slickrock shelves angled up and away from the 1500 foot drop below. I skirt the edge and take in the solitude of this moment. A flock of Western Bluebirds, their color a rich electric cobalt, chirp through the pinyons. This is my new Jordan . This is my doorstep ride.

[davkatreb]

Hammer. Hammer. Hammer. Crash. Hammer. Puke. Hammer. Go home.

[Divscotty]

Well.... that is certainly succinct.

Divscotty

[davkatreb]

That's how I remember it, I swear.

[batgirl]

Can you enjoy the scenery through the vomit? Take time to smell the roses!!!

[davkatreb]

There was scenery?

[N73N53]

LMFAO!!!

[batgirl]

just ride!