Sunday was great...

Before you read this, make sure you check out Sarge’s post of ‘Happy Dad’. That was our Sunday together. For Sarge and I it was pretty much the first day of spring riding. For his daughter, it was the first day out after a couple of months without riding as well as her first time up on the Ashland trails. If you haven’t been to Ashland Oregon for Mountain Biking you’re missing out. You can ride all week long and never hit the same trail. The weather was great this weekend.

A soft breeze blew sending the pleasant smell of Manzanita, Pine and fresh spring water from Lithia Creek all over the mountain side. It was a pleasant 65 degrees, blue skies and just a hint of billowy white clouds caressing the horizon.

For all of you bikers still stuck in a frozen wasteland please understand I’m not rubbing this in, just quenching the pallet. Although we’ve been riding from time to time over the winter, this ride was definitely our beginning spring ride. I wanted to push myself further and further thinking that I had enough energy to ride forever. I know it was because of the scenery and weather.

We had the owner of Bear Creek Cycles ask if he could join us. I recognized him because of his Rocky Mountain Slayer and told him to come on along. We pushed to the top of Caterpillar and I wanted to go up to four corners (two more miles with a much steeper grade). The payback would be the extended downhill. I realized with our younger rider that today was not a “push it” day, but a day for each other. We got to the top of Caterpillar and screamed back down to the parking lot. I suggested we continue farther down the trail and ride up.

The funniest part of the ride was Sarge being over protective towards his daughter riding down hill. “Look through the corner” “Ride out to the left” “SLOW DOWN!” At one point I was able to look back and see the biggest smile on her face and the look of developing stomach ulcers on Sarge’s face. I was just as proud of her as he was.

Going back uphill was the end of her ride, she was spent. I suggested we try to go back up to Caterpillar, but I knew she was done. She did work hard and did very well. I asked Sarge to drive down to the bottom and meet me there.

Going alone I was screaming down BTI trail. I ran into a couple on horseback. As I jumped off my ride to walk it, I noticed that the man had got off his horse to clean the trail from the “package” his horse had left. I greeted them and thanked him for cleaning the trail. I resumed my banzai run down BTI and it was glorious.

At the end of it all, the only thing I could think of was sharing the story with all of you. So I hope that your weather is just like ours and if not, I hope it soon will be… Enjoy the ride… CP

Ride like you want it!