The butt breakin' and break-in tour

Yesterday, Mark, Matt, and I opted to get on our bikes and go on a 3-hour tour .... a "3-hour tour." We started off at the Canyons, following the dirt road up to get on the Ambush Trail and eventually connecting to the mid-mountain trail. The trail was in great shape and the weather was about purrrfect. We were marvelling at the fact that we had only seen 2 other riders on a long weekend in this biking mecca when we came to a grinding halt ... to portage the bikes over a couple of downed trees. And a few more after that .... and a lot more after that. Overall, we had to portage 12-15 or more times. The price of solitude.

I was feeling pretty good until about mile 15 or so. By then, our soft, smooth, shaded, pine-needle-laden trail had given way to a rocky, sandy, sunny track and I began to feel the woes of a front-suspension bike and an uninitiated butt. I think the caked mud on my pedals made it difficult to click my right shoe on (and off) ... and as a result of the jostling from the rocks, I would biff from time to time. I was a mess and I was ready to be done.

Unfortunately for me, there was no escape; the intersecting roads of "The Colony" were copiously marked private .... and inaccessible to tired riff-raff such as myself. I would either have to continue onwards or backtrack ... which would have taken longer. So onward we go.We'd end up with another haul up Thaynes, before heading downcanyon, and exiting on the Spiro. Another few miles on the road and we finally got back to the parking lot .... 5:45 hours after the start of our 3-hour tour.

Well, there it is ... now that I've done that, I don't have to do it again. Eat your heart out speedgoat ... this girl had a few more than 2 scrapes!