Last night’s ride almost got washed out by rain, but as I rolled up to the Crazy Canyon trailhead, it was clear that spring fever was in full force. Despite the gloomy skies, a solid crew of eight showed up, all pumped and ready to hit the trails. Sure enough, the rain kicked in, threatening to soak us through, but it barely made a dent in our spirits. Before long, it stopped being a bother, eventually stopping altogether.
We took on Crazy Canyon Road, pushing all the way to the top of Mount Sentinel. The view up there? Absolutely worth it, though we did lose one rider who decided the climb was a bit too ambitious and headed home.
The descent was where the real fun began, especially hitting a stretch of single track. That’s when I felt something off with my bike – it was handling weirdly, probably because the front shock was so blown out, riding it was borderline reckless. And the mud – oh, the mud. It was like nothing we’d faced before, especially for me, being used to the drier conditions out West.
Coming down to the parking lot, I had to speed past some slower riders because my back brakes were practically non-existent, and I was done burning rubber trying to maintain a polite distance. But with the muddy conditions, that tactic quickly turned into a sliding spree. In an attempt to keep upright, I eventually lost the battle, sliding out and going over the bars straight towards a stump.
After a graceful slide into a stump and a generous helping of mud, I managed to pop back up and finish off the ride. This morning? A souvenir in the form of a sore hand, but all in all, I’d say I got off pretty lightly. The bike’s another story – needs a headset rebuild and a new set of back brakes.
All told, we were out there for about an hour and 20, with plenty of breaks to catch our breath. Next adventure? We’re setting off from Lincoln Hills Drive Trailhead. Can’t wait.
Boneshakerbike 
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