Monday was my first trail ride after my crash commuting home last week. I'm pretty much all healed up, except my left hand. It's still really sore when I put pressure on the palm and squeeze my fingers into a fist. Turns out that affected my riding - I crashed two times on my Monday ride.
The first crash happened in the first few miles of my ride. I was just settling in after a short but very steep climb - a couple hundred feet of elevation gain in less than one mile. When you get to the top the terrain changes from steep to very twisty with tight trails. You're able to recover aerobically, but still have to be on your game with your bike handling skills in order to make it through the narrow singletrack.
Then, after the twisty tight section ends, it opens up...but only after you get over this little obstacle - two roots that happen to be exactly the same distance apart as your wheelbase. If you relax (i.e. stop pedalling), and go into it without speed, you're screwed. I know this because I've ridden over this obstacle a few times successfully. But not this time. I approached it, tired from the climb and the twisty section, thinking I could just roll over it. Instead, when my front tire hit the larger root at the top of the trail, I ended up going over the handlebars.
I ended up with both palms on the ground, one foot still clipped into the pedals, and the rear tire sticking straight up into the air! It was really pretty funny, so I took a picture of it. You can see that my left foot is still clipped into the pedal behind me. 
After I stopped laughing and tucked the camera back into my jersey I rode on and said to myself, "Maybe I shouldn't be back on a bike yet, especially on trails."
A few miles later I found a trail with a bunch of obstacles. Someone had taken the time to scope out this trail, build these obstacles, huck them deep into the woods, and construct them for everyone to enjoy.
I enjoyed taking pictures of them.
Three shots of someone's idea of black diamond fun...
The approach down a steep downhill section...
...the ramp is only about 16 inches wide....
...and here's the side-view...
Another obstacle further down the path.They chose to give riders a heads up here...
...and then give you direction at the last minute...
The third obstacle.You've got a choice here, too. Hit the berm, or ride over the teeter-totter...
(Every time I look at these pictures, I think that my brother should use his huge backyard in Texas to build a course for his kids. Think about it, Garrett...a perfect combination of your woodworking skills and landscaping skills. And it will give Mitchell an outlet for his daredevil tendencies. I'm just sayin'...)
On the way back home my second crash happened. I was on a trail off the side of the main fire road, not really paying attention, going sort of fast, when I noticed a little swale. I didn't think much of it until I got closer and realized that it was sharp and deep. I was in no position to bunny hop it, and I knew I couldn't ride through it without going over the bars (again), so I hit the brakes. I ended up doing exactly what I didn't want to do...going over the bars (again). At least this time I managed to unclip myself from the pedals. But not before the handlebar dug into my thigh and gave me this little freshie:
And, yep, I took a picture of the offending swale. Trust me, it's meaner in real-life.
When I was driving home in my new used truck (yep)...
...I was thinking about obstacles.The dictionary defines an obstacle as something that hinders progress. I sure experienced that on the beginning of my ride when I hit the root and went over my handlebars. But what about the trail with all of the man-made obstacles? What obstacles have I built and put in my own way? How are they hindering my forward progress? And isn't it nice when I recognize a sign before the obstacles hinders me, so I can change my course! How many different paths are there around an obstacle? Can some obstacles be fun? And what about the following day, when I chose to go down the same path, and saw the same obstacles, but approached them with a different outlook?
I'll let you know when I have the answers...
