Single track pain....

[double moo]

Did some great single track Sunday - probably in my top 5 rides.





After a long 3+ mile climb we took a short break then proceeded along a tight trail that side hilled for many more miles.





I high centered on a rock that was across the trail -just didn't have any speed to roll over. As I teetered on the skid plate I fell to the downhill side. I managed to land my left foot on a flat rock that was about a foot lower than the trail and was swinging my right leg over the seat as I went down. I thought I had landed safely when the handle bars, hand guard actually, hit the arch of my left foot smashing it silly. This in turn knocked me down the hill! I was laying head down on my back next to a small juniper tree with my feet in the handle bars. The hill was very steep so I layed there for a few moments wondering if I could get myself turned around without tumbling a couple hundred feet down the hill - also wondering if my mates were going to show up to help... couldn't hear their motors coming so I grabbed the tree and did a roll over spin around move to get my feet below me while hanging on to the tree! Still hanging on to the tree I got to my knees then feet and squeezed myself in between my bike and the tree. Due to the slope the bars and seat were a couple of feet lower than the wheels so it was a bitch to get my bike righted. About the time I got everything sorted out my mates rolled up and asked if I needed help! Bastards!

My foot was smashed pretty bad and we were still 15 or more miles out. I couldn't get my toes under the shift lever so I had to catch it with the side of my boot, I couldn't stand on the pegs, and dabbing the left foot for balance was going to hurt like hell. Fortunately we were cross hilling to the right leaving my right foot uphill for the occasional dab.





This trail went on for ever across and around the mountain finally dropping into a wash that headed down- beautiful wash with trees totally overgrown in a full overhead canopy and a nice little creek running down the bottom that we rode through from side to side as we dropped elevation. We had seen a main dirt road that would take us back to the truck while we were up higher a figured this wash would take us there. 2/3 of the way down the trail took a hard left out of the wash beginning a long rocky hill climb - luckily my bike has a tractor like low end and required no shifting... My mates spun out, shifted a lot and feather the clutch more than once, had I been behind them it would have been bad for me! The trail kept working itself higher up the mountain making us wonder whether it would connect to the upper trail we had just come from.

We rode over another ridge and made a steep drop into a broad valley with no visible trail heading down... Only upwards. We decided to just bushwhack it down until we could reach the road. Several hundred yards down we hit a nice trail that led us to the road... Almost. A hundred yards from the road we came to a creek with steep 12 foot banks, looked easy to get into but no apparent route out. Doug rolled in but couldn't get up the far bank. There was a meadow heading upstream on our side so Jon and I headed up the meadow while Doug rode up the creek bed. Several hundred yards up the meadow the creek was no longer in a ravine but instead was a muddy marsh - flung some mud but got through it!



Doug, on the other hand, was fighting his way through a mud bog trying to get upstream to where we had crossed. We sat on the side of the road and watched him for several minutes hoping we wouldn't have to go in and help. Thank Dog Doug is a good rider as my foot was really hurting. Eight or nine miles down the road I was back to the truck and able to take off the boots. Ugly would be a good description!



Hit the doc yesterday, X-rays say no breaks. Do have severe tissue damage with excessive internal bleeding due to the blood thinners I take. Should be good to go as soon as the swelling subsides enough to get the boots on! Will definitely be going back.

[accadacca]

Ouch! Sounds like a fun day otherwise!

[REDFOX]

Great trip report and pictures along with a good attitude to ride again soon.

[Mtnseeker1]

OK not that this is funny by any means but the last time I seen my foot looking like this is when I tried to do the Paiute trail last sep. with the boys.
And it was my wrist that I hurt LMAO. Heel brother heeel...

Now this may not sound right to most but trust me when I know it can happen. And if you think its purple now just waite. LMAO

ITS HELL GETTING OLDER BROTHER.