cockee... suckah

i left at around 7 pm to hit the mesa. i was glad to get out as work sucked more than last week. it'll suck tomorrow too, it's pretty much a given. after riding the trails on saturday i realized how much i really missed the place. as each day passes the days keep getting shorter and i regret not going out offroad more often. the spot got the call. i also thought to bring my camera, it actually fit perfectly in my baggy's side pocket. i put my cell phone in the other side to even it out. it was still in the mid-80s it seems when i took off. i hit the road, almost the same path i took yesterday on my road bike. my how slow it felt. i never realized how peaceful the road bike was til i farted along the pavement... i didn't pass a soul. i bounced into the singletrack and headed out to the mesa. the plan was to ride the mesa and come on back. daylight wouldn't last long and i'm a wuss in the woods alone. i bombed down the trail through raccoon alley and up the steep climb over to rachael's log.

































my nemesis. for two years i have almost thought about going over it, but psychologically no way. that crash set my confidence back years. but the past two mesa rides i've had the itch. but not when there wasn't anyone else around. maybe next time, perhaps not on the way in, but on the way out. "in" the boards have a scoliosis look to them and you are coming at it flat, on the way "out", the boards are straight and you've got some speed going... so no go, but i decided to stop and snag some photos. i was stopped anyway. it was just me and the deer. i saw white furry butts everywhere. if i didn't see them, i heard them. speaking of confidence, i seem to have too much... there's a small whoop which leads to a bridge. you then climb up. the climb is infested with big roots. see the first dark pic above. i was just telling john saturday about how much i ruled that climb- that i haven't dabbed in like forever. not tonight. my front tire stopped dead. i was like wtf, and then just had to smile. i continued on. it was still eerily quiet.



















i finished up at the end of the mesa, i went down the hill, only because i wanted to climb back up. the outer loop was calling my name, but i resisted and turned around. the bridge (sara's bridge)needs some love, but the missing plank isn't a bother at all, it just looks bad. actually, it just pretty much scares the crap out of people.

i pretty much time trialed back home. i was done being photographer and wanted to get back. it was fun snapping some shots of the trail as we don't have any, but it was a little dark in the woods. mid day afternoon would probably be better. but who cares. you get the idea. i rode home. john had dinner waiting, what a guy. tomorrow i need to fix my front hub. it has some weird kinda play in it. bummer.... hope it's nothing serious.