Liberation

That first mountain biking fall was a long one.

I spent a month riding in the rain. We were blessed with warmer weather that month. Sometimes I wore shorts, sometimes ski tights. I always returned home muddy and felt absolutely wonderful clothed in that brown gook that plastered the trails and my bike.

Riding in the rain is unheard of for some. Most people are chased inside to workout with their trainers, stair climbers, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, treadmills, spinning bikes, and whatever the new indoor invention of the year is. Not I. I couldn’t do that. I didn’t have the strength to drive to a building in an effort to consume the energy I had locked up inside me. The truth is that energy is never really there without inspiration. There is something about getting on a mountain bike and rolling through the woods as fast as you can that makes you reach way down inside and pull out everything you’ve got – without even realizing it!

I discovered something about riding in the rain that I began to discover as an aspiring runner. Riding in the rain forced me to surrender to the idea that I was going to get wet no matter what. I couldn’t do anything about it. Once I accepted that, it suddenly felt good. It felt incredibly good to be out there in the mist, hearing the pitter patter of rain drops hitting the few leaves on the trees and the bed of leaves on the ground. Under the protection of the trees, it was more of a drizzle. I got lost in that sound. Surrendering to the rain and the mud, accepting that I was going to be wet and muddy for the next two hours and it was okay - it was liberating!

Creative Shifts

It wasn’t long before I broke my shiny, new bike. In the fall of 1996, it was very rainy. It seemed like all it did in October was rain. Well, I wasn’t going to stop riding. I had the rainy Tech Trails to myself every day.

I remember it was a warmer fall. The muddy rides felt wonderful under the canopy of trees that lessened the amount of rain falling on me as I rode. I had to stop and take it all in. There was something about the forest during those gray days. It was serene. The forest was lush and peaceful, yet there was a patter of rain that created a haze making it seem almost surreal. I was happy.

I rode through all the Tech Trails that fall. Even in the rain, the trails seemed to hold up quite well. It was during those rainy days that I decided to learn how to ride Hairy Toad and Barking Frog – the technical, rocky trails with narrow bridges. I learned how to ride rocks and roots on slick trails.

I was feeding my crack habit. I could ride any day that fall. My addiction was getting worse. I had to ride.

I took a vacation down state in the middle of October that year. It was a little depressing leaving the Keweenaw, but I packed my bike in my Pathfinder and did some research online. I was going to ride, even if I wasn’t home. My parents agreed to camp at the Holly Recreation Area. For a week, their trailer was my home. After breakfast, I would head out in the rain to ride a new trail.

The first day of camping, I rode the trails at the Holly Recreation Area: Holdridge. I did the beginner and intermediate loops and wanted more. I moved onto Gruber’s Grinder. After one mile, I picked up a stick and my bike came to a halt. I pulled the stick out and continued riding only to find my chain jumping into the spokes of my wheel. My derailleur was damaged. This was my first day of riding. What was I going to do? Should I backtrack to my truck? Should I try to cut through the bushes to get out? I really wanted to ride this trail. How was I going to do this? Was my mountain biking vacation going to be destroyed by a stick!?

I shifted into a harder gear hoping it would keep the chain away from the wheel. I managed to get the chain to lie on the fourth cog. I proceeded down Gruber’s. I wanted to ride. I quickly realized that I wanted to shift gears and decided to use my chainring. I came to the realization that I had a triple-speed! Wahoo! My vacation wasn’t ruined!

The next day, I drove down to the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area. I read review of this trail and was almost scared to try it. I thought it could possibly be the end of me. The beginning of the trail was a nice gently rolling path that allowed for some good speed, even on my triple-speed. I came to a couple hills that made me get off and walk. I got hung up in some baby heads and had to walk over those. There was a technical section of trail that was beyond my skill level and I had to get off and walk that. Then I came to the switchbacks.

There are some switchbacks that are not long and gradual. It almost reminds of a corkscrew. It’s straight down the hillside. I stood there and looked at those switchbacks trying to figure out how I could ride them. I had the desire, but I didn’t have the courage. I walked down. I also walked the long, flowing uphill trail that followed. Pontiac Lake offered varying terrain, challenges of different levels and types, and plenty of speed. It was the fastest eleven miles I had done on a mountain bike. I left the trailhead smiling and full of excitement.

I went back the next day. The second time I came to the switchbacks, I assessed the situation as I had the day before. This time, however, I remounted my bike and rode down. I kept my weight back and navigated with wide, calculated turns. I got the bottom and laughed with joy as I conquered my fear and gained a new confidence in my riding.