I Fell off of my Cloud - Hard

Oh how I LOVE to ride
the Gould/JEM/Hurricane Rim Loop.  

It is a 20 mile single-track wonder in the desert above Hurricane, UT. 

It has been difficult to ride this trail lately due to wet and freezing weather which don't mix well with our lovely clay soil.  The sun was shining last week (Friday, Feb 19th) and there was a very short 

window of opportunity. 

The clay was somewhat dry, tacky, but very ride-able.   

Carpe Diem - I took it.

  I haven't ridden this trail since early last November. 

I love the variations that this unique mountain biking experience offers

as a fast cross-country ride

not to mention the incredible cardio workout you get too.

The climbing, right out of the gate

(if you start at the radio towers) gets you warmed up QUICK!  

Then the tight, twisted single-track rolling 

through the Gould Trail is phenomenal.  

I enjoy that seven mile stretch so much 

that I don't hardly notice the climbing

and I am to the JEM Trail before I know it. 

It seems as if I just started my ride.  

This is not to say that I am fast 

(I'm not really and the older I get, the faster I WAS!).  

I just enjoy it so much that the time flies quickly.  

I enjoy the serenity and scenery all around me.  

Then, the thrill of the downhill is before me.  

The JEM trail was in the best shape I have seen in a long time.

  The downhill was fast, 

it was carved so smooth 

from the riders who groomed it before me.

The Hurricane Rim section of the trail

is the fun, slower, technical portion with a lot of good climbing. 

I enjoy the "plates", as I call them, of rock along the rim. 

The trail mostly follows the rim

of a very deep canyon over the Virgin River.  

The views are magnificent in every direction. 

I was feeling strong on my bike, lots of energy.  

Some days you have it and some days you don't, this day I DID!

I was strolling along up Serpentine Hollow 

(where have all the signs gone?), 

up Gooseberry Lookout,

over Vertles Ride

I'm enjoying myself so much I start daydreaming

I'm on cloud nine, I love riding this trail

UUUGGGGHHHHH

The next thing I know I pick a wrong line 

over a jumbled pile of rocks 

that seem to be different since the last time I rode. 

I froze,

I have NO momentum 

and the only place to go is DOWN.  

Why can't I move?  

I kind of saw this coming a few seconds before 

and I did nothing to prevent it.

I'm not talking down to the level ground under me, 

I'm on a slight cliff-like ledge into a jumbled gully.  

I fall HARD below my bike 

(which is now on top of me)

The first thing to touch was my knee

to an extremely HARD rock, 

it had no give in it

Next was my elbow, no, it was my hip.

Like I said, I was falling down hill 

The pain in my knee was excruciating, 

I thought I could have possible shattered it.

I still have to get to the truck

If I don't get moving the pain will set in

I immediately got up to assess the damage.  

The knee hurt but it still worked! 

And if I keep moving it won't stiffen up as quickly.  

The blood was very minimal. 

At first it was hard to ignore the pain 

and put pressure on my knee to keep pedaling.

But the longer I rode the better I felt.  

I only had two miles to go.  

I just had to climb out of Chinatown Wash

and over the lookout and I was homefree.

By the time I got to the truck 

I couldn't really feel the pain anymore,  

UNTIL I stopped moving

My knee THROBBED all the way home. 

I tried to keep it moving in the car but there isn't enough room.  

I soaked it in the hot tub and took some Advil.  That helped a lot.  

By the time I went to bed it all felt much better.

I broke the buckle on my shoe ($20), 

have some scrapes on my knee and elbow ($pride),

some very deep purple, green, blue bruises

on my knee, legs, hip and elbow.  

And my arm, which I tried to catch myself with as I was falling,

has been very sore all week.($more pride)

It's amazing what muscles you can strain when you go down.  

It has been SO LONG since I went down on my bike, 

I almost forgot what it's like.  

Lesson learned ($priceless), 

FOCUS,

be alert, 

pay attention, 

strengthen my cat-like reflexes!

don't daydream,

don't enjoy the ride so much 

ENJOY THE RIDE - ALWAYS!!!!!!

work hard, play hard, rider harder.