Monday, October 17, 2005

The penalty for failure is...getting f**ked up, big time

Reporting in from Vegas. I've ridden Bootleg Canyon twice now, and I have a couple of thoughts to share. First off, Bootleg offers some truly epic riding. Bootleg has lots to offer; tons of climbing, rocks, narrow exposed trails, rocks, and more rocks, and some beautiful, if quite stark, scenery.

Next, Bootleg is technical as hell. For this Florida boy, even the trail called Girl Scout was more technical than anything I've ridden before. I can handle rocks, and I can handle narrow mountainside trails, but rocks AND narrow? That's a whole 'nother matter.

I didn't go down, but I had two close calls in two days of riding. The second one really freaked me out. I had just cleared a rocky section and right at a turn was another rocky section to cross, and since this was in the middle of a climb I didn't have a whole lot of speed after clearing that first batch of rocks. To make a long story short, I almost clear that rocky spot when my front tire gets into a hole and I don't have the speed to clear it...and my bike stops, I'm talking a dead stop. At that point it is a mad dash to grab something, anything, to keep from falling off the side of the mtn. I ended up with one hand on a rock, and another hand on my front tire. That close call really got me. I was totally psyched out over the next few rocky areas. We'd take a break and chill some before I'd get over it fully.

I've got a few pics, but I've got to get them downloaded from the camera first. Hopefully I'll get them posted before my $11 per 24hrs internet access is up.

I've got another chance to get the sh*t scared out of me...I mean go ride, at Bootleg Canyon, so there will be more updates.

I'm outta here...I hear the MGM Grand Buffet calling my name.

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