Best Ride Ever?

Just got back from a ride in Orofino Idaho after spending a week of trail clearing in the area. Hauling hand saws and chainsaws and stopping every minute or two to remove brush and downed trees or logs knocks the heck out of your mileage.

But finally we, (Jess and #33), got to roll and actually ran out of time before we ran out of trail for the day!  That always falls into the “Best Ride Ever” category.

While the trail clearing days were all done on mostly 90ﹾ plus days, our Best Ride Ever ride day came on a day after a rain! We couldn’t have asked for a better reward for all of our efforts. Once I started my roll on the trail I found myself grinning from ear to ear and laughing like a loon most of the day. Now most of you have gone woods riding on a day after a rain and know that the lead rider generally knocks the moisture off the branches for all the other riders. I learned that one from my good buddy Frank Showers when he sent me ahead on one of his trail rides many years ago after a rain. I thought I had hit the lottery that morning until my brain caught up with my riding at the first stop.  I didn’t know I was being set up by an experienced trail geezer, I was soaked to the bone and happy as a clam! Thanks Frank, lesson learned!

But not today! This was obviously payback from the trail Gods for all of our effort and hard work clearing trail. I was lead rider and prepared for the wet brush just to ride such a great trail, freshly cleared and recently watered. At my fist stop for a breather I couldn’t help but notice I was dry and my goggles did not require any maintenance for me to keep going. My first thought was that we must have ridden through a pocket that got minimal rain. But as we continued on throughout the day it never changed. Incredible!  A perfectly watered trail and dry bushes on the day after a rain. Almost 40 miles of mostly 2^nd gear riding, 4 hours later and I was heading to the house dry. Awesome!  Take That Frank!

In all my years of trail riding I am not sure I can remember that happening. So I have to believe it must have been the Trail Gods paying us back for all the work we put in the previous couple of weeks working these trails in this area.  So this could be quite possibly the “Best Day Ever” of trail rides.

I hope everyone gets to experience one of these days in their riding life. Maybe you already have if you think back. If not, suit up and give me call. I have a new 500XCW I need to log some miles on.

#33

“Find something to laugh about”