Don't Die In The House

Posted by Charles Thu, 04 Jun 2009 18:58:00 GMT

Tom emerged from the truck Monday morning with this inspiring text on his shirt, over the picture of a dead, inverted, rat. He pointed out to us that it was always good advice, and good for everyone. He and I, along with Daryl and Fabio, had woven our way through the minivan fender bender madness on Page Mill Road that morning to met at the Park n Ride before we carpooled down to the Demo, and we all admired or commented on the shirt before hitting the road in pursuit of Santa Cruz Mountain goodness.

Throughout the day, we all did a number of daring, surprising, and sometime hazardous things, hopping up on logs, riding skinnies, jumps and drops. Darting through the trees with reckless abandon, speeding down hills, and climbing hills fast and furious enough to make our hearts pop. Mid ride we ran into a game warden, astride a 450cc KTM, and exchanged a banter about what a nice day it was to be out under any means, and how little traffic there was on the trail. Then he asked us if we had seen any mountain lions, as a preface to going on about a mountain biker in Southern California that had been killed by one. I had heard of the tragedy he was referring to, recalling it was years ago, and thought as he spoke about the five thousand kids that had died last year of alcohol poisoning. On the way out, I started to wonder how kids could be encouraged to take on pastimes we perceive as being risky, like downhill mountain biking, or street speed skating after dark. Maybe buzzing around the hills on their dirt bikes, or big wave surfing.

Fabio got back to the truck with a little road rash, the harsh result of a couple unscheduled dismounts. He continues to be a real crowd pleaser. Tom’s derailer had shed a vital spring, and is now slated for a repair or replacement. Daryl’s bike is filthy, his tires received some serious abuse, and my quads are cramping as I cross my legs from left over right, to right over left. We all cheated death, but none of us died in the house today. I’m sorting through my pictures from the days ride, and wondering about the risks we all take on a daily basis, and wonder if they are the right risks.