Deep Ruts Ahead

The winter rains bring lush green scenery, wildflowers and deep ruts to our mountain biking trails. Today all three were present, including a few maraca playing snakes! Throughout the ride we came across several signs warning 'Deep Ruts Ahead'. I would have stopped to take a photo but they were always at the top of glorious, fun, swooping downhill sections and I was enjoying myself way too much! I also had to keep up to my riding partner and she is a downhill diva. I don't think it was a coincidence that I was being warned of ruts today. Earlier this week, I consciously decided that I needed to start varying my running routes, even if it meant running my loops in opposite directions. The dog also has been deviating from her regular walking routes. I think we both had been lulled into just riding the rut to the bottom for long enough.

I noticed while trying to avoid being caught (literally) in a rut today, that it does take a little more effort to avoid a rut than to just let the wheel follow it to the bottom. I felt much more rewarded however, when I was able to float my front wheel over a deep groove and celebrated when I bunny hopped the entire divide! Forgive me for boasting The Todd, but I even bounded over a snake today! My skills they are a coming:) 

This hillside is brown most of the year

Of course at the end of our ride when we were patting ourselves on the back for how awesome we are, our egos were promptly deflated by a show boating, wheelie expert coming down the last hill and into the parking lot. I might have said this before, but it would have been handy to have been a 12 year old boy! I put aside all pride however and begged for a beginners demo, which he obliged us with - probably helped that my riding partner is a hottie!

Downhill Diva

Mission accomplished today, all deep ruts were avoided. I will continue to circumvent the ruts because as American novelist Ellen Glasgow stated 'the only difference between a rut and a grave are the dimensions'.