Mountain Biking

I have biked hundreds if not thousands of miles. You might catch me on a warm evening or weekend on the Neil Smith or Great Western trail poking along on my bike. I have had a few near misses with cars, been scared by a tree branch on the road, and even misjudged by other bikers, but last week was tough.

My new mate Emma thought it would be fun to get out and do some mountain biking. I am using a mountain bike to get around, why not use some of the trails around the area. We arrived at the Craters of the Moon to check out the Grade 2 and 3 trails. I was almost immediately scared. We started down the trails, and the pine needles were very slippery. I thought my feet were strapped in like my road bike back in Iowa, but they weren’t. I was so scared to be going down the meter wide trail with steep hills, turns, and a few obstructions. I would be at the top of a hill and look down, stopped. Emma would go, and I would walk (or run) the bike down.

By the time we were on our third trail, I was doing much better. My anxiety was waning, albeit slightly, and I was ready for new challenges. But, I was wiped out and ready to get back into town.

I have promised Emma more rides once my busy work schedule calms down, but it still makes my heart beat so much faster.