Last Sun we rode with the bug's in the heat and now it's raining. I got off work really early today. Only worked 2 hours so i hooked up with the Maing and his wife and went to Hood River. It was kind of an adventure ride, as in we took a bunch of trails that we we're sure where they would end up. We started farther up than i ever had and it was more of the same. Rocks and rocks. Then we rode a section we always do then it was all new for me. Single track with embedded rocks, little steps, deep woods. Cool stuff. After that it was flowing trail through a meadow. Did i mention it was raining? 
I started having some fun and was sliding around corners but i remembered i was wearing my work clothes and no armor so i started to be more carefull. It got more and more muddy and the descents got more and more sketchy. I went down once and almost hit a tree. We made all the way around to the new re-built FRANKENSTEIN trail. Steep and steep. cut straight over and hiked up to cut into drop out and down seven streams. By this point i had been soaked for like 4 1/2 hours and was ready to get in a warm truck. Awesome day but really difficult conditions. If it was predictable i probably wouldn't like it as muc
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es. What was 3 drops was now even better with a couple of step ups thrown in. Flying J and i took a new single track. Fun. Back to two chair and down. We got to XchorusX and i was watching the real riders hit the big lines. Whiplash hit the first line on the left and wanted the 2nd also. He said " Don't film me" so i did of course. Big crash! Over rotated and hit hard. His glasses cut him good on the forehead but it didn't stop him from riding the rest of the way down. Rubberdown hit a tree and jacked up his leg and i bailed from a 
ladder and twisted my ankle. that's how it goes sometimes. ended up wit pizza at Cascade Locks.
(12) and Otto (10) to Fall City for the first time. And it couldn't have been hotter. Record eat for May in Oregon, 90's or something. Anyway..the bugs we're out BIG time and reminded me why i mostly ride there in the winter. It was hard to talk without breathing them in. 
SO this was my first ride on the Gran Mal since i hurt my rib's about 4 weeks ago. Maing,Chip and Noah went as well. Maing is on the Rib program as well, so he was taking it easy. We kept it pretty mellow but it was really good for me. no pain really, and the bike seemed to be working well Otto and Louis had fun but the heat was getting to them. We rode the new and improved sictor gnar and it was really fun. It was cool seeing Otto riding over logs on his little hardtail with the 24" wheels. Louis and Otto
had some fun on the teeter totter in Basic training. I saw Maing sneeze and then double over in pain. I guess he's still healing. He was getting a kick out of Otto and Louis going over the teeter totter at the same time. pretty funny. Of course we ended up at paddingtons for pizza but you probably guessed that didn't you.
's no underbrush , so i yelled to Otto to follow Dave for the safe way down. Then Dave crashed. " Hey Otto, don't follow Dave". Otto rode a little ladder over some fallen trees. That was cool to see. It's only a couple of feet off the ground but he's a little kid. I'm still on the Bianchi SS hardtail. It's been so long that I've forgotten what gears are like. At least for XC riding. My Downhill bike has gears. Looking forward to getting my Enduro built up again and doing some Looong epic rides this summer.
He ride's. Anyway...we planned to hit up a local DH trail that we hoped was not a soupy mess. Flying J decided to join too and it was on. 
We met at the bottom , by the beanie. Nope, don't touch it, and headed up. got into some mud early on and i was sliding around a bit. 
Super cool trail though. I hit a couple of steep roll downs and then on one i got slammed, rib's first into a log and rocks. Hmm. di another run and felt quite sore. I think i bruised some rib's. So much for my riding weekend. I'll be riding this trail again soon for some payback.
Trail condition's were PERFECT, with only a few muddy spots. Creek crossings were bigger than the last time but that make for some exciting kid riding. We fooled around on some log rides and generally enjoyed riding and not being cold. 
Otto hit this log over that was half the size of his wheels(and since he's on 24" wheels that's big) and managed to make it over. I may half to check his big ring for bent teeth, or just get him a bash ring. It's always fun riding trails with the kid's, cause you never know what's going to happen.
Nah.. Let's get going i say. We we're having a good time listening to the Crucified when i hear Maing say " Uh oh..no throttle" Hmm. So we coast into the rest stop which was thankfully right in front of us. Short story long...bad alternator. Oops! so we wait for the tow trust and stand in the wind. People watching and me taking pictures. Finally the Marine tow truck driver shows and he get's the truck up on the flat bed but can't get the trailer hitch switched out for 
Maings mini hitch. Maing showed he has what it takes and never stopped trying to get the stupid thing off and finally succeeded. Yea maing! 
So we drive, to the shop where Billy-bob is gonna fix the truck, we go to the Hick cafe called the Place. Never to early for grease right? So Billy-bob is done and we stand there way too long while they try to figure out what to do with a credit card , then we're on the road again. Very scenic drive but it's all ready a long day. We arrive in Port Angeles around 3 ish which is WAY too late but we're still positive. 
We find out the shuttle stops at 5 and we run to the trucks and get 3 run's in before going to watch the Dual slalom. Awesome! Man can those guy's ride. Got to see Nathan Riddle, and other N.W. pro's. Got some good video and pic's. So Maing wanted to do one more run since we had , like no practice ..so we hiked for 25 min and did another run. Good track. Nice and wet. Bailed for the Motel and got a big laugh when the moron at the desk said he gave away our reservation. 
I said " why would you do that?" He said "i thought it was you" Very confused at this point i come back with a good one " Did you ask for their names? He say's we only had 1 reservation so i thought it was you. Whatever. then he say's " I can't give you a room anyway. We have water problems and stuff. Trying not to laugh i ask if he can recommend a place. He say's no. I say " See ya never" and leave. What a gong show. I'm starting to wonder if we'll live the out the night. Found a place and headed for a good looking mexican place to eat. 
Saw Geoff Gulivich there and tried in vain to get Maing's wife to go up and ask for a autograph and say "Thanks Wade". that would have been rad. Crashed ( in the motel not the truck) and headed to the coffee shop and then the race. One practice run and then the waiting game. I did really bad but still had a great weekend. Dirk destroyed his bike, Derrek was crazy on his Hard Tail, Maing was bummed, Rob got 9th. Saw Katrina Strand and some other Pro's so that was really cool. Met Mike Estee finally. Looking forward to the next one.
hould be really wet and the ten day forecast calls for rain on race day, but that could change. I'm still waiting for my rear shock to come back from being re-built so I'm not exactly ready bike wise, but I'll be fine. Going to wear my new Troy Lee helmet so i hope i don't break it the first ride. We'll see. Stay tuned for a big write up of the race weekend. O..the pic is Olivia (our 4 y/o with my new helmet)
