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The Madness of Mountain Biking

Jason and I went on a terrific bike ride in American Fork Canyon over the holiday weekend. It was beautiful, difficult, and exhilarating. Those descriptors may not seem to fit together well but let me assure you, they do.

This is me taking a break on a sunny hillside before undertaking the difficult task of heading uphill.
This is me taking a break on a sunny hillside before beginning the grueling task of heading back up the mountain.

I received my first mountain bike as a birthday gift when I turned 16 and ever since then I have been a devoted biker. The intensity and technical difficulty of the trails I ride these days far surpasses what I navigated in my early years. Over time Jason and I have become more accustomed to the precarious nature of this sport and have slowly gravitated toward trickier paths. We now bike almost exclusively on singletrack trails, which are basically hiking trails, rather than on the standard car-friendly paths many ride. We like winding through trees, climbing over boulders, teetering along the edge of drop-offs…you know, all that good stuff.

Here's Jason reenacting his latest run-in.
Here's Jason reenacting his latest run-in. One of his bike's brake lines broke as we were coming down a steep hill. This was obviously not good. Since he had no way to stop or slow himself down, he devised an ingenious plan. He rode up a bush covered incline that was on the side of the trail hoping that that would decrease his speed enough for him to regain control of his bike. His plan was nearly flawless but Jason didn't factor in one thing: all the rocks and obstacles hidden amongst the bushes. Oops! He didn't make it far before he hit a buried rock and did a nosedive over his handlebars.

Mountain biking is not for the faint of heart. When you’re riding on a trail that’s only as wide as your handlebars and tree roots and rocks abound, the potential for mishaps is high. A slight error in judgment or a momentarily lapse in attention can result in a crash. I have been catapulted over my handlebars, flung down mountainsides, and launched into trees. My shins and knees are littered with the scars of past biking incidents. The most painful of these happened a few years ago when I was descending on a gravelly path and lost control of my bike. My bike fell abruptly sideways and I didn’t have time to make a quick exodus from its seat. Since I was moving along at a pretty decent speed when this toppling occurred, my bike continued to move forward, despite the fact that it’s wheels were no longer in contact with the ground, and I was dragged along the surface of the gravel for 10 or 12 feet. Needless to say, the wounds that resulted were rather large and gruesome. Ouch! It makes me cringe just thinking about it! But despite this accident, and all others like it, I love mountain biking and would never give it up.

This
I got this gouge last year while biking in Lambert's Park. A non-graceful attempt to keep my bike from tipping over after hitting a rather large rock made me catch my leg on the spikes of my gearshift. This was the result. And in case you are wondering, yes, that is dirt all over my leg.

There’s something intoxicating about speeding through the pines accompanied only by the crinkle of the breeze in the aspens and the steady sound of your tires circling through the dirt. Mountain biking is never boring thanks to the constantly fluctuating terrain you traverse. The stunning scenery and physical and mental demands of this sport make it a nearly irresistible pastime to me. The details of my latest collisions often elicit the “you’re crazy” response from friends and relatives. I just smile and nod. Besides the bruises, they have no idea what they are missing. But that’s alright, that just means more mountain for me.

Lack of concentration = crash. That's
Lack of concentration = crash. That's why I've got that silly focused look on my face.
Rachel September 10, 2009 3 Comments

Birthday Boating

For Jason’s birthday our friends, Cam and Fran, wanted to treat him to a boating excursion. Since Jason is always extremely eager for opportunities to strap on his wakeboard, he was more than willing to agree to this plan. A combination of bad weather and busy schedules resulted in his boating outing being delayed more than a month, but last week we finally made it out to Utah Lake. The afternoon we went was perfectly warm and sunny; it was sublime. Jason rode the wakes until his arms and back could take no more. He was able to make some pretty impressive jumps; I would estimate about 2 or 3 feet. Regrettably, I didn’t catch any of his sweet air on film, but here are some of the finer moments I did capture.

Jason plowing through those wakes.
Jason plowing through those wakes.
Jason is ready to get in the water!
Jason is ready to get in the water!
I don't
I'm not particularly good at wakeboarding but the kneeboard and I get along just fine.
Jas and Cam rode the tube together...not quite brokeback style, but close.
Jas and Cam rode the tube together...not quite brokeback style, but close.
Jas was all about the manlove with Cameron.
Jas was all about the manlove with Cameron.
Cam decided to try riding the tube in a rather odd fashion. He sat and dangled his legs in the water...this was the result.
Cam decided to try riding the tube in a rather odd fashion. He sat upright and dangled his legs in the water...this was the result.
Rachel September 1, 2009 3 Comments

A Campfire Dinner: Birthday Celebration Numero Tres

No, I didn’t learn how to count in Spanish from Bono. So what happened to numero dos? Jason’s second birthday bash was on his actual birthday and involved the two of us seeing the new Harry Potter flick and eating dinner at Café Trio, a darling little Italian place in Salt Lake City that is very reasonably priced. Rosemary flatbread topped with caramelized onions and a balsamic drizzle, served with goat cheese and roasted tomatoes and red peppers…need I say more? Jason and I had a lot of fun on this excursion and came home very full but since that is the extent of my comments regarding that particular outing, not exactly a post-worthy amount of information, I will skip to Jason’s third birthday party.

Some of the men doing manly things in the woods. I don't know what Jeremy was
Some of the men doing manly things in the woods. I don't know what Jeremy was doing...besides ruining my picture.

I painstakingly planned an evening at a campsite up in American Fork Canyon for Jason’s final birthday celebration. I invited some of our friends and family to join us for tinfoil dinners, grilled corn on the cob, s’mores, and hotdogs. Everyone brought their roasting sticks and camp chairs and we spent an evening under the stars around the toasty campfire.

Aimee, Liz, Kara, and Vinny
Aimee, Liz, Kara, and Vinny

Making tinfoil dinners for that many people was quite an operation. Those of you who have made these before know that all the ingredients have to be cut up into ridiculously tiny pieces in order to cook properly on the fire’s coals. I spent over four hours chopping fifty five red potatoes, roughly 30 pieces of bacon, 6 onions, and an entire Costco-size bag of baby carrots. I was happy with the resulting dinners though and everyone seemed to enjoy my recipe concoction.

The Sabin brothers: creepy aren't they?
The Sabin brothers. Creepy aren't they?

After dinner we sang happy birthday to Jason and his brother Jeremy, Jeremy’s birthday is just a few days after Jason’s, and gorged ourselves on yummy Dippidee cupcakes. I was utterly stuffed at that point – a sentiment that I believe was echoed by everyone present.

Jeremy and Jason blowing on their cupcakes. Despite how it looks, they weren't actually holding hands.
Jeremy and Jason blowing on their cupcakes. Despite how it looks, they weren't actually holding hands.

Many thanks to all of you who shared the evening with us and celebrated the commencement of another year in the life of a fantastic man. Happy birthday Jason!

Rachel July 21, 2009 2 Comments
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