Afternoon Ride up high

A morning email had me riding with two guys I haven't ridden with before - Walt and Fred.  (Actually, Fred and I had done some trail work many moons ago and I had ridden with Walt back at one of the IGSSC's, probably over 10 years ago.) No nicknames for these guys yet...besides, their websites would give their identities away!

I was scrambling trying to get my new frame ready to ride but having started 2 hours before ride time...I realized too late that I had no fork that fit the frame...so I grabbed my singlespeed and rushed to meet these guys in Ned -- both of them on full-suspension Waltworks bikes.  Starting the ride at 4:30pm, I didn't think we'd go too big but we ended up doing a pretty large 3 hour loop. We rode a counter-clockwise loop up to the Flats from town, down Birthday Trail to Triple Secret (aka. FOUND) and then down RBV to Mud Lake finishing on the School singletrack.

On the way out of town to RBV, I literally had a close encounter with a Great-horned owl.  I was heading down into RBV on a side route when I almost ran into something crossing the trail.  I stopped, looked to my left, and saw the big yellow eyes of the owl less than two feet away from me standing on the side of the trail.  Walt rode up and as he approached the owl flew off down the trail corridor, looking no worse for the wear.  Thankfully.  It was a funny ride like that.  I almost took myself out several times trying to keep up with these guys on my rigid single.  I didn't get dropped...but I probably should have - for my sake. (I'm still tired and sore from that ride.)

Great to ride with some new peeps that I've known for awhile but just never ridden with for some reason!