A Mountain Bike Ride I Will Never Forget

A mountain bike ride I will never forget
By: Matt S. Our son Used with permission.

We went for a mountain bike ride last night. We left from the bike shop at five there were five of us we had two pick-ups a Nissan and a Toyota, we went up Asotin Creek and dropped off the Toyota by the ranges station at the fork in the road. We stuffed all five bikes in the back of the Nissan. Along with myself and another guy we rode up twelve miles in the back of the pick up in the rain we got to the top up in the blue mountains. We started our ride about 7:30 p.m. equipped with headlights and back packs with a little food and water and a hunger for adventure. We started on the trail, riding, pushing our mountain bikes at times because of the deep mud and even snow in a few places.

The darkness came a lot quicker than any of us expected. Because of the think storm clouds over head and the timber we were riding through. We pushed on as quickly as we could. So on the headlights came, and on we rode then things got a little freaky, the thunder and lightening came along with the snow and rain. We kept looking for another trail we had to connect to, but it ways so dark everything looked different too, the guys who had been on the ride before. It was my first time on this trail. Finally after riding in circles and back tracking looking for the connecting trail, the thunder and lightening got a little scary, since we were on top of a mountain in a clear meadow. The rain started to really come down, so we took cover to wait out the storm and to think about our options. We talked and checked our supplies, fig Newton’s, crackers and cheese, and other snacks we had brought.

We already got turned about coming this far, and were four miles in and uphill to go back the way we came so no one wanted to go back, but we did not want to get on the wrong trail and end up down the wrong canyon. We discussed our options we could spend the night if we had to. We had lighters and a candle to start a fire but on one was ready to give up yet. With rain coming down as hard as it was it was our best bet to keep moving to stay warm. I said a payer that God would lead us out. So we all walked our bikes along the meadow where we thought the connecting trail was in line about twenty-five feet apart I came across a trail that looked like a cattle trail, I called the guys over they thought it was the trial but were not sure. We couldn’t see where the trail went except into the thick darkness.
Finally we caught a glimpse of our surroundings in a flash of lightening. It was the trail that had eluded us for the last hour and a half. We all shouted with joy and rode as fast as we could trying to warm up again.

The storm kicked up again, down we rode, more rain, then come marble sized hail. There was no place to hide so we just rode on as fast as we cold hoping for a big tree or anything to hide under for a few minutes. The ground was soaked an so were we, but we knew where we were going. I ate it in one of the corners wrecked. My front tire couldn’t hold. I crashed and used my face for a break! It was just wet grass, I slid for thirty feet. I hoped the guys behind me could avoid running me over. I scrambled off the trail as fast as I cold. Back we went down the hill. Finally a tree, we stopped took cover and waited it out.

Surprisingly we were all laughing and joking around. For as rough as the rip had been we were all upbeat and had good attitudes. The hail stopped the rain slowed so we were off again. The ground was slimy, slippery so now the going was very slow. Riders falling here and there, mostly just making them muddier, if that was possible. Finally we came to the road, now it was smooth sailing three miles down to the truck with one other guy we were ahead of, we looked at our cyclometer just under fifteen miles. I looked at my watch, 11:30. I thought we would have been back by eleven o’clock.

We still had a thirty minute drive to the truck up on top and then an hour from there to town, we discussed the arrangement of the trip to retrieve the other pickup. The Toyota could only fit two or there in the cab. I decided I was not riding up that mountain again in the back of a pick up. We decided that three of us would continue riding down to keep warm, then the other two would go get the other truck and pick us up when they came down. Fifteen minutes later the rest of the group made it. They had a flat and had to change a tire on the bike. We told those guys our plan it sounded like the best plan. So they rode down.

About three miles down the road the hail started again, stinging us. The other town guys spotted a shelter and yelled to me. I turned around it was a roof where hey was stored, we were thankful we sat down piled loose hay on us for warmth. I moved a bail of hay to block the wind, “Hey this is cozy.” I said.

We decided to wait for the others out of the weather. Thirty minutes or so later, we saw their lights so we turned on our bike headlights so they could spot us. We loaded up and drove home I arrived at 1;30 A.M. This was a ride I will never forget!