that was brilliant

Last weekend Sherry Drake had invited me and the family to join them while they camped at Blue Mounds State Park. Blue Mounds has a network of trails which have been used for WEMS events and last years Singlespeed State Championships. Over the years I've camped with my Dad and brothers there, attended family reunions (the great skateboarding incident) hiked with a girlfriend, and run the trails with the Hash. It's a great park with amenities that include a pool.

So we packed the bikes on the jetta and drove the 45 minutes. The ranger at the gate gave us our annual pass and the site of the Drake's but no explanation why the pool was closed. The MTB trails had been closed for the previous week but were just opened. We pulled into the driveway of the site and Sherry was having a nap with Rowan, well, he was napping anyway. Bruce and Claire hadn't pulled in from Milwuakee yet and hadn't called so I decided not to wait.

After a primer on where Kerry would be riding I took off with a 34x20 and one spare tube. I found the trails to be in lousy shape mostly because the 15" of recent rain knocking all manner of branch and tree onto the trail. Just on the northern loop I counted 8 fallen trees which will require chainsaws to allow the trail though again. The soil was bearing up nicely mostly because the rocks were taking the abuse from the tires. I should have gotten a picture of a rock. They are everywhere. In all the times I'd been on those trails before they became MTB trails I'd never paid them any mind. From a technical skills perspective the rocks gave me a workout. I was running my tires at 45psi but found out it wasn't enough to avoid a pinchflat on the rear. I had almost finished putting the tube in when I started hearing a voice coming on the trail. After a bit I saw two riders, one was Kerry and the other was Greg. Greg was on a full squish Trek and his mouth was moving as much as his suspension and shifters. The steeper and rockier part of "Holy Shist" trail turned the ride into a typical singlespeed workout for all. The rocks are slippery and a good line doesn't exist though the branches. Maybe with a 32x22 I could ride through. On one section Kerry was leading with me behind him as Greg dropped his chain. We kept going and Kerry says "I like riding with singlespeeds. They're much quieter. I don't get to do it enough." Then he punched it up the trail. I hit it too and a stayed with him and that was the last we saw of Greg and his noisy bike. When we exited the trail I asked if we should wait for Greg. Kerry says "Why." I assumed Greg was with us. Kerry says he'd just met him for the first time in the parking lot today. I didn't hear any screams for help echoing through the park so we rolled back to the camp.

Sherry, Rowan, Karen and Sephie had gone for a hike so we had the site to ourselves. I had a beer, Kerry had some Cytomax and we relaxed. Claire and Bruce showed up a few minutes into my beer. They unloaded and got dressed and we rolled out into the trails again. Bruce was recovering from some bad clam chowder so he wanted to go easy. Not a problem for me, I was still learning the trails so there was no need to rail. A few minutes in and we had our first casualty- me. There was a rock garden after a creek-like crossing where I needed to dab when I ran out of momentum. when I put my left foot down it caught a rock and rolled under me as my weight bore down on the outside of my ankle. It felt just like I'd put my foot on a soccer ball as I hit the ground. Dammit. I was done for the day. Bruce and I headed back so I could put my foot up with some ice. The Ranger had dropped off the group after Sephie had been reduced to being carried by Karen when her flip-flips gave her blisters. I've lost track of how many times I tell that child to wear the right shoes for hiking, she's begun to to out her dad year ahead of schedule.

I kept the ankle elevated and iced while preparations for grilling were made. Beer helped reduce the pain as well. Claire and Kerry showed up eventually and Sherry and Janet went for a run. The 3 boys and Sephie played together and the adults relaxed.

By 9pm it was time to head back to the casa, leaving the campers to defend against the raccoons. As we drove out of the park a raccoon ran in front of the Jetta and was dribbled underneath. I turned around to see if it had been done in, but it scurried into the woods as another stopped in the road. It looked at me and paused with an expression (if that's possible) saying something like "uh-oh, he's coming back to finish us off"

We stopped at the grocery store in Blue Mounds for a round of ice cream cones before heading home. Except for the ankle, a pretty good day.

Today the ankle is tender and still swollen. I found my soccer brace and it feels more secure but I'm doubtfull about next weekend's race.