Here's the link to the writeup with a couple pictures:
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=226820
When I told Penny I'd be spending 4 or 5 days in Spokane with the
family, she said let's try and get a ride in! Best thing I'd heard in a
while, what with Boise trails covered in smoke. So Saturday morning
rolls around when the old cell-leash rings, and it's Penny downstairs.
What service!
There she was parked in the valet area of the hotel with her King
Kahona and her hubby's Stumpjumper on the roof. Yeehahh!. I'd been
having a good time with the family, the convention, and the hotel on
the river had a couple pools, lots of froofy, pampering, mind-numbing
luxuries, but I needed to ride! I wanted to hurt, burn off all that
restaurant food, to sweat, to make it happen on dirt.
So I hopped in with my helmet and just 10 minutes away was the start of
a vast spiderweb of trails throughout Riverside State Park. I ain't
been there for almost 20yrs!
We park in the woods that looks like the campgrounds of my youth, walk
the bikes across the suspension brige, and head up this decent hill.
I haven't ridden with Penny for a couple years, but it was good to see
her again. Too bad her hubby was home all doped up after a shoulder
surgery as he's a great guy to ride with, too. Guess an injury now n
then goes with being one of the most adventurous white-water guys in
the state...
The woods are silent, dark and deep, and eventually she warns me of a
loose gravelly climb. I love the test. On to the very rocky descent
along the Spokane River, and I love that too. Like ridin the bull at
Shorty's..! The Hub's Stumpjumper is light and maneuverable. Nose
wheelies--no problem. Bunny-hops--never easier. I'm having some fun
here, doods. So along the river, it really is rocky, and I slow down to
dab, but love the setting.
At one point, I musta been looking full of Jones, or sumthin, so she
tells me to go ahead and cut loose, have at it, go for it, just don't
cross the road, and we'll be ok. So I quickly hit cruising speed and
altitude, whipping that race bike around and through the trees, just
having too much fun. Forget about the don't-cross-the-road stuff,
because, dood, there's this *****in gnarly ramp onto the road and I get
about 3 feet of air and land almost on the other side!
I've screwed up, so I wait for Penny, who says it doesn't matter, we're
getting back later, anyway, but what the hey.. so away we go.
Then out we go, rockin and rollin, the gal's keeping a good pace, as we
try to chat now n then about trail maintenance, keeping the singletrack
narrow, and so on. Come to a long, steeper than Kestrel-like climb (2nd
picture) and I'm feeling fairly frisky so I take the mutha in the 2nd
ring.
She takes me on this nice little piece that she built, and it's really
really cool. Not too tough, but doable with a little concentration, and
I'm loving the technical features she's kept on the trail. Definitely
an advanced piece of work. Good job, girl.
Eventually wind our way back to the hanging bridge and its been a full
circle of 12 mi or so, not dirty deeds done dirt cheap, but a good
ride, done darn quick. back to the Hotel, and I'm late, but ya know?
It's only rock and roll, but I like it...
CDB