Look where you want to go, not where you don't

I had to ride a long one today (Hawes-Saddle-Twisted-Wild to NRA and back to twisted-Mine-Ridge-Saguaro-Wash-Saguaro-Hawes-Home) because the weather is so nice....relatively speaking. It's still over 90...but half of the ride was in the high 80's....so you gotta be stoked about that. After a summer of 110 degree rides...spending time in the saddle in anything less than 95 degrees just give you stamina you forgot you had. I took some pics along the way that interested me.


















I did however, meet up with my nemesis....the one I wrote my first blog entry about. I managed to hit it again descending the same sandy track, and the same thing happened...the thorns went into my right hand, I slid out, my Mule rolled over on top of me as I slid to a stop; but not before whacking me firmly on my helmet with it's top tube....Kids, always wear your helmet. It still amazes me how the bike can wind up ON TOP of me as I'm sliding. Guess I'll take a skinned knee over a broken derailleur hanger any day. I actually started laughing at myself before I hit the ground and when I had finally stopped, I yelled out to no one, "God-dammit you've done it again, dumb-ass!" Here's a pic of the guilty and a close up of the arm that tends to reach out and touch me. This time, I took a piece of it with me...had to pull it out of my finger with my teeth because it was stuck in there pretty good as my fingers could not get a grip.




The crime scene







Now I'd never think of thinning this out just to give me an easier ride...but if I keep hitting this damn thing every time I ride out Wild Horse....well, my body will be the one doing the thinning...not a machete.




Tiny pricklies of pain






Lastly, I finally grew the chicken McNuggets to roll the one switchback on Mine trail that I've been avoiding. The one with the actual mine shaft on the outside of the off-camber turn. I guess I got fed up doing the sissy walk and started brain-washing myself well before I came to the turn by telling myself that I've done far worse switchbacks before with no problem...never mind the mine shaft waiting to gulp you up should you fail. I mean...they filled it in, so the drop's not as bad as you think....right?, right! I just focused on looking where I wanted to go rather than looking where I didn't want to go...and Jenna rolled through like she was on rails. Gotta love progress. Now if only I could focus on not looking at the evil Cholla.








21.5 miles with 3035ft elevation gained