Ozark Off Road Cyclist

Close encounters with a Truck

2009-11-23T17:19:00.000-08:00

For those of you who haven't heard I was struck by a truck riding my road bike between Mayflower and Conway on October 10, 2009. Since then I have recovered decently from my road rash and broken rib. I was riding the white line on the side of the road around 6:30am on my way to Tim McKuin's wedding at Cave Creek in the Ozark Mountains. Apparently the lady who hit me didn't see my flashing rear light and hit me with her side view mirror while driving 55+mph. Needless to say; I ended up on the side of the road and my bike in the ditch. I only remember hearing the sound of her truck for a split second before I heard and felt my body bounce off the side of the truck. The only words I could think of to describe the incident at that moment were: Terror, Disbelief, and Confusion. But sitting there on the side of the road after I had come to grips with the fact that I was just hit by a vehicle, I was just thankful to be alive. The collision was so loud that a couple across the street came out of their home to check on the accident. Luckily the lady stopped and check to see if I was all right. When she found out I was ok she broke down and I tried to calm her down. The ambulance and police showed up within a few minutes and I was given a ride to Conway Regional. I was released after being cleaned up and x-rayed. Rick valentine was nice enough to give me a ride home to allow me to begin the healing process. I'm just glad I'm still alive. I'm back on the bike again thanks to the generocity of Competitive Cyclist's demo program.

Swimming Hole Ride

2009-07-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

For anyone who knows me, I tend to avoid riding my mountain bike in the summer. Something about riding my bike when the temperatures hover around 90+ degrees with matching humidity just doesn't seem that appealing. However, there's nothing better than a summer ride that includes a swimming hole. So I gave How Kuff a call and said I'd love to meet up at the Buffalo Headwaters near Red Star and ride. How suggested we ride dirt roads to Kings River Falls. I've been to Kings River Falls several times before, and knew this was a prime spot.
So I rolled up to How's mountain oasis around 11 am on July 5th with my Santa Cruz Heckler. How, Kate(How's wife), and I suited up and headed to the falls. The day was mostly overcast and fairly cool for July with temperature in the 80's. You just can't wish for any better riding conditions this time of year. I've been riding my bike quite a bit lately so the mostly downhill ride to Kings River Falls went by in a flash. A new trailhead and trail offered virgin singletrack to the swimming hole below the falls. Someone put in some huge rocks along a short section of trail which had large gaps in between. Not exactly bike friendly, but we had to make the effort so How makes the first stab, rolls in and immediately tumbles off the left side of the bike and gets entangled with the rocks and the bike. After witnessing the carnage, I decide to walk that section. The rest of the singletrack to the falls is knarly creek bottom fun with a few sections of exposed bedrock. After parking our bikes new the falls and checking the water level, it was time to jump in. The water was pleasantly cool, but not cold like it is in May or early June. After a snack and a short break we were back on the bikes again. The ride back out to the road was fairly uneventful, except for me trying the knarly rock section again. I made it all the way through then caught my front wheel on a small tree stump, put my foot down, and in the process scrapped the inside of my right calf right over the large chainring. I looked down and saw 5 streaks of blood running down my lower leg. Damn that hurts. That should be fun explaining to everyone for two weeks that bonehead move.
The climb out of Kings Rive Falls is relentless. The beginning is particularly steep. It soon levels out, but climbs for nearly two miles. How suggests we visit Scott's, so we take a left of the main road and drop down into the next hollow back towards the Kings river again. The descent begins gradually, but we finish it with a wild runs down a series od water bars that are so steep, it's hard not to launch your bike in the air. Scott wasn't home but his place was incredible. It was my first trip there. Scott built his cabin by himself. The area around the house is beautifully landscaped with a rock patio and numerous garden spaces. After another short break, we began the long climb back to How's. It's one of those climbs where you just have to settle in an suffer. I managed the whole climb in my middle chainring, but I used all my gearing in the cassette to my advantage. Kate was a trooper and took her time. She was all smiles at the top, but I knew the ride was starting to hurt. We rode the last few miles back to How's cabin, and I got back ahead of How and Kate in enough time to shower and change clothes. How treated us to some great beans and rice, Kate offered me some beer, and we shared stories about our recent travels. I was so glad I gave How a call. Hears to great summer rides, good friends, and a full stomach.

Sportin' a new bike

2009-01-25T13:54:00.000-08:00

Now that I work at Competitive Cyclist in North little Rock, I had the opportunity to take advantage of a smoking deal on a new Santa Cruz Heckler. I've always been weary of buying a bike that I've never ridden, but I was willing to take a chance. After test riding the Intense tracer and Turner 5 spot, I definitely wanted to get a bike with plenty of suspension. My riding style on the mountain bike has drifted from the fast cross country hard tail to a more plush bike with plenty of travel. I still love all day mountain bike adventures, but I don't like to have my body worked over by the rough terrain. I still have my hardtail mountain bike for fairly smooth trail like the Hidden Diversity trail in Rogers and the Womble in Mt. Ida, but I like to be able to ride all day without having to see the kyropractor.
The Santa Cruz Heckler is no lightweight, but it's not overly heavy at 28+ pounds. I've got a Fox Float RLC 32 fork with 5.5 inches of travel and a fox float r shock in the rear with 5.9 inches of travel. I've outfitted the bike with Avid Elixer disc brakes with a 185mm rotor in the front and 160mm rotor in the rear. The bike came with Sram x-9 shifters and rear derailleur. I've got a XT front derailleur and SLX cranks with a standard shimano BB. The wheels are built up with DT swiss 340 hubs and EX 5.10 rims. It's set up with meaty 2.35 Kenda Nevegal Tires(I swapped my wheels off my old Specialized for the photo). The seatpost is a Thompson elite with a WTB saddle. I've got a 90mm RaceFace stem and Easton Monkeybars with an 31.8 bar clamp.
I'm eager to put my new bike trough the paces. I've ridden it at Boyle park, Allsopp Park, and Burns park in the Little Rock area and I've been working out some bike fit issues; saddle height, stem length, etc. I've been pleased with the ride quality of the bike so far. It soaks up rocky terrain like nobody's business. I found myself caught in a rut at Burns park and it gobbled up every loose rock and root that came in its path and delivered me unscathed at the bottom. So I'll continue to ride my new bike as I explore my new riding opportunities here in Little Rock.

Rediscovering Local Trails

2008-12-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Lately I've been finding myself gravitating to local trails. Yes, you can attribute this to higher fuel prices, family responsibilities, and maybe just getting older. For the last ten plus years I've traveled all over Arkansas and the country in search of the perfect trail experience. Arkansas boasts classics like Buffalo Headwaters Trails, Womble, Ouachita Trail, Lake Leatherwood and Syllamo Trail System. Each trail is etched into my mind. I can remember every painful climb and exhilarating descent. Every moment on the bike has contributed to my pool of mountain bike experiences. Epic trails bring out the wanderlust inside me. I yearn to travel and explore. In the past, I've found myself gravitating towards a specific experience on the bike: miles of challenging trail, hanging out with friends, eating good food, and downing quality beer. Racing my bike has become less of a draw, and riding for fun has become the extent of my ambition. Even though I still love the travel, I think that it is important to take a second look at the trails that are close to home.
My rediscovery of local trails was reignited with the opportunity to design and construction of the trails at Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Park. I've realized that there is potential to have quality trails close to home. Scott Linnenburger with the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) considers the trails in Bentonville a model for any urban cycling community. I believe trails that are close to home can be the future of mountain biking. Don't get me wrong. I still love packing my bike and gear up for the weekend to travel to great trail, but imagine riding out your front door, jumping onto a neighborhood bike path, and then ripping singletrack for a few hours before returning home. I just love the idea of not having to drive to ride. It not only saves time and money, but it gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling from knowing you are doing something good.
Arkansas' urban areas including Little Rock, Fort Smith, and Fayetteville/Bentonville have a wealth of singletrack opportunities. Little Rock trails include Burns Park, Camp Robinson, Allsopp Park, and Boyle Park. That’s over 50 miles of trail basically within riding distance from central Little Rock. Little Rock trails tend to be fairly rocky and technical, unless they are along river valleys. Make sure you purchase a CARP membership from a Little Rock bike shop before riding the trails at Camp Robinson. You’ll be provided a club card and a map of the trails. Fort Smith has about 20 miles of trails split between Ben Geren Park and Springhill Park. Ben Geren Park has a perfect mix of twisty smooth singletrack and knarly, rocky terrain that will leave you humbled and completely wasted. Northwest Arkansas boasts quality singletrack at Mt. Kessler, Lake Fayetteville, Lake Wilson, Lake Sequoyah, Hobbs State Park, and Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Park. You'll need a local guide to show you the hidden trails at Mt. Kessler. Contact the Ozark Off Road Cyclists to show you this rough and tumble local trail. Hobbs State Park and Slaughter Pen Mountain Bike Park have butter smooth singletrack with many optional lines to challenge the most experienced riders. Lake Wilson and Lake Sequoyah pack plenty of technical trail in a small package. Lake Fayetteville is the perfect beginner trail with mostly smooth trail and minimal elevation change. NW Arkansas provides riders with an expansive 60+ miles of singletrack.
As we spend more time closer to home, we can focus on improving the trails we all ready have. Take a minute to remove a log you would normally ride over during a quick afternoon ride. Cut the limb that keeps whacking you in the face on that steep descent you ride every week. Bring the weed eater on your next trip to clean up a section of trail overgrown with green briers and blackberries. How about joining the next trail work day with your local club and reroute that section of fall line trail that saps the fun out of that technical climb. Let's convert the trails we take for granted every day into the epic trails we crave. There's no need to debate over what experience you expect to have when you ride the trail. Developing alternate lines will give more advanced riders the experience their looking for without alienating new riders. Since theses trails are close to home, they should be easier to take care of. So put away your preconceptions, pick up some tools, and let's make our local trails better than they have ever been. It's time to rediscover the opportunities in our own backyard.

Wednesday Night Ride

2008-01-09T20:11:00.001-08:00

I haven' ridden Slaughter Pen Trail in the dark yet. So after getting off work at Phat Tire Bike Shop I headed for the trail, hoping that the trail had dried up after the previous day's rain. The temperature was 48 degrees when I headed out in the last of the days evening glow. Seed Tick Shuffle was extremely wet in spots. Most of the drainages had plenty of water rolling across the trail. Luckily most of the trail drains really well. I continued up armadillo's last stand as it started to get dark and I turned on my Niterider light. I had to stop a few times to remove branches from the trail. The previous days rain included strong thunderstorms and high winds. i climbed up Da-bumbaclot and through the first valley. I got to ride the new log ride in the second valley(nice job guys). The new log ride makes nearly a 180 degree turn with a banked wooden boards at just the right angle to keep your momentum. I continued up to twisted sister and repeated the trails in the opposite direction finishing on seed tick shuffle for a nice spin back to the car finishing up around 7:30pm. It had all ready dropped to 36 degreed when I got back. I had accidentally left my gps on the back of my car, and was glad to see it was still there when i got back. I guess that's the advantage of being the only one crazy enough to be riding on the trail at night, Looking forward to heading out again.

New Years Day Ride

2008-01-03T09:51:00.000-08:00

Temperatures in the 30's greeted me on the first day of 2008. I wasn't going to let a little cold weather ruin my day for riding though. First things first, I had to fix my bike. I had to replace a seal on my front disc brake and bleed the brake. I replaced the pads and put on a new chain. Now I'm ready to go. I showed up to the Holt Road trailhead around 2:30pm. The descent down to Fossil flats is a mix of short sections of rocky contour trail and extremely rocky downhill. My forearms and back could feel the strain by the time a reached the bottom. Normally I would ride the trail clockwise, but I wanted to change things up. I turned right at the bottom of the hill and rode up the Sawmill trail and up over Racer's Hill. I descended again to Lee Creek, which was completely dry at the crossing. The old road bed section was still rough as a cob. I was glad to be back on new section singletrack which clings precariously close to the creek. I popped out at Camp A inside Devil's Den State Park. Now i was forced to make the 3 mile climb back up to the trailhead on Hwy 74. The road makes 7 switchbacks as it climbs steeply out of the eroded plateau. I could feel my rear tire go slowly flat as I climbed, and had to pull over to air up my tire before it went completely flat. I barely made it to the car before the pressure went down gain. I love starting out the new year with a challenging ride.

Lake Tahoe- Riding the Rim Trail

2007-12-31T17:40:00.000-08:00

Alison, Megan, and I went on our first major family road trip this summer. We drove from Arkansas to California, through Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. We traveled mainly on hwy 50, "the loneliest road in America." We stayed off major interstate highways where we could and ate at local restaurants.
I rode the Flume Trail, Stanford Rock trail and the Rim Trail in Lake Tahoe. Other trip highlights included some time at the Great Basin National Park in Nevada, Fruita mountain bike trails, and the Colorado National Monument.
Megan seemed to have a good time. She had to endure diaper changes along the side of the road and several nights camping in California, Nevada, and Colorado. She got to explore her first cave at Great Basin National Park.
Alison rediscovered her love of mountain biking by riding some of the trails in Lake Tahoe and Fruita.
We're all ready looking forward to our next family trip.

Hiking OHT - Cherry Bend to Hare Mountain

2007-02-03T19:52:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 2, 2007 - Met up with a few friends to hike the Ozark Highlands trail in the Ozark National Forest about 1 hour south of Fayetteville, AR. About 2 inchesof snow still laid on the ground from Wednesday and Thursday's storm and temperatures hovering in the 20's. The sky was a brilliant blue. Starting from Cherry Bend we hiked east along the OHT. The trail starts out with a slight descent once you cross hwy 23. You weave your way mostly on contour for a few miles. We stopped for a short while in the folds of Hanging Rock Hollow just below a bluff line. Melting snow had created 1 - 5 foot icicles that hung precariously above our heads, As we enjoyed a drink and a quick snack small chunks of ice broke off the cliff and clattered on the ground in front of our feet. We were protected by the overhanging rock. Even the leaves we sat on were nice and dry. As we continued east be made our way up a ridge line and crossed Fly Gap Road. Aaron caught a glimpse of a coyote and on old logging road vearing north of the road crossing. The trail followed the north side of the moutain side for a while offering dazzling views of the surrounding country. Shortly, we made our way up to a narrow gap before making the last steep ascent to the top of Hare Mountain. Once on top we found a section of exposed sandstone to take a break and drink in the expansive views of the Mulberry river valley. The landscape below us unfolded in over a 180 degree view, with the eroded plateau rippling away into the distance. Dirt roads showed up in sharp contrast to the surrounding forest as little white lines snaking their way through the countyside. Small patches on Pine trees offered a hint of green to a predominantly white landscape. After taking 20 minutes or so to take in the view we started back to the vehicle at a brisk pace to out race the setting sun. At first the north hollows began to be cloaked in shade. Then as the sun lowered to the horizon the mountain tops were bathed in an orange glow. It was hard to keep our eyes on the trail while we were overwhelmed by our beautiful surroundings. The temperature began to drop steadily into the teens by the time we made it back to the truck. It didn't take long to add a few more layers to stay warm, before we started up the truck to head home for the day. Nothing like good company and a ten mile hike to put you in a good mood.

Ouachita Trail - Hwy 27 to 298

2007-01-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

I love riding the Ouachita Trail. The section from Hwy 27 to Hwy 298 is extremely challenging. It only covers 17 miles but every mile is earned. From the parking lot on Hwy 27, you immediately start climbing up a punishing set of switchbacks. After leveling off, it climbs some more then there is a 2 miles descent on some of the best singletrack around. The climbing begins in earnest again. This one is deceiving. The climbing is gradual at first, then you come up to a gap in the mountain. Instead of going over the other side, you turn left and hike you bike even further up the hill. Your efforts are rewarded when you crest the mountain and gradually decend down to Iron Fork river, a great spot for a break. Enjoy the break, because the climb out is brutal. First you climb up a section of impossibly steep singletrack to an old roadbed. Then you climb some more, and more and more. Once on top of the ridge, there are a series of rollercoaster ups and downs that slowly wear you down. As with every marathon climb, there is an equally rewarding descent. However, on the Ouachita Trail, nothing comes easy. Screaming fast descents are interrupted by equally demoralizing short climbs all the way to the end. But 3 hours later, you can't help but smile even though your legs and arms feel like rubber. Good trails and good company are memories that last a lifetime. Mark, Rachel, Tom, Bryan, and Megan, I look forward to riding with you all again.

Mulberry by Kayak

2006-03-18T19:25:00.000-08:00

I finally got my new kayak wet. I've been looking forward to this for weeks since I bought the Wavesport Diesel. After stopping by the PackRat to pick up a spray skirt and paddle I was ready to hit the water. We, my wife and I, decided to drive two vehicles down to the Mulberry river to aoid shuttle fees. After we dropped off Alison's car and grabbing a bite to eat, we were ready. A TV crew was at the launch as we were getting ready to float. They asked me a few questions about where we were from, what the river level was, the importance of rain to access, etc. It was a little weird, but not bad at all. Alison avoided them like the plague, since she was taking the day off from work. They took video of us getting ready and headin out, which showed on Saturday's news. Once on the river all our worries slipped away and we just enjoyed the moment. Temperatures in the 60's and partly cloudy skies boded well for a great day on the river. As we slide down river we passed Big Eddy, Kelly Bluff, and Cane Bluff. We got our first taste of good white water at Rocking horse and Picture Book. On Picture Book I went back to try and surf one of the larger waves. As I cut into the wave I leaned a little to far to the right and went swimming. Luckily I held onto my paddle and stayed close to the boat. I went back for another try but only succeeded in surfing one of the smaller waves. As we made our way past Face Rock, Rock Garden and Davis Bluff the pools became longer and fatigue started to set in. 10 1/2 miles in the kayak is a workout. We knew we were gtting close to the end when we passed Milton Ford. We chose river right to run Ham Falls. Alison scolded me for taking her through that section, but I think she really enjoyed it. We finished out the day as the sun sunk low in the sky. I played around in the last rapid surfing a small wave as Alison pulled out. We were glad to finish, but even more exhilarated from the experience. We took a few pictures to help remember the day and loaded up to head home.

First Snow Ride of the Year

2006-02-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

I've been looking forward to riding at the Buffalo Headwaters for more than a month. Today was finally the day to make the hour drive to Red Star to meet my fellow mountain bikers. Cold temperatures kept several of my friends in Fayetteville, but I wasn't going to let a little snow and cold keep me from a great day for a ride. I was pleased to see a few new faces at Red Star. Dale, Pat, Clayton, and Kevin joined the normal crew of How, Kate, Linden, and myself. We started out the ride with a swift descent down an old logging road to the Buffalo River. The snow made cornering an exercise of intense concentration. Turning with the handlebars sharply was a recipe for a crash, so you had to adjust your position on the bike just so. The snow cover covered all the obstacles so you to have a little faith in choosing the right line. We climbed up a new section of trail to the south bench. How managed to pick up a small tack on the descent. He had never changed his wheel before. The wheel has attached to the frame without a quick release so you had to undo a bolt and pull the axle out torepair a puncture. After we got the bike back together, we took off. Hickory Flats was a blast. How and I traded bikes half way through. He had got a brand new Santa Cruz with mucho suspensiono. Very plush.
We made our way up the Azalea Falls trail and topped out on an old logging trail to make the connection with the Highline Trail. We stopped at How's pad to warm our toes and grab a bite to eat. How was gracious enough to have fixed a cornbread bean and rice cassarole for the whole group. Well done How! We even enjoyed a few glasses of hot tea, before heading back out into the cold. Temperatures were rising making the snow a little slushy, making it easier to stick to the bike and everything else. The front derailleur was becoming useless. I still managed to clean most of the technical sections of trail. We finished off the ride with a wicked descent down Wilcate Hollow. Riders were dropping like flies. Some of the riders opted to fnish the ride at How's the rest all managed to gets flats on the descent. The climb up the Hwy 16 really took a toll. The road was getting muddy now and the snow was slowing the wheel in the rear. Just like riding with your brakes slightly engaged. No fun. I was short on time, so I made a quick retreat back to Red Star to finish a great day on the bike.

Buffalo River Float

2006-02-05T17:36:00.000-08:00

The other weekend my wife and I went out to our Property near the Buffalo River. The temperature was hovering in the low 40's when when we arrived. After cutting wood for the evening, I went on a scout around the property. The spring was running full force. Fresh Ozark mountain water. Nothing better. I made way back to camp before dark to start the camp fire. The wood I had set out was stubbornly slow to start, so I tried using a little fuel to get it going, but to no avail. I had to resort to the old standby of starting with small kindling and working from there. After a good meal we bundled up and watched the fire util late into the evening.
Woke up early to temperatures in the upper 20's. man it's hard to get out of the sleeping bag when your nice and warm. After rousing myseld up I cooked up a brekfast of eggs with mushrooms and onions. topped it off with a couple cups of espresso. After returning an axe I borrowed the day before, we were off to the Buffalo. We has planned on floating a section of river from Golbert to South Maumee, but the shuttle was outrageous. We opted for a familiar flost from Hwy 14 to Rush. The river was a a decent level running near 3.7 feet. We pushed off and begain our journey downstream. We soon passed Buffalo Point with its massice Limestone bluffs hugging the river's edge. We spotted a river otter a little further downstream. We continued paddling to ward off the cold temperatures (low 40's) all day. We took a short break at Login Bluff (593 ft), the tallest bluff along the river. After a snack and a few pictures to remember the trip we set off for the final few miles of the trip. We pulled into Rush around 2:30p. We were thankful that our car was waiting for us when we arrived. After loading up the canoe, we started the long trip back to Fayetteville.

Dash to the Mulberry River, Arkansas

2006-01-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

It finally rained. No really, it finally rained enough to go paddling. This is hugh considering it hasn't rained enough in the last 8 months in Arkansas to go paddling anywhere besides below the dams. By the time my wife and dogs were ready, I all ready had the canoe on the car, food prepared, and gear loaded. We made it down to the Mulberry hoping that Byrd's Adventure center would be open to provide shuttle for our vehicle. As we walked up to the office the paddle leaned up against the door read CLOSED. NOOO! We turned tail and drove down to Turner Bend, 15 minutes away to set up the shuttle. back again to Byrd's and we were ready to float. Man, it felt good to be on the water again. The river was flowing well (gauge 2.3 feet) so the paddling was easy. At our first rapid Alison annouces that ta rock is straight ahead right before we hit it, requiring a backstroke to allow the boat to turn in a circle. The morning slide along lazily as we made our way down river. We easily slipped under the low water bridge near mile marker 9. The rapids were easily negotiable with water covering most of the rocks midstream. We made our way past Redding campground around midday. At Mine Hollow fork we enjoy the exhilaration of the rapid then relax as we glide into a large pool below a 100 foot bluff. Giant boulders line the river below the bluff. A perfect spot for a lunch. We break out the turkey sandwiches, drinks, and chocolate pudding. I take the dogs exploring along the bluff finding a hidden sinkhole and small mine hole in the bluff. After scramling along the boulders for a while we returned to the river. The only one named rapid of consequence to go, "Sacroiliac."
Alison keeps telling me about her bad experience about the large boulder that the current rushes headlong into. I shrug it off, since I've never had problems there before. As we approach the rapid, I decide o goe river left to exploit a small pool before the big boulder. However there is another overhanging rock on river left you need to negotiate before resting in the hole. As we get closer, I realise we're getting awfully close to the rock, when alison throws her hands up and leans the entire boat to the right. Well everone goes in the water. I see masi and Gunner disappeat downstream as Alison panics worrying about the dogs. i try to calm her to move the canoe to a safe position in order to turn the canoe over. Masi managed to get across the river and paced frantically on the other side. Gunner floated further downstream struggling to find purchase along the bank. He finally found a spot trying for all his worth to scramble to dry land. After retrieving Gunner, I paddled downstream to pick up Masi on the other bank then faced upstream for the traverse over to Gunner and Alison. Everyone was safe and sound. It took more than a little coaxing to drag Gunner (6 mos.) back into the canoe. He was shivering from fear and probably a little cold as well. We paddled downstream in search of a paddle that was abandoned in the chaos. We found it floating in a pool just above the next rapid. We pulled over at the next shoal to discuss our mistakes in order to prevent them in the future and finished up a wonderful float on a pleasantly warm (59 degree F) January day.

30th Birthday

2006-01-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

I woke up today to find myself another year older. That's funny I thought to myself. I've never felt any better. I always hear from other people that things always get worse as you get older. I tend to disagree. I've accumulated more information to learn the truth about everything from science to religion. I've never been in better overall shape. I may not race as much as I used to, but I've found new interests and goals.
Yesterday, i started out with an excellent morning at the Fayetteville martial Arts Academy where I wore my brown belt for the first time. We had a great class focusing on mid level training from an attack with a jo(stick) and multiple attackers. It's great to get a feel for how the techniques really work when done correctly. At the same time, you can become frustrated when you struggle. i've really enjoyed the last 2 years studying Shodokan Aikido. I have to thank Jon Forrest for opening the door to my new discoveries.
After class. I meet Alison at the Jones center in springdale for the Arkansas Canoe Club role session. We were lucky enough to find a few people that were eager enough to teach us a few things. we even got to borrow some kayaks and try our hand at rolling. We started out at the side of the pool with our hands on the side. We let the boat turn over and we practiced using our hips to turn the boat over. After a few tries we allowed our head to go completely under water and using as little pressure as we could on our hands, turn back over. What seemed so easy at the side of the pool, became much more difficult when we moved out in the water. I was supposed to used a lifejacket for a little bouyancy as i tried to role. After about 8 failed tries my teacher suggested i give it a rest for the day. Alison struggled as well, but we both had a great time. I plan on returning again.
I finished the day off with a great road ride on my Masi team 3V. I road south through farmington Then swong north through Goose creek valley back to hwy 16. I felt smooth on the bike. One of those days where it seems effortless to pedal. Its almost as if you are just floating over the terrain. I finished up the ride shortly before sunset. The wetern sky exploding with purples, oranges, and reds. Whisping clouds bordered the scene enhancing the moment.

Change is in the air

2006-01-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning I knew something was different. I felt a new since of responsibilty. Today, I meet a contractor, who will remain nameless, to discuss a new contract. After our morning meeting, I knew change was on my front step. Do I risk it? Hell yeh! I've never been one to let an opportunity to pass me by. I'll take more responsiblity. I'll learn something new. Give me a challenge. I thrive on it.
At lunch, I meet with a home inspector, offering another chance to expand my opportunities. Do I risk the money? Is it worth the time? It's my choice. I choose to wait. My schedule is too inconsistent. i thank him for his time and lunch. I really do enjoy his company. he seems very sincere, which is rare these days. I tell him i still plan on refering him in the future. I hope he returns the favor.
The day ends with a good meal and family. I can't help but smile about how good life is. My inlaws love to spoil me. I guess there are much worse things in life.
My only regret for today is that I missed an opportunity to ride. Maybe tomorrow.

To Go Where I Shouldn't

2006-01-19T16:19:00.000-08:00

To Go Where I Shouldn't

I felt a need today to go where I shouldn't
My friends said it was okay
To go out and play
But in my heart I knew I shouldn't

The ribbon of freedom stretches out before me
I point my wheels down the path
Momentum in Motion
Is Like forbidden potion
But in my heart I knew I shouldn't

The ribbon weaves and I wobble
I try not to topple
My muscles strain
As I struggle to maintain
But in my heart I knew I shouldn't

With each tree, each rock,
I know I should stop
My heart skips a beat
As I make my retreat
To go where I shouldn't

Twin Knobs Trail Work

2006-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

Drove out to oone of my favorite spots to mountain bike today, the Twin Knobs Trail, located west of Fayetteville, Arkansas. I was on a mission. Due to years of neglect the trail has accumulated numerous trees across the trail. After accessing the trail from FR1725 I walked south cutting out downfall from the trail. Masi and Gunner, my dogs, followed eagerly behind, ahead, behind, to the side, etc.
After finishing where I left off on the last visit. I headed back to the start and hit the trail in the other direction. I had to remove a pretty scary snag that had broken in half but was still barely hanging on about 15-20 feet up. I made my way about 1,5 miles up the trail cutting deadfall and hiding trails that formed around the fallen trees. After about 3 1/2 hours of work I was ready to call it a day. Now I'm ready to head out for a ride tomorrow and enjoy the trail.