tree hugger

Today I hugged a tree.
This act of tree hugging, on some days, might be a metaphor for some greater save-the-baby-whales type effort; however today, it was a literal and much less meaningful event.

I, I mean Reynolds, nicked said tree with the handlebars. I then reached out to save face. One scar is enough, I don't need two. The tree just wasn't havin' it; it sent a branch into my arm and laid me down on some rocks. hard.

oooooh. that was low.

The trail: lewistown contingent, a twisty, rooty, rocky, off-camber and generally slippery mother trail; it's my nemesis. one day we'll see eye to eye. today was not that day.

I had to sit for a moment to regain composure. It left me with a few lovely knots on my quad and back side (u know what i mean) which are currently swelling into perfect golf-ball shaped form. It also left a perfectly positioned set of slits on my arm right where sleeves and arm warmers hit; a pleasant reminder of said fall for the rest of the ride.

Truth be told the fall was worth it and hardly bad. Namely because I continued on and cleared some stuff that previously was too gnarly in my mind's eye to attempt. (thanks to encouragement by dave and kendra!). (image right: me contemplating the same ledge that i managed to atleast get up on - on two wheels today. so sweet!)

rad. it was a sweet ride.

It's not so bad, being a tree hugger and all. As long as one can accept that trees are not always our friends; I still like them though. It's just that sometimes they take you down. Then you get back up and keep pedaling, dammit; muscle it out and grind through. It's the only way to get over and through life's rocks.