Okay...
Fireworks - July 4th Silverton, CO.
First - I have to say I think it sucks that George was effectively robbed of the Yellow Jersey on Saturday. Bummer.
Frolic: Su bounces down a trail near-ish Mini Gulch...
So. I have officially moved. I now co-habitate with the keenest female I've ever met, and things are swimming along swimmingly - we are happy and it is good.
And thats really the biggest news of all, really. Did a keen little camping/jeep escapade over the 4th which was cool. gave me a chance to test out the radio-remote for the (now repaired) Digital Rebel. Set the camera up for focus and exposure, then sat about 30 feet away while Iheld hands with my girl, firing the shutter every minute or so wiyh the free hand while the pyrotechnics went on. Worked like a charm.
The next day we packed up and wandered about the mountain roads, seeing what there is to see...
We were originally looking fo Stony Pass, but wrong turn brought us by this keen old mill. the tracks end right there, you can see the underside in the next photo...
this structure sits somewhere above 10,000 feet...
eventually, we did find Stony Pass - at about 12,650 feet...
and part of the Continental Divide Trail...
also found a couple puddles - That's friend's Nicole and Ben...
Ultimately we ended up in Creed, CO. Not exactly a Metropolis - after a restroom break and quick inspection of their skatepark, we made our way to Pagosa and then home to Bayfield....
It was shaping up to be a killer summer... great times already, living with the coolest person... and a very respectable downhill rig sitting in the garage, just waiting to attack the steep and rocky stuff....
View from the back of the pick-up/shuttle vehicle on the Sasquatch run (un-official name)....
And finally, I was getting back to actually pushing limits...
Out behind Forest Lakes (where I now reside with the coolest girl...)
And.. was getting into the circle of local DH riders for photo ops...
Well... all good things...balance... Karma... I dunno what struck (probably just general careless-ness ;))... But after work one about ten days ago, that coolest girl offered to drop me off at the top of an ATV trail out behind the house. Its a keen rocky and rough downhill about 2 miles maybe from top to bottom. So, geared up, packed the bike, and headed upwards. Got out at the top, and for some stupid reason, I figured I'd just descend the first couple hundred yards through some thick, steep brush - no trail.
First 25 yards went pretty well, then the brush got quite thick, and became so rocky that I slowed to just above walking speed as the 8 inch travel bike took friendly bounces from rock to log, to rock... and then my front wheel just stopped. In fact, the whole bike just stoppd. Which was particularly troubling because my body remained in motion, and that motion translated to a trip over the bars.
I cannot count how many times I've gone over the bars -thousands maybe - on ramps, off of ramps, down stairs, over parking blocks... and usually I've emerged bruised or cut (or both) but never broken. In fact, I've never suffered an official break or fracture...
As I went over the bars, I tried to spot a place for my hands to land, but the foliage was too thick to see the ground, and I put my hands down blindly - and quickly - into the rocks and "stuff". Not sure my hand was even extended - most likely I put my left down backside first, right in to the edge of a nice edgey rock.
Immediately I "knew" that I had broken my hand. But the girl JUST dropped me off, and even witnissed the fall. I had gloves on, and the pain was nowhere near what I imagined a fractured metacarpal to feel like - so I rode trail out, all the way to the bottom, at speed, including the quarter mile uphill hike back to the road (hey - if it was really broken, I had to get one last ride in!)
(wish i had a burlier story, like goofing a 360 down a 10ft drop or something, but it was just a freak slip up)
Once at home, we took the glove off to reveal a nice goose egg sized lump, and decided to get it checked out. X-ray confirmed fractures to numbers 4 and 5 on my left hand. ER doc tried to set it (which DID feel like it was broken), but it was decided that they were too tweaked out, would require surgery, and I was referred to a specialist.
A week later, I sit typing with one hand complete with six or more screws and at least two plates. No cast, but a bulky splint. Doc says splint comes off in 3 weeks, then PT begins. 4-6 months before I'm 100%. 2 years before my $10k hand is paid for (inurance, if you have it, is a good thing - I do no have it).
Other than that... I went on a jeep safari which was arranged by :avatarbennance: ... Originally I was going to go along for a few days, but the hand thing sort of changed that, only got to shoot/ride along for one day... still, it was pretty cool and a nice diversion:
Digital Rebel with hoya infra-red filter
Jeeps heading up Corkscrew Pass
Looking down from California Pass
Someone that earned their turns...
Ghost town/mill at Animas Forks....
So thats about it for now - hand is tired ;) Hope all is well out there, Thanks for looking!
Fireworks - July 4th Silverton, CO.
First - I have to say I think it sucks that George was effectively robbed of the Yellow Jersey on Saturday. Bummer.
Frolic: Su bounces down a trail near-ish Mini Gulch...
So. I have officially moved. I now co-habitate with the keenest female I've ever met, and things are swimming along swimmingly - we are happy and it is good.
And thats really the biggest news of all, really. Did a keen little camping/jeep escapade over the 4th which was cool. gave me a chance to test out the radio-remote for the (now repaired) Digital Rebel. Set the camera up for focus and exposure, then sat about 30 feet away while Iheld hands with my girl, firing the shutter every minute or so wiyh the free hand while the pyrotechnics went on. Worked like a charm.
The next day we packed up and wandered about the mountain roads, seeing what there is to see...
We were originally looking fo Stony Pass, but wrong turn brought us by this keen old mill. the tracks end right there, you can see the underside in the next photo...
this structure sits somewhere above 10,000 feet...
eventually, we did find Stony Pass - at about 12,650 feet...
and part of the Continental Divide Trail...
also found a couple puddles - That's friend's Nicole and Ben...
Ultimately we ended up in Creed, CO. Not exactly a Metropolis - after a restroom break and quick inspection of their skatepark, we made our way to Pagosa and then home to Bayfield....
It was shaping up to be a killer summer... great times already, living with the coolest person... and a very respectable downhill rig sitting in the garage, just waiting to attack the steep and rocky stuff....
View from the back of the pick-up/shuttle vehicle on the Sasquatch run (un-official name)....
And finally, I was getting back to actually pushing limits...
Out behind Forest Lakes (where I now reside with the coolest girl...)
And.. was getting into the circle of local DH riders for photo ops...
Well... all good things...balance... Karma... I dunno what struck (probably just general careless-ness ;))... But after work one about ten days ago, that coolest girl offered to drop me off at the top of an ATV trail out behind the house. Its a keen rocky and rough downhill about 2 miles maybe from top to bottom. So, geared up, packed the bike, and headed upwards. Got out at the top, and for some stupid reason, I figured I'd just descend the first couple hundred yards through some thick, steep brush - no trail.
First 25 yards went pretty well, then the brush got quite thick, and became so rocky that I slowed to just above walking speed as the 8 inch travel bike took friendly bounces from rock to log, to rock... and then my front wheel just stopped. In fact, the whole bike just stoppd. Which was particularly troubling because my body remained in motion, and that motion translated to a trip over the bars.
I cannot count how many times I've gone over the bars -thousands maybe - on ramps, off of ramps, down stairs, over parking blocks... and usually I've emerged bruised or cut (or both) but never broken. In fact, I've never suffered an official break or fracture...
As I went over the bars, I tried to spot a place for my hands to land, but the foliage was too thick to see the ground, and I put my hands down blindly - and quickly - into the rocks and "stuff". Not sure my hand was even extended - most likely I put my left down backside first, right in to the edge of a nice edgey rock.
Immediately I "knew" that I had broken my hand. But the girl JUST dropped me off, and even witnissed the fall. I had gloves on, and the pain was nowhere near what I imagined a fractured metacarpal to feel like - so I rode trail out, all the way to the bottom, at speed, including the quarter mile uphill hike back to the road (hey - if it was really broken, I had to get one last ride in!)
(wish i had a burlier story, like goofing a 360 down a 10ft drop or something, but it was just a freak slip up)
Once at home, we took the glove off to reveal a nice goose egg sized lump, and decided to get it checked out. X-ray confirmed fractures to numbers 4 and 5 on my left hand. ER doc tried to set it (which DID feel like it was broken), but it was decided that they were too tweaked out, would require surgery, and I was referred to a specialist.
A week later, I sit typing with one hand complete with six or more screws and at least two plates. No cast, but a bulky splint. Doc says splint comes off in 3 weeks, then PT begins. 4-6 months before I'm 100%. 2 years before my $10k hand is paid for (inurance, if you have it, is a good thing - I do no have it).
Other than that... I went on a jeep safari which was arranged by :avatarbennance: ... Originally I was going to go along for a few days, but the hand thing sort of changed that, only got to shoot/ride along for one day... still, it was pretty cool and a nice diversion:
Digital Rebel with hoya infra-red filter
Jeeps heading up Corkscrew Pass
Looking down from California Pass
Someone that earned their turns...
Ghost town/mill at Animas Forks....
So thats about it for now - hand is tired ;) Hope all is well out there, Thanks for looking!
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