This past Wednesday, I went out to Alpine for another lesson in my continuing effort to get comfortable in the air. It is was nice day out and the signs of spring were all around.
I was feeling pretty good that day with some Mojo flowing and was interested in trying somethings that I feel I should have been hitting already but have just not done yet. So I started off by hitting the “Satan” jump right off the top. The run in has always given me some grief as you are turning and there is enough stuff that keeping some speed can be tricky. After hitting this, I was thoroughly convinced that, yes I was a big wuss in the past for not doing this. I had to hit it a second time just for good measure. A good way to start off the descent.
Next on the list was Corndog. If you have been following my blog, (Or my buddies post’s throwing me under the bus 🙂 )you should remember that I taco’d my frontwheel on my last airing here. I have balked at this jump a handful of times since then. Today I finally hit this jump again, I flew well, landed fine, and then got squirrely in the run out as I was off to the right put managed to ride it out enough to get to a stop without having a yard sale. The good news was that I just rolled up and hit it. No looking and thinking, just going. It felt good. I decided I needed another one and this time I ended up angled left. In the air I could see that I was headed for the same spot I taco’d in a few weeks earlier. The bike touches down, here comes the rut, and just before things were going to get ugly I managed to push the bike off the left while I lunge to the right. End result, I’m a little dusty but otherwise a very successful bailout without so much as a scratch on me. I have got to figure out my aim on this launch, I just have a hard time hitting the mark. Not counting all the forfeits from not launching, the grand total for Corndog Launches is: 2 wins – 2 losses – 1 tie
The Threesome. This is a pretty big leap as it is not gravity feed. You have to pedal as hard as you can to a very narrow, long and uphill tranny. Adding to this you come off the rock long before the edge and you can’t see where you are going. A real leap of faith. The pictures do it absolutely no justice whatsoever. Needless to say I’m behind the camera here.
This is called “The Threesome” as there are three lines. The big huck, and big tricky roll, and a much easier roll. The orignal idea was for the small roll to be a wall ride, but it did not pan out but the name sticks. The tricky roll actually goes beyond vertical for bit so the easiest way is to roll and then give a little huck part way down. Here is Steve on the way down, preloading before pushing off.
Gaps scare the crap out of me, even little ones. Something about the upward trajectories required and the threat of casing that messes with my head. The one above is one of those that I have looked at for quite some time but have never pulled the trigger on it, until today. After hitting this I could not help but think, “I fretted over that for that long?”
The drop above is typically called the “Lake” or “Lake View” drop because you can see the El Cap reservoir from there. I had hit this once before but had balked at least half a dozen times since then. It is funny how something you have hit before and have never crashed on can mess with your melon. I stuck this one and about 50 yards down the trail just as I started to mentally congratulate myself, I washed out in a rut and had to step off the bike. Two steps away from the bike, I twisted my ankle. It hurt pretty freaking bad and I ended up having to cruise down the rest of the way instead of getting “on it”. It was still one heck of a fun descent.
Overall, It was a great ride and I was glad to finally get my mangina to shut up long enough to try some stuff.
