CONTINUATION of Chronicles of Rider Dave PART I
by dave peck
What a day! My first Montana bike ride has proven rich in spectacular scenery and laced with lenging terrain. On the way back to Big Sky, I stop for groceries and overhear some chatter about a bear. Apparently a grizzly mauled an elk calf near the highway, close enough that shopkeepers could hear the calf wailing. I remind myself that I'm not in Illinois anymore.
The next day I blast off to Bozeman in search of more single-track. I ask around and am pointed to Bangtail Divide. This ride has myriad challenges. I start out with wet feet when I miss my mark at a stream crossing. Climb, climb, climb. The switchbacks seem endless, but I've found my rhythm. I keep my head down and my weight centered. If you can maintain traction with your rear wheel, climbing on a mountain bike can be enjoyable-but if it's loose rock with stumps and roots littering the trail, the joy can quickly turn to agony. I've heard bike racers refer to the experience as "an exercise in pain management."
The climbing is relentless. I've just about reached my limit but I resist the urge to get off and walk. Finally surmounting the ridge, I pick up speed and begin to ride aggressively. The terrain here is undulating and ideally suited to a cyclist from the Midwest. Incredible views of the Bridgers and the Crazies up here. As I weave down a rocky hillside, a coiled snake appears in my path. I try to veer around but my wheel goes into a rut, instantly stopping the bike and pitching me over the bars. Dazed from hitting headfirst, I take stock of my other body parts and find abrasions on my knees, elbow, and hip. My right hand aches, but seems to work. I look up the hill at the snake-still coiled, undisturbed and oblivious to me and my wreck. I remount my rig, cautious about getting up too much speed again. The trail has turned rocky and narrow in the turns. I plummet down and down, eventually finding the parking area at Bracket Creek. I think this is what they call an epic ride.
TO BE CONTINUED
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