It happens....

I headed down to Andrews University in Berrien Springs on Tuesday night. I wanted to get some trail riding in before my next race. Andrews is the closest trail...and it is challenging. I have ridden here a few times and I am always impressed by the nature of the course....DIFFICULT.

KC headed down to ride with me. He did a lap before I got there and warned me that it was fairly sketchy with washouts and some brutal drops. I don't know this trail very well, but I knew what he was talking about. There are some sections that make you "pucker". We planned to just ride and take it as it came. Slow and steady....

We started reaching the rough patches and I was realizing what he meant. There were a few deep ruts that could easily take someone out. They were generally right in the middle of the trail. No fault of anyone but mother nature. Her rains made this feel like a different trail than it was a month ago, the last time I rode it.

The pic above is the first downhill heading back south on the northernmost loop. The picture doesn't really do it justice....because this bastard is steep. The trail hugs the ridge and then dives down to a dry(ish) creek bed. There are a few things I need to point out on this pic.

1. Downhill (obvious)

2. Rut. Right in the middle

3. Harder to see is the hump on directly behind the rut. It takes a small dip before rising back up to the top of the bump where the rut is located

4. Skid marks. These are from riders coming thru after us.

Imagine bombing down that hill with some semblance of speed. Fast, but still dragging the brakes knowing that getting out of control is a bad idea. I went thru first and then heard a horrific sound behind me. When I looked back KC was down. I knew it wasn't good because he wasn't moving yet. I rushed back to him and he couldn't get a breath in. After a bit he asked me to roll him onto his back. He was able to get a breath in at that point and he asked me if help was coming. I was already dialing 911, knowing it wasn't a basic crash. It was clearly serious. To make things worse, we were 3 miles from the parking lot and not close to an access point. After a lot of conversation with the 911 operator KC was standing and ready to get out of the woods.

"The worst part was when they cut off my jersey" ~ KC

Campus security arrived and they headed towards a rendezvous point. The other guys that were assisting grabbed bikes and we headed out. I finally got to the hospital to check up on him. He was drugged up and eating ice chips. They had already done x-rays. They confirmed that he had a broken clavicle that would require surgery. He was ready to sleep so I headed home. In the morning he messaged me to let me know that they confirmed the clavicle break and that he also had 5 broken ribs. Honestly, glad it wasn't worst than that.

I didn't see it...but I can imagine that he got launched off of the hump and flew to the ground, landing on his shoulder. It happens quick. Unfortunately it is part of the sport of Mountain Biking. It was a scary moment for me on the outside...and I would imagine a HIGHLY scary moment for him on the inside. Thankfully he didn't get hurt more than he did.

When something like this happens it really gets your mind going. Scenarios start playing out in my head that have just become a friends reality. The whole thing is....this happens. I know numerous strong riders that have had these types of crashes happen. Another friend had a bad one a few years back. He rides more than anyone I know and just caught a lip wrong. Another friend got taken out by a slick root and bruised ribs earlier this year. Yet another got attacked by sand last week and it threw him down like a paper doll. I crashed and took out a friend a few years ago. But each and every one of these riders will get back on their bikes. They will move on. KC will be back and ready to ride. We dust ourselves off....but we still question this crazy sport we love. Because of our love of the ride we get back on our bikes and ride again. Our style might change. We will become more tentative on certain sections. We will completely skip others. We come back. I am looking forward to when KC is healed up so we can go ride again.

As a side note: It is a good idea to have an understanding of how to handle a major crash. I am not talking a bump or bruise....but a major crash where the person loses consciousness or has a major injury. Unfortunately this wasn't my first time....but because of my knowledge I knew what to do...and more importantly...what not to do. 

Do...remain calm.

Do NOT...move the injured person

Do...tell the person to breathe slow

Do NOT....Say "oh my god you are hurt"

These 2 things can be the difference between an injury and a paralyzed friend. I didn't know if he had twisted his neck or even broken his back. I didn't move him. I told him to relax and try to breathe deep. Only after he picked up his head did I ask if he wanted his helmet off. Only after he moved did I offer to help him....asking him what he wanted me to do for him. Calm. Panic doesn't help anyone. If I ran back to him and said "holy fuck dude....you punctured a lung" that really doesn't help the situation. He knew he was hurt. No reason to make him go into shock or worry about further injuries. If you are calm, it helps the injured person be calm. If you panic....mass hysteria happens. 

That is all for today. Ride safe. Keep the rubber side down.

New...and used

Merrell Trail opened up this past week and I have been eagerly waiting to ride it. The pictures and videos of the trail have looked amazing so I was really excited when it opened. Dan picked me up in Martin and we headed up to meet Pat and Cathy. It was an early morning and the temps were perfect for riding, low 70's. We were getting ready when a couple of guys approached us. One asked if my Epic was the one that was for sale and I told him it indeed was. He looked at the bike a bit, but it was nasty dirty from riding Fort Custer the Sunday before.....so.....he sat on it to check the size and went on his way. So...lets ride.

We started off up the little rise to the first signage for the trail. This trail is unique in that the trail direction is different every day of the week. The sign below shows the days and the directions. My only suggestion, a calendar that shows what day it is so people don't have to guess.

The four of us headed out, following the Red signs because it was Sunday.

Pat not shown (taking pic)

This trail is a lot of fun. It is very different for this area. It has HUGE rocks, roots, singletrack, berms, hills, and everything else that we like in a trail system. It is hard to describe, but I was just enjoying riding some new trail. I was feeling pretty good. We would ride a bit and decide which area to tackle next, when I got to this area (shown in picture)

The idea here is that if you cannot ride the skinny bridge.....you shouldn't go down this trail. Well, we all wanted to see what was back there so we walked the bridge and headed down this tough section, knowing we would be careful and walk if we felt unsafe. I loved this part. It was super technical with some amazing stunts and bridges and huge rock drops. The way we went I was able to ride nearly everything. I walked a few things just to see what was on the other side, but never felt like I was going to die. There is a bridge in there that starts wide (the direction we were riding) and then turns skinny. It is the entrance to this section going the other direction. I rode it because it looked cool. Little did I know that it elevated and turned skinny at the same time...making it about 8" wide and 3 feet off the ground! Ha. I made it without issue, but I can see how someone could find themselves in over their head. All in all, this trail was a lot of fun and I cannot wait to ride there again....especially after the winter sets the trail. It will be flowing and fast for sure! Great Job to the WMMBA for continuing the 50 in 5 initiative with this trail. Hopefully the next trail will be just as awesome...and 10 minutes from where I work ;)

After we rode a loop at Merrell we headed to Luton Park for a lap. Luton is about a 5 minute car ride from Merrell. I was feeling very good on this trail. I would ride ahead a bit and then wait until I saw Dan come into view, then I would roll again. Dan was floating between keeping me in view and making sure Cathy and Pat were okay. I was feeling good, so I just went on one section. I stopped and waited for everyone to regroup and then went again. I was loving the trail. Just flowing good and clearing everything with no issue. At one point I went left and the rest went right onto a slightly longer section of trail. I was riding on a flat straight section, looked over to my right trying to see how far back they were. I looked back at the trail and promptly dumped myself onto the trail. What I didn't see was the small tree on the right that smashed my pinky into the bar and pulled my wheel sideways....causing an instant endo. I landed in a pile on my left forearm, left shoulder, hip and knee. I picked myself up and started to take a survey. Right side was good, I still had full range of motion in my right pinky finger just a little pain. No blood anywhere but my left elbow. The other three rolled up and off we went again. I ended up with a bruised pinky, bruised left knee, and a road...eh...trail rash on my left forearm. Not really anything significant like a certain teammate of mine ;)

Anyway, great day on the trail with some minor scrapes. Iceman is up in the air still. Not quite sure what I am going to do yet. The weather is awesome for riding and my schedule is chock full of soccer and dance for the undetermined future. I will ride when I can and make a decision on Iceman when the event gets closer.