May Mission: Chubb Trail Mountain Biking

So Matt and I decided we were ready for our first mountain biking trip along Chubb Trail. We started out at the trail head at Lone Elk park. Here is a checklist that would have saved us a lot of trouble if we had completed it before we headed out (but alas):

1. Delusions about how dry the trails would be after a week of rain. Check.
2. Salty sunflower seeds to make us thirsty. Check.
3. Not enough water to last us an hour. Check.
4. No clear idea of where the Chubb trail leads. Check.
5. No clear idea of how many hours it would take for a round trip back to the cars. Check.
6. A very light application of bug-spray, but not enough to really keep the skeeters and chiggers off. Check.
7. No sun-block. Check.
8. Minimal stretching before the ride. Check.
9. No experience with lighter mountain biking routes before taking on Chubb Trail. Check.
10. Lots of jokes and laughter at the outset, instead of focus and preparation. Check.
11. A unaccountable determination to keep our clothes and bikes clean.
12. No tools whatsoever—not a hex wrench, pump, or patch—should our bikes break down.
13. iphone. CHECK!!

So, basically, if it wasn’t for the last one, we would have been in real trouble. We ran out of water an hour in, and if it was any hotter than it was, we would have risked possible heat exhaustion as we carried our bikes up hills, got lost on the trail, wiped out on multiple occasions, and eventually had to ride about 5 miles on the shoulder of the interstate to get back to our parking lot. If it wasn’t for the fact that halfway through we came out on Chubb park and found a water spigot on the side of a maintenance shed, it might have been worse; but as it turned out, the only thing we suffered was sore muscles  and a couple scrapes. We thought that we weren’t going to be able to walk the next couple of days for all the soreness, but somehow neither of us were sore. Nature—50, Humans—1. Yessssss!!!

Are we wussies? Yes. Are we dumbasses for not bringing enough water or having a game-plan? Yes. Are we afraid? No. No. NOOOOO! Bring it on nature—we’ve got an iphone and enough naiveté to outlast an iceage! 

And...this is just a picture of me mountain biking in another state at another time because we don't have any pictures from our adventure even THOUGH MATT HAD HIS FRIGGIN' iPHONE THE ENTIRE TIME!!