While not as bad as 2016, 2017 wasn't the greatest year on record of my life. A continuation of the funeral pyre from the previous year along with a prolonged smoke wave that interdicted my ride season made last year another year that I was happy to see end. Nic and I also managed to end it on a whimper. We both got sick and spend Xmas and New Years coughing and making green balls of goo with our noses. Worst of all, the illness was my fault, as I not only made my wife sick, but my Mom too. Epic fail to end an epic fail of a year.
Cancelling our new years party , then feeling well enough to send out olive branches to a few friends. No on showed and they all made the right call. Nic I and I rang in the new year with a repeat of the Kings Speech, then the Netflix originals "Bright" (8/10 started off amazing but didn't quite reach it's potential) and the newly release Dave Chappelle Comedy specials( 10/10 pure comic genous).
Not wanting to get wound up with all the keeners who surely be out on the trails on January 1st, getting their year off to the right start, we opted for an extra rest day before hiking Quary Rock on the 2nd. No pics but nothing really amazing from a foggy hike.
On the 3rd we started our ride 2018 ride season however. Just a pangor lap was likely all our lungs would allow us before turning themselves inside out for spite.This was the start of my year, what I hope will be a great one. I sure need it.
Ted, I just read your whole blog. I hadn't realized it until the last few weeks, I have spent more time "off the bike" than on. Most of my mountain biking memories are closing on 10+ years; dating back to when big tires were not "plus", it was ok to have two rings up front, or one with a bash guard. Riding a 45lb+ bike was a badge of honor you wore proudly. Not only was I happen with a coil spring, I took the platform dampening out of it. That big beast of a bike is sitting in my storage bunker, covered in commuter bike gear, a box of dried seaweed snacks, and a few boxes of Swiffer duster heads. The Michelins on my Demo8 still hold air, but I'm sure the oil in the Boxxer has long since separated. Somehow, the seal on my Trek Fuel EX Fox RP2 shock has blown and it's only been sitting in storage, having being ridden a handful of times locally when I took Noah down to the Byrne Creek Ravine. Lately I've taken my gravel bike, which is just a longer, taller road bike with slightly-wider-than-road tires; the fork is carbon but the rest of the frame is aluminum... I can still feel my fillings rattle in my teeth as I rode with 90psi in the forest at Cypress Hills Provincial Park. It's just not the same.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your stories and posting a few pictures - I even found video of myself on a Grouse Mountain Trail (Crinkem Crankem?)