New Helmet

New Helmet = Bell Drop

I will review it when I hae actually used it and not just looked at myself in the mirror.

Poison Oak

I have it on my left leg and on my left arm.  I got it last Sunday on Jakes Rock-it ride, we did not get to ride this week.  It started as a small rash on my leg that itched on the Monday after the ride, so I put some cortisone cream on it and it stopped itching.  I watched it on Tuesday and it had not spread so in my expert medical opinion there was no way it could be poison oak, it had to be something else!  By Saturday it had become a 4" red, bumpy, oozing, itching patch.  My mother in law took a look at it (she is a nurse practitioner) and said it was definitely poison oak....  How was this possible, it wasn't spreading.  I was a Boy Scout growing up and I am a Boy Scout leader now, I know poison oak, it spreads.  My mother in law informed me that if you have been exposed to it before, which I have, then sometimes it takes longer to spread.  Sure enough by Sunday night, a whole week after exposure, it appeared on my arm.  The patch on my arm was hit with Triamcinolone Acetonide cream right away and is now almost gone, but the original patch on my leg is getting worse and will probably require a topical steroid or something stronger as it is now a four inch red, itching, swollen, bumpy, oozing blotch surrounded by a eight inch itching, bumpy area.  Here's what it looks like....

My advice is if you have even the slightest thought that it might be poison oak then treat it like it is, if I had done that my leg would not hurt and itch.  Next time I will be safe rather than sorry.  Poison oak sucks!!!!

Jake vs. Rock-it

This mornings ride was a good one with the boy.  My daughter Ryan decided last night that she wanted to take today off and just relax, this kind of sucks because I love to ride with both Jake and Ryan.   On the up side when I ride with just Jake we can ride a little faster and hit some harder trails.  The last couple weeks I have seen him get better and better on our Ryan friendly rides so I asked him if he wanted to give Rock-it a try.  He was willing but he wanted pads, we dug out the old hockey gear found his shin guards and he was ready.

 First we rode from Canyon Vistas to Cholla.  We rode up Cholla with Jake only having to stop a couple of times.

 This is Jake's first time in Aliso, so it is obviously his first time climbing Cholla.  No Sweat!

From Cholla we took West Ridge to Rock-it.

 Jake gearing up.

 Ready for battle! 

The next few pictures can explain themselves...

 At the bottom myself and several guys taking a break could here him let out a huge, "WOOOOOOOO!!!" on the last hill.  Once he got to the bottom he told us, " This is the best trail ever!"
Next we rode Coyote Run south where I had a little crash on the section where you come out of the trees and there is a steep, short climb then it drops down the other side with a couple of two foot rock drops that you can slowly roll with no problem.  I never rolls these I always take them with some speed and have never crashed on them before.  I had Jake walk over and check them out and explained how to take them then I got on my bike and almost immediately stuck my foot in my mouth, actually I stuck my knee in my eye as I went OTB.  After getting up and gathering my dignity Jake decided he would walk this section.

 Yeah, my glasses cut me.

 Not as bad as it felt, this little scrap hurt.

We took Coyote Run to Mathis to Dripping Caves.  These caves kind of look like my face after I crashed.   Dripping caves has a fun little downhill at the end that Jake slid out on.  We rode over to Wood Canyon and on the way stopped to lend pliers to a guy.  Then we rode back to Mathis and got on Coyote Run and rode north until we hit Wood Canyon again and then back to the truck.  

Jake loved it and definitely wants to do this one again.

A Pictures Worth.....

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words, and today I really can't think of much to say.  It as the normal "Ryan" ride for Sunday morning.  Yesterday I rode with a buddy from college and we were having such a good ride that I never stopped to take pictures, but with the kids today I took the time to take a few.

 Ryan on the first climb.

 Almost made it!!!

 Jake just taking n the view.

 Forced to pose with each other by Dad.

 Jake ready to rip.

 Ryan told me at the bottom that she almost had a heart attack on this one!

I made Jake follow his sister for the last part of Fenceline, he was not happy.