Rough day @ Keystone :(
Dave and I hit up Keystone on Saturday.
Kim, Dan and a new girl Carey and her husband were heading out too. I had met Carey at Devil's Backbone earlier this year. At DBB - Jen and I balked bigtime at a 1.5ft drop and while we were standing there looking at it here comes Carey and her crew. She rolled over that drop without hestitating and made it look easy. Jen and I never rode the drop but it was inspiring to see another girl ride it so easily.
We got a little later start than we wanted...our first run included "eye of the tiger" which I liked alot. Steep (but not "stupid steep"), tight and twisty through the trees. The bridges were a no-brainer. I had no problem with them but I think I'm gonna need a gradual progression before I start riding the Corkscrew. something in between.(hear that kim!)
Our 2nd run was Cowboy Up -> TNT -> Loggers Way -> Wild Thing. Cowboy Up starts off with some drops that can be dropped or rolled. (i'm a roller) then the rock garden - I balked at the end of the rock garden(I made up my mind I was gonna clean it next time around).
I LOVE Wild Thing. This time I rode more if it than I did last time we were here. I rode the small bridge with the right hand turn in it. (I *know* it's nothing major - but I didn't ride it last time) I rode a couple of the switchbacks but not all of them. I was super proud of Dave for riding the Triple Step on this run. He said it wasn't that bad. I, of course, walked it.
I did ride a 2ft rock drop where Even Flow merges with Wild Thing. When I looked at it I was like "uhhh...no way!". Dave said it was in my ability and I could do it. I said I would if he spotted me. The right of the rock is a little lower than the middle/left side so my plan was to roll it over the right side...however I accidentally went over middle where it was a little higher. I cleaned it but while I was rolling it I was terrified and muttered a few curse words. It was very scary for me. But I was super stoked i rode it. whew!
When we got down there was talk of closing the lifts as there were some storm clouds blowing in. Dave and I decided to immediately jump back on the lift to get another run in.
whoops!
3rd time a charm, eh?
Did I mention Keystone was busy on Saturday?
At the beginning of the Cowboy Up rock garden there was a bit of a bottleneck. Riders were letting people in front of them clear the rock garden before they started. When it was my turn i went - toward the end there is a tricky move and right when i got to the tricky section some guy comes up on my right and tells me he's passing on the right - well i needed to go to the right. I could see him out of the corner of my eye and was distracted by him and turned too sharp and fell down. I fell into a hole. Dan said when I fell over I totally disappeared from sight.
My head hit a rock - I heard it but didn't feel it(Dave said he heard it too -my moto helmet rocks!) I also got a pointy rock to the side( wasn't protected by my armor here). That *really* hurt. I started crying because the fall hurt and I was super upset that I didn't clean the rock garden. I know it's completely within my ability to ride this section and I didn't.
Also, I wasn't too happy the guy was pressuring me and not waiting for me to clear it before he started riding down. I thought that was very inconsiderate...but the bottom line is - if i'm riding stuff like that i need to be mentally tough enough to not be distracted. :( I shook it off and we kept riding.
whoops number two
On TNT there a bridge that in itself isn't too bad(from what I hear - I haven't ridden it) but the entrance is a steepish skinny about 12" - 14" wide. When I got to the bridge I saw Carey on the ground. The rest of our crew was no where is sight. I stopped and there were 2 other guys talking to her.
I'm like "what happened?"
Carey said "i flew off the bridge - I think I made it up the skinny but when I got on the bridge I just rolled right off it it"
me: "Is anything broken"
Carey: "no - I don't think so - I just need to sit here and collect myself"
Carey: "I think I hit my chin"
me: "your mouth is full of dirt. Let's take off your helmet and rinse out your mouth"
I was concerned she might have a concussion. Last year Hillary face planted and hit her jaw and had such a bad concussion she had to be helicoptered out from the trail.
I waited for her to regain her composure - we rinsed off her face and out her mouth. She thought she was OK to ride to the road - we started making our way down.
The other riders rode ahead told our crew a girl in a black and red jersey had crashed pretty hard but looked to be ok. Well - I was wearing a black and red jersey too. Carey is 6' tall - so they asked if the girl was tall or short. They didn't know but said that she was wearing a tiger striped jersey. So then they knew it was Carey. Her husband, Craig came barreling up the trail. At this point Carey started having memory issues. Not sure what they had did that day. I was super worried at this point.
Kim initially wanted to get the Keystone medic to come take her down - but Carey insisted she could make it. With Carey in good hands - Dave and I continued down to Wild Thing.
Again - Dave cleaned just about everything. My side was hurting pretty good by then so I took it easy but rolled the 2' drop again and so all was good. When we got to the bottom - they had closed the lifts - so that was it for the day.
Carey made it down safely and was checked out by the medic and they said should she would be ok. She seemed to be in good spirits - she's one tough cookie for sure!
After hanging out for a bit with the crew we headed home. A little more beat up then when we started but still it's all good. I'll be off the bike for a few days.
Kim, Dan and a new girl Carey and her husband were heading out too. I had met Carey at Devil's Backbone earlier this year. At DBB - Jen and I balked bigtime at a 1.5ft drop and while we were standing there looking at it here comes Carey and her crew. She rolled over that drop without hestitating and made it look easy. Jen and I never rode the drop but it was inspiring to see another girl ride it so easily.
We got a little later start than we wanted...our first run included "eye of the tiger" which I liked alot. Steep (but not "stupid steep"), tight and twisty through the trees. The bridges were a no-brainer. I had no problem with them but I think I'm gonna need a gradual progression before I start riding the Corkscrew. something in between.(hear that kim!)
Our 2nd run was Cowboy Up -> TNT -> Loggers Way -> Wild Thing. Cowboy Up starts off with some drops that can be dropped or rolled. (i'm a roller) then the rock garden - I balked at the end of the rock garden(I made up my mind I was gonna clean it next time around).
I LOVE Wild Thing. This time I rode more if it than I did last time we were here. I rode the small bridge with the right hand turn in it. (I *know* it's nothing major - but I didn't ride it last time) I rode a couple of the switchbacks but not all of them. I was super proud of Dave for riding the Triple Step on this run. He said it wasn't that bad. I, of course, walked it.
I did ride a 2ft rock drop where Even Flow merges with Wild Thing. When I looked at it I was like "uhhh...no way!". Dave said it was in my ability and I could do it. I said I would if he spotted me. The right of the rock is a little lower than the middle/left side so my plan was to roll it over the right side...however I accidentally went over middle where it was a little higher. I cleaned it but while I was rolling it I was terrified and muttered a few curse words. It was very scary for me. But I was super stoked i rode it. whew!
When we got down there was talk of closing the lifts as there were some storm clouds blowing in. Dave and I decided to immediately jump back on the lift to get another run in.
whoops!
3rd time a charm, eh?
Did I mention Keystone was busy on Saturday?
At the beginning of the Cowboy Up rock garden there was a bit of a bottleneck. Riders were letting people in front of them clear the rock garden before they started. When it was my turn i went - toward the end there is a tricky move and right when i got to the tricky section some guy comes up on my right and tells me he's passing on the right - well i needed to go to the right. I could see him out of the corner of my eye and was distracted by him and turned too sharp and fell down. I fell into a hole. Dan said when I fell over I totally disappeared from sight.
My head hit a rock - I heard it but didn't feel it(Dave said he heard it too -my moto helmet rocks!) I also got a pointy rock to the side( wasn't protected by my armor here). That *really* hurt. I started crying because the fall hurt and I was super upset that I didn't clean the rock garden. I know it's completely within my ability to ride this section and I didn't.
Also, I wasn't too happy the guy was pressuring me and not waiting for me to clear it before he started riding down. I thought that was very inconsiderate...but the bottom line is - if i'm riding stuff like that i need to be mentally tough enough to not be distracted. :( I shook it off and we kept riding.
Me w/one of my signature ginormous bruises
whoops number two
On TNT there a bridge that in itself isn't too bad(from what I hear - I haven't ridden it) but the entrance is a steepish skinny about 12" - 14" wide. When I got to the bridge I saw Carey on the ground. The rest of our crew was no where is sight. I stopped and there were 2 other guys talking to her.
I'm like "what happened?"
Carey said "i flew off the bridge - I think I made it up the skinny but when I got on the bridge I just rolled right off it it"
me: "Is anything broken"
Carey: "no - I don't think so - I just need to sit here and collect myself"
Carey: "I think I hit my chin"
me: "your mouth is full of dirt. Let's take off your helmet and rinse out your mouth"
I was concerned she might have a concussion. Last year Hillary face planted and hit her jaw and had such a bad concussion she had to be helicoptered out from the trail.
I waited for her to regain her composure - we rinsed off her face and out her mouth. She thought she was OK to ride to the road - we started making our way down.
The other riders rode ahead told our crew a girl in a black and red jersey had crashed pretty hard but looked to be ok. Well - I was wearing a black and red jersey too. Carey is 6' tall - so they asked if the girl was tall or short. They didn't know but said that she was wearing a tiger striped jersey. So then they knew it was Carey. Her husband, Craig came barreling up the trail. At this point Carey started having memory issues. Not sure what they had did that day. I was super worried at this point.
Kim initially wanted to get the Keystone medic to come take her down - but Carey insisted she could make it. With Carey in good hands - Dave and I continued down to Wild Thing.
Again - Dave cleaned just about everything. My side was hurting pretty good by then so I took it easy but rolled the 2' drop again and so all was good. When we got to the bottom - they had closed the lifts - so that was it for the day.
Carey made it down safely and was checked out by the medic and they said should she would be ok. She seemed to be in good spirits - she's one tough cookie for sure!
After hanging out for a bit with the crew we headed home. A little more beat up then when we started but still it's all good. I'll be off the bike for a few days.
Carey with a slightly swollen chin.(photo credit kim)
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