Simpson Pre-ride

While the actual overnight ride to Simpson Springs was canceled due to rain, the pre-ride was a blast. We were looking for a route that would be interesting but not so challenging that it would discourage novice riders. That was our goal and everyone agreed to stick to the plan and see what the area had to offer. There were seven riders to start, but two had previous commitments and left for home before the ride got interesting.

We found a twistie desert road south of Simpson Springs, that would be part of the ride. Our first probe into the mountains on the east, ended in a rocky wash that was too advanced for our intended participants. Back to the bottom we continued south after seperating with our homeward bound friends, to the next available eastern route that looked promising. The fun meter quickly went to maximum. We made several mud/stream crossings, enjoyed some interesting bottomlands, a cattle guard or two as obsticles and the occasional overhanging desert flora.

Our group seperated 3-2 without knowing it. A wrong turn vs. a right turn, or maybe it was a left turn. Who knows? I was following John up one of the more challenging and steeper hills when I saw him go sideways and then down. Now I never claimed to know much about physics, but why was there a mud puddle in the middle of a hill? Shouldn't water run off? Nevertheless John and his big GS bogged down and I help him out of the hole. Did I mention anything about the weight of a GS? I did say it was big, but when it's in the mud it's a real pig.

OK, we were almost worn out by the time we got him on dry land and it was my turn to tackle the hill. My plan was to go around the mud, but for some reason after I missed my chance to exit the rutted road I decided to power through the hole. It wasn't a good idea and a few second after I went sideways and down. John came running down the hill to lift the bike off my ankle and luckily I wasn't hurt. My ride being the lighter of the two was a lot easier to wrestle with. Once moving I continued to the top of the hill before taking a leisure stroll back down to help John. There still wasn't any sign of our missing friends and John seemed a little irritated, thinking they were ahead of us. "You think they would have waited for us at the top of the damn hill." he said.

"Look on the bright side of things." I told him. "From now on, me and you are mud buddies for life." A few minutes later I heard motors approaching and watch Ken go sideways and down in the same mud hole. "Now that makes me feel better, he's the best rider in our group and now he's covered in mud." Once regrouped we found a series of good dirt roads and hit the slab somewheres around Tinic. Great day. Just absolutely great.