The rain in Oregon finally let up and gave the riding community a chance to tear up that thick plush green water soaked grass on all of the trails that had not seen two wheels in a long time. The first ride of the season for me and my friend and boy, were we excited! The sun was glistening off of the watery rooster tail coming from the rear tire of my safely distant riding companion. I try not to stay too far behind the crazy guy on a old hardtail so as not to look bad on my new full suspension. Round a couple bends, just enjoying the fresh clean air, watching the virgin grass whip past my pedals. The day could not be any better. Then my friend started to pull ahead and with some anxiety I pushed a little harder and begin catching up to him at a pace that surely make him try harder. The speed was increasing and the mountainside was growing steeper. As I rounded a bend I noticed that my companion had suddenly vanished. Now I think to myself, "if I have to take any more flack from him about how much I paid for this bike and I can not even keep up with him!!!!". That is when it hit me. Literally. He had not burned past me, instead he had burned below me and I was soon to follow. The sudden whoosh and awful screeching sound of snapping wood send chills of terror through my body. Feet were stuck in my pedals and the ground had taken all of my forward momentum and sucked it up in a ripping landslide! I was torn from my bike as foot upon foot of hillside enveloped my bike and myself. I could only hope that it would stop. My friend was no longer visible through the towering waves of mud. Sliding sliding sliding...what seemed like an eternity of swimming in concrete finally came to an arm breaking end. It felt like the world had stopped just to hear my beating heart. I gathered my thoughts and tried to orient myself. This lasted about two seconds because I was afraid of being alone, yelling for help and hollaring my friend's name... Silence. Ten or so minutes went by as I stared up the hill in awe with my lower body totally submersed in a mud concrete so thick that I could not remove myself with the crippled arm.
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