I returned to where the trail branched off and was about to continue, when I saw two riders approaching. I sensed an opportunity to find out which trail branch was the right one to follow and to show them my cool map. Again, looking back in retrospect my judgment must have been impaired.
I introduced myself to my newfound guides, Dave and Jill. Dave assured me, that I was on the right track and that I shouldn't have turned back. This should have been a clue but not on this day, I was on a crash and burn mission, nothing was going to stop me. We started back up that "hiking" trail. I let my two new trail mates lead. I watched as they fumbled across the rocky, leaf-covered trail. At this point I was content to carry my bike across this section. As I hiked pass them to a clearing I asked, "you think this is the trail", to which I received the reply, " I think so!" I was losing that warm fuzzy feeling and it was being replaced by the feeling, which makes me look back over my shoulder and think, "what's the fast way out of here." We rode ten feet, and hiked another forty. The adage "If your not hiking, your not mountain biking", really took on new meaning. We finally got a place in the trail that was ride able. I took the lead and we rode for another hundred feet till we could see large clearing a head of us. All we had to do was cross an open leaf covered field. As I ventured out across the field the ground started to feel a little soft. Soon the ground became soft and very wet. It became apparent that the leaves were floating and the water was up to the rims, but this didn't seem like a reason to stop. I might have to get my feet wet if I did that! I continued, now the leaves are parted as my wheels sink down a quarter of the way in the water. My feet are now getting very wet! I hate having wet feet! I can't stop now, theirs nothing for me to rest my wet feet on, which would mean my ankles would get wet. I continued and the water moved up to my hubs. This was not good, my feet, ankles and calves were now wet. I was riding across a pond. I could see a pile of logs to the left, I made my run it and to my surprise I made it! I looked back across the pond and my two trail mates were still in the thick of it. I could only think the words, Don't Stop! Maybe I should have said them out loud because Dave stopped, for a moment and he did his best track stand but I could see in his eyes the moment was not going to last. First his right foot unclipped and landed, I sighed. He looked up at me and sighed. Then he started to wobble, he was loosing his footing. He looked at me again, his expression said, "Mommy, Help!" In a split second it was over, his ride became a biathlon.
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