In Search Of A Mountain Route - After The Fall

 

Song:  After The Fall

Group:  Two Steps From Hell

I just came back from scouting out...

what I had thought might have been, a passable route into the mountains on my trike.

I am leaving the immediate neighborhood here.

I would continue on for some distance towards where I used to live.

Where I used to live and where I live now is up over 1 mile in elevation...

in the Peavine Mountains...just across from the Sierra Nevada Mountains.

Where I used to live...

the homes were on an extended ridge line off of the summit of one of the tallest mountains

in the Peavine mountain range in Reno.

Where I live now...

although it is on the same mountain...

it is situated on a flattened hill top off another extended ridge.

And so...

the hill trails are deceptively steep...

and slippery...

as the hardpan surface of the graded dirt trails are covered

in loose soil and rocks which become like little ball bearings

under, even my aggressively treaded tires.

The trail I had attempted

 may just be seen above where the curve in the road goes out of sight...

the tan trail amongst the bushy green.

I had scanned the whole area by satellite photos a few days ago...

and I had seen this route up a ridge line as a possibility.

Even from this particular point...

it seemed passable.

It was a whole different reality once I got to the bottom of the seemingly easy route up.

As I looked up at the much steeper trail than what I had assumed from a distance...

I was also gauging the surface.

As I saw the loose small rocks and soil on top of a hard pan surface...

combined with the quite steep trail...

my rational mind told me to turn away and try another route.

However...

the little boy inside thirsting for a challenge and some adventure kept insisting...

"Go...go...go...let's try it!"

You can guess which one had won out.

As I gathered speed on the steep down hill approach before starting the steep ascent...

my hopes went up as I pedaled furiously...gathering even more speed...until...

my rear tire lost its bite into the ground...

as the surface rocks and soil acted like ball bearings underneath my rear tire (drive tire)...

my speed rapidly diminished...

and as I was only halfway up...

the little boy inside looked ahead with a wide eyed but resigned stare and merely said...

"Uh Oh!".

As I had almost come to a complete standstill...

and just before starting to slide backwards...

the confident adolescent inside took over and said...

"I got this."

This cocky side of me has led me to try things my rational mind had foreseen as foolish...

but when my inner young boy and inner cocky adolescent form a team...

they frequently overrule reason...

as they bring up movies of previous successes...

while...of course...omitting previous dangerous failures

(I am a guy...it is what we have always done...and no matter our age...

what we will continually do when faced with challenges)...

and so...

what had come immediately to mind was what stunt car drivers do when faced with 

the need to rapidly change directions by 180 degrees.

They would rapidly reverse and then cut the wheel sharply while applying the brakes...

which if done correctly...

allows their momentum to carry them through the 180 degree arc.

Of course...

I had a much higher center of gravity...

combined with a much narrower wheel base...

both of which had told my rational mind that it was a bad idea.

Cocky Adolescent merely arrogantly said,

(referring to the just played out movie of a stunt driver making a perfect execution

of a 180 degree reversal)......

"We've got this.

He can do it...

we can do it!"

The little boy inside kept urging...

"Let's do it! Let's do it!...Go...Go...Go!"

Guess again who won out?

As I allowed my trike to pick up speed as I traveled backwards...

I cut my front wheels sharply to the left.

As I began the arc which I had hoped would lead to a successful 180 degree

reversal of direction...

it was at the 90 degree point that all three put in their opinions of the moment:

Little Boy:  "Oh No..."

Cocky Adolescent:  "Damn...I really thought it would work."

Rational Mind:  He remained silent...but merely crossed his arms as he stared disapprovingly

at me as he shook his head...all the while thinking.... 'Dumb S**t'.

Now...

only because the little boy inside and the cocky adolescent had won out so many times

in my life...

from jumping over trash cans on my banana seated 

and sissy barred Schwinn on homemade ramps as a child 

(Evel Knievel was popular back then)...

to taking corners too aggressively on my motorcycle...

each of which had been the cause of broken bones...

chunks taken out of my motorcycle helmet (rational mind won out on this matter)...

numerous road rashes...etc...

I had already mastered the art of damage mitigation through the well timed shoulder roll.

As the shoulder roll had long ago become instinctive...

as I began the inevitable tip over at the apex of the arc...

all I could think of was...

"Aw hell"...as my concern wasn't with me getting hurt...

but that of my trike getting damaged.

Just before hitting the hard packed surface...

my body automatically reacted with a well timed roll

as I tucked my head and rolled my shoulder...

while drawing in my legs...

all of which led me to almost instantly roll safely out of the confines of the trike...

and pop back up on my feet as my arms automatically extended and caught my trike.

I was still sliding down the hill as my feet had even less traction 

than had the drive tire of my trike.

But, I had my trike in hand...

and that was the important thing.

I finally stopped sliding...

and I righted my trike...

got back on and continued down the hill as I let my newly gathered momentum

carry me up the steep grade leading to the road.

I did a quick check of the trike...

straightened out my sideview mirrors...

had seen that I had saved my trike from bent wheels or even cosmetic damage...

and even my camera which had been looped around my neck and with the lens cap

hanging down from its protective placement over the lens...

yet...with nothing having had happened to the camera or trike...

I was set...

and so...

I returned to Sunset Court...

where my younger sister met me in the car.

As I sat on my trike at Sunset Court...

hoping for a sunset...

but realizing that with another snow storm moving in over the Sierra Nevadas...

the cloud cover would not allow the sun to display its beautiful effects upon them.

So...I just settled in to take in the wintery winds in my snow suit.

--------------------

After the Fall

I stayed for a little while longer as I reflected upon my fall...

the importance of more finely tuning the ratio among the other facets of my personality...

while listening more to my rational mind when he clearly sees an unacceptable risk...

but while not muting, either the little boy inside or the cocky adolescent.

It was the little boy inside who had led me to decide upon getting a trike in the first place.

He lives for adventure...

always looking upon the world with great hope and wonderment...

of seeing the beauty of a sunrise or sunset...

of feeling fully alive when feeling the refreshing mountain winds upon my face...

and feeling the depth of the colors...

and the rhythms, beat, and melody of great pieces of music.

Never be the bitter old soul...

the old man or woman whom had let their inner child die long before...

and so...

reaps no joy out of the great simple pleasures in life...

of living in great anticipation for the next sunrise or sunset...

of living life fully feeling everything around you...

for if everything you see or hear doesn't directly convert to 

a deep soul rendering reverberation of music which makes you feel 

as if you are riding upon the pink clouds of a sunset...

you have let your little boy or girl inside die.

Not to worry though...

he or she is a phoenix...

always ready to rise again...

if you but listen.

Especially when all three are in agreement...

listen to them without fail.

If you are elderly...

especially if you are disabled in any way...

an e-trike will set you on the path which will please all three inside of you

(A recumbent tadpole configured trike with e-drive assist).

When I had first thought of the possibility of getting a trike...

it involved no more thought than seeing the little boy inside

jumping up and down on the balls of his feet in excitement...

his eyes fully open and watering in anticipation...

while repeating....

"Go...Go...Go...Let's do it...Let's do it!"

At the same time...

the cocky adolescent inside was throwing his hands in the air

as he yelled out a victory cry...

"Yes!"

And the rational mind stood in silence with his arms crossed...

but wore a wise smile on his face as he nodded approvingly...

while briefly and gently closing his eyes in his firm urging to do it.

And so...

it was decided.

I have not only NOT regretted it...

I am so happy I had listened.

I fervently urge all senior citizens

to allow your inner child to guide you to a local shop which sells e-trikes.

Once you experience the thrill of the ride...

you will not turn back...

and in doing so...

you will have a new horizon to explore with your awakened

inner child laughing with bubbly delight...

his eyes open widely as he takes in the great outdoors...

his senses fully alive...

and so...

making you...

once again...

live life with your senses on hyper drive and feeling fully alive.

One caveat...

if faced with a steep hill with a questionable surface...

listen to your rational mind.  :)