Bikers hit edge of EU mesa

This archived article was written by: Jon Krum

(Names have been changed to save face) A personal perspective … I jump on my bike for another mountain trail bike (MTB) experience the last weekend in September. As I ride over to Luke’s Trail, my previous commitment passes through my mind. Why did I volunteer to help with this? I need to keep my mouth shut. Now I have to babysit some bikers on a trail they have never done before.
As I get to the top and meet Steve Christinsen director of Carbon County recreation he informs me there will be three people riding with me. I fake a smile saying I am glad to be here and introduce myself to some strangers. They are Debbie and Jeff from SLC. We start off on the trail and we started talking about what they are doing in life and just hit it off on the right foot.
I showed them the trail and they showed me a wonderful experience with people I have never met before. We finish off the ride and I was still pumped because they were such great people, I decided to head over to the Devil’s Backbone for some fast downhill. I was cruzing along Pete’s Trail when I passed the group that Bo Christensen was guiding and they were all strangers but everyone had a grin the size of a muffin top. As they passed I was proud to be on the same mountain. I rolled over to the spine and bailed, hit the jump at the bottom, and flew to the BDAC to shower before getting some free food.
After changing I went to the Peace Garden on my Mamachari to eat the typical free food that taste like crap. Again I was wrong. Mrs. Nunn’s Kitchen makes good food and I had three servings of pulled pork burger, potato salad, and baked beans. I didn’t even have room for dessert. Great food.
I woke up the next day and rode to Pioneer Park for the morning rides. I had no idea what I was going to do but I knew I was going to have a great time. Yesterday was awesome and today will be even better. I guided Luke’s Trail again for the beginners and met two more newbies and four intermediates with Allan Peterson and Fuzzy Nance. Everyone was great pushing their skill level to have a positive experience.
When we hit the top of Luke’s, I offered to take the newbies back down the same route so they could have a positive experience and Karen was the only taker. She rocked the hole way down. We got to the bottom, I put her bike on her car rack, and headed home. When I showed up for the 4:30 p.m. ride, Bo was the only one left from their morning advanced ride. I asked him how his 20-mile single track ride went and he told stories of great exploration and that they all had an awesome experience.
Then I asked if any of his riders were showing up for this downhill and he looked at me and his face summed it all up. They had a great time but it really cleaned their clocks. Hell, it was supposed to, it was the advanced group. I made a mental note to talk to those guys at dinner and get the insides scoop. The 4:30 p.m. ride was a car ride to the top of the east side and bail down. Bo said he wanted to sweep, run pick-up behind with the slow guys, so I headed out with a vengeance.
I knew I was going to ride hard so I didn’t bring my prescription sun glasses and tried some typical shades. Bad thing is I could not see worth a damn and had some really close calls but no downers. I was happy about that one. Everyone behind was pushing it pretty hard and having a great time. When we hit the bottom, one of my students, Eliza, asked to hit a pretty serious downhill section that we had cover in our MTB class the week before because she walked it and wanted a second chance. We all decided to hit it and took off. The downhill is a little sketchy because you can’t stand at the top and talk yourself into dropping off the edge. You have to hit it without thinking how scared you are.
At the top it is almost vertical and then the horizon eventually starts to come down and you swoop through the base. Four people dropped clean, three fell, and then stands Eliza at the top. Her significant other dropped off first to let her know it was doable. You could tell he barely made it and yelled back to her in a hesitant voice, ‘First part is the trickiest.’ We hollard incentives from below and then without warning she dropped off. She was going great and I was so proud to be her MTB instructor and then almost at the bottom she got so excited she touched the front brake a little too much and got bitch slapped by the ground.
We were all cheering for while her friend ran to her aid and she brushed herself off. Next thing we know she said, ‘give me that f###ing bike.’ And she finishes off the hill. Awesome. Dinner was a riot and like I thought Bo kicked some butt on the earlier ride and everyone spoke highly about the course.
I learned again that I am always wrong, MTBing is awesome, Carbon Recreation puts on a good show, Mrs. Nunns Kitchen has good food, and people everywhere are great.