it's over

i'm done. the long drive is over. maybe i'd rather not stop. i was starting to like life on the road.

yesterday i drove all day, from somewhere in idaho to mount hood, oregon. mount hood is home to wet planet and world famous riverboarder liz arnold. this morning i went rafting down the white salmon river with liz, chef rick, and a new wet planet guide - jamie. we were the 'safety' boat for a tiny outing (of 2 customers.) the highlight for me was jumping off the bridge immediately after husum falls. it did not look very high from the boat, maybe 10 or 15 feet, but standing on the railing it felt way way high, probably 20 or 30 pinkbike feet. like don masoni says 'turn off your higher brain function,' i walked up, climbed up on the railing, waved, and jumped. i don't even know how i moved my feet, like both at once or one and then the other, i just don't know. the fall is long. you have some time to think, and to appreciate how far and how fast, before you hit the water, into which you plunge over your head. neoprene does a great job keeping you warm, which is important because the water temperature is in the low 40s. wetsuits are definitely a rad invention.

the day before, thursday, i rode the slickrock trail. slickrock is good, it feels good to climb so much. the descents are a mix of nice rolling coasts, and wicked steeps that dump you into sharp turns or sand traps. it's difficult to keep your momentum on those parts, but the climbs are rewarding in their own right, so on balance it's a great trail with some real challenges to conquer.

peace.