John Foss has already written about the weekend rides (at least the first 2
days). I’ll add a little and a link to my digital photos.
This was the best Muni weekend ever. Although there were slightly fewer riders,
the average skill level again increased substantially. Also, not coincidentally
I’m sure, the number of custom built Muni machines with fat tires was
astounding. DM, Hunter, Telford, and others, plus a number of one-of-a-kind
machines were all in action. I didn’t get a count on Roach armor, many riders
were sporting it. The rides this year were longer and harder than in previous
years. The Flume Trail ride Sunday was just over 14 miles, including a 1000’
climb! This would not have been very popular a few years ago! It was fantastic
to see how everyone had improved and to meet many new riders.
For me, the best part was watching my son Beau. He somehow seems to have jumped
in skill and endurance quite a bit. I think it was Mr Toad’s Wild Ride on Friday
that did it. By the end, he was riding places that he NEVER would/could have
before. Then again, since we did over 30 miles of riding in 3 days, I bet
everyone improved over the weekend. I know I did. 3 full days of riding in a row
was just perfect.
It was unfortunate we actually had a serious injury for the first time.
Obviously there is a danger/risk component to mountain unicycling. Everyone
needs to be aware of what they are doing and constantly evaluate whether it
makes sense. We should all beam healing thoughts to Jack Hughes who will be off
his unicycle for the next 3 months.
To everyone who couldn’t make it, come next time. To everyone who did, I loved
riding with you all.
If you want to see some photos: http://www.paper2net.com/nathan/photos.html I
recommend clicking on the first little thumbnail, then repeatedly clicking the
next button to move forward. You can also see or download the original sized
pictures, although this will be slow over a modem. Most of the pictures are over
1MB and 8x10 or larger prints will work fine. Feel free to use them in any way
you want, crediting me.
—Nathan