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The best laid plans …

Part of being on vacation, with no specific schedule, is being able to make great plans that involve nothing but fun.
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Part of being on vacation, with no specific schedule, is being able to make great plans that involve nothing but fun.

Yesterday, I had the perfect plan. I was going to have a nice breakfast with my little family, tune up my bike, and then go ride mountain bikes. Not just a short ride either. I had an epic route planned where I would hit some new trails, find some of my favourites from my last trip down here, and hopefully chase the sunset on my way back to the campsite.

I woke up with a smile of anticipation . , . and heard a drip. After some investigation I realized the main plumbing line was leaking and needed instant repair.

Our nice family breakfast became a quick Starbucks stop on the way to Home Depot. After some searching through the plumbing section, we found the parts I needed and headed back to make the repairs.

If you’ve ever worked on a travel trailer you know how cramped everything can be. What should have been a simple repair took a couple of hours with one arm stuck in a cubby hole, a flash light held in my teeth, and two kids “helping” Daddy.

Needless to say, vacations, just like home life, can be stressful.

My grand plan was shot. It was 1 p.m., smoking hot, and my mood was less than cheery.

The amazing Chenoa snatched our kids, prepped them for the beach, and told me to salvage what riding I could.

I didn’t even feel like riding anymore, and with the only trail options from our site being very steep climbs, it made it harder to get motivated.

I forgot how tiring stress can be, but climbing up that first hill under the southern California sun was brutal. I probably lost five pounds in water and quickly regretted leaving the trailer. But at the top it seemed less painful, so I rode a great dh trail down the back side of the canyon and cheered up a bit. Then I had to do another nasty climb. What was I thinking?

I’m not sure if it was the full moon or the fact that it’s snowing at home, but I was determined, despite my exhaustion, to have a great ride, so I kept going.

I did find some new trails, hit one of my favourites from a few years back, and didn’t get home until dinner time. It was a shorter version than planned and every pedal stroke felt like work, but I’ll still put it under the epic column.

I’m James Durand and I’m Going’ Ridin’…