A Fool is born

Christina thought that she was about to embark on another, semi-routine TNR (Tuesday Night Ride). La Luna had other plans. Two Eric’s and Christina gathered at the top of Balboa with about an hour of sunlight left in the day. The weather conspired to make the evening almost perfect. The temperature was mild, the sky was clear and only wisps of fog were present on the northern slopes of the Point Reyes landscape.

A.D. approves the operation

The event had been billed as night ride with lights. Each brought their respective setup. Christina was sporting her new, expensive headlight, Fuzzy had his old unit and A.D. had three small L.E.D. lights, designed to be best utilized as cute Christmas gifts and not really for illumination. It would not matter.

The ride started with a brief dash down the pavement before taking to the woods. The trio moved rapidly into the realm of beauty and awesome single tracking. Concerns about anyone lagging were quickly dashed. As the sun sank low into the western sky, the clouds conspired to paint a gorgeous skyscape. The nearly full moon was already high overhead.

Fuzzy and Christina flash across the trail

Progress was quick as the riders passed through the forest. A variety of birds chirped and squawked as the entourage passed. There was concern about being visible in sections of the ride that were technically “illegal”. This concept creates some mind bogglement when applied to the reality of the situation. There is concern with some that bikes don’t mix well with pedestrians and horses, both “legal”. But the reality for the Bikin’ Fools on this lovely evening was that there were no others out there. (editorial note: bikes do less damage than pedestrians while horses can completely trash a trail)

Fuzzy leads into the enchanted forest

The sun set in magnificent fashion. A lovely palette of hues in the purple/orange range frazzled the vision. The afterglow provided some lumens while the Lady of the Night became the guiding light. The unusually clear evening allowed the moon to be uncommonly bright. The trail became a shining path. A mystical quality crept into the ride. The riders had again slipped the surly bonds of normality and would spend the next couple of hours reveling in the joy of this esoteric activity.

On top of the world

The descent down the exposed slope worked out perfectly. The daylight was gone, no one could see the trio from a distance. The miles vanished until the bottom of the long descent. Another mile or so put the riders at the campground. Now the group was “legal”. It was time for dinner. At a spot near the crashing waves of the ocean, the three plunked down on the beach and ate food. It was not the usual gourmet offering, just basic fuel and an excuse to pause and soak up the energy of the moment. The wind was very calm and there was no fog. It was a special dispensation for the bikin’ event.

Exclusive oceanside seating for dinner

With fuel in the bellies, the trio proceeded for the next couple of miles on the level road towards the ranger’s house. Friendly banter and easy riding conspired to create a pleasant mode of wheeling. The ride proceeded to the next choice of trails. Thus far Fuzzy’s navigation had been spot-on. Now the trail began to rise from sea level. At first mild, then it became steep. Only the most hardy could clean all of the challenges in the narrow single track. This group was too laid back to even try all of it.

Narrow bridge warrents caution

Eventually the trail mellowed and riding was easy, fun and rewarding. Several sections tunneled through thick stands of trees blocking much of the light. There were some opportunities to “ride into the void”. Before it was expected, the trail exited the woods and dumped out into a parking lot along Limantour road. It was late enough that there were no cars. The trio rode easily back to Balboa.

It's gettin' kinda dark in here...

It wasn’t planned as a moonride, however the circumstances aligned to create an event that far exceeded the original concept. For Christina it was a first. She was ushered into the realm of La Luna in a very kind and gentle way. She never faltered or hesitated to go with the flow of the luxurious lumens offered by the Matriarch of the Night. It is so cool to find treasure when one isn’t looking for such. The group only expected a night ride. Instead they were treated to a special event, an occurrence that happens when the conditions are just right. From the experience pregnant with goodness, a Fool was born.

The newly baptized Bikin' Fool