Water Music

Early in the week it seemed as though discordant influence might sour the interest in the moonride. Dr. J. was hampered with a broken thumb, Linz and Shawn were sporting tweaked bikes and others hadn’t voiced any preferences. Yet there was a glimmer of hope. Michel was back from Europe and Sebastian indicated he might drive down from Portland. As the hour drew nigh, more riders volunteered for the evening excursion. In all, ten riders and the durable dog, Azul would romp into the evening, abandoning most of the rules that constrain the spirit.

Crew prepares for adventure

Grant would break a several year moratorium and rip the Heckler across the landscape. The Castle family was well represented with Lucy, Morgan and Azul. Eric was on hand to take pix and Jim K. wowed the fashion world, sporting Fuzzy Duds. There was confusion and debate about the ride route. Eric and Jim had pretty much settled on another KVR run, a ride that puts the pack high in the coastal mountains. Yet two riders were harboring injuries, Mike with boogered thumb and Linz with a pretzeled back. The consensus called for a softer, more gentle ride. Water would soothe the aching souls.

The mob gathered at the shop and began preparations for the evening. It was two days before the official full moon. The radiant orb appeared large and rotund just before the sunset. Revelers chowed down on a variety of food items before the ride. It was not an evening for a fire. Eventually the ten riders and four paws gathered in two vehicles and reconvened at the start of the ride. The first part of the event carried the riders on pavement. The moon was well into the night sky as the riders began to circle the lake. Only a few cars passed, no doubt wondering why this mob of cyclists would be out so late without lights.

Bikin' Fools ease into the ride

At a certain point, the ride departed the main thoroughfare and headed towards the nearly level counterpart on the other side of the water. There was mutiny in the ranks about where to cross the short piece of terrain. The Lemming Effect guided eight of the ten further down the pavement, while Mike and Jim decided they were impervious to massive thicket, berry bushes and impenetrable brush. While the lucky eight managed to stumble onto the easy way, Mike and Jim became seriously entangled in the hearty vegetation that lines the lake’s water.

Mike and Jim are totally immersed in nastiness

Eventually the two made contact with the awaiting others. The ride would continue with ease and experienced only fun and pleasant riding, at least until the end. The trail was smooth and nearly level. The hills were only a matter of ten or twenty feet tall. Finally the smooth jeep road turned to pavement. The group paused to take a break while Jim fixed a flat. The crowd was strewn over the pavement in a variety of relaxed positions, at least until lights appeared in the distance. A quick scramble occurred to get off the road while the car approached and turned just before the group. It hesitated as if to get a better look at this questionable group in the night.

With the tire fixed, the riders proceeded to the next checkpoint. It was time to take an extended break, mac on food and enjoy the serene beauty of the moonlit night. The temperature was pleasant and the sky remained clear. There was only a slight breeze in open areas. The food offering was subdued because of the no-fire situation. Food consisted of munchies, mostly carried by Michel, the Rolling Deli. Linz brought spicy, cold chicken that he would need to propel himself across many bonus miles of riding.

Bikers enjoy the Rolling Deli

The riders gathered their goods and again rode into the night. The moonlight was beautiful on the water. The magic rays shimmered and danced before the brilliant La Luna. For several miles the cyclists ripped across the landscape. The riding was accommodating and easy. The trail offered no resistance and no tricks. The only stack of the night occurred early on when Shawn tried to push a monster gear on the pavement, only to have his foot come out of the cleat and propel the hapless lad over the handlebar. He actually traveled for an impressive distance while imitating Superman stretched out on the bars. Eventually he was forced to continue over the bars and to the pavement. Only slightly daunted, he continued.

The finale was a spectacular, huge half-pipe obviously designed more for mt. bikers than for carrying water. This feature allowed the more enthusiastic riders to romp up and down the sides. At a certain point, it was necessary to scale the steep side and gain access to a bridge. A large gate slowed travel while the crew handed bikes over the ten foot tall obstacle. There was concern about getting the dog over this challenging feature until someone noticed that it could be opened. The crew filtered down the road to the waiting vehicles.

Scaling the Glory Wall

“Is everyone here?” Someone asked.

“Where’s Lindsey?”

“Last time I saw him, he was eating chicken.” Someone else replied.

Uh oh!

The end for all but Lindsey

After a somewhat extended period, a rescue team headed back. Mike and Sebastian would retrace the steps and try to find Linz. The others waited in various states of repose. Minutes passed. Occasionally someone would whistle or shout. No answer! A cell phone call produced no results. Nearly an hour later, while some slept on the pavement, the hum of mt. bike tires could be heard in the distance, then closer and finally Linz appeared. Concern that he may have perished vanished as he explained making a wrong turn at the end of the road.

All turned out well. The variety of notes joined to create a beautiful symphony of harmonious fun. The riders would still be home at a reasonable hour. The ride was planned as sub-epic and still managed to bump the funnometer into the crescendo zone as the ten people and Azul played joyfully in the soft luminescence of the gracious lady of the night.

Azul, ever faithful