What a gorgeous day for a mountain bike ride in the green, lush Santa Moncia Mountains.  Joining me for this morning's 16.5 mile ride were Steve, Greg, Reuben, Super Mario (dressed as usual in his parka), Dean, Bruce and a double dose of Rob - Robco and Robro.  On the way we met three new RCY members, Armando, Rosa and Cynthia if memory serves (possibly affected by the incident below - keep scrolling mom).

We rode up Caballero Canyon, doing the first half in the cool morning shade, and the second in the sun as we climbed higher and higher to dirt Mulholland.  everywhere we looked, life was abundant.  Tress, bushes (no, not George and Laura), birds, lizards and lots of pesky flies and insects.  I understand some insects and flies are particularly adept at cleaning out open wounds (still with me mom?).  At the top of the climb we met up with Rob's wife Sheila out for one of her famous hikes.  After a few how do you dos, we were on our way to fire road 30 and the climb up to Hub Junction.

At The Hub we briefly discussed which way we would go and this is where we met our new RCY members.  They joined us as we headed on over the The Foundation (a fire lookout that ironically burned down some years ago) where we had a brief snack (see mom, I do try and eat regularly) before continuing on separate ways.  Just before we left The Hub, Steve teetered off his bike while moving at the breakneck speed of a snail.  Gravity was really rough today.

Yes, it would not be an RCY ride if a little group of dissenters didn't decide to do their own version of our chosen ride, and this is what happened today.  Reuben headed off in a direction that only he knows with our new friends.  The rest of us continued on to the Temescal Ridge for a ride over to the top of Palisades Drive, with some discussion that we might take Palisades Drive down to Michael Lane and take the fire road back up to The Hub.  Don't worry mom, we're getting to the good part.

As we were climbing the single track (mom, that's a narrow trail that is generally only a foot or two wide), we came upon a cool, tree shaded portion of the road, vegetation all around.  Birds were singing their happy little songs.  A butterfly floated gently along the light breeze, it's colorful wings dancing through the spots of light that had snuck through the canopy above.  The sounds and sights and smells or life were all around me.  All was right with the world.  Then my front tire found what no one ahead of me had found - an eroded portion of the road.  My front tire, being bound by the laws of gravity like many of you, had no choice but to drop about 2 feet, throwing me without warning to the trail below.  I did a lovely face plant, cracking my helmet and giving myself a nice lump on my noggin.  And there is a lesson to be learned here.  It's not "if you want a good laugh during a ride, follow Steven."  No.  It's this:  always wear your helmet.  Had I not been wearing it, I'm sure my injury would have been much worse (safety first, right mom?).  The helmet did what it was designed to do and it did it well, by absorbing the bulk of the impact and giving me the opportunity to ride another day.  The best part, of course, is that I get to go out shopping for a new helmet!  Which brings me to lesson number 2:  discard your helmet after it has cracked.  It has done it's job and will not absorb another impact or save you from another lumpy noggin.

Rob and Bruce came upon me lying on the ground and made sure I was alright.  Bruce asked me if I knew who the President of the United States was, and I told him of course, Richard Nixon.  I then got up, dusted myself off, realized I had reinjured my same arm from last week's rear end collision with Steve, got back on my bike and rode on like the moron I am.

We caught the other guys and most of us decided not to continue on to Palisades Drive and up Michael Lane, deciding to head on back the way we had come instead.  Mario and Greg did continue on though and met us later back at the cars and Robro decided to head on down to Trippit Ranch from The Hub and then up Topanga Canyon Pat's to meet his wife, Carol, for a bite.

The ride back was uneventful (you may breathe now, mom) except for Rob's slow motion fall off his bike as he was trying to navigate through a tricky part of the trail (he was not hurt, mostly because Rob is so close to the ground as it is, he actually has to jump up just to fall down), and afterwards, Bruce, Rob, Dean, Steve and I went out to eat and kibitz before heading home.  I iced my head while writing this report, which I guess makes me a real numbskull.  I am now going to jump in the spa again, as I did yesterday, before heading on out for a family day.

I wonder how long it will be before my mom calls me.  There is a pool going at $1.00 per spot, but you've got to place your bets before she calls.  Visa and MasterCard are accepted.

Have a wonderful Sunday and I will see you all soon.

Uncle Louie.