Once each summer the Braunberger’s get together and go boating at Pineview and we tag along. We all scrunch into one campsite at Anderson Cove and work on our sunburns playing in the water and lying on the beach. I really like the camp spot we had this year which was right next to the lake.
The kids had fun with their cousins and extended family being pulled behind the boat in the water tube. On the other hand I never stepped foot on the boat this year. I like boating and water skiing sort of; I just had a different agenda then everyone else. While the kids played I rode my bikes to my heart’s content.
Tuesday I buzzed up to Green River, WY to check out the trails Wade is always bragging about and the bike park they built up there. I really enjoyed riding but I will tell ya the higher altitude was kicking my tail end! Before I left I enjoyed a nice lunch with Wade and his lovely wife Carolyn.
Thursday I pedaled my rode bike around Pineview and then for kicks and giggles up to the top of Trappers just so I could come screaming back down that hill. I pushed past my previous speed record of like 38 mph to 42.5 mph. I think I am content with that speed and most likely won’t push that fast again. Visions of bike malfunctions at that rate of acceleration kept flashing through my head.
On Friday Spencer, Keenan and I piled our bikes into the back of Kerry’s truck, dropped my car off at the bottom of Wheeler’s. Kerry took us to the overflow parking at Snowbasin and dropped us off. This was Keenan’s first mountain bike ride and my only opportunity to ride one of my favorite Northern Utah trails this summer. The plan was to ride up to Cold Water Canyon Overlook, back down through Ice Box Canyon, to the bottom of Wheeler Canyon.
After saying good-bye to Kerry we headed out of the parking lot towards Maples campground. Before the gate Keenan asked me if pedaling the bike should be impossible. His rear brake was pinching the rim so hard he could hardly pedal. A bolt was missing and the cables were not properly adjusted. Try as hard as I could there was no fixing the bike with what I had on hand.
We called Kerry and made him bring up Sarah’s bike.
It took a while for Kerry to make it back, needless to say we were very THANKFUL he brought the bike to us. I had so much fun with those boys. It was slow going up but I promised Keenan the view was worth the effort.
Now I have skied with both these boys many a times and they are little speed demons. In fact the last time I was with them I struggled to keep up and I am no slow poke on skis. I just knew this was going to be a great downhill ride. Spencer took off like a bolt of lightning. Keenan, well….. hmmm….. his speed was that of a Sunday stroll through frozen molasses. I am pretty sure I could have beaten him down the hill running. LOL!!! He had no interest in speed on the mountain bike and I had no intention of leaving him behind. So we meandered like a lazy stream with nothing better to do but bubble and gurgle along in the summer sun.
(Disclaimer this is awful video but kinda funny! I was riding one handed trying to film)
He was very apprehensive of the rock gardens, Spencer and I showed him many times how you pick your line and roll through them. He watched, smiled and walked. Before we hit the top of Ice Box he asked. How much longer is this? You could tell he was tired, but ever the good sport! It took us quite a while to make it all the way down.
I stayed with my nephew the entire way. Sometimes I would wait a bit while he rode a head and then catch up as fast as I could or occasionally ride up ahead of him so I could turn around and get a picture of him coming down. Just like I use to do when all the kids were little and we skied together. I didn’t think much of what I was doing because that is what I have always done with the kids. When the ride was over and I was loading the bikes back on the car. Keenan came up to me and said thank you that was fun. I smiled back at him, then next words out of his mouth, “I watch you Aunt Chere’… you are a strong women.”, made me stop. He said this at the exact moment I was lifting a bike on to the rack. My reply was “oh these bikes aren’t that heavy.” “No, when you ride your bike. What you do. You’re a strong women.” What do you say to that?
I smiled and said thanks and hold those words dear to my heart.
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