Well, You ScrAtch It.....

That's what you do with an Itch.

I had one bad, real bad. 

 Been festering as a matter of fact.  

Bubbling up inside my internals waiting to bust at the seams.

Emotionally 2008 has been the Mother of All Mothers and It has been TAXING to say the least. When I reflect on the journeys and adventures I have had, just this year alone, it blows my mind.

Slowly but surely everything had been coming to a head.  I must admit that going thru all I have gone thru this year, on top of being the Chief of my own Clan, on top of working long days, on top of all this talk on the TV and news about the economy, on top of the potential chaos that could be ensuing in the pending months; I have felt the urge to cut the cord that attaches me to this known dimension and surrender to a quest for a vision.

In case you didn't know that's the medicine you take when you feel what I have been feeling.  You go out there and you climb the mountain and you seek your vision.  Traditionally it is referred to as a vision quest and I needed one bad.  

Since I was a child the Mucaro has looked after me.  Coincidentally enough the Mucaro still does. It is true I am racing the Double Dare, most likely I am in WAY over my head, it will be equivalent of doing two 12 hour races with a 6 hour break.  It will be the hardest thing I have ever attempted to do by bicycle, it is my destiny to fight this battle vs. nature.

Luis, invited me to go up to Pisgah Forest on a trip.  I know enough to trust in Luis and the last time I was there I got cooked pretty good.  So the chance to go back was too hard to resist, AND, I was going to get a chance to do some scouting and self evaluation before the Impending ordeal that laid ahead.  In short I was not going to miss a trip to the mountains.  I simply LIVE for the mountains.  My ancestors were mountain people and the hunger to be up there is too hard to resist.

It took what seemed forever to get there.  I did my best to stay awake, but I dozed off here and there.  We were the second group at the camp and we were able to pick a pretty good spot.  On the way up we had talked about the group and the amount of people we expected and that was pretty much it.  After breaking camp

 and getting some food in our stomachs, I decided to lay down for awhile and rest up before the Black Mountain night ride.  I love our new team kits, and I wanted to wear my kit that evening cause its super comfortable.  I may have looked a little racer x, but I was on a mission.

See, there are only three known ways to achieve a level of consciousness that differs from the one we normally exist at:

Traditionally the plan was to starve yourself for days on end.  Some Nations did 3 days no food or water.  Some did longer, like my ancestors, they did 6 days no food, very little water.  No sleep, no nothing, eventually, you transcend.  You cease to exist in this level of consciousness and the universe advises you and guides you and gives you some great lesson.

Another way is to take psychotropic substances, natural from the earth plants and herbs that could take you to another level rapidly.

The final way is thru extreme physical exertion.  Push yourself to a point of physical exertion beyond your normal limit.  Venture confidently and comfortably into the realm of your unknown and undiscovered potential.  You can either explode and suffer and then travel, or you could reach a place that you never have reached before where you feel impervious to anything.  

As the group finally got together and we made our way up the Mountain, I had the urge to GO.  I mean, I wanted to GO, I wanted to pull the pin out of my grenade toss it into my legg chambers and see what would happen. So when we hit Clawhammer, I hammered.  

And it worked out for me.  I stood and pedaled for a long time.  Got into a very comfortable and swift pace and just settled in.  Rode with people, rode alone, rode into a group, got passed, passed back, laughed, felt nothing but extreme Joy.  The climb up Clawhammer turned from an exercise in physical exertion, to a psychedelic excursion.  I was in simple and perfect bliss, with tiny tears streaming out the corner of my eyes.  

At one point I rolled up on this Bad Ass single speed cat, called Chico, and started talking to him, thinking I had caught up to Luis.  Just as I rode past him and spoke to him, we hit a downhill and I was railing the turns at 20 plus no brakes baby, and kept going.  

Saw the very two people in the front and rode up to them to find out that I indeed had finally caught up to Luis, it was hilarious.  I felt so silly, but at that point I was so giddy from the sheer joy that I was experiencing that I just rode on. 

 

When we finally reached the top we got to sit and chat and enjoy the surroundings and as we got back together we started the slog up Black Mountain.  The plan was to reach the top and catch the Sunset.  I remember going up to the climb someone asking if we thought we would make it and I was sure we would, no reason why not.  

As we started the hike a bike, there was such a feeling of pilgrimage; as together we trudged thru the woods to the top.  WE rode and WE hiked and we laughed and we joked, it was wonderful.  At the top, my new friends broke out some Sailor Jerries and some Yuenglings, it was bad ass.  Here I was with a breathtaking vista

 searing my eyeballs, sharing a Yuengling with SAMMY!!!!  These were definitely my kind of people and the rest of the weekend, when I wasn't having psychedelic visions, was spent full of joy and laughter.

After the ride, and after chatting it up with some of the coolest people I have met in a long time, I went to bed.  I heard Rob speaking about the impending epic and I thought it would be better if I slept.  So I crashed early.  Got up and ate and prepared and off we went.  Up Clawhammer again.  We decided it would be good to get up there and sit and enjoy the sun and enjoy the surroundings while we waited for the group to reunite.  It was chilly that morning but I had my wool gear and I felt fine.  By the time everyone had reached the start of Buckhorn gap everyone had lost some layers so it had appeared that I had indeed made the right choice.  

Once we got back together we stayed together and rode thru the various climbs and descents and  hike a bikes, just laughing along the way and having a great old time.   We would rest and chat and laugh and reflect and then roll.  It continued like this till we got to the Fish Hatchery were the others took a chance to fill their packs with water.  I had my 200 oz bladder so I never had to refuel.  It DOES weigh 22 plus pounds, but I don't got to worry about water for 70 miles.   

By this point two people had peeled off due to Everything happening that could happen (well almost everything).  And we decided to head up Cove Creek.  Another hammering good time for me and the others and we got to the top and just enjoyed the ride.  Whether going up or going down, sheer joy.  At the end of Cove creek, I don't know how many peeled off to head back, but all I know it was now down to three, Luis, Rob and I.

"3 is the magic number, yes it is, its the magic number"

We started up this Ridiculous fire road, the mission, Farlow Gap. 

 Luis and I had spoke on it before.  Others have said its one of the most difficult trails out there, all I know is I was feeling froggy and I still had plenty of fight left in me.  So as we hit the road, I was going for it, riding hard, and then it got steeper, and I kept riding,  Rob and I, side by side, and Luis was up there about 100 feet up the road, we still had our eye on 

him.  And then it got steeper, and steeper and then I couldn't see Luis no more 

nor Rob, my legs, after pushing myself hard for Hours and Hours, were DONE

...I felt like I needed a Nap.....

Ate a bar and wished I had some Almonds, and walked for a bit, then got back on the bike, they waited for me, which I appreciated and we kept going, and climbing.  I rolled up a couple of times and Rob and Lu were looking at Map.  Ok, no problem I thought. And boy, them cats can read a map cause at one point Luis said, it should be coming up and it should be downhill all the way to it, and it was.  WE hit Farlow Gap and then it Hit Back.  It turned into a momentous experience.  I was biking and hiking and at one point could smell my brakes burning, the stuff we encountered and the creek crossings created an experience that at the moments when I was Cracked I was hating it, but after I recovered and now in Retrospect I look forward to experiencing it again.

I rode strong and finished strong.  Had my moment of weakness but still came back and finished feeling good.  Mission Accomplished.

Later that night, as we drank and talked and watched as Rob did some sick stunt riding and jumped the fire not once but thrice, I felt a great sense of calm wash over me.  I am now refocused.  2010 is not that far off, its time to toss all aside and convert myself into a day in and day out rider.  The double d will be a great opportunity to find out what I need to do to improve my skills.

Some Musings from the ride:

Who the hell is Sailor Jerry.  I heard that name exactly 237 times in 24 hours(jknot).

There was a member of our Peleton that when descending the mountain it sounded like she was experiencing one of these.

Rob C, Fire rider, Guatu Guaza, is a total Badd Azzz.

I have a distinct mental Image of Rich on his Voodoo SS, climbing past me on Clawhammer, it was great to see him pushing that one gear seated up the mountain.

Luis, is a good friend and I thank him for taking me away.  And, even with weeks of non riding and an injured leg he still climbed ahead of me, YOUR THE MAN NOW DOG...

I met Gabe and Thad, the two fixed geared Jedi Knights and owners of Smoke Bikes.  They were out there doing there thing and they were very generous as well.

Finally, thanks to everyone for their hospitality the entire ZHP Crew, you my friends are welcome in my hood anytime where we could kick it old school.

Laters,

LOS

All photos courtesy of the fire chief himself Rob Fireballs.