By Leonard Finkel
I love mountain biking, but sometimes it doesn’t love me as much. Over the past weekend, I went out with my biking buddy David Felker to the Elfin Forest. Because I was just getting over some kind of congested crud, we planned to take it a bit easier than normal. That wound up not being the case.
Heading back down the mountain we meandered through a single track trail just above the river. I used to be more daring than Dave, but lately he takes more chances than me. Occasionally I will get off my bike in areas where Dave is still riding downhill, usually over some treacherous terrain. He’s taken a few spills himself.
The trail was very narrow and I approached an area where it was pinched in even further because of a giant tree root jutting out into the trail. As I concentrated on working my way through it, I failed to see a large branch hovering above me. All of a sudden, BOOM! That branch slammed into my helmet, tossing me off the trail, sideways, downward. A bit shaken, scraped and a little bloodied, my bike sat on top of me.
With Dave’s help, I managed to make my way back up to the trail. We took a few photos, including a re-creation of the moment just before my head whacked into the tree. Then back on the road again, where careless me, wound up flying over my handlebars once again. I sure do love mountain biking! I wish it would love me back.
Leonard Finkel is the author of The Secrets to the Game of Golf & Life and former editor in chief of Golf Journeys Magazine. His work has been featured in almost 200 publications including Golf Magazine, Golf Digest, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips and Player Magazine. He has written more than a dozen cover stories for Golf Today Magazine. He has written extensively about golf and travel and has added poker to his writing repertoire. Finkel also works as a marketing and public relations consultant. His specialty niche is writing advertorial copy. Prior to his career in golf, Finkel owned a chain of retail stores and a consulting and import company based in Asia. He attended the University of Utah.