Crashes are never fun, they’re even less fun when they result in forced time off the bike. Just over a week ago now, on my Saturday morning rip, I managed to ball it up coming down the middle section of the Black Mountain Trail. I know there is some confusion as to which section of Black is the middle section. The section I’m referring to is the section between Buckhorn Gap and Pressley Gap. Realistically, upper Black is between Club Gap and Buckhorn Gap, middle Black between Buckhorn and Pressley, and Lower Black from Pressley Gap down. However I’ve heard it referred to in a number of other ways. The part I’m referring to is just below where Turkeypen Trail comes into Black Mountain trail.

This is a section of trail that is unapologetic, steep, demanding, and oh so much fun. My plan for the day had been to climb 477, go up Club Gap Trail, and ride Black gate to gate from the Club Gap end. I was hoping to hit the top of Clawhammer Mtn, the first knob in the middle section (as described above) at about daylight. That way I’d have actual daylight to descend the gnarly party of Black Mountain.

Things were going as planned, I cleaned club gap, held just enough in reserve to climb Black from Club to Buckhorn clean, something I’ve never been able to do before so that was pretty cool. Then the sun started to come up as I was hiking up middle black. Timing was working out well and I was feeling good. For the most part things were pretty uneventful, until I came around a corner and found a backpacker’s camp and dog. The dog was not impressed to see me there. He barked, I about soiled my chamois, it was a good time.

Shortly after that I started down, it was damp enough that there must have been a little rain up top, but it was still firm and fast. Feeling pretty good I pushed a little bit. Through a few of the tricky spots and I’m starting to feel pretty smooth. Then just after one of the little rooty drops, I relaxed for a second, before I knew it I was looking straight down at the trail, then up at my bike. I went over the bars after hitting….I’m still not sure.

It had been a long time since I’d gone over the bars. I took inventory, everything worked, knees cut up, elbow cut a little, shin hurt, but all and all it seemed like things were ok. I didn’t spend a lot of time there, I got back on the bike and sort of picked my way the rest of the way down to Pressley gap. No matter how I got home from here it was going to take me a few minutes so I decided to finish out my plan and head down Black. I actually came around and rode ok.

I got home and cleaned up, the cuts weren’t too bad, I had some other bumps, scrapes, but all of that wasn’t too bad. My shin however was pretty painful and swollen. I took Sunday and Monday off, Tuesday I did an easy road ride. Wednesday I got out and rode Maxwell to Lower Black, it was sore, but really didn’t feel too bad. Riding wasn’t really any worse than walking. So Thursday I went out and did a night right, 477, club, Buckwheat, Bennett, and honestly it didn’t hurt much while riding, however it bothered me like a toothache all night. Friday I did an easy ride but ended up riding the cargo bike that evening, again, the leg kept me up most of the night.

I decided I’d take Saturday off and see how a day off felt, I was able to sleep a little better Saturday night but still not great. I decided I’d go ahead and take Sunday off too. Taking an entire weekend off from riding isn’t something I’ve done in a while. I really enjoy riding my bike and it does a lot for me. I’ve got to travel this week for work so I’m thinking that I may try and take a few more days off and hope this heals up.

It’s not often I’m not active for 5-6 days at a time. I’m not sure how people do it, it’s only been a few days so far and I’m already kind of going stir crazy. Anyhow, here’s hoping it’s just a deep soft tissue bruise or a mild bone bruise and not  some sort of Fracture or something else that’s going to sideline me longer. ( I fractured my fibula in high school, which had eerily similar symptoms to this but I’m really hopeful that’s not the case here).