Ride after a rainstorm

It was a fun ride, but a wet one. It was the sort of fun that required us to smile with lips pressed together – to keep the dirt and mud out of our teeth.

And by the end, all that was dry on me were the things in my Trail Dog pack. At least that was one concern that never even crossed my mind while riding in the rain.

It was all pretty perfect, really. It was a ride that felt as special as a powder day in the winter.

Lucky for us, we waited out the lightning and the worst of the rain in the truck, at the trailhead. We had only gotten a few pedal strokes in before losing the courage we started with as the air seemed electric.

It was a wise choice, and not just for the safety. Through the delay, the trail was only getting better.

Because, the rain from the storm was turning the leftover mid-summer moon dust into some awesome autumn Playdough. It also brought the temperature down from soul-melting to pleasant. And there certainly wasn’t a crowd.

So, we pedaled up as far as we could before the next round of weather began to seriously threaten. And then we turned around and dropped in on a ripping descent.

The trail was just what you would hope for. The traction was amazing, and that led to some extra speed – and some extra fun. You could push through the turns and the wiggles without fear of slipping or blowing out.

It was just so good.

There is a reason riders like to call that sort of dirt, ‘heroic.’

Breathless, soaked, smiling and giddy, we finished the ride feeling the best sort of high.

And it seemed like Nature had found its way into a similar mood.

With a last look back at what we had ridden as we were driving back to town, the elements put on a colorful little celebratory show of their own – like Nature was having just as much fun as we were.

That scene outside looked just like we felt inside.