N(ice) night ride

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We got together for another night ride this tuesday and decided to test our luck with Palmer Park. The trails there are ususally pretty clear, so we figured that it would be a safe place to ride. The weather was cold, but clear and there was a lot of moisture in the air. To add to the fun of a night ride with the girls, Tracy H had her brand new Giant - maiden voyage time!

We headed up to the top of the mesa via one of the easier trails. There was some cruchy snow, but nothing really bad. It was looking like a good choice for a ride. Once on top of the mesa, we meandered around, finding nothing but dry trails. I took lead for a little and headed down one of the more technical side trails. Halfway down a descent that I've cleaned hundreds of times, my whole bike just slide out from under me. The trail was nothing but a sheet of ice, covered in a fine layer of dust. I avoided hitting any big rocks and slid down the rest of the descent. That was our first indication of what most of the trails would be like. Once we realized that there was a lot of ice hidden under a little layer of sand, we were a lot more careful. Everyone slid out at least twice because of the ice, but other then some bruised egos - no injuries. Tracy H had the best crash near the end of the ride. Her bike just felt over and she slid nearly five feet on the ice. Luckly, the bike was just fine!

Other then the ice, it was a great ride. It's so quiet riding at night - there is no distraction from the trail and how you feel on the bike. Having a good group also makes it fun.

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