Last night I violated rule #1 of mountain biking. Never. Go. Alone.

I went out for an evening (6pm) ride at Nisene Marks State Park [map]. The park is awesome. It’s a quick 15-minute drive to the entrance and it offers over 30 miles of semi-wilderness terrain spanning 2,600 vertical feet. From the southern entrance, you can ride a closed-off fire road until your legs fall off. Last night, I rode for 85 minutes before turning around.

7:35pm. Dusk was setting in. I had 15 minutes remaining in my mostly downhill ride before arriving at the parking lot. The park closes at 8pm. By then, it is dark outside, and near pitch black under the canopy of trees.

7:36pm. I ran over this. A two inch, rusty nail punctured my rear wheel and it deflated entirely within 3 seconds. Knowing I was a short bike ride home, I was not discouraged and simply set off to hike back. Three bikers passed me and offered assistance. I stupidly declined figuring the hike would be a good time to reflect on personal thoughts. Looking back, I wish had asked them to drive back and pick me up.

For an hour, I hiked. Keep in mind that this is cougar territory and signs are posted. I could hear rustling in the background. Bushes were moving. Ok, probably not a cougar, maybe a field mouse or squirrel… but still, you never know. I quickly took out my 4-inch survival knive and held it in my left hand. The bike was having a hard time rolling so I cleverly attached my backpack to the frame, hoisted the entire bike on my back, and proceeded to briskly but cautiously hike out. Darkness fell quickly. For the last 30 minutes of my hike, there were many patches of pitch black darkness - I couldn’t see my own feet. I was confident that I’d arrive safely… but occiasionally, I was concerned that I could be spooked and slip into the adjacent ravine or be attacked outright by a ravenous beast of the night.

Long story short - After an hour of hiking, the first passing motorist of the evening stopped and offered a ride. They were a young couple, kind, and sincerely concerned about me hiking that late at night. Cautiously I took their offer… and 8 minutes later, I was back at the truck.

Looking back, I was prepared. But not enough. I always bike with an emergency kit, survival knife, fire starter, compass, food, and water. If I was 20 miles in and had the same flat tire, I would definitely be spending the night. Next time I’ll be bringing spare long pants & long sleeved shirt, spare tire, pump, and a headlamp. Next time.

Never. Go. Alone.

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 3rd, 2006 at 10:48 pm and is filed under .plan.