Eagle Mountain Bike Park

On Friday night I recieved a telephone call from Anthony and Gemma, a couple from church with whom I share a love for mountain biking. Their love is older and deeper than mine, and tends to lavish its affection more upon downhill riding than on cross country riding. However, on this occassion they had decided to take a cross country ride at a newly opened to the public mountain bike park at Eagle on the Hill, and invited me along. This place is fantastic, not only in the quality and quantity of its trails and features, but also in its location: only 15 minutes by car from our house! We went for about 3 hours on Saturday morning, and had a great time. Sarah took advantage of my absence by catching up on some much needed rest and knitting 12 new sweaters for our imminently free baby (just kidding).

This is a part of one of the downhill tracks. Absolute craziness. I walked down it with Anthony as he explained the theory of what to do where and when. At this spot the intended action is a high speed jump towards you, dear viewer, off of the rock ramp which you can see in the distance at the center of the frame about 2/3 up from the bottom. This jump would carry you through the air for approximately 25 feet, in between the padded trees, and onto the flat ground at the base of the frame.

Here's Gemma making the final climb back to the parking lot.

Me.

Here's Anthony coming down the backside of a jump.

Gemma showing off some top notch jumping form.