I awoke to a beautiful sun shining through my bedroom window, it was around 7:36am. I knew it was going to be no good turning over in bed and trying to catch a few more Zzzz's, my throat was sore and I just didn't feel too good at all, aww great wor Kyle has given me his cold, the little git. Not to worry though, it hadn't escalated to man flu quite yet so I hopped out of bed and set about preparing myself and my gear for a little adventure.
I had washed both my Sandman and Ibis yesterday when I came in from work, my Sandman usually gets a thorough washing anyway, however my poor Ibis has been left mucky for weeks, not by me I hasten to add, no I let my son Kyle borrow her and he just put her away dirty and accidentally on purpose never got round to cleaning her. I don't know these kids don't mind using and abusing your gear, however when it comes to cleaning repair and maintenance they are no where to be seen.
So it was decisions, decisions ah what the hell I really love being out on my Sandman so my poor Ibis will have to wait until another day.
As I wasn't feeling to flash I decided to just have a look along towards Craghead and Fox Parrot wood. I had shot a video early in the year when there was quite a bit of snow down and thought I would see what it was like now on the ground. As I rode through Craghead and towards Fox Parrot I passed a sign, well more of a decorated post really, that the local council have put in place. Strange how you can live somewhere yet miss certain things. "Mmmm" wonder where this leads I thought. So I did a "U" turn and headed off down the dirt path, which ran alongside what looked like some allotments. "Ooh" I thought this might make for the start of my video, so I set about getting my GoPro ready,fastening it to my camera grip. I went to tighten the grip to a nearby fence and "snap"..."aww crap" I snapped the darn adjustment handle...Ah well can't use that, so popped it back in my backpack. Plan B I then went toattach my GoPro to my Gorilla Pod. It was then I realised I hadn't put the longer threaded bolt back so had to nick one from the GoPro handlebar mount I had in my bag, it wasn't as long and was a right fanny on to get it tightened up. Never mind I got it sorted. Also noticed my Gorilla Pod was keep falling over as it's been used that much in all types of weather the plastic knuckles are kind of worn out through dust,dirt n grime getting in the joints.
Eventually I started getting a few bits n bobs of footage. My plans being I'll ride down this trail and it should come out at the edge of Fox Parrot wood...I mean I'm heading in basically the right direction.
Well errr yes I was going in more or less the right direction as I followed this trail which got narrower and narrower I then discovered why the trail was getting kind of hard to see, it was because it was right on the edge of this huge drop off the side of this embankment and no I'm not exaggerating,when I say huge I mean a lonnnnnnnng way down. Obviously by now I was offf my bike and pushing, which was really difficult to do as the trail was probably a little less than a foot across and at certain points I was 6 inches away from this drop. I was proper scared so much so I could actually feel my adrenaline pumping through my veins, especially at one point when my leg slipped and I had to fall into my bike on the upper side of the trail. It was at this point I was thinking I really hope there isn't much further to go. Of course I was wrong and there were a few more hairy moments.
Eventually I came to this bit in the trail that I just wasn't happy about at all. It was this huge piece of rock that looked as if it had come off the hillside, yet hadn't fallen all the way down the side of the bank side. It looked in a very dangerous position and I had visions of me going between it and another piece of rock which was on the other ide of the trail and it coming crashing down and either amputating my other leg or taking me off the side of the hillside. It's weird what you can freak yourself out with, with an over imaginative imagination, but hey saying that I once read a book about a guy who got his arm stuck whilst canyonering and eventually had to cut his own arm off to get free. I then thought, "hey if I get my Bartlett Tendon stuck under that rock I'll be gutted".
So it was a deep breath and a quick side step along with my bike past the rock, Pheww!!! glad i'm past that I thought, (even though I actually had to go past it a few more time to get some pics for you all...wow how brave am I ?). It was then that I realised my battery was flat in my camera, so I swapped it for my spare which I carry, dam it that one was flat too. Boy I sure am not having a good day.
I continued on along this trail, lifting my bike and a certain points even dragging it or pushing it ahead when the trail was to narrow, until I came to a section of woodland which I clambered through. I was able to eventually head up the hillside and came out into the field near Fox Parrot wood. You will see me pushing my bike up and over the incline on my video, man I was knackered.
At this point I wasn't feeling none to good and thought to myself I knew I should have stopped in, this actually feels like I've developed man flu so headed home...
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