One of Jeff's friends suggested that as their Father's Day gift, they go on an "epic" mountain bike ride. Now, in order to understand just what epic means, you need to know this friend who suggested it. He is in top physical shape, rides every chance he can get, goes to spin class at least twice a week, and LOVES to climb. He is also the nicest man you will ever meet and never makes you feel like you are holding him back. Case in point-the first time we had any interaction with him was on a camping trip where I was 6 months pregnant and our group decided to go on a hike. We were high in the mountains of
Pagosa Springs during thunderstorm season and our group of 6 families (with 13 children aged 6 and under) didn't leave until after lunch. Now, I found this hike in a guide book and didn't really calculate the miles or terrain. This trail was to follow a gurgling creek and lead us to a waterfall. Well, most of us made it to the waterfall-4 miles later. Yes, that meant 8 miles of hiking with small children and we were ill equipped. No rain gear and improper foot wear. The children were not happy. I was also getting annoyed when it seemed that everyone who saw me asked if I was
ok, but after seeing pictures of myself from that trip, they had probably thought I lost my mind. I was HUGE and hiking on a kind of dangerous trail. Anyway, I digress-Stu was a lot faster than most of us and therefore he made it back to the trail head with his family long before the rest of us. He was concerned and walked down the trail to check on our progress. He then did something that we still talk about to this day. Stu would grab a kid, sit them on his shoulders and then
run them back up to the
trail head. As if this were not amazing enough, he would come back and do it again and again until we all made it back. Amazing. So, there is a little background on Stu and how the connotation of the word "epic" applies to a bike ride.
So, knowing that Jeff would be on a bike ride, one of his Father's Day gifts was a new jersey. I wanted to make sure I got a picture of it before it became a torn mess. I also needed a picture in the event Jeff fell off the mountain side and I needed to put up posters.
I waved him off as he rode away in the early morning sun. He was a little nervous but he looked good in his new jersey. I turned around with coffee cup in hand thinking that I needed to charge my cell phone, just in case I had an emergency room call later that afternoon.
This is where my part of the story ends. I took the kids to the pool and spent the rest of the day fighting off damaging UV rays. I read a book, got up and stretched, contemplated making a Starbucks run, thought against it and mediated a few arguments. Jeff text-ed me later to say that he made it back and I told him to come down to the pool and hang out with us. When he showed up, he proudly explained to me how he had donated blood to the trail gods, but that he was in otherwise good shape. He did have one harrowing story of how he came around a corner, misjudged the edge of the trail and took a tumble. He managed to jump off his bike, which was good, because his bike kept going. Stu, being the friend that he is, came back to look for Jeff and they then had to form a human ladder to retrieve Jeff's bike. Why they don't think to take pictures of things like that, I will never know.
