Today was the day my buddy and I were on tap to conduct 6 one hour long
mountain bike demos at the VA 2005 Outdoor Extravaganza. The event is put
on by the Virginia Dept of Game and Inland Fisheries for the benefit of Boy
Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Venture Scouts throughout the state.
I got up at 0530 this morning to drive out and meet K-man at 0645. We drove
another 1/2 hour to the site and made are way to the demo area. We were on
of about 50 outdoor demos being put on for the kids. It had rained all last
night. As we drove by the hundreds of campsites we sort of chuckled at the
clumps of wet, muddy kids huddled around their fires and stoves cooking
breakfast. Little did I know we would wind up looking much worse before it
was over. The morning started nice--Patchy blue sky, warm and a slight
breeze. We were optimistic the day would defy the forcasted 90% chance of
rain. We wound our way down progressivly narrower dirt roads until we came
to a large field with old Army GP tents set up for the demos. Two thirds of
the way down the line was a staked sign in front of a tent announcing
"Mountain Biking". We stopped began unloading. As we unloaded the cars the
previous blue sky disappeared and darkened ominously.
We were immediately glad we'd opted for street clothes and waterproof
Timberlands instead of bike gear. The ground was mucky and wet, not good
for riding at all. Inside the tent was a small table and a bunch of hay
bales for the kids to sit on. I set up one bike on a stand and put another
on a trainer in the tent. K-man propped both his outside against the tent
ropes, one of them connected to the tool trailer. I'd brought all sorts of
tools, parts, and various gear for show and tell. We got everything
arranged and then prepared for the onrush of the kids.
About twenty minutes into the first session the rain hit - hard and heavy.
The bikes outside just sat there getting wet and we confined our activities
to the tent. A tight squeeze, but manageable. We quickly figured out our
show. K-man intro'ed us and the club. I got up and talked safety, basic
maintenence, and basic bike skills. I'd get a few of 'em up on the trainer
and make 'em play around a bit. We changed a tube and showed how to
properly lube a chain and do pre-ride checks -- basic stuff. Once we got
into it, it went pretty smoothly and the kids seemed to enjoy it. K-man
followed me and talked about trail etiquette and proper trail usage. He
told them we get permission to build trails, and showed off the tools while
he talked about trail construction techniques. We left off with a Q&A
session and a plug for Eagle Scout projects to help build trails, bridges
and other support structures.
We broke for lunch at noon and wandered up through the rain to the chow
tent. Along the way we noticed that the crowds were thinning and the road
out of the field was now a muddy stream. We stood and watched as a Dodge
Caravan had to be pulled out of the field by a tracked mini-bulldozer.
That's when it hit me that I'd brought my wife's car that day -- a Dodge
Caravan.
One o'clock came with no scouts for the first afternoon session. We took
the opportunity to investigate ways out of the field. It looked grim. And
the rains kept coming. The ground was saturated. We made the call to pack
it in. There were probably 50 cars in the field and the only way out was
already unpassable. A large chokepoint right before the road that was just
one big watery mud pit. We knew it wasn't going to get any better. We
loaded up the bikes and the gear and headed out. I was stuck within the
first twenty yards. The front wheel drive van was just throwing mud up in
the air whether I was in forward or reverse. A group of scouts and adults
started pushing and I managed to make it about 300 yards before I bogged
down again. I looked behind me and K-man hadn't fared any better in his
Honda.
Another group, seeing it as a challenge, decided to try and push me through
the "lake" at the choke point. They made a valient effort and got covered
in mud for their efforts. At one point, with the window rolled down to talk
to my pushers, I put the car in reverse and cut the wheel spraying myself
and the interior with wet mud. Their efforts got me to the middle of the
bog. Time for the tractor. The tractor backed in and the driver handed me
a chain with a large hook. He looked at me and said "You hook up your own
car and I'm not responsible for any damage." Yeah, whatever. Like I had a
choice. At this point I was standing in inch deep muddy water with another
inch or three of mud below that. I took the hook in hand and realized what
I had to do. Down into the mud to reach under the front end to hook up the
chain. Luckily I had on a rainsuit so I didn't get too soaked, just dirty.
In less than a minute I was out of the field and onto a single lane gravel
road.
I drove up about a mile and parked on dry ground, grabbed a bike from the
back and rode back down the road to see how K-man and his girlfriend were
doing. They were just driving out as I got back to the field. Big grins on
their faces, having made it through the bog without damage.
I drove home, unloaded the gear in the garage and headed off to the nearest
power car wash. Eight dollars worth of quarters to get the van clean. I
drove home to find my wife on the front lawn hosing the mud off my rainsuit.
I stripped my soaked and muddy clothes in the garage and dumped them
directly in the washer on my way to the shower.
Next year I'm bringing extra tubes for emergency flotation. Great
experience, and I'd love to do it again. Hopefully in the sunshine. I
think the kids enjoyed it. They're still out there camping in those same
fields tonight. Last I checked, it was still raining.
Tom