Mountain Biking

For his birthday, SUPERSTAR asked if he could invite a bunch of friends to our cabin to go mountain biking. At first I thought, "Sure it's his 16th birthday, that'll be fun." and began reserving the cabin, planning the menu and calling about lift passes, etc. However, the more I planned and thought the more I was freaking out. "Holy Moly! A bunch of teen aged, crazy, dare devil boys on bikes on a steep mountain that scares me when it's covered with soft, fluffy, powerdy snow." I didn't really expect any of them to be timid or even careful. I "tested the waters" to see how SUPERSTAR would respond if I changed my mind and backed out. No good. I had all the parents sign a waiver/liability release form and held my breath.

It turned out to be a lot of fun. I must say that spending time with my son's friends was a great privilege. We had seven boys come (including SUPERSTAR). They all have very different personalities but all are accommodating to each other, have fun with each other, are respectful, gracious and kept us cracking up the whole time.

Here are some pictures of the boys in the "jump park" just down the road from our cabin. I did not go up on the lift-so you don't get any pictures of the BIG hill-you'll just have to imagine that part.

There were several bumps, bruises, limping and blood. The first day several boys returned to the cabin with skinned knees and elbows. I should have bought stock in Band-Aid with the number of boys needing minor first aid.

That night DARLING HUSBAND and I were chatting in the living room, the boys playing X-Box downstairs. While were sitting there the boys all come up wearing bathrobes telling us they wanted to go swimming at the lodge. I whipped out the camera. They were so funny posing and acting so "manly". They said they were starting the "hairy chest man club" I didn't see a single hair on any chest but you can see how they hammed it up. They swam for a while and then could not be persuaded to avoid the weight room. Obviously!

The second day they rode the lift up the mountain. On the first trip down one boy falls and bangs is forearm. The other boys tell me the blood was pulsing from his arm and the bone was visible (later found out it wasn't bone but some kind of layer around the muscles). They tore his shirt and wrapped it until they could get down to the first aid station at the resort. DARLING HUSBAND was there as he was being bandaged up. The medic cleaned and covered it but said he would need to go the the hospital in town to have it stitched up. SUPER'S FRIEND was not happy about this. He said, "Can't you just wrap it up good enough so I can keep riding. I'll get stitches when I get home." Ah, NO. DARLING HUSBAND took him and another friend (limper) to the emergency center. Eleven stitches later they were on their way back home.

Being there with the rest of the boys I was ready to get going. I figured the longer we stayed the greater the chance of another injury happening and I was running out of Band Aids. Yikes!

We left about 2 hours earlier than planned. I know, I'm "such a girl."