On October 25-27 we tried something that we have never done before. 2nd Mile Adventures has had a mountain bike trip in the Fall for many years now. In the last couple of years we have had a group of off road motorcycle guys heading out in the Spring and Fall as well. This year we tried a combined trip that would allow the two groups to camp together and ride the same trails on Friday, before the mountain bikers hit some singletrack on Saturday. At least that was the plan. God had some other plans for the weekend. We headed to Wayne National Forrest in Southern Ohio for the weekend of adventure. We were standing around the fire on Friday morning talking about the day ahead of us when a park employee joined our group and gave us the low-down on the trails. Before he left he said that everything he told us may go out the window with all of the rain we were going to get. Needless to say, he was correct. It rained soon after leaving the parking lot to ride and did not let up until sometime late at night when it turned to intermittent rain showers.
Friday turned out to be a very wet day and the mountain bike guys were rewarded with worn out drivetrains and in one case a broken frame. The multi-use trails were clay covered in some areas with a fine gravel and stone. These tend to collect on bike frames, gear clusters and brakes. The motorcycle guys had some challenging times in the rain as well, but had a blast. The trails were not as technically challenging as they had hoped, but they covered a lot of ground and enjoyed the time together. At the end of the day Friday, someone said it best when they said that they felt as thought they got two days of riding in one. We were all more than a little worn out. Given the condition of our bikes, many of us were not even sure that our bikes would function for a second day of riding, but decided to see what the night and next day may bring us. Well, you guessed it, it brought more rain. We ended up calling it and heading back with the bikes after breakfast on Saturday. The motorcycle guys made necessary repairs and headed back out for another fun day on the trails.
When God sends us curve balls like insane weather, those trips tend to be the ones that build strong bonds and great memories that are talked about for a very long time. We had a good time around the fire (and under tents at times) talking about our theme of Legacy for the upcoming 2019 year. I shared my testimony of how God invaded my life and brought me to trust in Him. We also talked about what it looks like to leave a Spiritual legacy rather than a personal one. We want people to look at our lives and remember Jesus, not us. It looked like a messy trip (and it was), but I trust that you consider making memories with us in the near future.