Beware of those trails. . .

Here are three recent posts from what has been an eventful last two weeks.

On August 4^th

So the week leading up to my wrist surgery has been great. Good work. Visible progress and fun riding. Until I managed to go over the bars of my mountain bike at the top of the descent to THE WALL. We had been through it once and although it takes some balls and bike handling skills, I was confident in round two.

Anyway, bars caught tree, forward motion suddenly and negatively altered, and it was airborne for me. After what seemed an eternity, I came to rest as suddenly as I took flight, on my left shoulder blade and back. My bike is fine! However I sustained some minor road rash and small cuts, a dislocated finger and a grade 3 separation of my left clavicle. If I remember correctly. Sent home with drugs. I wouldn’t permit the jersey to be cut off @philgaimon but it took some bad words to make it slide off.

So, for now, I am out of every game in town. Don’t know if I am seeing Edward Scissorhands on Friday now either. Oh well.

I also want to give big shoutout to my pal THE CRUSHER @ccpenno and his family ( @k_penno , @z_penno & @b_penno ) who got me off the trail and to the hospital.  Many thanks for your friendship and aid. @thesportsmastersgroup @velofix

On August 9^th

Five days post-accident, I decided to return to the scene of my destruction to get some pics and see if I remember it as it really is. Honestly, I don’t think the pics do it justice. In the pics it looks extremely wide open and it mostly is, but what you can’t get is the sense of speed.

Regardless of what speed you enter this section of trail at, you immediately head over a rolly section that puts you into your right handed descent. This right hander drops you through and up to the left hander at the tree. The trail at the tree is much more open than I remember it but with speed and a lack of familiarity, it could feel more imposing than it really is. There are two lines you could take here. One to the right of the tree and one to the left (going below) the tree. Immediately after the right turn and the swoop up to the high side of the tree to make the left hander, you drop down the hillside and through some more rollers and into the “Wall Street Banked Turn”.

I had made it through this once, but on the second go I clearly mishandled the bike and went over the bars while making the left at the tree. While I have done a great deal of riding over my lifetime, my experience is mostly road. This accident could have been preventable and is clearly my own fault. Absolutely a case of “too much trail, on too little experience”. Some lessons are harder to learn than others I guess. Anyway, despite one dislocated finger, some road rash, tons of bruising and a grade 3+ acromioclavicular separation; all is good. I will ride this again, but with a little more caution next time.

On August 19^th

So, two weeks post injury I managed to get in to see the same orthopaedic surgeon that fixed up my left knee about 18 months ago. Edward “Bone Tomahawk” Scissorhands.

New radiographs reveal that the clavicle is further displaced and that it is also fractured (although not displaced). He indicated that all three major ligaments supporting my clavicle, scapula and shoulder are likely partially torn and one or two may be fully torn.

For now, we wait for the MRI and, if it reveals that the rotator cuff and labrum of my shoulder are fine and there is no other mechanical or functional deficiencies, then there is nothing to do. Time will tell the tale.

Anyway, all the best. Scoob.