Every spring (since I've been back on a bike), I make a mental goal to go out and ride a couple of new mountain bike trails, areas I have not been to before. It's been pretty easy these first couple of years, seeing as everything is pretty much new to me. Other than Hartmann Creek State Park, where we've camped on a couple of occasions, everything I've ridden has been pretty local. Camrock is the closest and my most frequent destination. The Southern Kettles is the likely destination if I'm not going out to Camrock.

That is about it for my regular mountain bike haunts. Nice trails, but a list that needs to be greatly expanded. Saturday I did just that. Stopping at the Northern Kettles outside of Greenbush on the way to pick up the missing (not missed) children.

I grew up in the area and cross country skied at the Northern Kettles frequently during high school. I even biked there once in the mid/late 90's when all you could ride were the ski trails. Quite different now, and even more punishing than I remember. Nine miles of singletrack fun. Almost always up or down, and either smooth and flowing or rocky as hell. Killer climbs, rocky descents, but otherwise not terribly technical. Came out of the woods dripping with sweat, heart ready to explode. The last climb was brutal.

Bel at the Northern Kettles

I have not put much time in on the mountain bike this year and it's ridiculously obvious. Not necessarily by my riding ability, but in my confidence. I have none, I'm sure in large part due to my fall this spring. After the nine mile jaunt, the only real sore part of me were my hands. Must have had a pretty good white knuckle death grip on the bars for much of the ride.

Fortunately, the only way I know to gain confidence on the bike is to ride it.  And I intend to do more of it the remainder of the year.