MTK MBK (Montauk Mountain Biking)

As summer waned, Lizzy and I dropped Julie, our daughter, at college. Like any normal 19 year-old, she was much more interested in re-connecting with friends then with spending additional time with her parents. Sunday morning we headed to Montauk via three ferry trips: New London to Orient Point followed by quick trips on and off Shelter Island. Driving off the ferry at Orient Point, we found ourselves in the middle of hundreds of riders halfway through the North Fork Century. Even though it was a pleasant day for a drive through beautiful countryside, I would have much rather been out on the bike. As soon as we arrived in Montauk, we met up with Lizzy's brother Ger and his wife Tina. Ger and Tina were out in Montauk for the better part of the week, along with assorted members of Tina's extended family. Ger and I immediately headed out for a ride, letting everyone know that they didn't need to wait for us to start dinner.

Ger and I found some beautiful trails along along a sandy ridge in Shadmoor State Park. We meandered up to the lighthouse at Montauk point using a combination of the road, legal and questionable trails. It was a great warm-up ride.

Monday morning we started at the bike shop to pick up an extra tube and to ask about the best trails. The surly teenager (I'm used to those) behind the counter pointed us towards Hither Woods state park and convinced us to buy a trail map (good idea.) Not having time to ride all 40 miles of the park, I pressed the angry adolescent to recommend his favourite trail. He pointed out "Serpent's Back" and described it as "the Sweetest Trail."

Riding North out of Montauk, we quickly found our way into the park. The trails range from packed gravel roads to nearly hidden single-track; from firm and flat to short, steep climbs. Riding through Laurel Canyon affords a terrific vista across the island out to Block Island Sound. We rode for almost two hours before we came upon the Serpent's back trail.

Not really sure what the malcontent mechanic meant by "the sweetest trail", I was expecting a serpentine trail with many twists and turns. What we found is a nearly straight run from South to North, following a series of steep uphills and fast downhills. I quickly learned that if you wanted to get up the following hill, you first needed to build momentum on the downhill. At one particularly steep downhill, I noticed too late that the bottom was deep sand and down I went. As falls go, fortunately it was more spectacular looking than it felt. Head over the handlebars, I landed flat on my back on relatively soft sand. Since he was behind me, Ger witnessed the fall and knew to take it a little more carefully. With adrenalin flowing, I got back on the bike and enjoyed the remainder of the sweetest trail.

For years I've been trying to convince Ger that he needs to wear his helmet. After the Serpent's Trail, he knows why. I'm confident that he will be with a brain bucket the next time we ride.

Leaving the Serpent's Trail we found a lovely single track along the shore. It was a great way to recover. But since the day was still young, we turned back to the center of the island to find some more hills to climb. My chain decided it had had enough. Fortunately were only a couple of miles from the road, and were able to call Lizzy to come and rescue us. Just another example of how lucky I am!