r.e.b.l.o.g.g.i.n.g.

So it seems that this blog has been pretty quiet as of late.
Not for lack of excitement mind you (well, only partly for lack of excitement. mostly cause I'm lazy). I have all kinds of wacky and wistful adventures which now, because of the blog shortage, will be lost to the mists of time.
But I can share this brief snippit:
A week ago three of us decided that it would be a good idea to ride bikes up to the top of the mountain on which we all live and then race down the other side. Jumping rocks and dodging trees as nature intended. Unfortunately, nature also intended it to rain the proverbial cats and dogs down upon us while we were slowly grinding our way up to the top. So we were soaked. And freezing. And really really exhausted by the time we got to the top.
Now, I have ridden bikes in all kinds of dodgy conditions and all kinds of not-really-a-trail trails, but here in Israel they have a whole new level of unmountainbikable terrain.
How to build an Israeli mountain:
1) start with some clay. Make sure that when it's dry it's just like talcum powder and when it's wet it's just like glue.
2) Add a whole bunch of rocks. All shapes and sizes. now sharpen them. Yes, that's right, just like little knives. perfect. Now, make sure that there are enough rocks that you will never, ever see the clay, until of course you get to the flat portions of the trail. Then the clay should be deep enough to swallow mountain bikes whole. nice.
3) Get it all nice a wet. Of course, this part is optional. But it's just so much more fun this way. Cause the only thing more slippery than a wet israeli rock is a whole pile of wet israeli rocks. And the only thing more energy sapping and bicycle coating to ride through than talcum powder is wet talcum powder. weeeeeee.
4) After you have slipped and slid and skidded your bike through the woods and along the sides of cliffs, and followed the trail as far as you could before the mud has coated your chain and caused one of your riding partners to nearly shear off his derailer by putting it through his spokes, turn yourselves around and do it all over again (minus the derailler shearing, except of course now he only has one gear and has to walk most of the way back to the road. in the mud. and across the slippery stones. but at least it's stopped raining).
5) after you get back to the road at the top of the mountain. marvel at how fast the clear skies turn cloudy and begin lashing you and your bikes with rain. awesome.
now you're cold aren't you? of course you are.
6) after surviving the rain and the jagged rocks and the sucking mud, relish the realization that it is all downhill back home. Which is a good thing because 2 of you can no longer pedal your bikes. You may as well stop at the gas station halfway down the hill and borrow their hose to wash of what little mud the rain didn't manage to reach. And while you're there, chat with the nice lady that works there. And if you're nice she'll give you jelly donuts. But only if it's Chanukah.
7) Since it's all downhill home, you can go really, really fast. Even if you can't pedal. It gets even faster when you draft behind the buses. You can't see much, but when they have to slow down for the corners, you can race right past them. weeeeeeee
ahem.
anyone want to come riding this weekend?