"HELP!!!!!"

Jo and I went for a late afternoon ride (in snow flurries) today up Chimney Gulch and down Enchanted Forest and Apex in Golden, CO. About half way up Chimney Gulch there is a pull off on Lookout Mountain Road where lots of tourists congregate and walk 100 yards up the trail to be in "nature". I stopped at the pull off to put on my arm warmers as the snow was getting a little cold against bare skin, meanwhile Jo kept going. Just up the trail from the pull off I encountered a pack of over-weight, mid-westerners. Where they were standing the trail washed out into a steeply angled, off camber rock garden split up into different lines by trees. I normally don't clear this section and started to get off my bike to give way to the hikers, but as I did that the crowd came alive with cheers of encouragement. "You can do it", "Go, go, go" they chanted at. (Now I felt bad for thinking they were over-weight)

Not wanting to deprive them of a show and possible carnage I accepted the challenge. The problem was that an already hard section of trail was made almost impossible by my portly new friends standing in all of the good lines. I picked a lower line first and then had to bunny hop up to a higher line to avoid one. Somehow it worked out, but then my rear tire stalled on a root. For a split second I thought I might tumble off the edge into the abyss, but I managed to power out of it and rode off. I waived a victory salute as my audience cheered and tried to catch Jo.

She had a good lead on me, but I caught her near the top of the climb. She let me go ahead as the trail descended over a boulder and climb a short section to the top. I was just settling back into climbing mode when I heard the unmistakable sound of rubber and metal sliding on rock followed by "Help, Help!!" I could see through the trees that Jo had took a spill on the boulder, but couldn't make out any detail. I got off my bike and spent a few seconds moving it off the trail as her screams got more deliberate. Forget the bike I thought and started running towards her. As I did the tree branches gave way to the gravity of the situation.

Jo was dangling off the top of a 15 foot rock wall clinging with both hands to some loose roots on top. Even worse, her bike was dangling below her the saddle hooked miraculously on her foot. My adrenaline kicked in and I ran full speed thinking I have to grab her hands before she falls. As dove to grab her hands she screamed for me to grab her bike. What?! "Get the bike! I'm fine, GET THE BIKE!!" she yelled. How she managed to catch her saddle with her foot and tediously balance the bike on it as she went over the edge, I don't know. It looked like something out of an action movie or a cartoon. I tried not to laugh as I struggled down the rock wall to grab the bike. I got it and hoisted it up to the trail and then pulled her up. Then we both collapsed in laughter.

She's got a true mountain biker's attitude - Forget about me, hows the bike??