Mountain Biking

Since my daughter's birthday came soon after my father in law passed away, we were too busy to do some of what we had planned for celebrations. One thing which we missed was taking the day off from work/school to do something fun together. Wednesday was the make-up day, and after a leisurely breakfast we loaded up the bikes and headed down the road to Schaeffer Farms in Montgomery County. The Princess has ridden off road a bit on the back of the tandem, and has lots of miles of the C&O tow path under her belt, but hadn't really ever done a 'real' trail on her own. Schaeffer is much more beginner friendly than anything found in Frederick County. We couldn't have asked for a better day to ride. There was only one other car in the parking lot, meaning we had the trail pretty much to ourselves. The weather was glorious. I let her choose what loop and she decided on the White. Off we went. It may be a proud dad talking, but she ROCKED! The little wheels on the Mountain Lion made some logs stop her short, but she tried more than I expected. No fear on the water crossings and she attacked the hills like a pro. The only problems were extended rooty sections and the whoop-te-doo up-and-downs along the orange trail where there was a small crash. No problem though. We walked a couple of climbs too, but she again went farther than I expected. She was getting pretty beat by the end of the loop though. I have GOT to figure out a way to get his kid a a decent bike. The Missus balks a little at the projected cost$. Anyway, post ride we hit a nearby playground, followed by a take out late lunch at that scottish restaurant (McSometing or other), eaten while watching aircraft take off and land at the Frederick Airport. Beats working any time.