80
MOUNTAINLIFEBLUEMOUNTAINS
SUMMER2016
It always surprisesme
that I can’t getmy friends to godownhill
mountainbiking.These are friendswho love the sport.They rideThree Stage
tri-weekly.Theybuild trails.Theyobsess about bike components, they go to
mountainbike premieres and read all the latestmagazines. But theywon’t come
downhilling at BlueMountain.They think it’s toodangerous.
But it simply isn’t true.
ThenewestDH trails atBlue are green runs.Thinkof them as the equivalent of
skiingHappyValley in thewinter.Easypeasy.Anyonewhocan rideabikecan learn
to ride the green trails. (I dare anyone tonot have fun ridingdown theGroove.)
So for guyswho rideThree Stage religiously, these trails are a cakewalk (I keep
saying guys, but I’m talking about those ladies out there, too).
The real shame is that all of these peoplewould love downhilling.They’d love
every secondof it.They’re all friends I ski with. Peoplewhowhoopwith joy
over twopowder turns on the edge of a ski run. Peoplewhowouldwhoopwith
that same glee on the first bermonEmbryo.
I always try to entice them. “Youknow there’s a lift, right?” I say. “Which
takes you to the topof the hill over andover again? So you just spend all day
going downhill?”
But it’s nouse. It’s totally ridiculous, but it seems I need to spell it out for
people. Sohere goes.Consider it the life lessonof theweek. It’s something
that is just plain fact. Itmight be the truest thing you learn allmonth: going
downhill on a bicycle is fun.
I always try toentice them. “Youknow there's
a lift, right?” I say. “Which takesyou to the
topof thehill over andover again?Soyou just
spendall daygoingdownhill?”
MARC LANDRY/BLUEMOUNTAINRESORT
