My brother and I decided to climb Rattlesnake mountain yesterday. Short on time, we opted to mountain bike it. Rachel said she wanted to go. I tried to explain to her what she would need to take (it was cold, yet we'd be exerting lots of effort - generating heat) and she was starting to show her teenage know-it-all attitude. We managed to get to the car without choking each other, and drove to the mountain. We started to ride, but I was definitely not cool by telling her "how to ride a bike". We got about 1.5 miles up on the moderate grade, stopping every 50' or so because she'd fall off, get tired, get weeds in her derailleur, etc... Starting uphill is a technique as well. One she didn't want to know about and wouldn't listen. I felt like such a "parent" on this trip. We spent way too much time arguing while Darren waited up ahead. Headstrong and wrong don't mix well together. We opted for plan B, biked down the hill to the Yakima river and followed it for a while. We ended up having fun as long as we weren't trying to climb anything. All worked out well. Rachel's butt is so sore after the ride, but that's how it goes for the first ride in a long time. The day was good, but not without it's glitches! This picture of Darren and Rachel says it all!
