A Weekend in the Life of a Sacred Rides Coach
I
received an email from Mark Baeder, the Lead Guide of Sacred Rides in
California recently, asking if I was interested in helping coach
their women's clinic in the Soquel Demonstration Forest (Demo.) Part
of a week-long mountain bike vacation package, Sacred Rides was
bringing some women from all over North America to ride Demo and they
were looking for someone who knew the forest.
Committing
to three days of riding couldn't be easier, I thought to myself, than
in my backyard. But, on Friday, Mother Nature played a cruel joke on
us and released a torrential downpour shortly after we started, and
didn't let up until I was dropped off that evening. We needed to
reconnaissance, though, as well as maybe vet the new gal—me--out
and ascertain if she can actually ride.
Surviving
Friday was rewarded by a beautiful weekend. Saturday we started the
skills clinic in the parking lot of Demo, with lead coach and
instructor Johanna Weintrager expertly breaking down the many
different skills needed to mountain bike.
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder; Rider Johanna Weintrager
“Its not about the
destination but the journey—we do all of our learning along the
way. I'm basically saying—don't always think so far ahead—but
remember the steps to get there. The final product may be the jump,
but what were the steps? The mistakes we make are our teachers.”
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder; Rider Jocelyn Weingart Ray
After
lunch from Summit Store, Johanna led us up Cossack's Trail, from the
Buzzard's Lagoon turn-off. The dirt was tacky—resulting in sublime
traction in a notoriously dusty forest—and we rode to the Ridge
Trailhead quickly. Choosing
to ride Corral trail, we session'ed small rock drops, log rides and
tight turns. The shuttle picked us from the bottom of Sulphur
Springs, cutting out the dreaded Hihn's Mill Road ride out.
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder; Rider Andrea Bayliss
Sunday
morning we reconvened at Santa Cruz Bicycles HQ. There, Lisette and
Jacob fitted us for demo bikes.
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Photo Cred: Katie Zaffke
They stoked me out on the Bronson,
and we spent most of the misty morning alternating riding the pump
track, and a cornering session on the lawn next door with the women. Bringing
out wooden structures, Johanna then taught the women how to drop, and
how to ride a ramp.
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder; Rider Johanna Weintrager
Drawing on the lessons from Saturday—how to
raise the front wheel, and how to raise the back as independent
movements—we then focused on how to tie the isolated movements
together into a bunny hop.
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder
The women rode the box, and after breaking for lunch, we brought a
van full of sparkly new Juliana bikes to Demo Forest.
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder; Rider Danielle von Mayrhauser
There—Johanna
and I split up—Johanna took some women down Saw Pit while I led a
contingent down Corral. The
weather was beautiful, everything was techni-color green, and we just
focused on enjoying ourselves. I believe that the camaraderie,
combined with the am skills session is a winning combo for women's
mountain bike clinics, as Stacey Nussbaum from San Jose, said, after
riding up and over small, stacked logs leading to a foot tall snag,
“That actually looks smaller than [riding it] yesterday after the
box today!”
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder; Rider Andrea Bayliss
And
while Jocelyn Weingart Ray, out of Mill Valley, said that “...it
was amazing and I'm really excited to head back here with my husband
to ride the new upcoming Flow Trail. I learned to lower my seat on
descents—so I'm switching out to a quick release—and to look
ahead on the trail. I also learned that I'm out there for myself. Not
for anyone else. It's my ride and I do not need to prove anything to
anyone - just to enjoy the ride!” Because life is better on a mountain bike.
Photo Cred: Mark Baeder
Joh Rathbun is a Shine MTB Coach & ride guide, and an action sports writer & columnist. To stay up to date on West Coast events, or to join her on a ride, like her Facebook page, or contact her at johrathbun.wix.com/freelancewriter. A version of this article was published on Pinkbike.
