Who’s stupid idea was this anyway ?

When people were complaining about the trail being hard I arrogantly felt like they were either unprepared or unaccustomed to suffering. I should have just believed them, completely and at face value. The trail is kick your but so hard you are cursing your bike, bike packing and everyone who ever said it was a good idea hard. It’s push your bike within 10minutes of leaving camp hard, it’s drip sweat before first break hard, but wow is it beautiful. When you can dig yourself out of your pit of self wallow and look up you are greeted by vistas and beautiful ponderosa pine forests, you are graced by wildlife and you are occasionally rewarded with golorious, wounderful, beautiful sweeping single track. Mostly you just suffer though. 

I think a through hiker we met up with at a water stop summed it up perfectly as he sat there tired, dehydrated and soaked in sweat “I think I actually hate hiking” 

After the morning that prompted such an extreme reaction we were pulled back into love with mountain biking on segment 3. After suffering all morning and into the late afternoon we started out on segment 3 with the destination of Buffalo creek in mind. None of us expected to make the 9 remaining miles, but instead of the punishment we had indured in the morning we were greeted with fast, fun and completely rideable single track, and just like that we remembered why were are here in the first place.