Friday, June 08, 2012

Taco and Me


The Apalachicola National Forest after a good soaking is as good as North Florida riding gets.  The soft crunching of wet sand under tires is satisfying like popping bubble wrap, or picking at a scab.  You just can't leave it alone.

That is me in the front, wearing the yellow jersey, and behind me is my old friend Taco.  We quit calling him that in the mid-nineties, but I am bringing it back today.  He grew up in a small town in Wisconsin, which is a state somewhere in the U.S.A.

  Being of Sicilian heritage, his olive skin set him apart in the mostly Germanic and Scandinavian community.  Children, being of limited experience, assumed he must be Mexican, and named him accordingly. 

That's how I remember it anyway.

We hit the late afternoon woods under ominous navy blue clouds, but the rains had already come.  The dew on fragile ferns whished off on my ankles and salamanders salamanded as fast as they could to avoid being tracked over.  Carve and pedal, carve and pedal, the Twilight trail just gives up the love on a late summer roll.

Wrung free of the day we loaded muddy bikes into the van, both a little amazed at how great the ride was, and what a good long ride it has been.

Peace Taco!

Juancho


5 comments:

hitops said...

Yeah, Sasquatch and I were out on Munson a couple of days ago after a rain, and surf was definitely up: cool, fast, and grippy.

Magnum said...

THAT's why he's called Taco? I thought it was because of the _______.

lopo said...

I'm so glad to hear that you two kids took a bike ride!! :)

Hambone said...

good ol' Munson. i have the fondest memories of that trail, i think it was the first mountain bike trail i ever rode and quite possibly with you guys. i'm not sure who said it, but you gotta follow the gray line.

on another note the brothers mccabe are hosting a Teton peak baggers meeting in Jackson Hole the week of Labor Day. we sure would love seeing some of you tally guys out here.

Anonymous said...

Ah...bromance. So sweet!