They say life is cyclical - that ups follow Downs follow ups….

“The Creekbed”:

A 70-yard stretch of jumps, berms, hips, and everything in between, built by a small group of riders to just have a place to do what MTB truly is: doing whatever you want to do on a bike. It was always open for anyone of any skill level to enjoy, with lines that could be explored by even novice riders. The Creekbed was painstakingly built over thousands of hours in rain, snow, heat, and cold with new features added on a regular basis. At its peak, there were more line options than anyone could ride in a day, making it the perfect spot to spend an afternoon figuring out just how good you were at having fun. These photos were taken in March 2024 when we first heard the rumors that it was under threat of demolition…

Apparently, it so happened that the park director, Mr. “M”, had received complaints from a few righteous hikers that the Creekbed was a gravely dangerous spot built by “kids”, and posed a threat to anyone passing through. Offended that this all happened without his permission or knowledge, Mr. M’s immediate reaction was an over-reaction.

However, for the next few months, it seemed as though the threat of destruction had blown over, and riding there was better than ever. We thought we’d escaped the punishment… but on June 21st, just as summer officially began, it happened. All it took was a couple of heavy machines to flatten every last lip and feature back into a useless pile of dirt and rubble. Thousands of hours of labor, and even more hours of fun and enjoyment wiped out in a day.

Luckily, they didn’t have the presence of mind to take all the dirt and put it back into the giant pit from which it was painstakingly moved, wheelbarrow by wheelbarrow. If you’ve ever dug or built trails before, you know that sourcing and moving the dirt into place is the most arduous and boring part. In fact, to look at this disgrace in a positive light, there is now literal tons of loose, easy-to-shape dirt all over the area, eagerly awaiting to be packed and slapped back into something even better. Soon it’ll be time to roll up the sleeves, crack open can after can of energy drinks, and build.

Creekbed 2.0: LOADING….

ISMP: The acronym of the summer.

Speaking of lows following highs (see Ep. 1 of CavaNero Goes Racing)…. Let’s play some Jeopardy. How about,

UNEXPECTED BS, FOR $85,000:

What is, “How did Sandro’s summer kick off?”

The silver lining here? No biking means more time sitting in front of the computer, and the launch of the most fire special-edition ISMP merch and BOQS mudguards since the Nicky NoDig hoodies (now making a comeback as a summer t-shirt in honor of the fallen Creekbed, here).

Thankfully, Sandro avoided surgery, and with summer only just begun, there will be fun-filled mtb days yet to come, before the Creekbed forced-labor camp opens again in late Autumn;)

Sometimes, that’s just how (sh)it goes.