Rode the Double Black Diamond Trail in the Chuckanuts with Mark and had a wonderful time until my front brakes went out with a horrible, gravelly metal-to-metal shriek.

Upon investigation, we found that the pad of the fixed side was down to metal. I was about to walk down the rest of the way when Mark volunteered to ride my Cannondale Jekyll sans front brakes if I wanted to ride Missy's hardtail (which he was on). I said sure, and so off we dashed again.

Most observers would never have guessed Mark was riding with only back brakes, but I was truly impressed -- especially after I took the Jekyll back again and promptly skidded off the trail into a ravine in Arroyo Park. It was the strangest feeling. The rear wheel skidded off the side of the trail, taking my over the edge back wheel first.

After taking the bike into Fairhaven (again), I went to see the realtor regarding the house at 1415 Humboldt in Bellingham, WA, which we are close to buying. Although somewhat worn, it's one of Bellingham's grand old brick homes, and boasts some amazing touches -- for instance, the window sills are hewn granite like in a Carneige library.

We are making this move to Bellingham in the hope that a change of scene will stop my older daughter Laurel's downward emotional spiral. Lane and I are working to get Laurel in Bellingham High School and Shanna in Whatcom Middle School starting in September.

The realtor tells me that our offer on the house at 1415 Humboldt St. -- $207,000 -- is the most ever paid for any house in Bellingham's York neighborhood. The owners of the house have accepted our offer and we're down to just three minor negotiating points.

Approximately 1750 verts.

Vert Quest chronicles "The Man Known As Mongo's" pursuit of the World Record for climbing on a mountain bike, 404,000 vertical feet, or the vertical equivalent of 13 sea-level-to-summit ascents of Mt. Everest during a 12 month period. Mongo's mountain bike climbing tricks are distilled in Mongo's Over-the-top Guide to Climbing.