Rode Galbraith with Mark and Steve on an overcast early fall day. I was in great shape, continuing my recent string of acing things that used to be too hard for me (like three months ago). Punched up the Big Gnarly the hard way for the second day in a row, and also punched up the narrow root knob drop on the Lower Intestine (first time ever), both the log drops on Little Big Trail, the biggest log rollover in the snakey part of Kung Fu Theater (first time ever), and then the tight narrow switchback and log rollover near the bottom of 187.

Part of the reason I'm having so much more luck on punchups and high rollovers (like the one on Purple Heart) is that I'm now consciously coming forward with my hands on the bar ends as I start up the stunt. I try to keep my weight right over the plumb bob line. Turns out this is a very good balance point, and a good point from which to drop the bike below you when you roll over the lip.s

Mark had a freak rear tire blowout on a cedar log in the Family Fun Center which hurled him into an instant endo, and Steve endoed even more violently near the end of a very fast run down the Ridge Trail. I was a couple turns ahead when I heard an ugly thud/groan/yelp behind me. Quickly skidding to a halt, I rushed back to find Steve staggering in the trail. He'd wedged his bike between a rock and a tree and launched himself into a big air endo. I guessed he'd flown at least 15 feet in the air and landed on some rocks, which took a bite out of the flesh on his back the size of a quarter.

I was the only one who rode everything and didn't go down in flames; I was first to the top with Steve and first to the bottom with Mark.

Approximately 1400 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.