Hey... that hurt

So Sunday a friend of mine DID NOT flake on me when I called her up to see if she wanted to ride. We went up to Wilder and rode up Wilder Ridge trail, down Baldwin Loop, and then back on the bluffs. Though she had ridden road bikes quite a bit before, she had only ridden on dirt a few times, and most of them of gentle trails (Like the bluffs). I took it easy at first because I was afraid of putting her off the sport, but she kept up no problem. The climb was well groomed. It had been recently graded. When we got to Baldwin loop the trail had not been groomed, so it was much rougher and rockier. I was riding in front and came to a steep rocky section about 30-40 feet long. Not that technical, but the potential for problems existed. I rode my brakes for a second, picked my line, and dove down. The climb on the other side was a little rocky as well, so I could only afford one glace to see how she was doing. I caught a glimpse of her just starting the drop maybe a minute after I had done it (She had been a bike length or two behind me when I did it). I cranked to the top of the hill and stopped to wait. She rode up next to me with a big grin ear to ear. "When I saw that drop I had to stop for a moment and think, but I like this trail more than the other one. Much more fun." I laughed. Indeed. So we bombed down the rest of it, Me in the lead by perhaps 100 feet, her trailing. When I got to the bottom she was right there. The ride on the bluffs was relaxing and wonderful until.... I crashed. The trail dropped down by the rail road track. She was leading and shot down to them and then rode along them in the rocks. I carried a little more speed than her and turned a little later. The rocks under my front wheel rolled and my front wheel began to wash out. In an attempt to keep my handle bars from crossing up and sending me over them I went a little into the loose rock on either side of the track. The wheel straightened, but wallowed. My left peddle smacked the rocks and bounced my foot out of the clips. When my foot came down again it came down on the rocks, and buckled. My knee impacted in the loose rocks cutting it a little, and my foot knocked the front derailleur out of alignment. I peddled up to my friend where she had stopped at a fork in the trail. She looks at me and asks, "Are you OK? What happened?" I explained, and we both laughed a little. I had to ride the rest of the way back with the chain on the big ring up front. It's fixed now, but it was a bit of a pain. Things are fine today except for a few bruises. It's not a good ride unless you end with a little blood and mud on your legs. :)