UNEDITED
Calla Henrik's family runs the best ATV business in town, and she's ready to take over the family business for the summer while her parents go on a much-needed vacation. She's ready to earn some money before she attends the University of A...
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Calla
Before Lindsay arrives, I'm going to deal with the fallen tree. According to the latitude and longitude coordinates posted on our website, the tree has fallen within the second portion of the trail. I pack the chainsaw in my Evoc Trail Builder backpack, and sling it over my shoulders. I then pull on my helmet. It's only going to take me about twenty minutes to finish my job, and there's no way of me doing it when Lindsay arrives. She's bringing Feyre with her. Once that kid gets on her dirt bike, Lindsay and I are going to be stuck at the Learner's Loop until the sun has set.
Swinging my leg over the seat, I kick-start my dirt bike and rev the engine. The two-stroke engine echoes through the campground, making people turn their heads as I speed toward the trailhead near the Learner's Loop. After the entrance, I take a sharp left onto Trail 3. Then a sharp right onto Trail 2. Halfway up, the width of the trail decreases. As I bend and mould with the trail, overgrown grasses and bushes brush against my boots. My muscles also sing with strenuous use. God, I've missed this trail. Two is one of the easier ones, making the terrain easy to manoeuvre through. It also gives me the advantage of speed, which I haven't been able to test out lately. I'm impressed with my abilities. It appears all my improvements with technique have made me more agile and able to move with my bike.
As I spin around a tree trunk, taking the corner sharply, I become parallel with the ground. Adrenaline rushes through my blood, filling my cheeks with heat. Maybe, before I head off to school in September, I'll partake in the annual enduro race that's sponsored by KTM. I could use some extra cash for Alberta. Taking home the title would be a nice cherry on top.
My GPS system vibrates against the inner pocket of my motocross pants, so I slow down, taking my time to enjoy the tall birch and pine trees, and the small stream trickling down from the marshy land above. While both sides of the ravine have their perks, this is one of my favourite areas to visit. The smell of damp earth and fresh air is intoxicating. When you're surrounded by nature, it's as if society doesn't exist.
Around the last corner, I decrease my speed even more. The fallen tree lays before me. It's a medium-sized pine tree. Debris of pinecones, snapped branches, and pine needles are strewn around it, littering the trail. It's easy to drive around if you don't mind fighting through the ruts of roots and upturned gravel, but it would be too hard for the young kids. Just in case anyone comes around the corner, I park my bike to the side of the trail amongst some tall grasses. When I've cut the engine, my ears are swarmed with the buzz of cicadas, chirping birds, and the trickle of the nearby stream.
Knowing time is limited, I undo my helmet and remove it. I hang it on the handlebars and shrug my backpack off. From it, I remove a pair of earplugs and safety goggles. I lay those out on the seat of my dirt bike. As I work to remove the chainsaw from my backpack, beads of sweat build up at the nape of my neck, curling the strands of hair beneath my braid. Although I love dirt biking for most of the year, late August is the worst time. There's no exception to dirt bike gear, meaning you have to sweat it out whether you want to or not. Which is what I'm doing.
