no skills

I may take you up on that, SheFly...

What jerks! When I started mountain biking I read everything I could about skills and rode as much as I could. Rode over my head often, crashed ALOT, and learned something new every time. One great book that really helped me is Ned Overend's "Mountain Bike Like a Champion", and he has a video as well. I'd read one chapter a week and work on that one skill on the weekend.

It would be great if you can find a more skilled rider who's willing to take you out and show you how it's done. With patience, of course!

OMG! I can't believe that group treated you that way! So not cool! What jerks!

First and foremost, stop riding with that group. When I started riding, I had one good riding partner, who was more advanced than me and very patient, to show me the ropes and set me on my way. He was so great that within 4 months I was riding intermediate trails at Mammoth! There is no way I could have progressed that quickly had I gone with a group.

What also helped was Brian Lopes' book, Mastering Mountain Bike Skills http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Moun.../dp/0736083715 . I learn well from books, so it worked great for me. It's readable, humorous, and has lots of diagrams. (In case you don't know who Brian Lopes is, he's a pro downhill racer who has been competing for over 20 years, and still kicks the arses of guys half his age!).

I've also learned quite a bit from this site:
http://www.bikeskills.com/blog/?page_id=422
I used it for help with learning how to jump, the advantages of pumping, and improving my switchback skills (which I still struggle with).

Don't give up! You just need better riding partners :)