Thanks, Artista. We are getting out a fair amount, although I sure wish we had a trail close enough to home so that we could ride during the week. Oh well; what we do have is very nice. I have no complaints. I tell ya; I am so pumped after a mtb ride. I love how "total body" it is. I feel the same way about yoga. I love road riding, but I don't get as pumped up from it unless the ride includes some climbing.

Congrats on conquering that hill!! Good for you! I understand your frustration. I think the conditions you describe are one of my bigger challenges. Maybe someone can chime in with some suggestions on how to tackle it. There's a root-covered climb on one hill that totally freaks me out. I was all set to session it today when I realized that they reworked the area to make it a bit easier. Plus, they blocked off a diversion around it that had started to develop. On one hand, I'm glad it's easier to get up now. On the other, I kind of needed to face the challenge at some point.