There was a really bad bike accident at Sullivan Canyon this weekend. We apparently arrived just moments after it happened, because emergency vehicles blew past us while we were getting on our bikes. We briefly talked to one rider who said he was asked to call 911 because a biker was down and that fall was so bad that his helmet had been cracked. We rode down a little to see what was going on, and met an off-duty Mountain Bike Unit rider (MBU) who told us that they were clearing the area for the helicopter. He mentioned a few more accident details, and it didn’t sound good at all. I really, really hope that rider is OK. An on-duty MBU soon came down the trail to set up a barricade to prevent hikers and bikers from approaching the accident site. We didn’t stick around too long after that.

I mentioned in an earlier post that Sullivan Canyon can be a dangerous place, but I want to reiterate. By all means have fun, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be cautious. Don’t over-estimate your ability, or under-estimate the terrain. This accident happened only around a mile from the lower entrance to the canyon, but the emergency vehicles were stuck about 150 yards away from the accident due to the rugged trail.

Here’s some information on building a great bike first aid kits and bike safety in general:

• Utah Mountain Biking has DIY first aid kit instructions, plus a great first aid index of injuries
• Bicycle Touring 101 includes homeopathic remedies
• Bike Safety Tips from WebMD
• 10 Ways NOT to Get Hit by Cars from BicycleSafe.com

I finally had the chance to take my new bike out for a good long ride on Saturday and it was SOOO much fun. I ended up crashing and/or falling several times, so I am nicely bruised up today, but it was well worth it. We took the Westridge Fire Road to the overlook, which has fantastic views of Santa Monica, downtown Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley. From there, we rode down the single track into Sullivan Canyon, and that’s where the real fun started.

I have these bike shoes that clip into my pedals, which was nice on the uphill and on the long flat stretches before we dropped into the single track, but the clips became a real pain on the way down into the canyon. I was able to stay unclipped most of the time, except for when I lost momentum going through a stream and began to tip to the left. I went to set my foot on the bank beside the stream in order to regain balance; of course at that moment my shoe clipped right into the pedal and I went crashing down onto the bank knee first. Thankfully the bank was covered with many cushy plants and not thorny ones, although my legs are also pretty scratched up and I am not exactly sure when that happened. I felt like I was watching myself go through this scenario in slow motion. I ended up laughing because of how absurd it was, even as I was falling.

Once I was back on my bike, it was only a few more miles before my next “incident.” The trail is owned and maintained by the gas company, and there are a some gas company pipes sticking out of the ground at random intervals. I have walked this trail many times and knew the pipes were there, but for some reason the were freaking me out while I was on the bike. Every attempt I made to avoid the pipes was an overcompensation that sent me careening into another obstacle. At some point, I busted up my right knee and it started bleeding, but I couldn’t tell you how it happened. I was covered in so much mud that I didn’t even notice half the scratches and bruises until after I showered later that day.

In spite of all the falls, it was tremendous fun and I can’t wait to do it again!

I did find out a couple of things about Sullivan Canyon and Westridge Fire Road since my trip there on Saturday that I should mention for safety reasons:

–people have reported seeing and hearing cougars (or mountain lions) in the area!

–there have been bad (even fatal) bike accidents on the trails!

Sullivan Canyon and Westridge Canyon Back provide lots of great biking and hiking opportunities, but remember: safety first!

Check out this video from Sullivan Canyon!