After sitting back and looking at many of the pictures we took, I have to say that riding in the UP is going to be routine trip. There is no other way to describe it than just beautiful. And there are so many awesome trails to enjoy.
Speaking of enjoying the trails... I was a little apprehensive about going due to the rain in the forecast the week leading up to the trip. But, from now on, I will plan to go when it rains. Very little dust and the gray skies made for some awesome pictures. I can't wait to get back up there. Below are a couple more pictures from our last day of riding.
One of the trails we took dropped us at Hoar Lake. Seemingly untouched and very clean.
One of the mud holes along the trails. This is my buddy's 2017 Foreman. He would have been fine with different tires.
Looking out at Lake Superior.
It had just finished raining and there was a slight fog in the trees. Again, the scenery was incredible.
We rode just over 120 miles in two days. Not a ton of miles but not bad when you factor in some mountain biking, camping, site seeing etc... There is still so much more to see and I wish I could go back up this weekend and explore more. But that adventure will have to wait a bit. Unfortunately, on the way back to out to our campsite, I took a turn a little too tight and caught a large rock with the passenger front and rear tires. Then, on the drivers side, I caught a rut and over she went. Before landing on the drivers side, I hit a tree with the roll cage (took all the impact) and then bounced back. There was no shenanigans leading up to this, no recklessness, just an accident that probably could have been prevented by paying a bit more attention to the trail and less to the scenery around me.
What I learned from this:
- ALWAYS wear a helmet. I wasn't going more than 15 miles per hour and still had a good amount of damage to the p500 as well as a cracked helmet, a couple of cuts on my face, a large bruise on my knee and an ugly bruise on my elbow.
- I will always wear a seat belt: It kept me in my place. This could have been a lot worse.
- New helmet after it takes a hit: I could have used a couple of stitches even with wearing a full faced helmet. I will never skimp on a helmet for me or the ones I love.
- I won't mess with the ROPS... ever. From the damage this thing took, it is clear that it did what it was supposed to do. Yes, it crumpled but it also took the impact, protected me, and I was able to walk away. If I ever feel as if I do something to compromise the integrity of the ROPS, I will replace it.
- And no matter how safe you try to be, it only takes a second or two.
I'm sure I will have a few more lessons once I see what my rates go up to on my insurance. I had comprehensive and collision with a $500 deductible through Progressive. They have been great through the claims process but we will see how the rest comes out. The P500 is at my local dealer and they are going to tear it down tomorrow and Wednesday so I should know Thursday whether or not they will total it out. I'm hoping that the frame is fine and I get it back soon.
Below are a couple of pictures of the aftermath. I don't have too many pictures as I was a bit dazed and very embarrassed. When I brought it to the dealer it felt like "the walk of shame." I just figured these instances are important to share as a reminder to respect your ride and keep it safe...
First picture after the wreck. If you zoom in, you will see right where the passenger side of the ROPS hit the tree. I had just cleaned up my face and my buddy snapped the pic right after asking if I was okay again. My response was a mumbled "I hope so." I was still pretty dazed in this pic.
The rest are pics of the damage. All I can say is "thank you Honda."
