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Face slappers, or thin vines growing out over the trail, are a common nuisance in mountain biking. One that I hit today on curved gravely hill caught me on the lip and made for some sudden pain and blood. Here’s a photo of Erik’s hand holding what I believe to be the berry cane that I hit showing its thorns. We went back and cleared back as many as we could, but I suspect they’ll grow back before very long. The bleeding stopped quickly and by the time I got home the scratches were no longer noticeable, but the hot sauce that I had on my pizza dinner did a great job reminding me where they were. Now it feels no worse than a chapped lip.
Oh, and the rest of the ride? Outstanding, save for the deer flies that were taking refuge in my helmet and occasionally biting my scalp. Every time I removed my helmet there were 3-5 of them hiding in the crevices. I can deal with swarms of mosquitos while riding, but I truly loathe biting flies.