P E O P L E tj|tl|in|ca|st
P E O P L E
tj|tl|in|ca|st

D A R R E N

Lake Placid, New York

Saturday, September 25, 2004

At Whiteface Mountain near Lake Placid, New York, I have the pleasure of meeting Darren. I first see him in the bicycle shop paying for his lift ticket, he's in line ahead of me. We're both at Whiteface Mountain with plans to take the gondola lift to the top and mountain bike down. While standing in line I notice he's wearing equipment that makes me think maybe he's lost, perhaps he's asking for directions to where the football game is being played? But in the end, I realize he's where he wants to be, in extreme mountain biking country.

He goes on his way and I don't formally meet him until hours later. He's coming down one of the many runs when he finds me stranded with bike problems. My bike is turned over and I'm trying to figure out why the rear wheel is dragging against the frame. He immediately dismounts his bike and offers assistance.

During my visit with Darren I learn he has moved to the Adirondacks about a year ago from Flagstaff, Arizona. He's a pilot currently working on his instructors rating and has dreams of flying the regional commuters. He just needs more time in the air, something all pilots who want to move up in the ranks strive for. He owns a Cessna 152 that is IFR rated (meaning he can fly in the clouds) and frequently goes to New York City when his hankering for some city life gets the best of him. I think it's funny when he tells me he sometimes he flies with his dog.

He's currently building a cabin out at Rainbow Lake so he plans to stay in the area for a long while. And doing so will keep him in great mountain biking country. He has been mountain biking for 6 years now and from the looks of him, either he's hard-core into the sport or accident prone (all the padding). After observing him ride, I vote for hard-core based on the difficult trails he's going down.


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