She started by introducing the coaches – Lu, Julie, Penny, Angela and Jennifer. While learning a bit about them, I thought to myself “If anyone can teach me to mountain bike, it’s these women.” Boy was I right.

In June I received an email from a promoter of the Dirt Series. Having seen the blog post about my first ever mountain bike ride she wondered if I might want to participate as a blogger. First, I didn’t know blogging could get me into such cool places. Second, heck yes I wanted to learn to mountain bike. And in the company of thirty women? Even better. My fiancée has unsuccessfully tried to teach me various sports and it can be safely assumed that he was just as excited about the Dirt Series as I was.

In 2000, the Dirt Series was founded as a way to introduce and engage women in mountain biking. Originally part of British Columbia, Canada’s Provincial Recreation program, the Dirt Series has now grown and is offered in seven states and provinces. Candace Shadley has been with the Dirt Series since its inception. In speaking to why the camps are all-women, she explains “Women’s clinics offer a different environment than co-ed camps, one where everyone is encouraged to give their best and push their limits in a responsible way, where the support between participants is more incredible than anything you’d ever imagine, and where there are great role models no matter what your riding level. There’s something about seeing another girl get over an obstacle, clean a climb, or manual off a drop that is easy to identify with and fully motivating.”

After a run-down of the weekend we geared up and headed to Hemingway Elementary School in Ketchum for morning skill sessions. Julie had placed us in four separate groups with like-skilled individuals, based on our skills assessments filled out prior to the weekend. As a mountain biking newbie I quickly gravitated toward Group A. Through the rain-filled morning we rotated through three skill sessions. In a few quick hours, I began to grasp the concepts of riding a straight line, tight turning, front wheel lifts, and wheel drops. Early in the first session, Candace handed out a wise piece of advice. “You’re going to learn a lot in the next two days,” she explained. “Your best bet is to grab onto the little tidbits of knowledge that seem most crucial to you, and let the others fall to the side.” Taking this to heart I worked to commit big picture items to memory and let the finer points sift through.