The rain had finally given us a rest. After an entire morning of non-stop rain, the clouds decided to part ways and allow the sun to peak through here and there. We knew what this meant. We had just enough time to get to the canyon and enjoy a nice ride on our bikes through the trail before the rain picked up again for the night. We filled out water bottles, loaded the bikes in the car, and headed towards the canyon. My brother and I saw the dark clouds above the mountains, knowing that we only had a short time to ride once we got there. As we arrived we passed the only person there who had just packed up and left. We had the trail all to ourselves.
The canyon was usually dry throughout the year with maybe a half inch of water flowing through the streams, but today was different. We stopped at our usual hangout in the early parts of the trail. They had a swing that would take you across the water. It was never a big deal because there wasn’t ever any threatening water to go through. When we arrived we heard the rush of water and to our surprise the streams were full! All the way up to the top.
The swing was nothing more than a sturdy rope someone had swung around a tall branch. It had several knots up and down the rope to help with the grip as you swung across. Though it was not raining, water was still falling from the high trees above, just pitter-pattering the dead leaves below. It was an uneasy sound that appeared as if someone was following us, but none the less it was just water so nothing to worry about.
I lied down my bike and headed towards the swing. The rope that had once been white was down wet and dirty. As I was about to swing across, we heard a rustle in the bushes behind us. I let go of the swing and turned around slowly. To my surprise it was just a family of bunnies coming out to enjoy the break from the rain and to see why we were being so loud. There were three, all looking very similar to each other with beige backing and a fluffy white tail. They had long ears that moved every time we moved. My brother accidently stepped in a hole that had been covered with leaves and scared them off.
It was starting to get dark and the clouds were coming back. We knew we didn’t have enough time to finish the trail, but what a sight to see. A stream that is usually bone dry was, in height, up to our knees. We got on our bikes and headed to the car. The rain had just begun as we put the last bike in the car. We started up the heater and headed home knowing that today’s ride was a great one even though it was cut short because of the unpredictable rain.
The swing was nothing more than a sturdy rope someone had swung around a tall branch. It had several knots up and down the rope to help with the grip as you swung across. Though it was not raining, water was still falling from the high trees above, just pitter-pattering the dead leaves below. It was an uneasy sound that appeared as if someone was following us, but none the less it was just water so nothing to worry about.
I lied down my bike and headed towards the swing. The rope that had once been white was down wet and dirty. As I was about to swing across, we heard a rustle in the bushes behind us. I let go of the swing and turned around slowly. To my surprise it was just a family of bunnies coming out to enjoy the break from the rain and to see why we were being so loud. There were three, all looking very similar to each other with beige backing and a fluffy white tail. They had long ears that moved every time we moved. My brother accidently stepped in a hole that had been covered with leaves and scared them off.
It was starting to get dark and the clouds were coming back. We knew we didn’t have enough time to finish the trail, but what a sight to see. A stream that is usually bone dry was, in height, up to our knees. We got on our bikes and headed to the car. The rain had just begun as we put the last bike in the car. We started up the heater and headed home knowing that today’s ride was a great one even though it was cut short because of the unpredictable rain.
Jake Hagen is a freshman at Cal State Northridge and an aspiring chef, often found looking through cookbooks in search for the latest and greatest recipes to try out.