I'm not saying I'm getting old or anything, because I'm not, really, I'm not, ok, maybe a little, but I find myself questioning my riding choices more and more. Confidence on the trail is rarely a problem for me, and I rarely hit the ground, but when I do, it's usually really ugly. I've always been one of those people who would ride just about anything if I thought I could make it. There have been plenty of things I wouldn't ride, especially those ones with 300 foot cliffs on the side, but usually, if it wasn't over my head, I'd just give it a go.

I'm trying, somewhat unsuccessfully, to start to limit my line choices in other ways now as well. I'm learning that sometimes you have to worry about a little more than death. I've had my share of injuries that have taken me out for months at a time, so I'm starting to learn to question a little more what the consequences missing a line might be.

So I know we all take chances when we ride, but the trick is to learn to make sure you can ride another day. Sometimes, it's a good idea to not only pick your line through something, but to also look at what might happen if you don't make it.