Death of Adventure Games

A few weeks ago, Gamecenter ran an article in which they declared that adventure gaming was "dead and buried". The Gamecenter employees who write the titles for articles apparently don't coordinate their efforts with the people who write the subtitles for articles because even before the banner graphic was completely over, someone in the subtitle department had upgraded the condition of adventure games to merely "vanishing". Still, no matter which part of the logo you choose to look at, adventure games are in trouble.
Gamecenter blames Myst for killing adventure games. Or at least the Gamecenter employees who write the first paragraph of Gamecenter articles do. Again, this department may not be in direct contact with the team responsible for paragraph four, in which it is clearly stated that:
Now it seems people want more action than adventure. They would rather run around in short shorts raiding tombs than experience real stories.
As far as I can tell, the Gamecenter "death of adventure" timeline goes something like this:
The action-packed Myst introduces casual gamers to the pleasures of Tomb Raider.
Genius adventure gamers come to the painful realization that the same equipment they use to explore the complex fantasy world of Leisure Suit Larry can also be utilized by stupid people to run Quake. Thanks to their television-atrophied attention spans, these casual gamers are mentally incapable of spending six hours trying to randomly guess at the absurd dream logic Roberta Williams has applied to the problem of getting the dungeon key out of the bluebird's nest.
Horrified by the knowledge that somewhere someone is playing a game that is not an adventure, genius adventure gamers abandon the hobby in droves and resort to their backup source of entertainment: various combinations of Babylon 5 novels and masturbating.
Gamecenter mentions Jane Jensen's Gabriel Knight 3 as the last title of note in the genre. I'd like to use Gabriel Knight 3 to illustrate my alternate theory of who killed adventure gaming.

Here is the solution to Gabriel Knight 3's first major puzzle, in which you must rent a motorcycle. I've pulled it almost entirely from Gamespot, and have commented on it only when I could no longer help myself.
Since this next part where I quote directly from the Gamespot Gameguide is pretty dry, feel free to imagine that it's being spoken by OMM's new Adventure Gaming Mascot, Francis the Talking France:
Gabriel must disguise himself to fool the moped clerk.
You must combine several items to construct an adequate disguise and gain access to the motorbike. First, return to the museum and swipe the red cap from the lost-and-found box. You couldn't do this in the previous time blocks, but Gabriel knows he needs it now and has little trouble stealing the hat from the box. With the red hat in hand, head to the church.
Look at the Abbe's house and notice him watering his plants with a spray bottle. Wait for the Abbe to move back into his house and grab the spray bottle... When you emerge on the new street, you'll spot a black cat in the corner. Move Gabriel up to the cat and use the verb menu to examine and pet the cat.
The cat dashes into a small opening into an old shed. Examine the hole that the cat entered. Open up your inventory and pick up the piece of masking tape (if you failed to get the tape from Gabriel's hotel room, return there and open the dresser to get the masking tape). Use the masking tape on the shed door hole.
Walk back from the shed and notice the cat is now on a ledge. You can attempt to pet or grab the cat, but Gabriel can't because the feline is just too high. Here's where the spray bottle comes in. Select your inventory and pick up the spray bottle. Use the spray bottle on the cat, and he'll leap down and run, again, through the small opening into the shed. When he runs through the hole, he left some hair on the piece of masking tape you placed on the hole. Pick up the masking tape, and you'll gain black fur in your inventory.
Return to the hotel now and collect any items you missed the first time around that are vital to the disguise. These include the black marker from the hotel desk (just make sure Jean is wandering around), a piece of candy from the table near the lounge, and a packet of syrup from the dining room.
Head upstairs and knock on Mosely's door (room 33). He'll let you inside. If you want a hint about what to do with the candy, you can offer Mosely the candy, which he'll gladly take and consume quickly. Also, talk with Mosely about his passport, the key to solving the disguise puzzle. If you give Mosely the piece of candy, you must return downstairs and grab another one.
Locate the painting over the table depicting the street scene. Use the piece of candy from your inventory and place it on the table. Head down either staircase into the lobby. Look to the left of Jean's front desk and spot the room buzzers. Examine the buzzers and press the one for room 33, Mosely's room. This will buzz Mosely down to the front desk, but he'll become sidetracked by that yummy piece of candy you left for him.
Ascend the stairs on the right side, so you're on the opposite side of Gabriel's room entrance. Follow the camera around to Mosely's room and watch him exit and walk to the table with the piece of candy. Mosely will bend over and grab the candy, gobbling it up like before. Walk Gabriel over just behind Mosely and use the mouse cursor on Mosely or his passport to pickpocket him and swipe the passport.
As soon as you've got the passport, quickly head to Mosely's room 33 and enter it. Nab his gold coat on the coat rack by using the verb menu while the mouse is over the coat. Place the coat in your inventory and exit Mosely's room.
This sequence could take a few tries to get everything right, but you can repeat the process as many times as necessary to secure the necessary items: the passport and gold coat. Just use more candy and keep pressing that buzzer.
Open your inventory now; make sure you have the black marker and syrup. Grab the black marker and use it on Mosely's passport to make a mustache. Next, grab the black fur from the cat and use it on the syrup to make a black mustache. Finally, use the red hat on the mustache and then on the gold coat to complete your Mosely disguise.
With your disguise ready, return to the moped rental shop.

Hanging Valley

Highlights: A deep, narrow canyon with impressive limestone towers.
Location: 20 miles northeast of Helena.
Type of hike: Out-and-back day hike.
Total distance: 12 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best months: June through October.
Maps: Hogback Mountain and Snedaker Basin USGS Quads, and Helena National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: To get to York, take Highway 280 northeast of Helena for 15 miles, crossing the Missouri River via the York Bridge. The trailhead starts at Vigilante Campground in the Helena National Forest, 5 miles northeast of York on the old Figure Eight Route (Forest Road 4137). The Figure Eight Route used to go beyond Vigilante Campground until massive floods in May 1981 buried the road under tons of gravel in Trout Creek Canyon.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Vehicle camping at Vigilante Campground.
The hike: Hanging Valley is actually a dry tributary of Trout Creek. It enters the canyon from a point high on the southern wall. You will be able to pick out where you have been from the bottom of Trout Creek Canyon after you have taken the hike. After exploring this section of the Big Belt Mountains, you will wonder how part of Utah, complete with narrow canyons and unusual rock formations, ended up in Montana.
Trail 247 starts at the back of the campground and is marked with a National Recreation Trail sign. The path climbs a dry hillside for 3 miles to a low pass between Trout Creek and Magpie Creek. During late May, the trail is lined with hundreds of pink fairy slippers and blue clematis just below the pass.
At the pass, turn left and proceed to the top of the mountain that forms the southern rim of Trout Creek Canyon. The views here are tremendous on a clear day, with the Flint Creek Range appearing from over the Continental Divide to the west and the Spanish Peaks near Bozeman visible some 100 air miles to the south.
The trail is well constructed and practically impossible to lose. Past the summit, the trail switchbacks down a heavily wooded slope for half a mile into Hanging Valley and passes huge Douglas firs that have escaped wildfires. The trail follows the dry watercourse into the canyon.
Limestone pinnacles 50 feet tall tower over the trail, which soon becomes a route just a few feet wide at the bottom of a narrow canyon. After the trail passes under a small natural bridge, you must descend a 5-foot-high rock step in the trail, adding excitement to the trip. During heavy snow years, the trail at this point may be impassable into mid-June.
The trail deadends on the lip of a dry waterfall several hundred feet up a sheer rock face on the southern wall of Trout Creek Canyon, hence the name Hanging Valley. The canyon walls bear a close resemblance to those of Bryce Canyon in Utah. Retrace your steps to Vigilante Campground, where you can briefly hike up Trout Creek Canyon and try to pick out Hanging Valley, high on the southern rim.
Aside from a few snowfields in the spring, the trail is waterless, so fill your canteens at the campground. Although the 12-mile round trip can be done easily in one day by most well-conditioned hikers, there are a few dry campsites along the trail if you want to make it an overnighter. The trip may prove too steep for younger hikers, but it should not be missed by anyone wanting to see a part of the Southwest right here in Montana.

Ten Lakes

Highlights: Lake-filled alpine scenery in one of the last roadless areas in the northern Whitefish Range.
Location: 50 miles north of Whitefish.
Type of hike: Shuttle two- or three-day backpacking trip.
Total distance: 12 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best months: Mid-July through September.
Maps: Ksanka Peak and Stahl Peak USGS Quads, and Kootenai National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: Drive north of Whitefish on U.S. Highway 93 for 41.5 miles (8 miles south of Eureka) and turn northeast onto paved Grave Creek Road (Forest Road 114). After 10 miles, the pavement ends; stay right past the Stahl Creek Road turnoff, continuing on FR 114. After 13.8 miles, turn left onto FR 319. After 24.7 miles from US 2, FR 319 reaches the junction with FR 7086.
To reach Wolverine Creek Trailhead, turn right and follow FR 7086, a less-improved dirt road, for 2 miles to the junction with FR 7091. Stay left (right takes you to Rainbow Trailhead) on FR 7086 for another 0.3 mile to the trailhead on your right. This is also the trailhead for a 3-mile cutoff trail (Tie Thru Trail 82) between Bluebird and Wolverine Trailheads.
The point-to-point hike requires leaving a car at Big Therriault Lake. From the junction of FR 7086 and FR 319, go left instead of right and follow FR 319 for 2.5 miles to the junction with FR 7116 and FR 7085. Stay left on FR 7116 for 0.5 mile to Big Therriault Lake Campground and Trailhead.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Trailhead registers, parking, restrooms and campgrounds at Big Therriault Lake and Little Therriault Lake, both have trailheads for Highline Trail access. Wolverine Creek Trailhead has ample parking, but no restrooms.
Key points
2.5 Wolverine Lakes

4.5 Junction with Highline Trail (319)

6.0 Bluebird Lake 6.3 Bluebird Lake Trail (83)

9.3 Therriault Pass, Trail 339 continues to Stahl Peak Trail

12.0 Big Therriault Lake Trailhead

The hike: The Ten Lakes Scenic Area receives more than its fair share of snow in the winter, so don't attempt this hike before July 4th. In addition, Ten Lakes has a few resident grizzly bears, so follow all the standard precautions for camping in bear country.
From Wolverine Creek Trailhead, Wolverine Creek Trail (84) starts on the right side of the road, and Tie Thru Trail (82) to Bluebird Lake Trailhead starts on the left. (You can come back via Bluebird Lake Trail (83) and Tie Thru Trail to make a loop, but you miss the Stahl Peak area beyond Bluebird Lake.)
Wolverine Creek Trail to Wolverine Lakes climbs steeply at first. At 2.5 miles, the trail flattens out past Wolverine Lakes Basin. Near Wolverine Lakes is a small cabin. This area is also popular with snowmobilers in the winter (snowmobiling is allowed under scenic area but not wilderness designation). Then the trail reaches the ridge between the Ten Lakes Basin on the north and the Wolverine Flats on the south. The views are expansive in all directions, with glimpses of ranges such as the ice-clad Bugaboos far into Canada.
At 4.5 miles is the junction with Highline Trail (339). Stay left and follow this trail westward and then southward across the slopes of Green Mountain into the Bluebird Lake Basin. Before reaching Bluebird Lake, stay right past the junction with Paradise Camp Trail and Bluebird Cabin.
At 6 miles, Highline Trail reaches a short spur trail to the right for Bluebird Lake. Some of the lakes in this area receive heavy summer use. A quarter of a mile past Bluebird Lake on Highline Trail is the junction with Bluebird Lake Trail. (It is 2.5 miles to Bluebird Trailhead and another 3 miles back to Wolverine Trailhead via Tie Thru Trail.)
Continuing on Highline Trail to the southeast across the northern shoulder of St. Clair Peak, pass the junction with the trail to Little Therriault Lake; stay right for another 3 miles to Therriault Pass. At Therriault Pass, it is worth a side trip up to the top of Stahl Peak to visit the lookout and get a panoramic view of the southern portions of the Ten Lakes region. Keep your eyes open for bighorn sheep, which wander the crags during the summer months. Ernest Thompson Seton, the famous naturalist, wrote of the wild sheep in this area in several of his short stories published around the turn of the century. In fact, his namesake mountain, Mount Thompson Seton, lies 7 miles to the southeast of Stahl Peak.
Retrace your steps to Therriault Pass, pick up your pack, and continue down Trail 80, heading north to Big Therriault Lake Campground and your waiting vehicle

Alpine Trail, Columbia Mountain, and Strawberry Lake

Highlights: Outstanding panoramic views of northwestern Montana and Flathead Lake from a delightful ridgeline trail.
Location: Just southeast of Columbia Falls.
Type of trip: Shuttle three-day backpacking trip, with several day hike options.
Total distance: 20.5 miles.
Difficulty: Strenuous.
Best months: July through September.
Maps: Doris Mountain, Jewel Basin, Hash Mountain USGS Quads; and Flathead National Forest Map. Finding the Trailheads: To reach the Columbia Mountain Trailhead, drive east of Columbia Falls on U.S. Highway 2 and turn east at the junction with Highway 206 (from Bigfork). Shortly after the junction and 3.5 miles from Columbia Falls, turn right off US 2 on an unmarked dirt road just past the House of Mystery. Follow this road south for 0.2 mile until you see the Columbia Mountain Trailhead on your left. (This is a newer trailhead that became necessary to avoid crossing private land.) Columbia Mountian Trail (51) starts to the southeast of the parking area.
Finding the Trailheads: To reach the Columbia Mountain Trailhead, drive east of Columbia Falls on U.S. Highway 2 and turn east at the junction with Highway 206 (from Bigfork). Shortly after the junction and 3.5 miles from Columbia Falls, turn right off US 2 on an unmarked dirt road just past the House of Mystery. Follow this road south for 0.2 mile until you see the Columbia Mountain Trailhead on your left. (This is a newer trailhead that became necessary to avoid crossing private land.) Columbia Mountain Trail (51) starts to the southeast of the parking area. To reach Strawberry Lake Trailhead (for leaving a vehicle, having someone pick you up, or doing the Strawberry Lake day hike), drive east of Kalispell on Montana Highway 35 (or south back on Highway 206 from Columbia Mountain Trailhead). Just after the junction with Highway 206, turn left, heading east as the highway turns south, on Lake Blaine Road. Two miles farther, the road splits; stay straight on Foothills Road (Lake Blaine Road heads north) for another 7 miles (9 miles from MT 35) and turn left (east) on Krause Creek Road (Forest Road 5390). Drive 3.2 miles on FR 5390 until it deadends at Strawberry Lake Trail (5) Trailhead.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Ample parking at both trailheads, but no other services.
Key points
8.0 Columbia Mountain/Junction with Alpine Trail (7)

17.5 Strawberry Lake/Junction with Strawberry Lake Trail (5)

20.5 Strawberry Lake Trailhead

The hike: This backpack is not for beginners or small children. However, you may consider the easier option of just visiting popular Strawberry Lake. Doing this entire route usually requires three days with a full pack and involves a 3,500-foot elevation gain. You can cover this route in two days, but to really enjoy the scenery on this high-altitude hike, allow three. Although the trail is remote and primitive, it is still well-maintained and easy to follow. There is a fair chance of spotting elk or deer, and a great variety of wildflowers will greet you in summer, particularly in mid-July. Snow may block this trail until early July. The main attraction is the views. There is water at many places along the trail; however, there are some dry stretches on the northern half of this hike. Mosquitoes can be a problem early in the season, but they seem less severe than in many areas. Drinking water and shelter from the wind can often be found by dropping over the ridge to the east into the high meadows.
Starting on the Columbia Mountain Trail (51), you climb steadily up the slopes of Columbia Mountain to the intersection with Alpine Trail (7). From Columbia Mountain, take Trail 7 as it follows the top of the ridge, with views in all directions, including Hungry Horse Reservoir, the peaks of Glacier National Park, and the Flathead Valley. There are several places to camp along the trail, including Doris, Jenny, and Lamoose Lakes. Although there is some fishing in Strawberry and Lamoose Lakes, this hike is not known for its fishing. Once you descend to Strawberry Lake, turn west on Strawberry Lake Trail (5) for a 3-mile descent to Strawberry Lake Trailhead and the end of your three-day excursion.
Black bears and grizzlies inhabit this area, so there is a chance of a confrontation. The likelihood of such an encounter might be higher here than on many trails in Montana's national forests, but the probability of bear trouble is still much lower than in nearby Glacier National Park. Proper bear country manners will further lower the chance of bear trouble.
Options: Strawberry Lake is a very popular day hike for locals and tourists, but it is a pleasant hike if you don't mind greeting a few bikers and horses along the trail.
You could easily be lured into extending your trip on Alpine Trail to nearby Jewel Basin or even farther south. Alpine Trail follows the crest of the Swan Range all the way to just south of Broken Leg Mountain. Then, about 6 trail-less miles later along the crest, the trail begins again and continues to Inspiration Pass near Swan Lake. You could spend anywhere from a week to two weeks hiking and camping along the Alpine Trail, but the off-trail section between Broken Leg and Sixmile Mountains makes this a trek for experienced and physically fit hikers only. You can also reach Inspiration Pass via Trail 484 from Soup Creek Road (FR 10510).

Mount Helena Ridge

Highlights: A scenic walk along a dry, forested ridge.
Location: Near Helena.
Type of hike: Shuttle day hike.
Total distance: 7.4 miles.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Best months: May through October.
Maps: Helena USGS Quad and Helena National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: Drive south of downtown Helena on Park Avenue until you see the sign for Mount Helena City Park and Reeders Village, a new residential subdivision. Drive up through the subdivision to the dirt parking lot.
To set up the shuttle, drive south on Park Avenue until it forks, just out of town. Take the right fork (Grizzly Gulch) and drive 4.1 miles up the well-maintained dirt road to where another dirt road veers off to the right on an open area on top of a large hill. The upper trailhead (locally called Park City Trailhead after a long-gone ghost town) is half a mile up this road. Look for a small sign marking the direction to the trail and the right turn. Drive a short distance to a parking area. Start here and hike toward Helena.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Limited parking at Park City trailheads; portable toilet and large parking lot (often full on weekend afternoons) at the Mount Helena City Park Trailhead.
Key points

5.0 City park boundary

5.4 Junction with Prairie, Backside, and 1906 trails.

5.9 Summit of Mount Helena

7.4 Mount Helena City Park Trailhead

The hike: This scenic, 7-mile, point-to-point trail has been designated a National Recreation Trail by the Forest Service. Mount Helena is a 620-acre city park with about 20 miles of hiking trails.
From Park City Trailhead, follow Trail 373 as it climbs gently up a few long switchbacks along a grassy slope to the northeast. Small clusters of rural ranchettes dot the valley below. From here to Mount Helena, the trail is well marked. This is probably the most scenic part of the hike, with views of the Mount Helena ridge, Mount Helena, and the Helena Valley. The city of Helena also appears frequently in the distance. After 5.4 miles, you reach the junction with Prairie Trail (stay right) and shortly after Backside Trail, (stay left), and then the 1906 Trail (stay right). All three junctions are within a 200-yard stretch of trail. Follow the 1906 Trail to the top of Mount Helena. From the summit, there are at least three ways to get down, but the most pleasant is to descend to the south on Hogback Trail and turn left on Prospect Shafts Trail, descending gently down to the trail above the new Reeders Village subdivision and your vehicle. Since this ridgetop trail is totally dry, bring plenty of water.
You might want to give the Forest Service a call and thank them for developing such a fine hiking trail so close to an urban area.

Hoskins Lake

Highlights: A low-elevation, mountain lake with good fishing accessible by a shortwell-maintained trail.

Location: 35 miles north of Libby in the Purcell Mountains.
Type of hike: Out-and-back or loop day hike.
Total distance: 1-mile out-and-back or 2.8-mile loop.
Difficulty: Easy.
Best months: Late May through October.
Maps: Bonnet Top USGS Quad and Kootenai National Forest Map.
Finding the trailhead: Drive west of Libby on U.S. Highway 2 for 29 miles (through Troy) and turn right, heading north on Yaak River Road. After a 29.5-mile drive up Yaak River Road to the town of Yaak, turn right, heading south on South Fork of the Yaak River Road (Forest Road 68) for 4.2 miles, then turn left, heading north on Vinal Lake Road (FR 746). You can also reach Vinal Lake Road by driving north of Libby on South Fork of the Yaak River Road, but it is a dirt road drive in contrast to the paved route to Yaak described above. Drive 7 miles north on Vinal Lake Road and look for Hoskins Lake Trailhead on your right about 2.2 miles past Vinal Creek.
Parking & trailhead facilities: Park on the west side of the road, no water or restroom facilities.
Key points 0.5 Hoskins Lake 1.2 Trail 51 1.5

Vinal Lake RoadThe hike: Vigorous hikers probably will not consider this a "hike," as it is less than half a mile to Hoskins Lake. However, for small children or less experienced hikers, it is perfect for an enjoyable day hike. You can reach the lake in only ten minutes if you do not stop to smell the wildflowers.
There is plenty of water along the well-maintained trail. There are no steep hills or hazards, and the chance of encountering bears is slim. Mosquitoes can take some of the fun out of this hike in the early summer; it is best to wait until late summer or fall to see Hoskins Lake.
There are actually two lakes-a larger lower lake with nice-sized cutthroat trout and a small, marshy, upper lake. Because of the good fishing, the lower lake is more heavily used-but not overused-mostly by local hikers. The upper lake is less visited.
A western larch forest with some very large trees surrounds the lakes. Here you have a good chance of seeing deer or moose in the marshy meadow. Grouse are common, and if you are lucky, you might spot an osprey or common loon near the lower lake. Some of the more common wildflowers include wake robin, shooting star, wild rose, Pacific trillium, queen cup, and rock clematis.
A few hikers continue north past the lakes and go down Bunker Hill Creek. Simply follow this trail past the upper lake and stay with it for about a mile until it joins Trail 51 up Bunker Hill Creek. Then turn left, heading for Vinal Lake Road. This makes a loop, since you come back to Vinal Lake Road about 1.2 miles north of Hoskins Lake Trailhead. However, it is easier and more common to hike back to your vehicle the way you came.

cycling

How to tackle Steep Turns - MTB Techniques

Being able to corner on your mountain bike is one thing but particularly steep switchbacks require a technique all of their own. Here’s how to tackle those tight and steep turns.

Step 1. Whenever you are out on the trail, it pays to look ahead-this tip will assist in almost any situation. You have to get over any fear of what is directly under you as it is already too late to avoid it. At low speeds you will need to look at least three or four metres in front-the faster you go the further you need to look up the trail. By looking ahead you will see the corner coming, pick the best line and avoid any major obstacles. This way you won’t be faced with any last second surprises. As you approach the corner, slow down accordingly. Steeper and tighter corners will need to be tackled at lower speeds-almost at a standstill in some cases. Brake evenly, retain control, avoid skidding and eye up your line through the corner.

Step 2. On a fast flowing corner you would lean the bike over, place your outside pedal down and put your weight on the outside foot. Low speed corners are very different-steep slow corners require you to keep your bike upright and really turn the front wheel. Your pedals will generally be level and you should be up off the saddle so that you can shift your weight back as required. The idea is to keep your weight centred between the wheels-the steeper the entrance to the corner the more you will need to get your weight towards the back of the bike.
Visit the Break Loose Marketplace for the latest second hand cycling gear.
Step 3. Go to a skills camp or ask someone how to corner and they’ll probably tell you, ‘don’t touch your front brakes in a turn.’ This is all well and good on a gentle grade but on a grade but on a steep incline with no brakes you will accelerate out of control and spear off into the bush! Steep corners require controlled use of both front and rear brakes with a heavy emphasis on ‘control’. The steeper the grade, the more front wheel turned and your front brake you will need to use. The combined effect of having your front wheel and your front brake on while gravity is trying to suck you down will all be trying to throw you over the bars. To counter this you need to get your weight back-the more you use your front brake, the more you will need to shift your weight back.

Step 4. As you continue through the corner you need to balance the use of your front brake against the need to maintain forward motion. If you go too slowly you can stall on an obstacle (like a tree root) and this could send you over the bars. Controlled use of your brakes means feather them rather tan just pull them on hard. Don’t let your wheels stop turning and be ready to let go of your brakes if something tries to stall you-feather the brakes and keep those wheels turning! Keep your weight balanced an look towards the exit of the corner.

Step 5. Once you are almost out of the corner you can ease off on the brakes and let gravity pull you through. This will help you roll over any obstacles that may lie in you r path and help you to retain your balance upon exiting the corner. Obviously if the trail continues to drop steeply you will need to keep a check on your speed. As with any skill, start basic and work your way up. Start on a tight low speed corner that is not too steep –this will allow you to practice your low speed balance and control with out jumping in at the deep end too soon. Practicing brake control on a steep grade will also assist with your confidence-remember the aim is to go slow without skidding