CMA HeartBeat June 2026 | Page 24

RECOMMENDED RIDES

RECOMMENDED RIDES

By BILL Akins
24
June HeartBeat
Proverbs 27:17 wonderfully illustrates the importance of cultivating positive and impactful relationships. Just as iron becomes more refined when it rubs against another piece of iron, our interaction with others can have a powerful and refining affect on us. That is what happened as godly men got together and experienced the back roads of Colorado. Enjoy thisβ€œ Iron Sharpens Iron” article by Bill Akins, CMA Colorado State Coordinator.
Jim & Barb
Jim and Barb Nelson oversee the Rocky Mountain Region as
National Evangelist.

β€œ IRON

sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another”( Proverbs 27:17, ESV).
What started as aβ€œ bucket list” item turned into a full-fledged event for Colorado CMA. I didn’ t grow up riding off-road, but I always wanted to try my hand at it. I dreamt about getting off the asphalt and onto the dirt for the longest time. I figured that, approaching 66, it would be as good a time as any.
I knew that riding the back country by myself wasn’ t a great idea. I thought it would be a good time to get out and do some camping, some riding, and have some fellowship with other brothers.
I called a couple of CMA buddies and floated the idea around, and they jumped at the opportunity toβ€œ sharpen iron” and to be sharpened. We began preparing for the ride while talking among the three of us. We let it slip out that we were going to do part of the Colorado Backcountry Discovery
Route( BDR), and other guys heard about it, and soon our little trio began to grow. It became apparent, rapidly, that the adventurous spirit that God put in the heart of a man was alive and well.
What happened during our adventure far exceeded all our expectations. We began our adventure section in beautiful Buena Vista, and set a departure time of 9:00 AM. When we arrived at the starting point, our little band of brothers had grown into a group of 12 riders and two support vehicles. Our skill sets ranged from beginner to very advanced riders. Almost immediately, we hit deep sand and water crossings. I watched as advanced riders stopped to help the new guys pick up dropped bikes and coach them through the hazards. It was a perfect picture ofβ€œ Iron sharpening Iron.” Guys were