i do a little of both, but am much more serious about mtn bking. nonetheless, i have only been riding about 2yrs now.

i have to agree that riding alone is helpful. i rode alone about 70% of the time my first year. i would set the release on my clipless pedals as light as it would go, and just plow through. this way you can eject when you need to, but still have the advantage of clipless. just keep hitting stunts over and over until you learn the method to clear them. remember, though, (all macho bravado aside) this is not road biking - if you are riding aggressive trails, it is not uncommon to fall or have to clip out from time to time - no shame there. i ride with a mixed group of riders - some new and some experts who kick butt, but i have seen all of them fall on more than one occasion. no matter how good you are skinnies, log jams, jumps, drops, big roots, logs, etc. will always find a way to eat your lunch if you ride them enough.

don't give up

i feel your pain