Lester,
where on burnside? what tires to use?
Last night at mook I ripped the downhills like never before and took 15 minutes off my time for University Falls loop. I was stoked!
And I didn't fall into the bees nest that I kept hitting these past few weeks, in fact, I only fell once trying to cross a stream bed. The first 2 were cake, so I just went for the third one, but the front wheel stopped and turned, I went endo, and the seat came up and smacked me in the coxis - OUCH!

Also, I sailed over a log that I used to have to stop for. and that put a huge grin on my face, until the next hairpin which took some attention.

On the ride out my buddy let me try his bike, It's a Gary Fischer, carbon hard tail. Let me tell you - I can hop that bike. It's the rockhopper's gravity sinking into the dirt that keeps me down!