Labor Day

No SM100 meant my Labor day weekend was wide open and in need of activities. I saw a flyer about some community fireworks at the new marina and entered the date into the CrackBerry. I thought a nice over-nighter on the boat would be fun and was promptly vetoed by the Mrs. when I pitched the idea. No worries, it was still going to be a great day and the kids were ready to play. Like the last time, they spent most of their time in the water and it was hard getting them back aboard for dinner. As the sun began its descent, a large orange moon appeared on the opposite horizon. Crystal clear skies and a full moon provide an incredible backdrop for the pryo-technic display. I really didn't think this display was going to be a big deal until I motored around the bend to a river packed with boats. I later found out numerous clubs sail from far away to view this display and at its conclusion I knew why. It was amazing! If you find yourself looking for something to do next Labor day, go to the Rhode river (near day mark 7) and enjoy some amazing fireworks.

Sunday I decided to head a bit further north and ride Michuax with the MBM and/or Gettysburg crew. They were planning to ride most of the Teaberry loop and Travis mentioned something about Mackey, a trail I thought I had seen before. The lot was filling up fast and there were a LOT of people out for this ride. Not wanting to get stuck in a long line of bikers, I rolled out with the lead group that hit the trails running. There were about 15 of us pushing a brisk pace throughout the 13 miles of the beginner loop. This was a great piece of trail and a bit faster than the normal rock crawling associated with Michaux. There were still plenty of rocks, but, the gardens were smaller and you could carry some speed throughout. This loop was a great sample of what Michaux has to offer, only a little smaller and not quite as technical. A nice beginner loop for the Terror of Teaberry.

Back in the lot people regrouped and prepared for more, if you chose. Some guys from Philly (Harlan Price, Topher and a buddy) missed the first loop and talked to Travis about hitting Mackey via the single-track. I heard the other ride would have a lot of double track and the choice was clear. While many of the other riders were still returning to the lot, a small group of 9 quietly slid off into the woods. I was among that group. Our second loop started in the same direction as the first, but, only for a moment. A few minutes later we were on some trails that seemed vaguely familiar and that's when Travis mentions Rocky Ridge. Memories of an earlier ride with Camps and the Outlaw came flooding back. I recalled technical trails covered in briar's that shredded your skin, deer fences that prevented access and a tour guide who was not to sure of our position. The briar's were still there (cut back a bit from a dual sport race), as were the deer fences, but, Travis knew the route and kept us on task the entire time. At the third fence was a good bailout for people on a schedule. 3 in our party had prior obligations that prevented them from continuing. Our tour guide took this opportunity to stress the fact that what lie ahead were 4 more hours of ass kicking single-track and no water until the bottom. I'm riding with people I usually read about and the shit is about to get surreal.

We jump on to a trail called Virginia. It's new, or so it seems, and the freshly raked duff saps your energy. This group pushes a mean pace and the technical sections are the only thing saving my ass. The reward for all your effort was ear-to-ear, giggle inducing technical riding second to none. I kept asking "is this Mackey?" and Cheryl simply replied "no, it's something new". The further you went, the better it got. The rock work and line selection for this trail is spectacular, the builder should be proud. Just when I thought it couldn't get any better we pop out to a nice clearing with an amazing view. On the other side, just through the trees, was Mackey, the trail I thought I knew (and didn't), the one I came to ride. Mackey has been ridden a little more than Virginia and that was a welcome change. It rode a little faster and continued to reward you with some insane lines. I would have liked to session a couple spots, but, we had to keep moving and one shot was all you really got. I can't even go into too much detail about the trail because there was so much to it. Rocks, rocks and yes, some more rocks, there was little time to let the brain absorb what was happening to your body. Just the constant onslaught of line selection and power moves to get you through to the next section.

From Mackey we made our way to Rattle Dick. This was a good piece of trail that seemed fairly new as well. I'm not sure why, but, on my last few forays into Michaux I always end up on freshly cut trail, or trail that rarely sees tires. The latter may have been the case with Rattle Dick. It is a great trail, but, I was getting a little tired of grinding over soft duff this late in the day. It wound its way through the forest until we came upon Sucker Punch. "That was the last rock garden" Travis would proclaim, as if anyone would believe him. We just laughed and smiled as we made our way down this intoxicating trail, knowing a toll would be levied at the bottom. We found water down there, in the valley, at a picnic pavilion full of party-goers not willing to part with any extra cheeseburgers. A couple Shot Bloks and a goo would have to suffice for the long climb back to the cars. Harlen, Topher and their buddy (I'm terrible with names), took Stooges up the mountain while Travis, Cheryl and I stuck to the roads. That was a LONG climb back to the parking lot, but, descending Sucker Punch was worth the trip. Travis and I talked about hitting Mackey and Virginia some time with cameras and a little extra time. I hope he remembers that conversation.

The Ring....my precious

I'll admit it, I'm hooked. The Massanutten trail loop has gotten under my skin, RiderX & Jay have a new partner in crime.

With a few days left in my vacation and a three day pass, I contacted The Outlaw to see if he wanted to give The Ring another go. Jay couldn't make it this time around and I hoped my company would be enough. Joe & Jay had two previous attempts under their belts and I knew the task was no small feat. The plan gets modified with each new piece of information and there are still some missing pages from the play book.

I guess some background information is in order here. A couple years ago Joe told me about The Ring and his first attempt with Ricky & Jay. They tried it on bikes packed with gear and ran into numerous problems. Joe & Jay tired it again this past Spring (Ricky told them to take a hike....literally)and they ran out time as the weather delayed their start. Valuable knowledge was gained from these attempts and we tried to learn from past mistakes.

The Massanutten Trail, aka "The Ring", is a 71 mile loop that covers two mountain ridges, Massanutten East & West, in the George Washington National Forest. The plan is to complete the loop in two days to reduce the logistical problems of a longer trip. 35 miles a day seems reasonable enough, we have all done much longer rides in the past. However, these are not reasonable trails. With parts that date back to the Revolutionary War, long sections of this gnarled, rocky trail are all but impossible to ride and progress can be seriously impeded. On the other hand, sections that can be ridden are some of the finest pieces of single track I've ever seen.

Starting out from Mudhole Gap we had a little hiking to get to the top of the ridge. From there the terrain flowed as it undulated across the ridge line. The morning was already heating up and we knew it was going to be a scorcher, but, for the time being, on that section of trail, we were in a zone. Flying across the mountain top as we traversed past Woodstock Tower and over towards Green and Powell's Mountains. As I followed Joe through these woods I thought "it just doesn't get any better than this". A ridge line trail that offered everything you could possibly want, fast flowing lines, brief technical sections and views that were simply spectacular. This is mountain biking at its finest and exactly what I was hoping to find on this trip. A quick stop to fix a broken nipple was the only thing that broke up the flow of this trail as we descended into the Edinburg Gap.

Joe was diligent in his part as "expedition leader" and made sure I knew what was coming up. Short Mountain, he informed me, was nothing like what we just rode and had extended sections of hike-a-bike. As the day heated up, so did the terrain. The initial climb wasn't too bad, but, I knew it was only going to get worse. The progress we made on the previous ridge came to a screeching halt as the trail on Short Mountain became broken and gnarled. Sections you could ride were fun and challenged your skills, however, they were brief and followed by extended stretches where you had to portage your bike. The hard plastic soles on my shoes made matters worse as they slid across the rock surface in search of some traction. Somewhere in the middle of this mess we came across a couple equestrians headed in the opposite direction. I couldn't help but feel sorry for their animals as their bloodied legs negotiated the technical terrain. Their steel shoes searching for traction and finding little, like my spd cleats. At least we were there of our own free will, I doubt the horses had the same luxury. Even after we worked our way through the large rock fields, this mountain made you earn your turns. Forward progress was hindered with slow rock crawling that drained your reserves and fried your legs. It was about this time a visual inspection revealed an almost depleted hydration bladder. 3 miles left before our water cache and now I had to ration my remaining water bottle. The onset of a headache made this difficult to say the least. As the trail turned down and gravity became an asset the trail became only slightly less difficult. The seldom used trail was littered with loose boulders that shifted under your wheels. Coupled with over-growth that obscured the tread and made picking a clean line near impossible, I pinballed my way down hoping my wheel didn't find a hidden hole.

Off all the technical trail we rode towards the water cache and a major decision. This was mile 20 and it was 1:30pm. We were closing in on the 6 hour mark and still had at least 8 more miles of hard riding ahead, followed by 7 more that were mostly unknown. We had daylight, but, we really didn't have the legs. Short Mountain saw to that. Across the road from our stop was Jawbone Gap, a heinous section of trail which neither of us have first hand knowledge. This is followed by the Waterfall trail that Joe described as if a dump truck left a load of bowling balls behind. Neither of these sounded very appealing considering our current condition and we decided to pull the plug and try again some other time, when we could borrow Chris Eatough's legs.

Back at camp we filled our bellies and talked about the ride. While listening to the weather we decided to rest a bit and then ride over to Mudhole Gap to retrieve the car. Fridays weather was questionable at best and Joe didn't want another 20 mile ride in the rain like the last time. As with previous attempts, we learned some new things that will be applied the next time we go down there. The water cache was near perfect and I'd probably pack one extra bottle on the bike just to be safe. Summer might afford longer days, but, at what cost? The higher temperatures sap you of energy and increase the amount of water needed for the ride. The hard plastic soles found on racing shoes are great......for racing, but, a little extra traction and a bit more flex would really help on the extended hike-a-bikes. A rubber soled, lugged shoe would provide the sure footed traction required on sections found throughout this trip. Some Lake MX190's have already been ordered. A few more recon trips might be in order as well. First hand knowledge of every section would be invaluable for future trips. Besides, they give us a great excuse to go down and ride the incredible trails throughout this area.

Vacation

Nothing exotic, just chillin' at the beach and on the boat. Bill made for some big waves on Saturday and we had to play near the shore with the wee ones. I was wishing I dusted off the long-board for this trip. Crab fest on Friday, couple days playing in the pool and kiddie rides in Rehoboth. Not a bad way to spend a few days.

Rolled home on Monday and got in a fast ride through Schaeffer, HMC and Black Hill that afternoon.

Tuesday we met Uncle Bob and the cousins down at the sailboat and spent a glorious day on the water. Perfect day to find a nice sandy cove complete with a private beach. The kids were in the water the entire time. I'm on a boat....mother f**ker!!



Here's the suburban white guy version:
















Next up, attempting The Ring with RiderX.

Pen & Paper

Just saw a very cool "video" which serves as a promo for a camera over at The Adventure Life. It's a ripoff from a Japanese photographer and Olympus didn't give the artist proper credit, but, it's amazing none-the-less.



Thanks to RiderX for the original link.

Now, the original.....

New fixed gear "bike"?

Well, actually it's a uni, but, it is fixed.





















Gotta get ready for the Bliss.
I plan to dominate the derby on this rig. ;)

Liberty Town Jamboree

Another incredible year for the Jamboree. The competition was stiff as always, but, we managed to squeeze in lot of fun between the leg searing stages. I was hoping to avoid a repeat of last year when a hard fall took me out of half the stages. Other than a slight mishap on the first stage, I had a relatively clean race and avoided serious injury.

Historically, this summer-time counterpart to the Outlaws Punk Bike Enduro always seems to land on the hottest, most humid day of the summer. I'm sure this may be an exaggeration, but, it sure does feel that way. Maybe it's going from 0 to 110% that makes it feel this way. Maybe it's chasing down guys like Cargo Mike and Gwads while your lungs are burning and it feels like someone just ripped your legs off and beat you over the head with the stumps. Who knows? What I do know is the Jamboree is a helluva lot o fun and I'll always keep the calendar open when Jim sets the date.

Numbers were down a little over last year and a few friends were oddly absent. Their loss is all I can say. A bunch of the usual suspects were in attendance and we had a strong turnout from the SSOFT crew. RiderX rode fixed and did extremely well against his freewheeling brethren. RickyD, always the fashion diva, busted out a football inspired ensemble that had a lot of people shaking their heads. DC had a strong contingent this year with the aforementioned Mike and Gwads (Joel). DCTony was rocking the course and his bike stayed together the entire day. Always a pleasant surprise. The WUSS boys supplied most of the representation from the Commonwealth and were looking to keep the yellow jersey on their side of the river. They just weren't looking very hard. ;)

Speaking of the yellow jersey, I got to wear it on 3 separate occasions during the day. I was pretty stoked about that and tried to give Mike a run for his money when I could. He was, and usually is, the man to follow and I had fun chasing him through the woods of Patapsco. Then there is Joel, the big man, you give him an opening and he'll punish you for the mistake. Geez, he's fast...and big. On the last stage, I lost the lead to Joel just before the split. Then he made the same mistake I made last year and went to the left. That same mistake cost me 3 spots last year and I believe that was the toll exacted on him this year. You gotta love a little previous beta for these type of races.

At the end of the day it all came down to a hand of BlackJack. Mike was in the lead with 80 points, I had 70 and I think Joel was around 48. Last year I went all-in, busted and went down in flames. This year I was "trying" to be conservative and not really knowing much about gambling focused on the wrong person. I should have hedged my bet against Joel's 48 points and instead I pulled a pussy move and only bet 1o of my points. I know, I know, what the fuck was I thinking? That bet doesn't even make sense. In the end I didn't bust, but neither did Joel or Tony who both went "all-in". That moved them up and me down into the 4th position. The DC contingent sweeps the '09 Jamboree. Oh well, maybe next year I'll play a little smarter. I just hope the legs will get me to the table again.

Huge thanks to Jim, Amy and her parents for their continued support of this event. It's always a great time and after the "adults" are done playing the kids actually get a chance to race as well. Jonathan and Jackie participated this year and Jonathan did it on two wheels. I got him steady for the start, but, after that, it was all him. It was awesome to see his face beaming as he crossed the finish line. Jackie got some assistance from Will and she was very excited as well. The kids race really is an event where everyone is a winner, parents included.

El Cracko

The Thursday after work ride was pretty good, for the most part.

We had our doubts at first that it was going to happen. There were some dark, nasty clouds over the mountain and you could tell it was dumping up there. We checked the radar at the Big Dog's and saw that it was a thin, yet severe, band rolling through and would "probably" move out quickly. So, we had some nice beer and cheese at his house and waited for the storm to pass. After 20 minutes or so, the heavy clouds were gone and the sky looked promising. As we drove up it was raining, hard at times, but Darius promised there would be sunshine, rainbows and unicorns at the top of the hill. We had to wait about 5 minutes more when we got to Sandflats and sure enough, it cleared up and we had great weather the rest of the ride.

Sure, we got wet from water on the trails and all the wet leaves, but, the trails were in good shape and there were no mud puddles. The rocks were slick as hell and that made for some interesting slides over them. You had to hit stuff square on or risk being ejected in random directions. This added a whole new challenge to trails that aren't the easiest things to begin with. When you cleaned a section it was fun, super fun. Getting denied could be painful.

At some point, I think it was on F2, Darius' bike made a sharp "clinking" sound and we looked it over for cracked tubes, loose parts....you know, the usual. We didn't see anything and pressed on. Took F2 over to Viper and went north towards Salamander. On the road Frank shot a couple rocks with his front wheel and Darius responded in kind. His bike made the same sharp "clink" again and a second inspection reveled a cracked top tube. Cracked about 3/4 the way through at this point. So, road ride out to the lot. A quick PBL and a toast to another fallen frame and we finished up with burrito's at Poblano's.

I think the Big Dog needs to look into an armor plated dirt jumper for his next bike.