EAGLE NEST 6/27/10

GRADY ORGANIZED A WORK DAY TO CLEAR EAGLE NEST.

WE MET AT THE TRAIL HEAD AT 9AM.

TRAIL BOSS – GRADY

RIDERS – MARK, TIM, BEN, STEVE, JOHN, MAT

LOOP – 58 MILES

 TIM WAS STRESS TESTING HIS RACK.

ABOUT 5 MILES DOWN THE TRAIL, TIM BOUNCED HIS PIPE ON SOME ROCKS & GOT PITCHED OFF HIS BIKE. HE PLANTED HIS SHOULDER ON ANOTHER ROCK & CUT HIS FOREARM. AFTER A FEW MINUTES HE DECIDED NOTHING WAS BROKEN.

 

WE CAME TO THE BOG AND DECIDE TO BUILD A CORDUROY ROAD ACROSS THE SWAMP.

TIM BUILDING ROAD

 

ME CROSSING BOG.

 

WORKED OUT PRETTY SWEET !

  MARK CUTTING BIG LOG.

WE MADE IT TO GOLD FORK ROAD BUT GOT TURNED AROUND BY SNOW DRIFTS AT ABOUT MILE 15.

GRADY WAS ABLE TO SALVAGE THE DAY BY TAKING US ON A DUAL SPORT RIDE.

WE RODE ~ 12 MILES OF ROAD PAST GOLD FORKS HOT SPRINGS AND HOOKED UP ON AN ATV TRAIL THAT RUNS ON THE RIDGE NEXT TO HIGHWAY 55.

IRRIGATION PIPE OVER GOLD FORK RIVER.

 

GRADY THEN TOOK US ON HIS SECRET STASH OF SINGLE TRACK NEAR HIS CABIN. FUN STUFF.

VISTA  CROWN POINT

VIEW OF LAKE CASCADE

WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE TRAIL HEAD MY REAR WHEEL BEARING SEEMED BAD AGAIN, IT WOULD BE THE 3RD SET THIS YEAR ! BEN LOOKED AT THE BIKE AND FOUND THE AXLE NUT LOOSE ! :-(. 

LATER AFTER A COUPLE OF BEERS I HEAD ABOUT OTHER SIMILAR EPISODES.

LIME CREEK -6/20/10

 

RIDERS – BARRY (TRAIL BOSS), DAVID , JOHN

HAD A CALL INTO SCOTT MOORE BUT FOUND OUT HE DOESN’T USE HIS CELL PHONE THAT MUCH.

PARKED AT CORRALS. SAW MURRAY'S TRUCK BUT NEVER SPOTTED MURRAY & KAT. IT WAS THREATENING RAIN, THE SKIES WERE BLACK OVER THE MOUNTAINS , SO I STARTED OUT IN MY JACKET W/O THE SELVES. HOWEVER WE JUST MISSED ALL THE RAIN DURING THE RIDE.

LOOP – 70 MILES : ROAD=> SHEEP DRIVE=>ROAD=> PRESIDENT=>MIDDLE FORK=>BREMNER=>SOUTH FORK=>HOLE IN THE WALL=>SNOWMOBILE TRAILS=ROAD

SHEEP DRIVE JUST ABOVE LIME CREEK.

DAVID- SHEEP DRIVE

WE HAD SOME SPRINKLES SO DAVE STOPPED TO BUT HIS RAIN PANTS ON,  OF COURSE THE SUN CAME OUT !

LATER A FEW MILES DOWN THE TRAIL DAVE PEELED OFF THE PANTS & I TOOK OFF THE JACKET. I STUFFED THE JACKET INTO IT’S POUCH & DECIDED TO TRY STRAPPING THE JACKET TO THE HANDLE BARS. BAD IDEA ! AT SPEED ON AN ATV TRAIL THE JACKET WOULD WAG ( NOT SNUG ENOUGH) CAUSING HEAD SHAKE.

I WAS IN 4TH GEAR GOING THRU A TURN & GOT THROWN TO THE GROUND. SLID ON MY STOMACH TOWARD AN ASPEN. BIT OF AN ADRENAL RUSH.

STRAPPED THE JACKET TO MY WAIST , ADJUSTED THE HAND GUARDS AND GOT BACK ON MY WAY.

WE STOPPED FOR LUNCH ON THE ROAD TO PRESIDENTS . DURING LUNCH IT WAS DARK & THUNDERING SO I PUT THE SELVES ON THE JACKET BEFORE I PUT IN BACK ON.

(9 MILES OF ROAD BETWEEN SHEEP DRIVE & PRESIDENT, NEED SOME MORE TRAIL !)

SWEET RUN DOWN PRESIDENT. MIDDLE FORK WATER IS DOWN & THE CROSSING LOOKS PASSABLE.

MIDDLE FORK TRAIL. FUN TRAIL, MOSTLY 2ND & 1ST. TECHNICAL BUT NOTHING DANGEROUS. GOT WARM WITH THE JACKET, BUT EVERY TIME I THOUGHT ABOUT STOPPING TO TAKE IT OFF I WOULD SEE LIGHTENING. ONE OF MY EYES STARTED STINGING, TOOK A BIT TO REALIZE IT WAS JUST SWEAT.

AT THE TOP OF MIDDLE FORK THE GROUND WAS LITTERED WITH GOLF BALL SIZE HAIL. WE JUST MISSED IT !

BOTTOM OF IRON MOUNTAIN. THE STORM LOOKED TO HAVE PASSED US.

BARRY- “ SHAKE YOUR MONEY MAKER ! “

               “ THE GULF DISASTER WILL BE MY 4-ELEVEN !”

                “ LET ME BE CLEAR ,BP NOW STANDS FOR BARRY PETROLEUM.”

WOULD YOU RISK YOUR LIFE TO SAVE A TRAIL ? LIME CREEK 6/11/10

LOOP ~ 57 MILES          RIDERS - DAVID ,JOHN

IT WAS WARM WHEN WE UNLOADED SO I DECIDED JUST TO RIDE THE ROAD IN MY WIND STOPPER JERSEY & LEFT MY JACKET AT THE TRUCK.

I WANTED TO RIDE THE SOUTH FORK TRAIL FROM HUNTER CREEK UP TO BREMNER. THE LOWER CROSSING WAS HIGH BUT PASSABLE. HOWEVER WE KNEW THE CROSSINGS UP STREAM  WERE LIKELY TO BE CHALLENGING & THE MIDDLE FORK CROSSING WOULD BE A MESS. SO WE DECIDED TO GO IN THRU HOLE IN THE WALL.

THE CROSSING BY ROANHIDE WAS HIGH SO WE WENT A FEW YARDS UP STREAM. 

FARTHER UP STREAM THE SIDE HILL CROSSING THE MVTMA WORKED ON WAS STILL IN GOOD SHAPE.

THE LEDGE UP STREAM FROM HERE WAS TOUGH TO CLIMB. DAVID SAID IT TOOK HIM 3 TRIES. I RODE UP ON HIM ON THE 3RD TRY.

MY 1ST TRY I HUNG UP ON THE ROOT. THE 2ND TRY I “HAMMERED IT” ( REMEMBERING ADVICE FROM MOAB). WELL I GHOSTED THE BIKE UP THE LEDGE & IT LOOPED OUT.

WE GOT THE BIKE BACK DOWN SINCE IT WAS POINTED THE WRONG WAY. WHEN I GOT BACK ON THE BIKE I COULD TELL THE BARS WERE TWEAKED & COULD SMELL OIL.

I RODE BACK DOWN THE TRAIL, TURNED AROUND  THEN WALKED IT THRU A TIGHT SIDE HILL.

FOUND A HOLE POKED IN THE CLUTCH COVER BY THE BRAKE PEDAL. THOUGHT I HAD SOME JB WELD BUT IT WASN’T IN MY PACK.

PLAN “A” WAS TO PLUG THE HOLE WITH A TWIG. TRIED WILLOW & PINE, NEITHER ONE WORKED.

  WE DECIDED TO PULL THE COVER TO PLUG IT FROM THE INSIDE. STILL NO LUCK WITH THE ORGANIC SOLUTION, WENT TO PLAN B-MAKE A PLUG WITH A RUBBER TIRE PATCH.

AFTER A COUPLE OF TRIES WE SEEMED TO HAVE SUCCESS. USED SOME WATER TO PERFORM A LEAK TEST. 

PUT IT ALL BACK TOGETHER & NO OIL LEAK !

BARRY “ NOW THAT’S HOW YOU KICK ASS & PLUG THAT DAMN HOLE !” 

JUST AS WE STARTED TO PUT THE BIKE BACK TOGETHER WE WERE GETTING SPRINKLED.

STRAIGHTENED THE TRIPE CLAMP, BUT THE HANDLE BARS MIGHT STILL BE BENT. HOPE I DON’T GET REPORTED FOR BIKE ABUSE.

WHEN WE GOT TO BREMNER DAVID DECIDED TO PUT HIS RAIN PANTS ON.

WE RODE BREMNER UP TO ROANHIDE.

THERE WERE A FEW TREES DOWN ON ROANHIDE, THIS ONE WE HAD TO DRAG THE BIKES UNDERNEATH. WASN’T ALL THAT BAD.

WE LUNCHED AT THE TOP OF ROANHIDE. THE TEMP WAS IN THE UPPER 40’S & WE COULD SEE THE RAIN ROLLING IN.

AFTER LUNCH WE DECIDED TO RIDE COYOTE DOWN. AS WE WERE RIDING THE CONNECTER TO COYOTE THE SKIES WERE BLACK OVER FAIRFIELD.

GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF COYOTE AND DECIDED TO GO BACK DOWN SOUTH FORK. AFTER “THE CROSSING” WE POKED DOWN SOUTH FORK SOME MORE UNTIL WE CAME TO A CROSSING & DECIDED THE HARD ONE WOULD BE HIGHER THAN WE WANTED.

TURNED AROUND &  RODE OUT HOLE IN THE WALL => SNOWMOBILE TRAILS BACK TO THE ROAD. THE TRUCK WAS DRY WHEN WE UNDRESSED & LOADED.