Adventure riding short rides and BS thread

[WoodsChick]

I was able to get out for a quick ride on day two when the snow and rain stopped for about two hours.

That photo is "front page" all the way, Todd! Love it!




WoodsChick

 

[WoodsChick]

+1000! I'd much rather regret something I have done, than something I haven't.

Words to live by.

I had a friend that died of a brain tumor in 1992 at 27 years old. He regretted not being able to do all the things he wanted to do. His death hit me hard and it changed the way I live my life. My house could use another coat of paint, my office is a mess, and I should really clean out the basement one of these days...but the wildflowers are almost in full bloom down on the plain and it's always possible that next weekend could be my last one on this beautiful planet. I don't know about y'all, but I know what I'd rather be doing with my limited heartbeats




WoodsChick

 

[Nemo Brinker]

Amen, dubChick.

And Todd, that photo is amazing. Captures the spirit, indeed.

 

[luckett]

When the GPS broke, I gave up on it.
.

If it's a garmin, they have a "repair" service for out of warranty units. You pay a repair fee of around $100, send in your old unit and they will send a brand new one back.

 

[slackmeyer]

If it's a garmin, they have a "repair" service for out of warranty units. You pay a repair fee of around $100, send in your old unit and they will send a brand new one back.

It's not, it's a POS lowrance. The Garmins look more rugged, and have more maps available, but it seems like by the time you pay for a decent set of maps, you're talking about quite a bit of money (I know, I ride a KTM, that amount of money shouldn't phase me, but it does). Also, I could never really figure out the unit that would do what I want- provide me with good quality maps of where I'm riding, allow me to record routes, and provide me with directions to the nearest gas station when I need it. The Delorme units are the most tempting to me right now, but I'm pretty happy with maps most of the time.

Of course, I have plenty of gripes with the maps I use, but I think that comes partly from a degree in geography/cartography. Why the hell can't delorme atlases use shaded relief properly, and distinguish between roads and hiking trails? And why do they insist on using names for the roads that never match up with forest service naming?

 

[Double-D]

Thanks for the compliments on the photo... It's one of my favorites.


As for GPS maps check this site out...

http://www.gpsfiledepot.com/maps/view/45/


It has free GPS maps. I used that ID map and it worked really well. I was traveling in arguably the most remote region of the lower 48 and that map software got me through roads that hadn't been used in so long they literally disappeared. They don't work quite as well as the Garmin maps, in that when you're near the border it doesn't work, but for the rest of the map it was perfect.


A map and compass are still invaluable tools, but I'm really starting to dig making tracks/routes to plan rides.

 

[DukeD]

"Someday" is now, dude! You only have so many heartbeats to work with in this great life; don't waste any of them waiting around for "someday" to arrive, because it never will if you wait too long. Every bike in your little avatar thingy (except for the track bike...but that's just an adventure of a different color) looks to be capable of providing an adventure. If you have a track bike you probably have a way of hauling it around, right? Throw one of those other bikes in it, head outta town and have an adventure of your own! I'll guarantee that after the first experience you'll never, ever be able to get enough



Yep, me too! That's usually an after-dinner activity for me, or sometimes it's a coffee-and-map session in the morning. Regardless of when it happens, the little tiny red squiggly lines and red dotty lines on the Benchmark maps never fail to stir my imagination and soul in wild and crazy ways. I love filling my 5gal tank and heading off with my "bible" in search of the holy trail




WoodsChick

Trust me, I know. But with a 4 year old daughter, a 10 year old son, 2 dogs in their 80s (in dog years of course), and my list of honeydoodoos multi-day adventures are far and few. I did take your advice and just went for it yesterday though and did a full day trip covering roughly 400 miles. All street but there were some goat trails and even a couple of water crossings.

Rode down to San Jo to pick a few buds, headed south on Uvas and such to Gilroy, 25 to Hollister on to Cienega past the dirt park. Back onto 25 to Los Gatos Road to Coalinga. We took 198 from Coalinga and headed back up to 25 and eventually home. 25, Los Gatos Rd, and 198 are pure twisties, and I wished for my r6. I instead took the GS since I figured my old body would last longer on it. Left my house at 7:15 and returned at 7:30pm.

Next trip will hopefully be on dirt but for now I'm getting ready for The Sheetiron, #146 baby!

Oh, did I mention... this thread ROCKS !!!

 

[slackmeyer]

I'm going to go ride some dirt on friday. Don't know where yet- cow mountain, knoxville, mendocino, maybe carnegie? If anyone else is up riding one of those places, let me know. I'll probably be on a KTM 640.

zak

 

[slackmeyer]

Ok, normally I agree with that statement, but during a Death Valley trip last year I got stuck in the Geoligists cabin for three days while a storm blew through the area. I only talked to four people, two groups of two that happened by in 4x4s, the entire time. I started going a bit crazy after awhile with all the solitude.

The camera's flash makes the cabin look nice and bright at night, but in reality the only light that was working was my little head lamp. It got knda spooky...

But this was my view during the day, at least when the fog was gone. (About half the time all of Butte Valley was socked in with fog.)

Todd, that reminds me so much of this:

(I'm the one in the back with the very sunburnt face, doing a crossword puzzle)
Here's a shot of the outside on a nice day:

This is camp muir, a climber's camp on Mt. Rainier, in washington, at about 10,000 ft. elevation. I worked there for a couple seasons rebuilding the shelter, and our first year, we got hit by horrendous weather for much of the summer. We spent a lot of time holed up in a little stone shelter in temps well below freezing. Good times!

Have you read "South" by Ernest Shackleton? I read that, and some other books by the great explorers while I was up at Camp Muir, and tried to emulate what they would do to keep up crew morale, playing games, chores, etc.

zak

 

[flying_hun]

Camp Muir you say? Zak, did you ever meet my old ski buddy, Robert Link?

 

[boney]

I'm going to go ride some dirt on friday. Don't know where yet- cow mountain, knoxville, mendocino, maybe carnegie? If anyone else is up riding one of those places, let me know. I'll probably be on a KTM 640.

zak

You might ping hot momma over on advrider, I think he's headed into the Mendocino on Friday. I'd go, but it seems that I'm always working these days.

 

[Double-D]

Have you read "South" by Ernest Shackleton? I read that, and some other books by the great explorers while I was up at Camp Muir, and tried to emulate what they would do to keep up crew morale, playing games, chores, etc.

zak

Very cool man! My dad, aunts, uncles, etc... were all mountaineering types. I keep meanning to climb Shasta and my namesake's mountain, Whitney.

Anyway, I just started "South" the other day. Haven't gotten very far, but hopefully a relaxing solo trip down to the Carrizo will allow for some reading time this weekend.

 

[slackmeyer]

You might ping hot momma over on advrider, I think he's headed into the Mendocino on Friday. I'd go, but it seems that I'm always working these days.

I did that, and he's riding. Then I decided to ride Carnegie with a friend, so that's where I'll be tomorrow.

zak

 

[slackmeyer]

Camp Muir you say? Zak, did you ever meet my old ski buddy, Robert Link?

Hmm, can't say I met him. I was up there in 2004 and 2005, pretty much all the time from late june through september. I hung out with the climbing rangers, and the cooks from RMI (guide service), but other than that I spent most days with a jackhammer or a grinder going.

Very cool man! My dad, aunts, uncles, etc... were all mountaineering types. I keep meanning to climb Shasta and my namesake's mountain, Whitney.

Anyway, I just started "South" the other day. Haven't gotten very far, but hopefully a relaxing solo trip down to the Carrizo will allow for some reading time this weekend.

Awesome! It's an incredible story, and a very readable book, too. I was thinking about heading down to Carrizo this weekend too, but I don't think it's going to happen. Seems like the wildflowers should be perfect right now.

zak

 

[slackmeyer]

I did that, and he's riding. Then I decided to ride Carnegie with a friend, so that's where I'll be tomorrow.

zak

Had a great time riding Carnegie on Friday. . . . though all the trails seem so short. Guess that's cause I don't really know where I'm going. Anyway, the 640 does amazingly well up there. I should bring my 950 out there too, seems like I could ride it on a lot of the easy and intermediate trails. Of course, if I managed to drop it downhill, I'd either have to disassemble it and carry it out in pieces, or help it "accidentally" catch fire.

zak

 

[WoodsChick]

Wish I'd seen Todd and Slack's posts on Carrizo before the weekend...I'd have looked for Todd and tried to talk Slack into going

We rode Pozo, too...

I should probably put a proper ride report together...



WoodsChick

 

[flying_hun]

^^^^Yes, please. ^^^^

 

[Cabrito]

That last pic makes it look like a real steep hill...

 

[Double-D]

Cool pics Tammi! You didn't see me out there partly because I didn't get a chance to leave town. The good news is that I'm packed up and ready to go this weekend. Not exactly sure wre we're going and I don't really care...

 

[WoodsChick]

^^^^Yes, please. ^^^^

I'll try to get it going tonight sometime

That last pic makes it look like a real steep hill...

That's because it was. We had already ridden in from the road in the background, and we rode out the same way. This is the road behind me...

And Eric heading up the hill...

We shoulda had knobbies on. My tire is almost bald and it felt like it, too.

Cool pics Tammi! You didn't see me out there partly because I didn't get a chance to leave town. The good news is that I'm packed up and ready to go this weekend. Not exactly sure wre we're going and I don't really care...

Right on! Sometimes those are the best trips. My first trip to Carrizo was predicated solely on the fact that it was the only spot in CA that was calling for something other than rain or snow.

I really did keep an eye out for you, though. We've been down to the plain 4 times since the end of January and we've only seen 3 other bikes down there, all on the same day in the same campground...that's it! We're always scanning the horizon for other bikes.

Ok, one more teaser photo before I open a bottle of wine and start in on a report of some sort...

(See? I really do ride my SM on pavement sometimes )




WoodsChick