digthemlows

Confluence Trail in Auburn CA....... was a great day doing a big loop through some great trails.......

Daspydyr 

Had a scare with a rattle snake Sunday. First thought I popped a tire then maybe broke a spoke with a hiss followed by a rattle. Then it stopped as quick as it started. Knew it had to be a rattler. Went back and got a couple of pictures. He didn't like me at all. Nasty attitude those snakes have.

craigcraigcraig

took pictures but didn't show them?

Daspydyr 

Sorry, here is slither, he played a small part in Harry Potter!

samburger

Went to check out Big Creek today...it was amazing. The DH section has four options: a path with a few medium (3-5ft) drops followed by some nice flowy berms up & down an old creek bank; a technical section with a nice rock garden followed by a 6ft drop to flat; a freeride section with fast berms & big jumps; & a straight up DJ section at the top with mostly just freestyle BMX style jumps.

First section was the most amateur-friendly, but lacked any significant reward unless you really knew what you were doing. If I was a regular there, that's where I'd spend the most time because it provides the most usable practice in getting really comfortable with riding your bike FAST. We got distracted by some guys we met up with there & ended up not having enough time to do the second section, but next time we'll get it for sure. We did the freeride section the most--those berms are just awesome, keeps you going so fast with so much confidence. I came up to the last tabletop (~5ft lip, 15ft across) with more speed than I anticipated & damn near cleared it with no intention of going airborne at all. Scary as hell. And we messed around in the freestyle section a little with a few rollers but there wasn't much to offer for the n00b riders.

Also has two small pump tracks. I'd have loved to have stayed there all day but I was on a time limit with studying for exams. Definitely will go back soon. Unfortunately, the gopro snapped off the handlebar mount (currently on the seatpost) about .5mi in & we had to go back looking for it, so I didn't get the POV footage I was hoping for. Still got some okay stills from the video fottage later on though, that I decided was just not worthy of posting up as videos--too short & too dull.

I'm in the white helmet

lubes17319

Got up top of Bergen Peak y-day.

...and then came the good stuff, coming back down. (pix of my buddy, slow.)



We ended up hitting every trail there, some a few times....'twas a marvelous day!

samburger

^That first picture is amazing!

Daspydyr 

Dang lubes, that looks like a lot of working there. Are there any speed sections?

lubes17319

Cheers sam!
I think I hit up Big Creek my last time in AL/GA (2005) & had a fun time there, but Carter's Lake, Bear Creek, Fort Mt & Bull Mt are where it's at if you can get out of Dodge to pedal.

Over 3.7 miles of climbing, ugggh! But I was happy that I walked much less than the last time there.
Yeah, coming back downhill!

samburger

It's a great trail because it's only about 20 minutes outside Atlanta (about an hour from me) & it's got the best DH/freeride section in the area. The thing I don't like about it is that it's small--6 miles in total, most of it just XC, & it's very close to major roads & traffic & all the things I love to escape from.

I've been meaning to make my way up to Ellijay to check out some of those trails, Bear Creek especially, heard nothing but good things about it. This last 'adventure' up to Roswell is only increasing my appetite to explore further north so it probably won't be long before I make the trip up there.

lubes17319

Returned to White Ranch for a different loop today.

colorider

Lair of the Bear park on Saturday

alexaschwanden

Nice trails, i looks to be a lot of fun.

ed 

Dang! Humid + Ed= a near vomit experience.

I went out yesterday for a quick walk with my kid to check the trails and see if they were ride-able. Freakin' ticks out there are redonk, dude! We didn't have a good, hard freeze this winter. I flicked about 15 off my kids boots in a 1/2mi period. The trails were okay, so I called a new guy to see if he wanted to go see some local trails. I rode with him for about 1hr 45min and just about died. Since I work in 65deg controlled climate for the last 10+ years now, I just have a terrible time acclimating to hot/humid trails. By the end of the "not so long" ride, I had goosebumps from the heat. My 2ltr hydr pak was 50/50 Gatorade / water. I just had to sit and spin so many sections that I can stand and honk when it's like 72'.

Since the ticks were so bad out there and I got my new trimmer...I decided to go back out in long pants and long sleeves and trim some trail. I did about a 1/2 bump-feed width on either side of the singletrack (sot it still looks like trail instead of a freakin' MUP) and probably cleaned up around 1/2mi or so.

All in all, it was a good day at the trails. I just didn't expect the heat and humidity to be such an instant issue like that. I only get out there around 1-2 days a week, but daggum! I feel like one of my heart patients!

Daspydyr 

DANG that heat. And ticks, gross! Hate those "suckers." Weather spiked to around 95 last week and I ran out of gas in no time. Weekend was back in the 70s in the morning. Perfect riding weather.

Good for you trimming those trails. You must have a serious care giver conscience.

ed 

How do y'all trim? I usually do a trimmer-width next to the singletrack and a knee-high angled out above that to catch the leaning tick habitat.

RIC0

ED get you some endurolytes from hammer nutrion and you'll adapt to the heat better I'm sure. I dont' ride without them, winter or summer.

and yes the ticks are OUT OF CONTROL this year.

ed 

Thx, man. I'll look into it. I went back out to the section that I trimmed yesterday. I only flicked 1 tick off my shoes. (this was hiking) Last time I hiked through there prior to trimming, I flicked a dozen ticks off my pant legs in just 30ft. Trimming helps immensely.

When I trim, I'm wearing long pants, long sleeves, pants tucked into boots, shirt tucked in. Bug spray. Doo rag. Hat. Gloves. I always trim in front of me...so as I walk into the trail from the road...I'm trimming the stuff in front of me.

I didn't find a single tick after trimming that whole .5mi corridor the other day.

BTW...Athletic Backwoods Cutter with 23% Deet kicks Athletic Off's butt.

craigcraigcraig

I tried out a new trail today. Twas a good time minus the hikers who get so mad they have to share a trail.

mechBgon

I went on a mild XC group ride of the 24-hour course at Riverside State Park today. It wasn't too stop-&-go, just a couple regroups. I alternated between soft-pedalling and fast spurts.

dminor 

^^ Getting ready to kill it next Wednesday, eh?

We did a nice loop over and around Five Mile last night: up to the new water tower, dropped into the power line then dropped north off that on a "hidden" trail that went . . . well, I won't say. But we got back on allowable land soon enough and finished out over on the Indian Trail side. Smallish group so the pace stayed brisk and kept moving. Lotta climbs and some real cool, technical descending.

med01

I had an awesome ride yesterday. Went to explore more of the bush track I previously checked out before in my area and did a further 5 kms or so. Mostly rocks, and steep up/down hills at first, but after dripping of sweat and gradual recovering, more flats, small drop-offs and heaps of mud/water which I seem to enjoy most. When returning to civilisation, got a few weird glances as it seemed I looked like I came back from the Amazon

Definitely gonna hit the track again and be more prepared this time.

mechBgon

Actually I'm not racing the Wednesday-night series this year. I can't keep up with the fastest guys in the regular category, but I'd probably be "too fast" to be fair to the Masters group. Clinging on with my heart rate in the 180s, then getting dropped and riding the second lap solo, is not that fun actually. But don't tell Eric I said that

Pro tip: there will be a really healthy amount of schwag for the first race of the series, that's all I'm going to say Get your friends out there on the 16th!

dminor 

Doing a bunch of house-cleaning getting ready for the big move, eh?

I'll spread the word.

pablosnazzy

just got back from an evening ride, climbed mack ridge, enjoyed the new singletrack connector, it is reminiscent of holy cross (one of my all time favorite trails) and came back on lion's. the weather was absolutely perfect, it was just two of us (and a dog) and we rode, stopped and talked, hammered, stopped and looked at the amazing azure sky with the tan mountains as a backdrop with a ribbon of bright green trees almost like a nike swoosh, and just rode. we simply enjoyed the ground moving beneath us, as we and our bikes rode and floated and pumped and carved the terrain. the sun was hitting the rocks perfectly, making them glow, and it was just all around spectacular. scenery aside, the ride was soooooo much fun, fast, flowy, enough technical stuff to keep you moving and aware, and some cool little parts that get both your wheels off the ground at the same time. it was one of those rides you read about in a magazine and strive for. we luckily just happened to have that ride. sorry no pictures.