18-Jan-14 Ride & Camp Report

[liv2day]

There's nothing like getting out in the middle of January when a temperature inversion is hanging around the area, especially if that inversion is accompanied by blue skies and sunshine. Actually, what tops that is getting the ok to join a few friends after the ride to hang out and enjoy outstanding camp food, a hot fire, and then a fair amount of good whisky!

The guys had been camping since the day before, so I loaded up and headed out first thing Saturday morning to meet them at camp. Convinced a couple of the usual suspects to head out for the day ride and we all arrived around 9:00. Unloaded, geared up, then waited for the temps to rise a little before we headed out.







The planned loop for the day is easily described with 3 words I hear regularly: You'll Be Fine :laughing8: The idea was to head west from DM and explore some of the trails I have yet to experience. We started the ride with a great warm up on Mike's and then bombed up Jones Creek...those woops are fun. From there, we hit a trail I hadn't been on and had no idea where it went...didnt' matter as it was fun single track. We finished that and hit another trail I have no clue about, but we ended up at the top of another trail I don't know (lol) and that unknown trail was going to drop us down onto Deerfence. Talk about perplexed - so much for any internal GPS...thought we were heading toward the likes of Frankenstein and Outback...lol.





Unfortunately, on the no-name trail that led to the other no-name trail, Billy had an encounter with those nasty jumping trees or branches or stumps or something harder than his finger. One of those poorly timed situations in which is front wheel bounced up, taking the bars and his hands with it to where it was perfectly positioned to miss the bark buster, but snatch his left index finger in a way that it wasn't meant to go.



Hmmm, the rest of the gang had already descended to Deerfence, so we headed down to join 'em as we didn't have much in the way of first-aid on us. Not wanting to turn back too early, Bill threw a band-aid on as a first layer, then some duct tape to make sure things stayed put. He couldn't bend it anyway, so the duct tape helped keep it straight. He toughed it out another 20 miles...pretty damn good

We hit the logging road, then peeled off to where the special test section takes you over to Old Cedar Creek. What a fun section of trail, just don't blow the small creek crossing by burying your front wheel in the hole - and it is a hole. Fortunately, Randy was kind enough to tell me how it was supposed to be done upon passing me - the video is great...lol.

We bombed up Old Cedar Creek and then some other no-name trail that somehow put us at a point where I usually hit the first part of Frankenstein. We took a break at this point as the temps had climbed to somewhere near 55 - not bad for January 18 8)

[liv2day]

From there it was over to Reid's Ridge and another section of trail I'd never done. What a blast, after getting stuck a few times and slowly making our way around, we came out on another logging road and Bill needed to head back. So, we started the trek back toward staging, hitting parts of Cedar Ridge along the way, as well as Frankenstein and then finally Mikes. We made sure he had some medication (beer, whisky, etc), had a quick bite to eat ourselves, then went back out for a quick loop before light would become a problem.









Enjoyed the rip up Plastic Downhill and then had the pleasure of trying Black Diamond for the very first time. I now understand why it's called Black Diamond, though I think Double Blackie would be more appropriate...lol. There are some steep sections of pucker factor, but it was fun nonetheless.

We finished that, then headed down Elk Wallow, and branched off a way that I've never done before and put us right where we could hit Arrowhead. Bombed down Arrowhead and I have to say it's much more fun going down the root steps than up. Took some random trail after hitting the road and that wound us back toward staging.

All in all, we covered 40 miles and had an awesome day of riding...and now it was time to kick back around the fire with a refreshing beverage or ten Huge thanks to edgy (and Terry & Jason) for the camp hospitality and for doing up camp cooking right. I see a Dutch oven and tripod in my future, as well as some cast iron stuff to cook on the fire...couldn't eat better out in the woods.







As usual, here's a bunch of video if you need to waste some time. I had fun chasing everyone I could keep up with

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK-g6IxdQwY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmZ72XUG6v0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHXkYd4LgCs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIfO202hlIs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJv2_T6ORdc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMLZjiss6lg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egov-D0Pa1w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARXELwJlJ1Y

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7uoFOB8U8g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQJEfR7YM_E

[firffighter]

Great report Brad! What an beautiful January day to ride in oregon. Pretty amazing winter we are having.

Sounds like you are figuring out that 200! Lug when you need to and rev when you want to scoot. So fun!

Hitting HR tomorrow and taking my GOPRO. One of my New Years resolutions was to use my GOPRO more, take pictures and do ride reports.

[Jakobi]

Top report! That food looks a treat! I'm hungry!

[Coop]

Excellent report. Nice seeing a couple KDX's, I really liked mine.

[liv2day]

Thanks guys

Russ - I hope you remembered to pack your GP and record a bunch of footage...would have really liked to head out with you and ride - especially since I'm stuck in a damn cube doing the work thing...lol. I'll look for your ride report; haven't been to Hood River since early '13. Hit the Pinemont side and had a blast.

Jakobi...there's nothing like well prepared and cooked camp food. I'm sold on getting a bunch of cast iron stuff now...just need to work it into the budget for the '14 season.

Coop - two of my riding buds have KDXs; the older one you see has a twin sitting in his garage and that motor will be stuffed into a paperboy bike in the near future. I'm looking forward to seeing that bike, though I doubt I'll be able to keep it in sight on the trail...lol.

Hope to have plenty more ride reports posted...one of the things I enjoy doing after a ride

[sevenfourate]

Very good Brad, thanks.

Always nice to see the terrain where everyone else gets their kicks And i can tell you us UK'ers would kill for skies that colour in January too ! And the firmness of the ground...........Nothing but 'gloop' here right now. "Grip" is just a distant memory of times gone-by....

Im about to invest in a helmet camera, so hopefully will get up a few short videos in the near future aswell

Ride safe.

[iamovru]

We rode Hood a couple years ago at the same time as this and it was in the 60's. Great riding