Reno/moon rocks report

[chuck_h]

Just returned from riding at Moon Rocks and met some of you people who gave me the directions to find you - (Blame them).
Went for a loop with a group of about 15 to 20 of the early arrivals. Earlier in the day crossed paths with several others.
Ride Report ----
Recent rains have dropped the dust level down considerably and added some beneficial moisture for traction. Snow melted last week and area is about as good as it will get.
Chilly today - 'cept when the sun came out - then it was almost perfect. Great Day for riding and looks like the folks will be having a good time. If the number of wheelies I saw upon leaving the staging area is any indication of "fun" then LOTS of folks were having fun. As my friend and I left - several riders were doing some hill climbing and ripping down some dirt roads. Single track sections were grand - though a few folks were dragging after there first few miles in the whoops. This area is Whoop City, so better work out on the rowing machine prior to riding at Moon Rocks. Actually - some guy was out in a Hummer all week, knocking down the big bumps on the roads, so the conditions out there are pretty close to perfect. Chance of light showers today, tomorrow and Sunday - which will knock the remaining dust down a tad.
Hope to meet more of you all on Saturday.

 

[chblock]

Hey, this is my first post. Man this is a big Forum. I'm going to Moon Rocks tomorrow. That's a local riding area for me. I live only 20 miles from there. Too bad the weather isn't a little better though. :silly:

 

[zio]

Holy Smokes, Moonrocks ROCK! Reno Report

Oh My Gosh! What an awesome trip. So much to say, gonna be hard to get it all in right. Am I really the first one to light it up?

But first and foremost... I am NOT a CHICK! Anyone who ever wondered, I scratch & shift like the rest of you. I swing the right way, I buy my underwear in packs of three, I know what a ground-rule double is, I burp, I fart, I have a goatee. ;) Actually, it was kinda funny when people asked who I was & I paused, weighed the pros & cons of actually saying who I was & finally blurted out "Zio". So, let's recap- I got sticks & berries, I use 'em the right way.

Second- FarmerJohn rocks. Thanks again for letting me borrow the CR250. Get used to it, I'll be wearing out that phrase for a while. It really meant a lot to me. One day I hope to do the same for someone else. BTW- for anyone wondering it ain't no stock '97 CR250. Trust me, it's one of the sweetest bikes I've ridden. I don't go too fast, I'm not very smooth, but that bike sure helped me step it up a notch when the time came. Light years ahead of my last CR. Sure you don't wanna sell it?

The riding was awesome. Al Rocher couldn't have predicted better riding conditions. It rained for us Friday night, then snowed Saturday night. Strick wasn't kidding- it doesn't get any better than that. Moonrocks has a little of everything for everyone, IMO. I didn't hear anyone complaining once. Tight single track (so I was told), fire roads, miles and miles of whoops (ouch!), hillclimbs, little moto-tracks, easy, hard, intermediate, stuffed animals, you name it.

Strick- thanks for taking me on the loop one-on-one. I needed it, I hadn't yet really felt comfortable with riding or meeting any of the DRN'ers & it helped me break out.

Endoqwest- Kelly (guy with the GasGas) wants me to say thanks for him for letting him ride the 520. That's all we talked about on the way home, and he felt bad he didn't remember to say thanks before we left. And you & everyone else were right- he's 520 bound. BTW- why do they call you Dopey?

CPTJack- the downhill get off I had right in front of you, where I was going balls-out you've never seen anyone go that fast- in case you forgot I just wanted you to remember thats how it happened.

GSR- Smokey Bear says only you can prevent eyebrow fires :o

Kiwi- I was relieved to hear your accent. But I was expecting a big furry beard. Otherwise, you're the only one who pretty much met my expectations. And though I wasn't even close to making it into the top half of the talent pool, I'm pretty sure I was faster than you all weekend!

I'm glad to have finally met some of you. It was getting old, just doing the internet thing. Now I have some real-life faces & experiences. BigLou, I'll meet you soon. Aimee says you're a kook, but I wanna see for myself.:p Oh, and Thumbs doesn't look Italian.... He is short, tho :p

Great ride, everyone. Pics will be up soon!

 

[Strick]

Conditions

Were you 2 guys at someplace other than where I was?? Conditions, try absolutely perfect!!!. I can't wait to read the concensus on conditions from the visitors.

 

[chuck_h]

moon rocks

I said "almost" perfect only because it was a little chilly. Thought Saturday was even better. Tried to post an update on Saturday but something happened and it didn't go through. The little rain on Friday night made the dirt PERFECT. Practically zero dust and when the sun was out - it WAS perfect.
Didn't go out there Sunday - as it wasn't so pretty, then.
Great event - looks like everyone had a blast.
The pora-potties were a nice touch, too. :eek:

 

[FireLily]

Thank you, Strick! Thank you all!

Wow, I'm back home now and still excited from the Moon Rocks ride up in Reno!

Moon Rocks was awesome. The condition was perfect, especially on Sunday. Since we were the first riders who got there on Sunday morning, we had a chance to ride on the SNOW! Too bad my fingers got so cold (I didn't have cold weather gloves yet) that I had to stop riding after half an hour. But then when other people started arriving, the sun came out and it got warm.

The dinners with all the riders (how many?) were great. I loved the steak and the service at Outback. Whoever chose that restaurant (Ellen?), good choice!

Thank you all for having me and riding with me. I had such a great time in last three days. That was a great American adventure for me. I learned a lot in those group rides. And the great thing is that I feel that my riding skills have improved over the weekend.

Strick and Mimi, thank you for all the work you have done for us.

Mini
:)

 

[zio]

[Oops- didn't see this thread already started, someone can delete my other thread]

Oh My Gosh! What an awesome trip. So much to say, gonna be hard to get it all in right. Am I really the first one to light it up?

But first and foremost... I am NOT a CHICK! Anyone who ever wondered, I scratch & shift like the rest of you. I swing the right way, I buy my underwear in packs of three, I know what a ground-rule double is, I burp, I fart, I have a goatee. Actually, it was kinda funny when people asked who I was & I paused, weighed the pros & cons of actually saying who I was & finally blurted out "Zio". So, let's recap- I got sticks & berries, I use 'em the right way.

Second- FarmerJohn rocks. Thanks again for letting me borrow the CR250. Get used to it, I'll be wearing out that phrase for a while. It really meant a lot to me. One day I hope to do the same for someone else. BTW- for anyone wondering it ain't no stock '97 CR250. Trust me, it's one of the sweetest bikes I've ridden. I don't go too fast, I'm not very smooth, but that bike sure helped me step it up a notch when the time came. Light years ahead of my last CR. Sure you don't wanna sell it?

The riding was awesome. Al Rocher couldn't have predicted better riding conditions. It rained for us Friday night, then snowed Saturday night. Strick wasn't kidding- it doesn't get any better than that. Moonrocks has a little of everything for everyone, IMO. I didn't hear anyone complaining once. Tight single track (so I was told), fire roads, miles and miles of whoops (ouch!), hillclimbs, little moto-tracks, easy, hard, intermediate, stuffed animals, you name it.

Strick- thanks for taking me on the loop one-on-one. I needed it, I hadn't yet really felt comfortable with riding or meeting any of the DRN'ers & it helped me break out.

Endoqwest- Kelly (guy with the GasGas) wants me to say thanks for him for letting him ride the 520. That's all we talked about on the way home, and he felt bad he didn't remember to say thanks before we left. And you & everyone else were right- he's 520 bound. BTW- why do they call you Dopey?

CPTJack- the downhill get off I had right in front of you, where I was going balls-out you've never seen anyone go that fast- in case you forgot I just wanted you to remember thats how it happened.

GSR- Smokey Bear says only you can prevent eyebrow fires

Kiwi- I was relieved to hear your accent. But I was expecting a big furry beard. Otherwise, you're the only one who pretty much met my expectations. And though I wasn't even close to making it into the top half of the talent pool, I'm pretty sure I was faster than you all weekend!

I'm glad to have finally met some of you. It was getting old, just doing the internet thing. Now I have some real-life faces & experiences. BigLou, I'll meet you soon. Aimee says you're a kook, but I wanna see for myself. Oh, and Thumbs doesn't look Italian.... He is short, tho

Great ride, everyone. Pics will be up soon!

 

[NVR FNSH]

I still think you're a chick:p I asked several times where/who you were and each time I got the same answer - "Zio's in the bathroom - be out in a minute"

Hope to meet you next time,

Brian

 

[scandi]

Perfect Riding

We came over the hill from Sacramento and the conditions could not have been better! Sunday was incredible with fresh wet dirt and some trails covered in snow.

Thanks to the locals Vince, Steve and Miles for showing us the trails and providing storage for the bikes. The hospitality was incredible and much appreciated.

We will be back in March before the weather heats up and will try to repay the hospitality. :cool:

 

[Pegasus]

What can I say...Moonrocks rocked !!

After three days of awsome company and perfect conditions it was hard to leave. As we were loading up ... sun coming through the clouds..I could have easily turned toward Moonrocks and riden one more day..What an Awesome dirtbike playground..And only made better by all you DRN folks..Big Grin !!

Strick & Mimi ..thanks for your smiles as we invaded your garage for three days. Also for the great maps !!! You put much time into planning and it showed.. Thank your local buddies too ..Rick was a great fearless leader !

 

[zmr]

A few Pix...to immortalize...

...some of you at MoonRocks may know me as Marshal on the WR400F...

Pegasus and I had a Great Time!!! Great conditions!!! And a Great Host-Strick & Mimi...

You can view some pix of the action at:

http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/morem7/l...=/Reno-MoonRocks+DRN+Feb+2002&.src=ph&.view=t


OR, if that does not work...

http://photos.yahoo.com/morem7

and then click on the "Reno-Moonrocks"... link...

Please let me know if you have any trouble viewing the pix. This
is the 1st time I have used the photos feature at Yahoo and may have
not got everything shipshape yet...

PS: We have not gone thru and named many of the pix yet, if so inclined
let me know which one(s) and your suggestion...


PSPS: For those looking to see the upsidedown 520 in the MoonRocks, sorry
but I let you down. My trusty camera would not kickstart that early
in the morning, but I think that a certain someone will come thru
soon. Now everyone there knows how Bonehead got his name...
Yes-Rider and Bike survived just fine-rode the whole day and
Kicked my butt as usual...

 

[chblock]

Hey guys;

I rode up to Moon Rocks from my house on my XR650 Saturday. The off-roading up and back is really fun from where I live in Spanish Springs (20 dirt miles to Moon Rocks). I'm fairly new to the Reno area and coming from coastal California, I feel like I've moved to dirt bikers paradise. I didn't have an off-road bike for several years when I moved here. I took one look around and just had to get one. I ride around the Moon Rocks area a lot especially in the colder months when everything else is snowed out. The ride up to Moon Rocks from my house is one of the first ones I did when I got my bike. I usually see only a few bikers out there. It was amuzing to see that huge crowd. I didn't get a chance to meet anyone though...maybe next time.

The conditions were good and the damp dirt was really nice, but the weather gets a lot nicer even this time of year. Personally, I like it better in early spring when it's warmer and still damp enough to keep the dust down. After looking at the pics, I see that some of you were braving the snow on top of Dogskin. I have to admit, you are better men that me! Went out shopping for furniture Sunday and it was raining/snowing pretty good. I was thinking about you guys out there in that weather.

I hooked up with the Dust Devils Motorcycle Club shortly after I moved to Reno. They do an annual 2 day dual sport ride in the area. This year, part of the course runs over Dogskin Mountain (the big one just West of the Moon Rocks where everyone was parked). It also has an "easy way" split for less advanced riders that runs along the base of the mountain. I'll post a notice here regarding the ride for anyone that may be interested once planning is complete and the website fully updated. The website is http://www.dustdevilsmc.com, but not all of the info has been posted yet.

Well, glad to have seen the event and look forward to attending the next one.

- Craig

 

[CSL]

Strick, you knocked another one right out of the park! Awesome organization, awesome riding, awesome conditions, awesome company! :cool: I've got some pics to post if there is a common area for posting them.

Buddy and Mini, thanks again so much for helping us out with transportation!! :)

MCD and son, I've got some action shots of you guys defying gravity. :p Send me your email address and I'll forward them on.

I really hope this continues to be an annual event! That was without doubt the best riding I've ever done in February!

 

[fremontguy]

The Reno ride keeps getting better every year! Started off Friday riding singletrack / sidehill stuff to the top of ridge in photo, with Ricky1 and MrWr. Saturday rode similar stuff with big group, then on accidental tour with Thumbs,CptJack,Zio. Sunday after rain and snow left perfect conditions, went on most awesome ride to the southwest corner with AngryJim and Kelly. Found lots of new(to me) washs, singletrack,and hills. Had fun riding with the girls also, GSR, Kali and others. Best Feb. riding I have found. Looking forward to more Nev. rides. Where was the stinky pig?

 

[NVR FNSH]

All I can say is - "THANKS". Stick, Mimi, Bobby, Ricky1, Team Home Depot et al - you guys are awesome:aj: (let me guess who this smilie is named after....) Strick whatever connection you have with the dirt bike weather gods don't let it lapse - whatever you did worked.

Hope to see most of you at Downieville sometime in the spring;)

Brian

 

[Strick]

Brian, I am really going to make more of the CA rides this year. The one I did last year at Elkins Flat was a lot of fun.

Yes, the weather connection worked well this year.

I REALLY want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Ricky1, McD, and his son Jordan, for all their help with course marking as well as tour guides. I also want to thank RAZ (Barry) for his help leading the advance group on Saturday you guys ROCK!!! :aj:

Strick

 

[bbbom]

Glad it was another great event, not surprising knowing the location and the hosts! Wish we could have made it :whiner: We will next year!!!:cool:

Did anyone kiss Karl's rock for him? :p

 

[NVR FNSH]

Not that I saw..... a couple of close calls though:)

Brian

 

[FireLily]

Great photos, zmr!

The photo of a KTM standing up in the sky is great!

 

[Dirty Dave]

The moon rocks ride was once again the most fun a person can have with ones clothes on. Friday night dinner was greatfood and great company. Saturday was great riding. We (dirty dave, brian and jimmy) got seperated from the intermediate group and ended up trying to cross a small:silly:snow field.We spent the next two hours pushing the bikes through 18"-24"of snow back to the 'dry side'. When we finally got back to the van our day was done.
Sunday started well, at least the first mile or so...:mad: For all who rushed to pick up the husky and me out of the dirt...Thanks! I still have no idea what caused the crash but by the way my body feels right now, I know it was worthy of ESPN sports bloopers.
Thanks again to Strick,Mimi and all the Reno crowd for another outstanding event. As usual the camera stayed safely in the van for the whole trip so I can't add to the visuals. But...(in my best 'arnold' voice) "We'll Be Back!"

 

[trlrdr]

What can I say? Wow! That was awesome. A big thanks to all the locals for arranging everything and it was great meeting all the people I did. You guys rock!

We came up from the North Bay area in California on Friday and due to not being able to get our act together and a trailer tire that almost let go at the wrong time, we didn't arrive until it was too late to ride that day. We hooked up with a large group at a Mexican restaurant that night and met a few people and then turned in.

Saturday the weather was awesome and the traction couldn't have been better. I was totally stoked and I went on the int. ride that took us to just at the snow line. I had a great time on that ride and Brian even put on a show for us at the end ;)

After the loop we played on the little hill next to the staging area doing drag races and seeing who could get Jill's bike to catch the most air off the little jump halfway up.

Sunday was a bit on the cool side, especially when we hit the snow trail and sliiiddd our way down. At one point I was trying to keep some distance from the guy on the KTM in front of me (I think it was Strick) and I almost plowed into him because once I picked up speed I found I couldn't stop :eek: It was a close call but I missed him...

It was difficult to leave the area on Sunday but we wanted to get back over the hill before it snowed so we took off just as the sun started to come out and I could tell that there was still a few more hours of excellent riding left :(

 

[trlrdr]

Originally posted by Dirty Dave
Sunday started well, at least the first mile or so...:mad: For all who rushed to pick up the husky and me out of the dirt...Thanks! I still have no idea what caused the crash but by the way my body feels right now, I know it was worthy of ESPN sports bloopers.

Dude, I was impressed by the "impact" zone. I could tell right away that that was a "good" one...

 

[gospeedracer]

Another great ride in Reno!! And once again Strick pulls off a wonderfully coordinated effort. Many thanks to you and Mimi for the use of your garage, the wherehouse storage and port-a-potty arrangements, providing maps, getting us an excellent discount at your local shop, making diner reservations and leading several treks around the desert. And a special thanks for the help with my bike. :)

Kiwi, Thumbs, TTRGuy and I arrived Thursday around 1:00pm and left Monday morning. I can’t believe after 3 days of riding I was still ready for more. I could have easily stayed another day.

It was a bit chilly in the mornings but the riding conditions were excellent and it didn’t take long before an enduro jacket wasn’t necessary.

Friday’s ride consisted of a group, led by Strick, around the beginners loop to check it out and then a trip around the intermediate loop, which was a lot of fun but man, can those whoops take it out of you! Later we set off on another Stick guided tour that led us up a whooped out sand wash that was pretty fun despite more whoops than me or my knees cared for. Eventually our group got separated but we all made it back unscathed.

Saturday, Brianc took a few of us around a loop that he, Pegasus and Marshall had found and marked off the evening before. Great little loop with some fun hills and minimal whoop sections! I rode this loop at least twice and once backwards.
Spent some time playing on the hill climbs next to the staging area as well. Last year, when I was on my RM125, you couldn’t have paid me to go up those hills, I was too chicken to try, this year I had a blast. TTRGuy (on my bike) and Thumbs somehow got it into their heads that a drag race was in order up the whooped out hill climb in the center and the next thing you know pairs of people were lined up to do the same. It made for some great entertainment and I think I got some good shots of some of the action. I’ll post them as soon as I can.

Sunday, zio and I bailed part way into another intermediate loop shortly after Dirty Dave’s get off. I put together a fire that even TTRGuy could have been proud of (never mind how it got started!) and warmed up a bit before hitting the trails with Kali and Fremontguy. We just sort of winged it and zigzagged across the desert trying out different trails. I think that ride was by far the best ride I went on the whole weekend. There’s nothing like blazing across the desert just going wherever your heart desires.

Thanks Pegasus and CJ for letting me take your bikes for a spin. It was a pleasure riding with you both, even though between the two of you and The Ant, I feel like the damn jolly green giant! ;)

I really enjoyed meeting some new DRN members as well as seeing some familiar faces. Hopefully some of you will make it out to Dirtweek this year.

 

[gospeedracer]

Let’s see, I forgot to add a little bit of GSR’s insight into some of our fellow DRN’rs:

I think someone needs to check FireLily for a set of cajones considering the way the girl flies downhill! ;) Mini, did you ever get a chance to try out a KTM200? I think you could be lethal with one of those in your hands.

I’m pretty sure Mxbetsy shouldn’t be allowed out of his wife’s sight not to mention he doesn’t have proper port-a-potty etiquette. :eek: It’s quite possible the man is not aware he’s not in college anymore, especially if he’s paired up with Desert_Racer, then you’re just ASKING for trouble!

Zio wins the award for being the polar opposite of his online persona. I think he’s actually shy!

Don’t fall for Endoqwest’s (Dopey) quite demeanor or innocent face. If the stories are true, this man is trouble, multiplied x2 with his sidekick Bonehead.

Pegasus just plain rocks. Not only is she sweet and generous, but that woman shreds on her little BBR.

Strick has no respect for animals of the swine persuasion, but sure knows a thing or two about jetting. ;)

Thumbs, aka rooster/rockchucker, despite having a minor case of OCD, is an all around nice guy and great travel companion, although he needs to work on acting when I pick out the hot chicks for him. Sheesh, what do I have to do, get their phone #’s for you? If that’s the case then I’m not sharing, cuz…. of course you know ALL women are bi-sexual. :p

380excman & Roger certainly are a pair that definitely get the most bang for their buck at a hotel casino buffet! You can do nothing but laugh when these two are around. I still chuckle when I think of “We’re 300lbs, we don’t need layers!!”

Dirtygirly’s boyfriend should get a huge A for effort and an award for being the most stylish. He bought a bike that Thursday, had never ridden before, yet there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t try. When not following along on the loops, he could be found making attempts at the hill climbs, playing on the rocks or replacing clutch levers.

E-ticket appears to have an unhealthy obsession with beef and should seek help now. :debil:

 

[angry jim]

What a great weekend of riding! Thanks to everyone who organized the riding for saturday. Those were some great loops.
Barry, the KDX god, led a group of around 20 riders on a nice 35 mile loop around Moonrocks saturday morning. A couple of guys ran low on fuel and had to head back early (380exc Man and another). The trails were perfect, and you could ride right with the guy in front of you. There was a lot of dicing within the group. Several multi-cc four strokes were represented in the advanced ride. There were several very good riders in the pack. I can't remember all the names, but some guys from Oregon were good riders, Endoquest and others on KTM520's. I think there was also a group from AZ. who were along for the ride. Apparently, there are only 3 men in the US not too embarassed to ride a 200, Barry(KDX 200), Mr. WR (GG 200), and me. We had to make do with our "girl" bikes in the wide open desert. I know that my brother was surprised to see me catch him on a wide open speed run, look over for acknowledgement, hit sixth and leave him behind. He's been roosting me for years, it was time for payback. Plus, he's 6'4" and I can't beat him up.
There were so many great trails. I loved the sand washes and rocky drop offs. We were swapping positions everywhere and learning to trust that we wouldn't take eachother out. Great time!
After lunch, I was elected to lead a group out for another ride. The group was a mix of riders from the morning ride and those looking for a more challenging ride. We had about 20 again, but a few got off coarse. I ended up leading us to the south to find some single track. Luckily, or unluckily:p , Barry was along on the ride. I asked him if he would lead us up to this rocky ridge overlooking Reno. Well, 50 miles later we rolled back into the staging area. What a trail! We saw alittle of everything. Rocks, small trees, rocks, guys with shotguns, an old dude in a pick-up who threw us off his land, rocks, a highway!?, gates, rocks and we were closer to the Casino's than to our trucks. One poor guy ran out of gas about 5 miles from camp. We got him going again and made it back before dark. Sadly, I was 15 miles away from my 100 mile goal. I looked for some takers for a last minute 15 mile sprint, but everyone ignored me.
Sunday was perfect again. A light snow fell over night. I got there early and did a short loop to check out my bike. I talked Fremont Guy and my friend Kelly to head for the radio towers. I love riding in the shallow snow, and I knew they would love the trails I had in mind. I won't even bother describing it. I could never do it justice. We did NOT want to stop riding. Each trail was as good as the next. We experienced perfect conditions on perfect trails. Fremont Guy and Kelly know what I'm talking about. Sadly I had to leave sunday afternoon. Kelly and I diced on the MX track for a while and then I packed it in. I also got roosted in front of everyone as payback for an earlier incident with Kelly. Keep your eyes open dude:debil: !
It was great to see everyone out there. See you next year.

Best Trail: The one with the.... all of them.
Best pile up: That muddy uphill that collected about 6 of us.
Best Looking Bike: The guy from SoCal with the 300KTM with really cool graphics.
Best Mileage: Scott's CR500, 50 miles on 2 gallon tank, still going.
Best line: This is better than sex.

I earned a lot of respect for some people out there. Barry, Bobby, Mr. WR, MXBundy, and everyone else I got to ride with, it's all about the riding! Thumbs, GSR, TTR Guy, thanks for sharing a dinner table with me friday night. Strick and Mimi for everything!!

We're all lucky that TNT was not able to ride, cause he would've schooled us all! You rule dude.