The Master Story Teller,
Is a personable young feller.
Since to North Dakota he’s on his way,
This Rotten Sucker can safely play.
This is doubly true,
For my fellow Rotten Sucker – you know who.
Is out on the MCCCT this week,
On a ride not for the meek.
When the cat is away,
Maybe the mice will play.
Could it be this Trouble Maker,
Is only a mover, not a shaker?
It has not been easy for a get together of the Monday Riders lately, but last Monday there was success. Four of us, Bob, Woodsy, Larry and I showed up at Woodsy’s good friend from Chicago, Dan Smith’s cottage in Twin Lake. Dan served up a breakfast casserole for the chowhounds and it was off to the garage to gear up and get set to ride. Except for Woodsy as he had ridden his TTR 225 from home. The other preliminaries included checking out Dan’s projects, his new 525, Woodsy having to get back early enough to take his daughter to the airport and that he would lead so as to avoid whoops.
So north we go, pick up the Holton trail along with some two tracks and what have you. This is the advantage of being street legal – a whole world opens up as to where you can ride. We eventually make it to Ewing and Brunswick – where the stop sign is again missing going north. Next comes the tight single-track section to the east, some two track and Lindeman Rd. up to Skeels. Although the general direction is north, I have a hunch sometimes we’re also going south. This is to be expected when you’re on a ride with Woodsy. Although I try to keep track of where we’re going, I’ve learned the hard way that to watch where the front wheel is going is of more importance.
Across the creek on the blacktop and a left on 180th puts us into the Horseshoe Lake system. Once again it’s single track, two track and gravel road, turning right, left or straight ahead until we’re north of the Horseshoe Lake trails. It appears to me that we could be headed for Hesperia but that thought is off base when we cross M-20 west of town. There is a wagon alongside the road with a sign – rocks for sale. Woodsy didn’t stop, so I figure his head is at capacity as it is. Now I’m thinking maybe we’re going east to the MCCCT when we get to Filmore Rd. Wrong again when we turn towards Walkerville.
At the gas station it’s break time and Bob clues me in as to the plan. YZMAN Don and his crew were leaving White Cloud that morning to ride the MCCCT the rest of the week. Woodsy wanted to get ahead of them for an interception. There was a slight delay when Larry’s bike wouldn’t start. Seems it flooded just sitting and required some pumping out and a plug change.
When we pick up the orange triangles, it becomes play detective time. Are the tracks new or whose? Are we ahead or behind them? At one point I see Woodsy up ahead leaning to his right, eyes close to the ground like a bloodhound, and still moving down the gravel road at speed. I dutifully simply do my best to keep up and follow. Exactly where we went I’m not sure but I do remember being on the same section of blacktop in both directions without having done a 180. The bloodhound finally stopped on a single-track section and we did an on foot trail inspection. Somehow we arrived at the consensus that there were no fresh tire tracks present and therefore ahead of Don and crew. So it was that we now headed CCW on the Big ‘O’ – south – to make the interception. On a gravel road south of Ruby Creek store, contact was made. Success at last.
With nine bikes blocking the road, there were introductions and greetings for the long-time-no-see. Keeping trail boss Don company were Rudy, Tim and Jason. (A couple pictures at the end). These four were packing all their gear with them for camping out the week, so it was questions time in that respect. I’m sure getting set for the trip is a story in itself, which I hope Don will share. It is said time if of the essence and now it was true. Woodsy left for home to meet his appointed hour and Don’s crew wanted to get to Peacock to get a throttle cable for Rudy’s bike and make it to M-55 for the day. Nothing like lofty goals.
So now we have four leaderless souls up north, dark clouds and thunder overhead, no sun to keep over the right shoulder and Larry’s bike has another fit and will not start. Help, I want my Mommy. A push down the hill didn’t work, so it was the Walkerville act once more. The Kaw finally fired up, so it was off to Ruby Creek for gas and running into a short shower along the way. Once again it’s decision time and when Bob suggests going east to pick up the MCCCT at the parking area, “you lead” is heard. I have to add we accomplished this without stuffing the ballot box Chicago style. Things go well making the jog on Green Rd., out on Osborn and down to 13 Mile. The clouds looked rather wet so we put on some rain gear, except for Dan. In the morning he said it wasn’t going to rain and therefore had no extra clothing with him. We hit more rain on our way for food in Bitely. The timing worked out quite well as once we settled inside it started raining much harder. We had a long slow comfortable meal with Bob checking the water coming off the roof, Dan and Larry covering all kinds of bikes and me making – as Woodsy would say – nasty comments. For a while I thought Dan and Larry were having a contest to see who could mention something about a bike, which the other didn’t know. Very educational to say the least.
The rain stopped, the sun came out and it’s time to ride. West we go back to a two track that will take us down to 11 mile where we can pick up the MCCCT once more. This 5-mile section was a little slippery in places and had some downed trees also. You sure couldn’t go as fast as when it’s dryer. From Croswell and 8 mile it was south and west all the way back to Ewing and the Holton trail. By now Dan has taken the lead and he’s headed for the cottage his way. There has been no rain in the area and some dust is flying, so it’s drop back time. We get a good final work out on some of everything in the area before the cottage looms in sight. The ride for the day ends at 8:45 after putting on 130 miles; in the rain, the dust, the sun and best of all – with fellow riders.
Young Ted
Is a personable young feller.
Since to North Dakota he’s on his way,
This Rotten Sucker can safely play.
This is doubly true,
For my fellow Rotten Sucker – you know who.
Is out on the MCCCT this week,
On a ride not for the meek.
When the cat is away,
Maybe the mice will play.
Could it be this Trouble Maker,
Is only a mover, not a shaker?
It has not been easy for a get together of the Monday Riders lately, but last Monday there was success. Four of us, Bob, Woodsy, Larry and I showed up at Woodsy’s good friend from Chicago, Dan Smith’s cottage in Twin Lake. Dan served up a breakfast casserole for the chowhounds and it was off to the garage to gear up and get set to ride. Except for Woodsy as he had ridden his TTR 225 from home. The other preliminaries included checking out Dan’s projects, his new 525, Woodsy having to get back early enough to take his daughter to the airport and that he would lead so as to avoid whoops.
So north we go, pick up the Holton trail along with some two tracks and what have you. This is the advantage of being street legal – a whole world opens up as to where you can ride. We eventually make it to Ewing and Brunswick – where the stop sign is again missing going north. Next comes the tight single-track section to the east, some two track and Lindeman Rd. up to Skeels. Although the general direction is north, I have a hunch sometimes we’re also going south. This is to be expected when you’re on a ride with Woodsy. Although I try to keep track of where we’re going, I’ve learned the hard way that to watch where the front wheel is going is of more importance.
Across the creek on the blacktop and a left on 180th puts us into the Horseshoe Lake system. Once again it’s single track, two track and gravel road, turning right, left or straight ahead until we’re north of the Horseshoe Lake trails. It appears to me that we could be headed for Hesperia but that thought is off base when we cross M-20 west of town. There is a wagon alongside the road with a sign – rocks for sale. Woodsy didn’t stop, so I figure his head is at capacity as it is. Now I’m thinking maybe we’re going east to the MCCCT when we get to Filmore Rd. Wrong again when we turn towards Walkerville.
At the gas station it’s break time and Bob clues me in as to the plan. YZMAN Don and his crew were leaving White Cloud that morning to ride the MCCCT the rest of the week. Woodsy wanted to get ahead of them for an interception. There was a slight delay when Larry’s bike wouldn’t start. Seems it flooded just sitting and required some pumping out and a plug change.
When we pick up the orange triangles, it becomes play detective time. Are the tracks new or whose? Are we ahead or behind them? At one point I see Woodsy up ahead leaning to his right, eyes close to the ground like a bloodhound, and still moving down the gravel road at speed. I dutifully simply do my best to keep up and follow. Exactly where we went I’m not sure but I do remember being on the same section of blacktop in both directions without having done a 180. The bloodhound finally stopped on a single-track section and we did an on foot trail inspection. Somehow we arrived at the consensus that there were no fresh tire tracks present and therefore ahead of Don and crew. So it was that we now headed CCW on the Big ‘O’ – south – to make the interception. On a gravel road south of Ruby Creek store, contact was made. Success at last.
With nine bikes blocking the road, there were introductions and greetings for the long-time-no-see. Keeping trail boss Don company were Rudy, Tim and Jason. (A couple pictures at the end). These four were packing all their gear with them for camping out the week, so it was questions time in that respect. I’m sure getting set for the trip is a story in itself, which I hope Don will share. It is said time if of the essence and now it was true. Woodsy left for home to meet his appointed hour and Don’s crew wanted to get to Peacock to get a throttle cable for Rudy’s bike and make it to M-55 for the day. Nothing like lofty goals.
So now we have four leaderless souls up north, dark clouds and thunder overhead, no sun to keep over the right shoulder and Larry’s bike has another fit and will not start. Help, I want my Mommy. A push down the hill didn’t work, so it was the Walkerville act once more. The Kaw finally fired up, so it was off to Ruby Creek for gas and running into a short shower along the way. Once again it’s decision time and when Bob suggests going east to pick up the MCCCT at the parking area, “you lead” is heard. I have to add we accomplished this without stuffing the ballot box Chicago style. Things go well making the jog on Green Rd., out on Osborn and down to 13 Mile. The clouds looked rather wet so we put on some rain gear, except for Dan. In the morning he said it wasn’t going to rain and therefore had no extra clothing with him. We hit more rain on our way for food in Bitely. The timing worked out quite well as once we settled inside it started raining much harder. We had a long slow comfortable meal with Bob checking the water coming off the roof, Dan and Larry covering all kinds of bikes and me making – as Woodsy would say – nasty comments. For a while I thought Dan and Larry were having a contest to see who could mention something about a bike, which the other didn’t know. Very educational to say the least.
The rain stopped, the sun came out and it’s time to ride. West we go back to a two track that will take us down to 11 mile where we can pick up the MCCCT once more. This 5-mile section was a little slippery in places and had some downed trees also. You sure couldn’t go as fast as when it’s dryer. From Croswell and 8 mile it was south and west all the way back to Ewing and the Holton trail. By now Dan has taken the lead and he’s headed for the cottage his way. There has been no rain in the area and some dust is flying, so it’s drop back time. We get a good final work out on some of everything in the area before the cottage looms in sight. The ride for the day ends at 8:45 after putting on 130 miles; in the rain, the dust, the sun and best of all – with fellow riders.
Young Ted
