Rob, Young Ted and I were the slated roster for this ride. YZMAN400 was bummin', but just couldn't get the case of work flu going hard enough to make it.
As usual, my rides found be running 10 minutes late, despite the fact I pulled into the Bowman Bridge campground the night before and got a good nights sleep (this campground is really nice! I'll be back there again as soon as next weekend). I was cruising along M-37 looking for my turnoff to the right. Up in the distance, on the side of the road.....what is that? A blue vehicle.....a blue van....what's that sticking up on the side......"Woodsy's Delight"!!!!....Ted! Just as I made it out, Rob pulled up from the other direction. It seems that the DNR closed up the parking spot I'd chosen, so both were lost and confused....now 3 of us were.... We decided to pull into the lot on the west side of the road.
So as we're gearing up, I'm thinking "where's that partly sunny day in the high 60's the weatherman said we're going to have"? Just then it starts a slow drizzle, just enough to get the goggles misty. By then we're off, of course I was last to be ready and get my bike running. The CR felt pretty good on warmup. I could immediately tell that the front fork modifications had done what I hoped - the suspension still works great on heavier stuff, but the little stuff doesn't transmit through the bars like before. The bike's running a little lean due to the colder weather, but not enough to get a screwdriver out for. Besides, I forgot my tools!
So, I go to lock up the ramp with the same chain and padlock I used for the Rites of Spring. Wrong key - AGAIN!!!! Geez, good thing Fred wasn't here, he would've blown a gut muscle laughing. Of course Rob and Ted may have too if I would've told them. Now they know.
Off on the trail, and soon we're (I'm) realizing we can't find the single track. We backtrack to the road and find it's right next to the road! D'oh!
We zip onto the single track. The traction is 100% b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!!! The rain we've gotten (and were still getting as we rode) has really made the ground superb, even the deep sand on the ORV route had great traction, and was pounded flat by whatever contraption was last on it.
The CR was handling really good! The motor is now perfection for woods riding, I really can't believe the difference! The flywheel and Gnarly pipe has given the bike great low speed manners, and it runs along in 3rd gear with little shifting needed. It'll still bark in the open, but tempered down. It feels a lot like my KTM 250, but with more low end grunt and a little more power overall. Exactly what I wanted. And the handling is impeccable!! The only modification I made on the trail was to turn down the compression damping on the rear shock two clicks (with a screwdriver borrowed from Ted). Jetting will have to be messed with, and I may need to repack the silencer, but otherwise it's perfect.
Back to the trail. The drizzle has been persistent enough to soak all of the leaves pretty good. The single track is tight enough that contact with leaves was pretty frequent. Each time it felt like I hit a cold wet sponge. Even though the trail was perfect, this was dampening the day (pun intended, yes). Of course trying to see the trail through mist-covered goggles made it tougher. Then to make matters worse, my left contact fell out into my goggles. I recovered it, put it back in, blinked a couple times and took off again. About a mile down, it fell out again (I forgot to change them out-when they're worn out, they fall out easily). This time I couldn't find it. Sooooo, now I'm riding with one blind eye looking through misty goggles. This will make things really interesting!!!
By this time, my normally slower pace got slower yet, and I had trouble judging just exactly where the trees in front of me actually were. So I let the other guys go by thinking that watching a rear fender would help with my depth perception.
We take the cut-off labelled "Service". Ted swears this is the cutoff for the Carrieville campground. I'm thinking otherwise, but oblige. We're whipping along the curves, when up in front of me is a huge metal blade blocking the trail! Boy, the CR brakes work really great too! Thank God for that! On the back side of the blade is a man sitting on a dozer. Must be they're opening up the trail width for those Argo's after all! Good thing this isn't a weekend, or there'd be bikes splattered on that dozer blade like bugs on a windshield. Anyway, we confirm that the "Service" cutoff is for Peacock, turn around, and proceed to go back the way we came. Realizing this, since our tracks were the only ones on the trail, we turn around and head south.
We're cruising along OK, still getting pretty wet. I'm trying to deteremine if there's a try spot on my body....well, never mind, too much description. We're at the south peak, at 1:10pm, when we stop for a break. Rob says "You know, I have to be back at the truck by 2, you think we can do this". Gee, I do the math in my head....we left between 10:30 and 11:00, it's now just past 1, and we're at the halfway point. Sure, we can do it!!
So we head out, with plans to pick up the ORV route at Carrieville that cuts the southern part of the trail loop in half. In here, the single track is really tight, and the leaves constantly hit us in the face and body. The Acerbis Rally Guards protect the only part of my body that's dry - my fingers. The rest is getting a leaf sponge bath. Uck! The constant drenching combined with speed = a rapid cooling effect. My bones are aching from the cold, but I'm still having a great time! Better than a road bike ride!
We miraculously find the ORV Route and blitz westward. This part of the route is actually really nice too, not too beat up like other parts. We get sailing in the top gears just fine, and the jersey starts drying out because I'm not hitting the leaves anymore.
One more bumble. I went too far north, but I was thinking I'm still south of the trail parking lot. So I pick up some single track heading north, and boogey along. I realize I'm all alone. I wait for awhile, but don't hear anyone. I start my bike just in time to hear Ted's motor. He came and told me Rob was heading back down the road. You know how Ted can tell you that you messed up, but do it so diplomatically....he did that to me. We headed back, and he proceeded to head down M-37 south. Wait a minute Ted! I'm riding a bike with only number plates, no license! Oh, what the heck! I head off after him, hoping to God that the local Sheriff is having a coffee break back in Baldwin. We whip into the lot just as Rob in loading his bike. The time: 1:55pm! Plenty of time to spare for Rob to be able to get another hall pass from the wife for the next ride!
Ted hands out our "Woodsy's Delight" trail emergency kits. Boy, that Ted sure provides some useful tools and trailside menu guides!! I'll cherish that kit for a long time, thanks Ted! I just hope I'll never have to use it. With my trail guiding abilities however, I'd better bring it along. Woodsy, don't worry, I'm picking up where you left off - I got turned around about a half dozen times on this ride, and this is easy stuff! Just imagine if I had to ride the Boon Trail.
So Ted and I talk for awhile. I really feel like riding some more, and wish I had a spare contact. But riding half-blind wasn't that great, so I decide to pack it in. I invited Ted to join me for a sandwich and coffee at the trailer, but he declines politely. "I've got more riding to do north of here". I know where that is, and I know it'll involve pictures for Woodsy.....
Ted is something else. He leaves the Chicago area at 3am to make this ride. He rides 20-30 miles with us, is taking off mid-afternoon to do more. Then he's heading back home to pick up his wife and work on Friday. Then Saturday morning he's heading back to Michigan for another ride, then the Rose City hare scrambles. What an awesome guy!!! He's got such a great outlook. He say's "I bought this KTM this year to see if I could wear it out, or I would be worn out trying". Well Ted, that KTM sure looks more worn out than you! You look younger and better each time I see you! I think you'd better think about a major rebuild for that KTM this winter so she'll make it all next year!
Thanks for the great ride, guys!
As usual, my rides found be running 10 minutes late, despite the fact I pulled into the Bowman Bridge campground the night before and got a good nights sleep (this campground is really nice! I'll be back there again as soon as next weekend). I was cruising along M-37 looking for my turnoff to the right. Up in the distance, on the side of the road.....what is that? A blue vehicle.....a blue van....what's that sticking up on the side......"Woodsy's Delight"!!!!....Ted! Just as I made it out, Rob pulled up from the other direction. It seems that the DNR closed up the parking spot I'd chosen, so both were lost and confused....now 3 of us were.... We decided to pull into the lot on the west side of the road.
So as we're gearing up, I'm thinking "where's that partly sunny day in the high 60's the weatherman said we're going to have"? Just then it starts a slow drizzle, just enough to get the goggles misty. By then we're off, of course I was last to be ready and get my bike running. The CR felt pretty good on warmup. I could immediately tell that the front fork modifications had done what I hoped - the suspension still works great on heavier stuff, but the little stuff doesn't transmit through the bars like before. The bike's running a little lean due to the colder weather, but not enough to get a screwdriver out for. Besides, I forgot my tools!
So, I go to lock up the ramp with the same chain and padlock I used for the Rites of Spring. Wrong key - AGAIN!!!! Geez, good thing Fred wasn't here, he would've blown a gut muscle laughing. Of course Rob and Ted may have too if I would've told them. Now they know.
Off on the trail, and soon we're (I'm) realizing we can't find the single track. We backtrack to the road and find it's right next to the road! D'oh!
We zip onto the single track. The traction is 100% b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!!! The rain we've gotten (and were still getting as we rode) has really made the ground superb, even the deep sand on the ORV route had great traction, and was pounded flat by whatever contraption was last on it.
The CR was handling really good! The motor is now perfection for woods riding, I really can't believe the difference! The flywheel and Gnarly pipe has given the bike great low speed manners, and it runs along in 3rd gear with little shifting needed. It'll still bark in the open, but tempered down. It feels a lot like my KTM 250, but with more low end grunt and a little more power overall. Exactly what I wanted. And the handling is impeccable!! The only modification I made on the trail was to turn down the compression damping on the rear shock two clicks (with a screwdriver borrowed from Ted). Jetting will have to be messed with, and I may need to repack the silencer, but otherwise it's perfect.
Back to the trail. The drizzle has been persistent enough to soak all of the leaves pretty good. The single track is tight enough that contact with leaves was pretty frequent. Each time it felt like I hit a cold wet sponge. Even though the trail was perfect, this was dampening the day (pun intended, yes). Of course trying to see the trail through mist-covered goggles made it tougher. Then to make matters worse, my left contact fell out into my goggles. I recovered it, put it back in, blinked a couple times and took off again. About a mile down, it fell out again (I forgot to change them out-when they're worn out, they fall out easily). This time I couldn't find it. Sooooo, now I'm riding with one blind eye looking through misty goggles. This will make things really interesting!!!
By this time, my normally slower pace got slower yet, and I had trouble judging just exactly where the trees in front of me actually were. So I let the other guys go by thinking that watching a rear fender would help with my depth perception.
We take the cut-off labelled "Service". Ted swears this is the cutoff for the Carrieville campground. I'm thinking otherwise, but oblige. We're whipping along the curves, when up in front of me is a huge metal blade blocking the trail! Boy, the CR brakes work really great too! Thank God for that! On the back side of the blade is a man sitting on a dozer. Must be they're opening up the trail width for those Argo's after all! Good thing this isn't a weekend, or there'd be bikes splattered on that dozer blade like bugs on a windshield. Anyway, we confirm that the "Service" cutoff is for Peacock, turn around, and proceed to go back the way we came. Realizing this, since our tracks were the only ones on the trail, we turn around and head south.
We're cruising along OK, still getting pretty wet. I'm trying to deteremine if there's a try spot on my body....well, never mind, too much description. We're at the south peak, at 1:10pm, when we stop for a break. Rob says "You know, I have to be back at the truck by 2, you think we can do this". Gee, I do the math in my head....we left between 10:30 and 11:00, it's now just past 1, and we're at the halfway point. Sure, we can do it!!
So we head out, with plans to pick up the ORV route at Carrieville that cuts the southern part of the trail loop in half. In here, the single track is really tight, and the leaves constantly hit us in the face and body. The Acerbis Rally Guards protect the only part of my body that's dry - my fingers. The rest is getting a leaf sponge bath. Uck! The constant drenching combined with speed = a rapid cooling effect. My bones are aching from the cold, but I'm still having a great time! Better than a road bike ride!
We miraculously find the ORV Route and blitz westward. This part of the route is actually really nice too, not too beat up like other parts. We get sailing in the top gears just fine, and the jersey starts drying out because I'm not hitting the leaves anymore.
One more bumble. I went too far north, but I was thinking I'm still south of the trail parking lot. So I pick up some single track heading north, and boogey along. I realize I'm all alone. I wait for awhile, but don't hear anyone. I start my bike just in time to hear Ted's motor. He came and told me Rob was heading back down the road. You know how Ted can tell you that you messed up, but do it so diplomatically....he did that to me. We headed back, and he proceeded to head down M-37 south. Wait a minute Ted! I'm riding a bike with only number plates, no license! Oh, what the heck! I head off after him, hoping to God that the local Sheriff is having a coffee break back in Baldwin. We whip into the lot just as Rob in loading his bike. The time: 1:55pm! Plenty of time to spare for Rob to be able to get another hall pass from the wife for the next ride!
Ted hands out our "Woodsy's Delight" trail emergency kits. Boy, that Ted sure provides some useful tools and trailside menu guides!! I'll cherish that kit for a long time, thanks Ted! I just hope I'll never have to use it. With my trail guiding abilities however, I'd better bring it along. Woodsy, don't worry, I'm picking up where you left off - I got turned around about a half dozen times on this ride, and this is easy stuff! Just imagine if I had to ride the Boon Trail.
So Ted and I talk for awhile. I really feel like riding some more, and wish I had a spare contact. But riding half-blind wasn't that great, so I decide to pack it in. I invited Ted to join me for a sandwich and coffee at the trailer, but he declines politely. "I've got more riding to do north of here". I know where that is, and I know it'll involve pictures for Woodsy.....
Ted is something else. He leaves the Chicago area at 3am to make this ride. He rides 20-30 miles with us, is taking off mid-afternoon to do more. Then he's heading back home to pick up his wife and work on Friday. Then Saturday morning he's heading back to Michigan for another ride, then the Rose City hare scrambles. What an awesome guy!!! He's got such a great outlook. He say's "I bought this KTM this year to see if I could wear it out, or I would be worn out trying". Well Ted, that KTM sure looks more worn out than you! You look younger and better each time I see you! I think you'd better think about a major rebuild for that KTM this winter so she'll make it all next year!
Thanks for the great ride, guys!
