- Oct 28, 2001
- 4,704
- 0
Mini Moose... Big Fun!
Really liked the new course and speed change format this year. More challenging / technical trail for the younger riders compared to the past 2 years. Zach struggled somewhat on the first loop due to the tighter trees. We had a "coaching" session during the break, and Zach "got it" on the second loop. Nothing cooler than riding behind your kid and watching them start flowing with the trail instead of bouncing off it!
Thanks to all the great volunteers who helped out with this event!
Loose Moose... The Bitch Was In Heat! .... But I ended up screwing myself... :bang:
After houring out the past 2 years, I was determined to finish this one. Heck, I even joined the Sandstormers club to get the "inside track" on riding this event. I went so far as to covertly shadow Walt in hopes of catching him cutting trail. The only thing I learned was where the all video arcades were in Marquette... And just how long can you loiter in a high school parking lot before it's considered stalking? Either way, I didn't get the competitive edge I was looking for.
Despite the distractions of Walt's vices, I was prepared... or so I thought.
Moose Ramblings in no particular order...
Really liked the new course and speed change format this year. More challenging / technical trail for the younger riders compared to the past 2 years. Zach struggled somewhat on the first loop due to the tighter trees. We had a "coaching" session during the break, and Zach "got it" on the second loop. Nothing cooler than riding behind your kid and watching them start flowing with the trail instead of bouncing off it!
Thanks to all the great volunteers who helped out with this event!
Loose Moose... The Bitch Was In Heat! .... But I ended up screwing myself... :bang:
After houring out the past 2 years, I was determined to finish this one. Heck, I even joined the Sandstormers club to get the "inside track" on riding this event. I went so far as to covertly shadow Walt in hopes of catching him cutting trail. The only thing I learned was where the all video arcades were in Marquette... And just how long can you loiter in a high school parking lot before it's considered stalking? Either way, I didn't get the competitive edge I was looking for.
Despite the distractions of Walt's vices, I was prepared... or so I thought.
Moose Ramblings in no particular order...
- It was hot. How hot was it? The weekend highs were about 15-20º warmer than normal. Saturday's temp nearly broke a record at 92º, and Sundays high temp of 95º did set a record. Heck, it could also have been 50º, raining buckets, wet, slick, and muddy out there. I'd rather ride in dust than fight through deep, rutted mud holes.
- Up until 2 days before the event, I didn't have a rear brake. Had been without one since right after Wolverine/Harrison. Spent a couple weekends and many hours trying to fix it. Ended up being a royal PITA. One call to Dr. Napper and he honed in on the D-cup seal in the master cylinder. Volia... part ordered, part replaced.... and the brake worked! It would not have been fun to ride the LM without a rear brake... Thanks dude!
- Team Frog, hot on the heels of his first enduro and 13th place finish at Wolverine/Harrison (and beaten by a girl!), enters the LM as only his second enduro, finishes (!), and tops it off by placing 2nd in his class! He even recruits his buddy and enduro newbie Mike into entering the LM on his XR-650. :rotfl: Last I heard they were still talking to each other... Congrats on your well-earned trophy! And thanks for the sealant and o-rings too...
Note: Team Frog may be re-called into active service sometime soon, so look for him to be racking up some more trophies in August. Roselawn? Jack Pine?
- Congrats also to everyone who finished the event. The AA rock section was strewn with the carnage of broken bodies and bikes (myself included). At first I thought they were spectators there to cheer me on ( :) ), but figured it'd be pretty hard to spectate while laying on the ground, shirt off, while groaning in the fetal position.
- I've been pulled over by police 3 times in the past 3 years, and each one has been at an enduro event. Had the opportunity to meet Marquette's finest Saturday night on the way to the hotel. Ya, you know the section, eh? 4 lane, wide-ass highway, goes from 55 MPH to 35 MPH as you approach town. Clocked at 21 over. After the obligatory introductions and paperwork, we get to chatting...
Officer: So, what brings you to Marquette?
Me: Well, my son and I are here to contest the world-famous Loose Moose / Mini Moose Enduro, sir.
Officer: Really! Cool! My cousin is a Sandstormers club member, and he rode in the buddy class with my nephew today. Wow, that enduro event is so cool! I helped work a check for the club a few years back... man, was that wild!
Me: Yes, my son and I really enjoy coming up to Marquette each year for the event. It is the highlight event of the season, and we try to spend as much money as possible on hotels, dining out, souvenirs, gas, pasties, beer, and flannel shirts.
Officer: Great! So, how'd your son do on the Mini Moose today?
Me: Well officer, I'm proud to say he placed 2nd in his class! (while gesturing to beaming son in back seat holding shiny trophy). My race is early tomorrow morning. We've been up since 6am, and we're just so dang tired, all we want to do is get the hotel.
Officer: Well, here's you're paperwork back... save your racing for the trail, and good luck tomorrow!
*** WHAT A GREAT TOWN! ***
- Thanks to the Sands Fire Department for the brats at the concession stand. Good deal the club does with the coupon program too. Win-win...
- Thanks to Team Marsh for the hot lasagna dinner Saturday night... (and for the pancake breakfast at Harrison). I may have to make Roselawn now that I have a meal sponsor!
- A big thanks to Chad for the spark plugs. I've never fouled a plug in my life, and stopped carrying plugs last year. Ended up fouling two this weekend. Once after the Mini Moose, and once 2/3 the way through the LM. :bang: Put a brand new plug in Sunday morning along with a fresh air filter. Never suspected it wouldn't last the race. I could taste the hardware I tell ya! Hard lesson learned... It was even harder watching the 12-15 riders I passed past me right back as I sat on the side of the trail. Especially watching KTM Mike pass me carrying a spare plug, and then Team Frog pass me carrying 2 spare plugs!!! It's OK though... the couple of hours spent in the woods gave me time to think. What the hell am I doing... sweating in the woods, miles from a Wendy's, and without bear repellent. Why, I could be at home, lounging in the pool with wife and kids and an icy cold Lablatt Blue. Damn this god-forsaken sport of enduros! Where's the sadist who laid out this trail! I hate walking 8 miles in a pair of Sidi's. Where's my pit crew? Oh ya... what pit crew. Dang.... stuck in the woods at Marquette... again.... and without cell phone... again. Where's Walt with that Gas-Gas and side-car?
- Tommy D learned that plowing the soil on the mountain in Marquette isn't as soft as the Kalkasky sand. I broke mine at 18 too. Didn't break it again for 20 years... but then again, I didn't ride for 20 years. Welcome to the club.... Maybe Team PTP will have you now... well, maybe after your first semester at MSU... :debil: Enjoy the full college experience, just visit the clinic once in while.... "the best 5 years of my life!"
- Everyone should make this event at least once in their life... if only to catch the sage advice from Trail Bossman Nick at the rider's meeting.
- Suggestion Box #1: If a specific gas available/gas stop is back at staging, consider listing it on the route sheet or in the event notes. Also, if there is a gas truck/trailer going out, list in the event notes which gas stop it will be covering. Realizing that with multiple A/B/C splits and varying gas stop numbers it may be confusing... just don't want to run out of gas!
- Suggestion Box #2: Consider posting some helmet-cam footage from the event trail on the web site. May help entice some new enduro riders to give it a go.... or then again maybe not!
- The LM (or any well-executed enduro event) has to be a ton of hard work, especially considering it's all based on volunteerism. Lots of personal time and effort sacrificed so that others can enjoy a great ride. I saw lots of wives, kids, family, and friends of the club helping out too. Had to be 50+ people who helped make this happen. Consider too the EMT and law enforcement crew who helped out, and the the sweep volunteers who helped clean up the trail carnage, retrieving broken bodies and bikes. I don't know if the club makes any money on this event, but they should. Whether it's through a donations jar or tacking on an extra $5 per entry, the club members/volunteers should be treated to a kick-ass party or 5-star dinner afterwards.
- A huge thanks to Scott Pyykola, Lance, Mark, Nick, and Ron for helping to get me and my bike back to camp. I was really hoping to be rescued by Walt again, but I understand he was under protective custody for obvious reasons. (Another) Lesson learned.... hope to return the favor one day (jetting kit and spare plugs on order!).
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