- May 2, 2005
- 244
- 0
Congratulations to everyone on the great race!! I couldn't be there, but maybe I'll attend next year's Pinecone. Glad to hear some locals did quite well :D
Post your JackPine tales here
- Thread starter SGJ_Johansen
- Start date
SweepRider
Member
- Mar 14, 2002
- 39
- 0
I know it's been said, but kudos to LMC for providing another great family memory. As RedGreen already mentioned, my two kids and I rode the Pine Cone, and we all fared well. Hannah and I had a great strategy: "ride like heck". Never looked at a watch or a route sheet all day. The little snot pulled away from me after the backup on the first big hill (read "traffic jam"). I never saw her again all day long...not even at gas.
I can just hear the event organizers tee-hee-ing as they dragged bundle after bundle of cut sapplings across the "trail" in the virgin section. And one of the Hunt brothers must have had his conscience bothering him, as he stayed at the top of the "Hunt Hill from Hell", helping us find the best line. (The other Hunt brother was seated in a lawn chair at the next checkpoint....hummm)
Anyway, I must also mention what a great gas crew we had. Apparently Hannah didn't know what to think when she pulled up and had Badgerman, Fred T., and Napper all fussing over her and her faithful XR100. Word is, she gulped down a pb&j and got the heck out of there. I , on the other hand, was quite happy to see the three amigos, faithfully waiting for my arrival along that now desolate stretch of road. I figured my husband would be there, but Fred and Napper? That's just icing on the cake. Thanks guys!
Looking forward to a fall Trail Fest if one is in the works. Please keep us posted.
I can just hear the event organizers tee-hee-ing as they dragged bundle after bundle of cut sapplings across the "trail" in the virgin section. And one of the Hunt brothers must have had his conscience bothering him, as he stayed at the top of the "Hunt Hill from Hell", helping us find the best line. (The other Hunt brother was seated in a lawn chair at the next checkpoint....hummm)
Anyway, I must also mention what a great gas crew we had. Apparently Hannah didn't know what to think when she pulled up and had Badgerman, Fred T., and Napper all fussing over her and her faithful XR100. Word is, she gulped down a pb&j and got the heck out of there. I , on the other hand, was quite happy to see the three amigos, faithfully waiting for my arrival along that now desolate stretch of road. I figured my husband would be there, but Fred and Napper? That's just icing on the cake. Thanks guys!
Looking forward to a fall Trail Fest if one is in the works. Please keep us posted.
- Oct 28, 2001
- 4,704
- 0
So it's a little late...
This was the 3rd Pine Cone for my son and I, and only my 2nd Jack Pine. It was by far the best Pine Cone yet, and the event trail for JP was awesome. Thanks for cutting out the endless miles of sandy whoops! This has got to be my favorite enduro as far as the fun meter goes. Great job LMC on both events!
Pine Cone Comments
The trail for the PC was great (except for 50cc bikes, from what I hear). Loved the hill climbs and virgin trail, the clear-cut sections, and the lack of whoops! In talking with some of the mini-dads though, it was too tough and long for the smaller bikes/kids. Most of them were out at the first check just because their little bikes and tires couldn’t make it up the sandy hills. The Spring PC was good in that the trail was pretty flat and easy, and they just had to do the first 25 mile loop. The trail for the summer PC was awesome though… don’t change it! It was perfect trail for training future enduro riders. Zach rode a pretty steady pace all day… only stalled twice and fell just once. He’s even getting down a lot of the rules and strategy…. Boy did I take some abuse after we burned a check by 2 minutes! He tells me that next year we’re going by his clock and his odometer… It was great hitting the virgin trail in that hilly section. We motored on past a few adult riders stuck on the hill, and a KTM overheating…. Now that was cool thing for a kid to experience!
We also recruited Zach’s classmate Alex and his dad Andy to ride their first enduro. They’ve only started riding this past year, and riding 50 miles in an afternoon was quite an experience for them… they were absolutely beat at the end, but I think really enjoyed it overall. I’m trying to get them back up for TrailFest this fall.
Jack Pine Pleasures
Woke up at 6:30am Sunday morning. The sun was bright, the air cool, and the ground moist…. It was an epic event in the making. The effervescent Virgina kicked off the riders’s meeting at 7:15am. I don’t know how long she’s been doing this, but I can see her blowing that damn whistle when they still raced Harleys and sidecars in the woods. Anyway, there was a nice tribute made regarding our armed forces serving overseas, in harm’s way, while we were about to enjoy some of the finest single-track around. Special mention was made regarding club member Sergeant Brian Johansen serving proudly in Iraq. A powerful rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” overtook the clubgrounds and riders as the morning sun shimmered off the American flag. Yep, it was a proud day to be an American enduro rider.
Soon enough 2-stroke smoke and 4-stroke exhaust reverberated throughout the clubgrounds. At 8:00am the first bikes launched off the line and into the unknown of the dark woods. Within seconds, the shadowy, wooded perimeter of the staging area was filled with bikes and bright gear buzzing back and forth. Alternating between BRAAAPPPP, BWAAAAPPP, sudden silence, throttles snapping open, then closed, then open again on the tight, twisty course. Although unconfirmed, it was reported that no outhouses were destroyed in this section.
With my row number quickly approaching, the adrenalin and butterflies were in full force by now. Getting the runs just before a 6 hour enduro is not exactly a confidence builder…. Hmmmmm, I wonder if that brat was fully cooked? Either way, there’s a reason you pack a spare set of riding gear. No problem, I made it to the line with a good 5 minutes to spare. And who do I see at the start? It’s Team Frog, fresh off his 2nd place finish at the Loose Moose…. And officially hooked on enduros! Never mind the wedding and reception he attended with his wife the night before down in Indiana, Team Frog drove through the night, arriving at the club grounds at 4am, slept in his truck, and got signed up for row 51! Young Ted would be proud. Team Frog says he’s spending more on replacing damaged parts than on entry fees, but says he owes it to his sponsors to just keep riding.
So at 8:40am my number drops and we’re off… (KTM Mike and I that is)! After charging off the line in bright sun and into the woods, we’re suddenly enclosed in what seems like complete darkness. The tinted goggles didn’t help. Almost immediately I came across this giant man dressed in orange, wearing white boots, pointing and barking at me “THIS WAY! GO! THIS WAY! GO!” Fearing damage to my bike or body, I oblige and turn in the general direction he’s pointing. With widely dilated eyes still adjusting to the woods, it’s in and around trees and outhouses, following yellow tape, and in general screaming at your body to WAKE UP and RIDE!
The rest of the event had some great sections. I was disappointed that the one check was thrown out… it was about the only one I didn’t bobble or get hung up anywhere, just rode steady and smooth. Those 3’x3’ bomb craters / fox holes next to the trail kept you on your toes! Dropping your front wheel into one of those would’ve been a ball-crusher! Where the hell did they come from?
I did see that gal (Katie?) riding V-Man’s old 400… she looked good on it Randy! In fact, you can see part of your old bike at the start line in one of the pictures below.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
Row selection is part of the game. Depending on the event, conditions, and trail sections, it can work for you, or against you. I was pre-registered on row #40 because I’m a C-rider and constantly pulling over for faster guys messes me up. Considering the rain prior to the event, I knew the first 3-4 miles on the club grounds was going to be full of thick, swampy, black mud bogs. Single digit rows were going to benefit in getting early tracks in through that stuff. Later rows would have to deal with getting around stuck bikes and quagmire ruts full of life-sucking mud, picking new lines, and breaking trail to avoid it. I got stuck waiting behind 3 stuck bikes. In trying to get around them, I gambled in venturing off into unknown thickets of brush, vines, and water. Fortunately there were a few club members on hand pointing out alternate lines to get around some of the bigger mud bogs that were trapping riders. Getting stuck in a mud bog is like riding 10 miles of event trail. It sucks your energy, your muscles cramps, your heart pounds, and you overheat. Not encouraging at mile 3 of a 100 mile race.
Anyway, I went though the club grounds event trail after about 150 other bikes did. I imagine that a lot of the good lines, i.e. not wet, muddy ruts, were already taken, but such is life, and it was my row selection after all. Now we did pop out onto Johnson road briefly, and I thought (hoped!) that the section was over…. Not a chance! They directed us about 40 yards down the road, and it was back into woods again. I thought I remembered them doing this at the 2004 event, so don’t know if all riders did this, or it was only after they re-routed on the fly sometime before row 40 riders went through. Either way, row #1 got a different trail experience in that section than I did…. Who got the advantage? Don’t know…. Don’t care… it was a blast and a learning experiencing regardless.
Somewhere on the west side of the club grounds, there was a section of old, established event trail that we were running. Evidently there was a “W” posted on it at some point along the way, with new event trail darting off at a right angle to the right. I missed it completely, and after realizing I was on the wrong trail, backtracked. As I got closer to where the event trail veered off, there on the ground, off in the weeds was a wet and muddy “W”. I would have hoped for a couple strands of yellow moose tape to block off the section of old event trail and re-direct riders onto the new event trail. I know the moose tape would get knocked down eventually, but yellow tape on the ground across the trail shows up way better in the dark woods than a muddy piece of black and white paper on the ground.
The “wake your ass up” section finally ended after close to 4 miles, and it was off on some road connectors, and fast and fun 2-track. What I really liked about this event was the variety. Instead of a bunch of tight reset sections strung together with roads, the JP had a great mix of tight event trail, some fast, sweeping ORV trail, grassy two-tracks, and wide, sandy routes. When you’re riding for 6+ hours, the variety recharges you and helps keep your mind fresh.
Feedback
● The event trail was awesome. Keep it up!
● The pre-registration option was much appreciated! I wish all clubs did this, and I imagine that getting the bulk of riders registered before the event saves the club a lot of time and hassle too.
● Really liked the fact that X riders at the Pine Cone rode behind sweep riders. This event should focus on a 12-MPH enduro, not a rip-roaring warm-up for the JP. Great idea!
● Did not like the color of the arrows. Black and white just blends in too much with the surroundings. Especially in the morning with the bright sun shining through the trees, reflecting off the lighter undersides of leaves, white birch trees, skinned Poplars, etc. I think that there were enough arrows posted, but a color scheme with more contrast to the natural colors of the woods would have helped a lot. Fortunately I was on a later row and most of the trail was pretty evident, but about 4 times I “missed” an arrow and could not pick up the trail again. In one case the worn trail suddenly “ended”. Myself and about 6 riders circled in the woods for a bit trying to pick it back up. Even if some arrows got knocked down, seeing them from a distance on the ground would be a lot easier if they were not black and white. Bright, florescent orange would be great. I had heard though that certain brands (Moose perhaps?) of arrows tend to fade after several days in the woods, which would not be good. I don’t now what the Sandstormers used, but the colors were good and bright. The Hill and Gully club also used very bright/loud orange arrows (or was it black on orange background?). Now granted, they did arrow about every 10 feet, but it also rained up to and during event, and they were still bright. They weren’t Moose arrows… they were tall and narrow, without any brand on them.
● I attribute it as my own fault, but I got nailed in the head pretty hard on 3 different low hanging trees/branches. I just didn’t see them in time, or perhaps misjudged how low they hung down. One in particular snapped my neck back hard enough to see stars, and made me question the effectiveness of the PCS neck brace. A couple of “DANGER” signs on these low-hangers would’ve possibly helped me avoid them.
● Scoring and awards went smoothly, all things considered.
Gratias
● A huge thanks of appreciation to the all the club members and volunteers for the year-long effort in putting this event together. It was a quality event all the way around, and with the tradition of the Jack Pine, I felt privileged to have the opportunity to ride it. The tireless efforts of the event organizers, pre-riders, post-riders, crossing guards, checkers, scorers, etc. did not go unnoticed. Put me down as a worker bee, trail grunt, road-crosser, beer runner…. whatever!… for next year’s Jack Pine!
● Thanks to ace pit crew KTM-Shelia, KDX-Mark, and YamaMitch for running gas and food. The ride wouldn’t have gone as smooth without your help.
● Thanks also to Dave Dixon for trying to get my brakes working…. And proving that the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree, another thanks to Tommy D for the green and white “Sparty” sticker. You saved me some gray hairs at a time I wasn’t sure I could even ride.
● Thanks to BBarel… my DRN express courier who gambled that my "special package" wasn’t laced with coffee grounds and postmarked Amsterdam… Wish I could have had the time to bolt that bad boy up, but if I couldn’t stop, no amount of timekeeping shortcuts would have helped. BTW, I had to get creative in explaining to the wife how I managed to trophy without using the big $$$ computer she just bought me!
● A big thanks to Neal Soenksen – Fast A-Open rider who didn’t hesitate breaking out his tools and removing the complete rear brake system off wife’s bike so that I might have a chance to ride.
● And a HUGE thanks of appreciation to master wrench Napper who took the time to fix my brake when I had run out of options. After much sweating, pumping, and bleeding (with his clothes on), he retrofitted an ’01 rear caliper and brake line onto my ’04 master cylinder…. By late Saturday evening I had a rear brake! Without his help and know-how, I wouldn’t have been able to ride the Jack Pine… so I dedicate that 1st place C-Senior trophy to you!
Some images from the 80th running of the Jack Pine….
This was the 3rd Pine Cone for my son and I, and only my 2nd Jack Pine. It was by far the best Pine Cone yet, and the event trail for JP was awesome. Thanks for cutting out the endless miles of sandy whoops! This has got to be my favorite enduro as far as the fun meter goes. Great job LMC on both events!
Pine Cone Comments
The trail for the PC was great (except for 50cc bikes, from what I hear). Loved the hill climbs and virgin trail, the clear-cut sections, and the lack of whoops! In talking with some of the mini-dads though, it was too tough and long for the smaller bikes/kids. Most of them were out at the first check just because their little bikes and tires couldn’t make it up the sandy hills. The Spring PC was good in that the trail was pretty flat and easy, and they just had to do the first 25 mile loop. The trail for the summer PC was awesome though… don’t change it! It was perfect trail for training future enduro riders. Zach rode a pretty steady pace all day… only stalled twice and fell just once. He’s even getting down a lot of the rules and strategy…. Boy did I take some abuse after we burned a check by 2 minutes! He tells me that next year we’re going by his clock and his odometer… It was great hitting the virgin trail in that hilly section. We motored on past a few adult riders stuck on the hill, and a KTM overheating…. Now that was cool thing for a kid to experience!
We also recruited Zach’s classmate Alex and his dad Andy to ride their first enduro. They’ve only started riding this past year, and riding 50 miles in an afternoon was quite an experience for them… they were absolutely beat at the end, but I think really enjoyed it overall. I’m trying to get them back up for TrailFest this fall.
Jack Pine Pleasures
Woke up at 6:30am Sunday morning. The sun was bright, the air cool, and the ground moist…. It was an epic event in the making. The effervescent Virgina kicked off the riders’s meeting at 7:15am. I don’t know how long she’s been doing this, but I can see her blowing that damn whistle when they still raced Harleys and sidecars in the woods. Anyway, there was a nice tribute made regarding our armed forces serving overseas, in harm’s way, while we were about to enjoy some of the finest single-track around. Special mention was made regarding club member Sergeant Brian Johansen serving proudly in Iraq. A powerful rendition of the “Star Spangled Banner” overtook the clubgrounds and riders as the morning sun shimmered off the American flag. Yep, it was a proud day to be an American enduro rider.
Soon enough 2-stroke smoke and 4-stroke exhaust reverberated throughout the clubgrounds. At 8:00am the first bikes launched off the line and into the unknown of the dark woods. Within seconds, the shadowy, wooded perimeter of the staging area was filled with bikes and bright gear buzzing back and forth. Alternating between BRAAAPPPP, BWAAAAPPP, sudden silence, throttles snapping open, then closed, then open again on the tight, twisty course. Although unconfirmed, it was reported that no outhouses were destroyed in this section.
With my row number quickly approaching, the adrenalin and butterflies were in full force by now. Getting the runs just before a 6 hour enduro is not exactly a confidence builder…. Hmmmmm, I wonder if that brat was fully cooked? Either way, there’s a reason you pack a spare set of riding gear. No problem, I made it to the line with a good 5 minutes to spare. And who do I see at the start? It’s Team Frog, fresh off his 2nd place finish at the Loose Moose…. And officially hooked on enduros! Never mind the wedding and reception he attended with his wife the night before down in Indiana, Team Frog drove through the night, arriving at the club grounds at 4am, slept in his truck, and got signed up for row 51! Young Ted would be proud. Team Frog says he’s spending more on replacing damaged parts than on entry fees, but says he owes it to his sponsors to just keep riding.
So at 8:40am my number drops and we’re off… (KTM Mike and I that is)! After charging off the line in bright sun and into the woods, we’re suddenly enclosed in what seems like complete darkness. The tinted goggles didn’t help. Almost immediately I came across this giant man dressed in orange, wearing white boots, pointing and barking at me “THIS WAY! GO! THIS WAY! GO!” Fearing damage to my bike or body, I oblige and turn in the general direction he’s pointing. With widely dilated eyes still adjusting to the woods, it’s in and around trees and outhouses, following yellow tape, and in general screaming at your body to WAKE UP and RIDE!
The rest of the event had some great sections. I was disappointed that the one check was thrown out… it was about the only one I didn’t bobble or get hung up anywhere, just rode steady and smooth. Those 3’x3’ bomb craters / fox holes next to the trail kept you on your toes! Dropping your front wheel into one of those would’ve been a ball-crusher! Where the hell did they come from?
I did see that gal (Katie?) riding V-Man’s old 400… she looked good on it Randy! In fact, you can see part of your old bike at the start line in one of the pictures below.
Miscellaneous Ramblings
Row selection is part of the game. Depending on the event, conditions, and trail sections, it can work for you, or against you. I was pre-registered on row #40 because I’m a C-rider and constantly pulling over for faster guys messes me up. Considering the rain prior to the event, I knew the first 3-4 miles on the club grounds was going to be full of thick, swampy, black mud bogs. Single digit rows were going to benefit in getting early tracks in through that stuff. Later rows would have to deal with getting around stuck bikes and quagmire ruts full of life-sucking mud, picking new lines, and breaking trail to avoid it. I got stuck waiting behind 3 stuck bikes. In trying to get around them, I gambled in venturing off into unknown thickets of brush, vines, and water. Fortunately there were a few club members on hand pointing out alternate lines to get around some of the bigger mud bogs that were trapping riders. Getting stuck in a mud bog is like riding 10 miles of event trail. It sucks your energy, your muscles cramps, your heart pounds, and you overheat. Not encouraging at mile 3 of a 100 mile race.
Anyway, I went though the club grounds event trail after about 150 other bikes did. I imagine that a lot of the good lines, i.e. not wet, muddy ruts, were already taken, but such is life, and it was my row selection after all. Now we did pop out onto Johnson road briefly, and I thought (hoped!) that the section was over…. Not a chance! They directed us about 40 yards down the road, and it was back into woods again. I thought I remembered them doing this at the 2004 event, so don’t know if all riders did this, or it was only after they re-routed on the fly sometime before row 40 riders went through. Either way, row #1 got a different trail experience in that section than I did…. Who got the advantage? Don’t know…. Don’t care… it was a blast and a learning experiencing regardless.
Somewhere on the west side of the club grounds, there was a section of old, established event trail that we were running. Evidently there was a “W” posted on it at some point along the way, with new event trail darting off at a right angle to the right. I missed it completely, and after realizing I was on the wrong trail, backtracked. As I got closer to where the event trail veered off, there on the ground, off in the weeds was a wet and muddy “W”. I would have hoped for a couple strands of yellow moose tape to block off the section of old event trail and re-direct riders onto the new event trail. I know the moose tape would get knocked down eventually, but yellow tape on the ground across the trail shows up way better in the dark woods than a muddy piece of black and white paper on the ground.
The “wake your ass up” section finally ended after close to 4 miles, and it was off on some road connectors, and fast and fun 2-track. What I really liked about this event was the variety. Instead of a bunch of tight reset sections strung together with roads, the JP had a great mix of tight event trail, some fast, sweeping ORV trail, grassy two-tracks, and wide, sandy routes. When you’re riding for 6+ hours, the variety recharges you and helps keep your mind fresh.
Feedback
● The event trail was awesome. Keep it up!
● The pre-registration option was much appreciated! I wish all clubs did this, and I imagine that getting the bulk of riders registered before the event saves the club a lot of time and hassle too.
● Really liked the fact that X riders at the Pine Cone rode behind sweep riders. This event should focus on a 12-MPH enduro, not a rip-roaring warm-up for the JP. Great idea!
● Did not like the color of the arrows. Black and white just blends in too much with the surroundings. Especially in the morning with the bright sun shining through the trees, reflecting off the lighter undersides of leaves, white birch trees, skinned Poplars, etc. I think that there were enough arrows posted, but a color scheme with more contrast to the natural colors of the woods would have helped a lot. Fortunately I was on a later row and most of the trail was pretty evident, but about 4 times I “missed” an arrow and could not pick up the trail again. In one case the worn trail suddenly “ended”. Myself and about 6 riders circled in the woods for a bit trying to pick it back up. Even if some arrows got knocked down, seeing them from a distance on the ground would be a lot easier if they were not black and white. Bright, florescent orange would be great. I had heard though that certain brands (Moose perhaps?) of arrows tend to fade after several days in the woods, which would not be good. I don’t now what the Sandstormers used, but the colors were good and bright. The Hill and Gully club also used very bright/loud orange arrows (or was it black on orange background?). Now granted, they did arrow about every 10 feet, but it also rained up to and during event, and they were still bright. They weren’t Moose arrows… they were tall and narrow, without any brand on them.
● I attribute it as my own fault, but I got nailed in the head pretty hard on 3 different low hanging trees/branches. I just didn’t see them in time, or perhaps misjudged how low they hung down. One in particular snapped my neck back hard enough to see stars, and made me question the effectiveness of the PCS neck brace. A couple of “DANGER” signs on these low-hangers would’ve possibly helped me avoid them.
● Scoring and awards went smoothly, all things considered.
Gratias
● A huge thanks of appreciation to the all the club members and volunteers for the year-long effort in putting this event together. It was a quality event all the way around, and with the tradition of the Jack Pine, I felt privileged to have the opportunity to ride it. The tireless efforts of the event organizers, pre-riders, post-riders, crossing guards, checkers, scorers, etc. did not go unnoticed. Put me down as a worker bee, trail grunt, road-crosser, beer runner…. whatever!… for next year’s Jack Pine!
● Thanks to ace pit crew KTM-Shelia, KDX-Mark, and YamaMitch for running gas and food. The ride wouldn’t have gone as smooth without your help.
● Thanks also to Dave Dixon for trying to get my brakes working…. And proving that the nut doesn’t fall far from the tree, another thanks to Tommy D for the green and white “Sparty” sticker. You saved me some gray hairs at a time I wasn’t sure I could even ride.
● Thanks to BBarel… my DRN express courier who gambled that my "special package" wasn’t laced with coffee grounds and postmarked Amsterdam… Wish I could have had the time to bolt that bad boy up, but if I couldn’t stop, no amount of timekeeping shortcuts would have helped. BTW, I had to get creative in explaining to the wife how I managed to trophy without using the big $$$ computer she just bought me!
● A big thanks to Neal Soenksen – Fast A-Open rider who didn’t hesitate breaking out his tools and removing the complete rear brake system off wife’s bike so that I might have a chance to ride.
● And a HUGE thanks of appreciation to master wrench Napper who took the time to fix my brake when I had run out of options. After much sweating, pumping, and bleeding (with his clothes on), he retrofitted an ’01 rear caliper and brake line onto my ’04 master cylinder…. By late Saturday evening I had a rear brake! Without his help and know-how, I wouldn’t have been able to ride the Jack Pine… so I dedicate that 1st place C-Senior trophy to you!
Some images from the 80th running of the Jack Pine….
