Fred T

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 23, 2001
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Michigan Mafia raids South Carolina

OK, I guess I’ll get this party started. I met up with Maurer and Smitpuppy at 5 PM east of lansing off 23/59 intersection. We got loaded and off we went giddy with excitement. It’s official, Bill can make it ON TIME! He was on time for the first time ever!

We drove to Lima, ate and Bill begain his RV drivers training. We drove well into Tennessee and parked for the night and took a nap. Got up about 7 Am, made coffee and breakfast and hit the road. We watched the temperatures climb as we continued south. Each 10 degree marker raised a loud cheer. 40-“YAY” 50!-Yay!!! 60-Yeaaaaaah!’

We arrived in Pelion about 1:30 PM and met Leroy and Kadie at the gas station. After filling up the tank we headed in and hooked up with the rest of the mafia. Paul, (my new best friend-more later) Don –subframe fixer Marsh, Mark Trashrider bike inspector Becker, and motormouth Gonya.

We set up camp, those guys were in their shorts already and it was a balmy 65 degrees and sunny. Went to sign up and got registered and when headed back the first of my episodes began. Trash reports that my subframe is cracked at the welds. Damn! Well after many discussions by the metallurgy experts Don and Trash, Don fixes the subframe with 2 bolts and hose clamps and says go ride! He hid it in duct tape to keep my mind off it! Hope it holds was in the back of my mind!

Next Bill finds his radiator is leaking and we discovered he had a pinhole in the cross connector hose. But alas, I have a large chunk of rad hose leftover from the Shagmobile and I hooked him up. He gets that fixed and that pretty much ended the crisis before the ride. Mike decided to take a DS ride but I opted out to keep time/stress off my subframe in hopes of finishing the next days ride.

Next we had FEAST-O-RAMA as I grilled up a mess of chicken. We has pasta salads, salad, carrots, brownies and more chicken than anyone could eat. Leroy and Kadie joined us for dinner. I never knew Chicken was Kadies favorite! Ask her about it!

Night fall arrived, we were all road weary tired so we loaded up the bikes and locked them. They had a massive field light on all night and a local sheriff checking on things all night. No incidences of southern hospitality like last year!

Moring arrives and we have coffee, breakfast and get ready to ride. I am testing my new ProView goggles for the first time. Our row comes up, we are with local AA fast guy Mike Grizzle. (we see him at the resets only!)

Off we go, the first section is free territory with some woods trail mixed in, nice stuff and I discover a way to fall. I’m getting used to the goggles and clipped a tree with my hand guard. That became a issue later.

I get to the first reset. Paul discovers his bike is peeing gas. I am messing with my suspension and I can’t breath because the goggles pinch off my nose. Oh well, I’m riding. On we go to the next section. I continued to struggle with my issues for the rest of the day.

The event was fantastic, the trails were awesome and tight, very tight vs prior years but fun stuff. I ended up setting clickers at every reset through the first half of the race and was breathing from the mouth which got dried out so I kept my camel bac hose in my mouth the entire enduro so I could keep the mouth moist. Life support!

At gas stop Mike asked if I had spare semi metallic brake shoes and he switched brake shoes. It worked as he picked up considerable speed after that. I didn’t.

The section after gas was a 20 miler of all singletrack tight stuff, really good stuff. About 7 miles in I made a bad line choice in what looked to be just a 6 inch deep rut but ended up stopping me on a dime in the mud. I tried as hard as I could to lift my bike from it but I couldn’t as the clock continued to ring me up in the longest section fo the day. That’s when my BEST FRIEND PAUL SHOWS UP AND HELPS LIFT MY BIKE OUT OF THE MUD. Thanks buddy, I got the bike moving again but ever so slowly as I tried to catch my breath and strength. I finally got going again, still having a hard time breathing and just not riding well at all. I hit the first check in the section down like 16 minutes already so I just put it on cruise mode and made the finish. It was a great event, great trail but I just didn’t have much fun and that was depressing. It was good to be on the bike and riding however.

Everyone finished the event except Superbike Mike who took a digger and called it quits before gas. Trash and Don had real good rides, Bill did pretty good too for his first ride back from rehab and Mike had a great finish in the second half. Don would have trophied I think if he entered the right class! I finished and so did Paul nursing his leaking bike to the finish and helping tired old riders out of mud holes.

We sat in the sun and recovered after the ride as the temps soared to 70 degrees!

We packed up, and headed out. Sore, tired but satisfied that we got that first spring ride under out belts. Will we go back again. Heck yeah!!!
 

Toby259

Member
Jan 5, 2005
29
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Ready to go into battle!
 

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Don Marsh

~SPONSOR~
Jun 5, 2001
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Man what a great time, sure was good to see everyone. Great picture, Toby, it was a battle with the bike, getting used to it in the dirt instead of the snow. But I really like it.
I will try to get some photos of the pit stop on the ride home at HOOTERS.
Don
 

Trashrider

Mi. Trail Riders
Member
Nov 3, 2004
170
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Guys,
Next year we will do Sandlapper and the Alligator. I hated to leave that awesome weather for this Michigan crap.

Mark
 

fatherandson

Mi. Trail Riders
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Feb 3, 2001
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I think Freddie and I were typing our reports at the same time. So I decided to cut/paste my memories into this post.


Sunshine from South Carolina - Sandlapper

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can honestly say that we brought the sunshine back with us. As soon as we crossed the Michigan border to sun was out, but it was a lot colder than the 70s that we left in South Carolina.
It was warm and sunny both days. The group that got there early on Saturday had the sunburn to prove it - Trashrider had the racoon look from the sunglasses.
It was great to hang out on Saturday afternoon with the Michigan enduro gang - making last minute adjustments or major repairs. Freddy cooked the chicken, many of us brought side dishes and Deb Marsh sent the BROWNIES!! I think Fred fed 10 of us from Michigan - including Leroy and Katie - and we still had enough for chicken sandwiches on Sunday night.
It was cold on Sunday morning, but not frozen. The bikes were locked up in the trailers - remember last year. By the start, the temperature was very comfortable. I was very happy to be riding my bike in the dirt, but I will never buy metallic brake pads again. I tend to ride the rear brake and that is not a good combination.
We had a 3 mile warm up section - no checks, a five mile section, followed by two 11 miles sections in the morning. There was a lot of new trail in these sections and I have the battle scars on my arms to prove it. I did not check the scores at gas because I was changing the brake shoes back to semi metallic and changing goggles, jersey, gloves.
We knew the final section would be long - 20 miles (no resets) and we expected a check in the middle. I had a lot more fun in the afternoon. I was able to get in a groove. About the time I would get tired the trail would open up into a field and it was time to let the 450 BREATH!!!
In the end our fearless leader - Leroy led way with 22 points (7th overall), Trashrider dropped 48, I dropped 62, Don Marsh, 63, Smit Dog 75, Freddie 82 (after a long spell in an afternoon mudhole). We did not expect a lot of hardware - those suthin' boys are fast and they are in mid season form (I had not ridden since Goshen)) - and no one was disappointed.

We saw some GRITS (but not as good as last year), but no BUTTER (IMHO).
It was a great weekend. Warm weather, good friends, and no major injuries. To those who joined us... :aj: and to those who stayed home.... :nener:


Trash, there is no better time than today to start planning for the 2007 trip!
 

fatherandson

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Feb 3, 2001
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Mike, it sounds like you guys had a great ride, and great weather. I hope you left some warmth there, I'm heading down to Hilton Head again in a couple weeks. If I can line up a deal on a 5x8 trailer, my Adventure is going along.

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#3 Today, 03:57 AM


fatherandson

Lifetime Sponsor
Bike(s): KTM 450 2004 Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: lansing, mi


Member #: 21675

Mark, Circuitrider may be in the same area. He is making plans to go to the GNCC in NC after visiting my uncle. Sounds like you guys may be in the Carolinas at the same time.
Mike Jr.
 

Smit-Dog

Mi. Trail Riders
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Oct 28, 2001
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Sandlapper Results

Them Suthurn boys are fast!
 

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Don Marsh

~SPONSOR~
Jun 5, 2001
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:bang: Looking at that, if I would have entered in the correct class I would have won it. I thought that the SS class was the same as Michigan not 45-50 years old. Something to remember for next year. Already planning on hopefully doing the Sandlapper & the Alligator . :aj:
Don
 

Smit-Dog

Mi. Trail Riders
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Oct 28, 2001
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Don Marsh said:
:bang: Looking at that, if I would have entered in the correct class I would have won it!

I wasn't always the fastest rider out there, just the smartest. - King Richard
 

Don Marsh

~SPONSOR~
Jun 5, 2001
1,514
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Thanks, Smitty I needed that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Smit-Dog

Mi. Trail Riders
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Oct 28, 2001
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Who cares about a cheesy plaque... you absolutely railed that day.... 1 point off from Maurer's pace... :worship: 2006 could be the "Year of Team Marsh".
 

nzambon

Member
Apr 19, 2003
410
0
Wow! It sounds like you guys had a ball It hurts me to hear that you had so much fun. So from a bystander I need to ask Fred are you standing up in the photo's Team PTP has all winter to prep bike but goes to sandlapper with broken frame. I with draw my app. Smit puppy did you have a spare sparkplug and was it on your body or bike during the enduro? Any how good to hear your riding something we are not. Trashrider glad to here you are toying with the idea of putting on a enduro. The sand stormers would help but we are busy planning are own you know we try to kill people. But Iam sure if you put on a event that our club would name a section of the moutain after you. OOO-RAH
 

D.LEATHERS

Member
Jun 28, 2002
527
0
Hey Fred,
Now That Nzambon Brought It Up, Why Was Your Sub-frame Cracked It Looks Like You Had It Cut Down. I Know Don Didn't Weld That Or It Wouldn't Have Cracked.
Dave.
 

Fred T

Mi. Trail Riders
LIFETIME SPONSOR
Mar 23, 2001
5,272
2
D.LEATHERS said:
Hey Fred,
Now That Nzambon Brought It Up, Why Was Your Sub-frame Cracked It Looks Like You Had It Cut Down. I Know Don Didn't Weld That Or It Wouldn't Have Cracked.
Dave.

Yeah, I cut the sub frame and had it welded but the weld didn't hold and I didn't notice it until we were there. I took it off and shipped it to Don, it's fixed right now and I'll get it early next week.
 

crazytrails

Mi. Trail Riders
Member
Dec 25, 2005
213
0
well it was nice meeting some of the guys i had already met, and some new michigan crazies.. Trashrider "mark" is the only dang screename i remember, sorry i had other things running through my small mind.. but im one of those guys who remembers faces, not names.. It was my first enduro and wow is the only word that comes to mind.. I honestly thought i was going to get completely smoked, and not be able to finish or something.. mainly because of the lack of riding i've been doing and lack of physical activities in general.. anyways, it was great to meet everyone, those from michigan and those from "don soth".. The southen hospitality was interesting but inviting.. Can't wait for the 19, me and MikMill will be in Georgia for the Cherokee enduro, as long as he doesn't have a problem at work that is.. see ya,, yaalll com beck neh ya heeerr
 
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