Second voyage!

[duncanstives]

Hey guys. Got my new wheel bearings front and rear in, most of the checks recommended by you guys done (skipped ones that involved taking apart the engine... It seems to be working fine and not worth the risk that I'd actually damage it in the process of taking it apart or attempting to put it back together), new chain, new spark plug etc. Also got some clotz oil (I know some people don't like it but the PO swore by it, said he never had presistent fouling issues and owned 12 bikes... Plus the kawasaki dealer handed it to me when I asked for "good quality two stroke oil"). Went out again this weekend... Took a backpack this time with a full 2 liters of water (a gallon was just to heavy to comfortably ride with along with all the tools I elected to bring).
This ride was MUCH less taxing for a number of reasons:
I avoided areas with a sea of mud pits that can swallow a bike whole.
I got much better at riding and crashed way less.
I "only" went 34 miles (though on average I covered more rugged terrain).

Here are the pics from the trip... They are a bit on the crappy side because they are from my iPhone 4 since I can't find a regulat camera I'd wanna take on a ride... I am thinking of getting one fo those Gopro HD hero cameras for video and stills.

Before setting out. Only my friend had to haul his vehicle because the trail heads are all within a couple miles of my house so I just ride there.

Water!
I had to keep waiting for that pesky 4 wheeler... Man are those things slow!

Waiting.... Again!
The trail kept on crossing the creek... I'd stop and wait at each crossing and take of my gear so I could dip my head in the water and cool off.

My friend FINALLY arrives. Incidentally this area was awesome... Photos don't really do it justice.

Eventually that trail kind of petered out and we started to doubt our abilities to tackle the ruts and logs and branches (and spider webs... Ug... THey where EVERYWHERE!) not to mention question if we SHOULD continue in this area. So we regretfully turned back.

 

[duncanstives]

The kodiack 400 catches up! LOL

We headed all the way back out of the valley, past to truck and to another trail because I had another trail in mind I wanted to explore... The north fork of the kentucky river runs just north of here in the woods... My goal was to find it. I am so used to seeing rivers with houses and fields and civilization in general clustered around the banks I thought it would be cool to come upon a massive river just running though the woods... This was about a half mile onto that trail I hoped would lead me to the river.

 

[duncanstives]

Rocks! I told my friend on the way back up (this was on the way down), after JUST BARELY managing to not crash while picking my way up the steep hill among the bolders, "I handled that just like a pro would... *long pause* if they were actually an amature instead of a pro!"

Not having a kickstand means I have to get creative sometimes!

Me... Not while driving.LOL

The trail USED to be level all the way accross this gap (in fact it was a rail road track almost a hundred years ago)... Now you have to pick your way down, cross the creek and back up the other side.

 

[duncanstives]

Some mud and stuff.

Flood water brings sand into this playground area... Sand is some fun stuff on a bike I discovered...

Looks like a shallow puddle but it actually liqufaction of the debris (sand and small gravel) caused by water seeping up from underneath... Its about 2ft deep and you can sort of skate over it if you hit is fast enough. Its awesome.

Fun!

 

[duncanstives]

Landslide!
Pics could not capture it but it was wierd.. The entire landscape had just sort of "shifted" downhill.

Kudzu!
Might be a foreign invasive but it sure looks cool...

Alas we never did find the river... The search will continue next weekend though.

After giving up on the river we turned off and headed for this lake... It was a pretty decent trip there but no pics of it (I have been to it many time in my jeep... Actually about 12 miles of woods driving if you go straight from my house. As you can see dispite being in the middle of the woods its a popular destination (LOTS of people into "wheeling" in KY... LOL).

 

[duncanstives]

Dinner (chips and powerade!) at the local gas station... Remember how I said lots of people in my area into offroading? The gas station has made a special ramp from the parking lot to where my bike is especially for dirt bikes to get up there and use the air or just park there... First few nice days of spring there will be litterally hundreds of jeeps, buggies, atvs and bikes lining up to gas up or just do burnouts in the gravel... LOL
Even the employees are into riding... My kind of place.

Home!

PS... Sorry about making so many posts... It only let me put in so many pics in each one.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Nice trails!

Thanks for the pics and the posts.

34 miles is a decent ride in that kind of terrain. Get a buddy with a bike and you'll be up to 55 - 60 miles. You'll know you've been on a ride, then.

 

[duncanstives]

Thanks for looking!

Yeah my last trip was close to 50 miles in rougher terrain. I DID know I'd been on a ride... The heat stroke was telling me... LOL.

 

[Joburble]

Hey, great post. Nice to see the pics. Just one thing has me worried though, the kickstand substitute, with a little bit of an 'oops' moment I could maybe see that stick going through your radiator. It may be worth investing in a kickstand. Anyway, looks like you're having fun and the trails look great :cool: