Snow Birds are back from Red Bird!

[YZMAN400]

A buddy and I got a weekend reprieve from all this show **** and headed south. 10 hours south to southern Kentucky. The plan was to ride Saturday and Sunday but fate interviened and Sunday brought snow. So with only 1 day of riding we packed it in early and headed home.

But that one day of riding was incredible. Without a doubt the hardest thing have ever done before. We hooked up with a group from Ohio and they completely ran me into the ground in 40 miles. I was wasted. And this coming off nearly 3 months off the bike. Quite the way to get warmed up for another season. Man I was rusty.

How about a few pictures.

1st night in town we discovered that we were in a dry county...WTF....not that it stoped us

The staging area. It was wicked cold when we rolled in there around 8am.

The road leading to the staging area. That was majorly sketchy looking. I sat there for a few moments conteplating that one before crossing.

I didn't get nearly as many pictures on the trail as I would of liked as our tour guides were keeping up a pretty fast pace. But I did get a few shots

 

[YZMAN400]

This was one of the 1st major obsticle we came to. Pictures dont do it justace. The hard part other than it is rock is that the rocks were covered in ice. And if you happened to slide down the hill it would of taken a team of mules to pull the bike back up on the trail. The ground was pretty much frozen with maybe 1" of wet dirt on top.

There were a TON of trees down. That would be the name of the game for the day. Better brush up on your tree crossing skills. Seeing as most of the trails were on the side of hills the trees were naturaly off camber and would toss the bike down the hill. So most you had to pop the front wheel over and lift the rear over as the concequences of the tire sliding off trail were not worth it.

This tree we had to lift the bikes over the big one in the back and slide it under the one in front. We had to team up on that one.

This was our tour guide thru Hell. He is an amazing rider. He totaly ran me into the ground.

Gas stop and my bail out point. I was shot.

Pee stop

 

[YZMAN400]

A little dirty. That tugger strap on the rear fender got a MAJOR workout. Definately worth the price I paid.

We really lucked out that we hooked up with the group that we did. I had a GPS track for the trail but my old GPS wouldn't work down there. Withough a guide or GPS you wont find your way around that trail. It is not marked at all.

The pictures dont do justace to just how nasty it was out there. The real nasty sections I was just trying to stay alive and had no time to take pictures.

We do have some helmet cam footage that I need to get edited and uploaded. Ill try and get to that this week.

I cant wait to go back. I think this is going to become a yearly event.

 

[TCTrailrider]

I did one of those hilly, frozen, clay infested rides last spring in Zainesville Ohio. Makes the Michigan sand whoops taste like candy. Thanks for the photo's, keep them coming. :cool: That Cmores bike in the pics?

 

[Fred T]

I did one of those hilly, frozen, clay infested rides last spring in Zainesville Ohio. Makes the Michigan sand whoops taste like candy. Thanks for the photo's, keep them coming. :cool: That Cmores bike in the pics?

I seem to remember that trip. Found some good food though! :cool:

 

[ChrisKring]

don: did you ride it counter clockwise?

Ward and I rode down there a couple of weekends ago. Fun trail. We rode clockwise and made it about 20 miles before Ward flatted. Took the road back. Then we rode the same mini-loop again before we ran out of light. We did ride the first couple of miles counter clockwise before making it to a tree that we couldn't get over or around without some serious screwing around.

Don is right though, a GPS comes in handy. The trail is marked for clockwise riding and we got off track a few times. Rode some cool alternate trails. The GPS tracks I had even have some "motorcycle only old sections".

We rode Windrock the day before with a guide. That was the most insane trails I have ever ridden. Made Red Bird look like a pee wee track. we rode 23 miles in 5.5 hours. It included a ride down a rock spine that was 4 foot wide and had 30+ foot tall straight down drop offs on both sides. The trails are all super secret and I was requested not to release the GPS tracks on it.

 

[YZMAN400]

don: did you ride it counter clockwise? .

Yea we did. Jumping right into the trail, totaly cold after not riding for 3 months was an eye opener. Took me a while to get my Mojo working again. And even then it didn't last long.

 

[ChrisKring]

Yea we did. Jumping right into the trail, totaly cold after not riding for 3 months was an eye opener. Took me a while to get my Mojo working again. And even then it didn't last long.

Yeah, I could tell by the direction of the hill. Your right, it is pretty technical once you leave the road. Going the clockwise direction isn't much easier if you ride the original motorcycle only section. I heard it was used for an enduro back in 1996 or so.

Like I said, it was a super fun trail. It is challenging but not ridiculous.

 

[nickolino]

:cool: Looks Like A Epic Ride For Sure.

 

[Yam7M]

Awesome photos!!!

I think that bridge you shot the picture of is kind of on the North and East side of the parking lot? You take a long winding road past some real dumpy trailer homes (like where DW lives) to get to the staging area? If it's the same riding place....I went down there with my buddy Corey and Scott Summers. That bridge was underwater by a foot or so. Corey was on Scotts bike and fell off the bridge! It took us 2 days to find the bike.....500 yards down stream. That was a crazy weekend! I couldn't believe we actually found the bike.

Thanks for sharing those pics. Sounds like your getting your spring training in early? I was blown away by the "dry county" stuff too.

 

[Fred T]

don
I love your ride reports and they always have entertaining pictures. :cool:

 

[Don Marsh]

I been there twice and both times there was ice, either under the rocks when you spun the tires or on the puddles. One time it was snowing so hard we were going through 2" by the time we got to the truck. I think it would be fun to ride when the weather was better. It is a very challenging place to ride....but it still is rideing.

 

[YZMAN400]

Awesome photos!!!

I think that bridge you shot the picture of is kind of on the North and East side of the parking lot? You take a long winding road past some real dumpy trailer homes (like where DW lives) to get to the staging area? If it's the same riding place....I went down there with my buddy Corey and Scott Summers. That bridge was underwater by a foot or so. Corey was on Scotts bike and fell off the bridge! It took us 2 days to find the bike.....500 yards down stream. That was a crazy weekend! I couldn't believe we actually found the bike.

Thanks for sharing those pics. Sounds like your getting your spring training in early? I was blown away by the "dry county" stuff too.

Ah so you are the ones. I heard that story while I was down there from some locals. Yea that sounds like the same bridge. That dosn't sound like a fun bridge to cross during high water.

 

[Yam7M]

Ah so you are the ones. I heard that story while I was down there from some locals. Yea that sounds like the same bridge. That dosn't sound like a fun bridge to cross during high water.

It was incredible!!! Corey is not a strong swimmer....he nearly drowned. He went off on the down stream side, otherwise he would have been washed under the bridge and a goner. He came up about 20 yards or so downstream screaming. Scott dove in and got him out. It's not easy swimming in your helmet and boots!!!! There were all kinds of one-off parts on the bike, so Scott really wanted to find it. We had a boat and used large hooks trying to drag the bottom. No luck for the first day. The water came down on the second day. Corey and I gave up. Scott found it in about 5 feet of water way down stream....past the first little island, just before the river bends south of the parking area.

The water at it's highest point (after we lost the bike) flooded the parking lot that you have the photos of, and was over the signs at either end of the bridge in your photo of the bridge (8-10 ft over the bridge). It was crazy! :yikes:

 

[YZMAN400]

Hey Yam7m you live in Wayland? I should have you get ahold of my Buddy Kurt and get him off his butt and riding. He lives down there too. Has a 3yr old WR250 that is nearly new from lack of riding.

 

[Yam7M]

Hey Yam7m you live in Wayland? I should have you get ahold of my Buddy Kurt and get him off his butt and riding. He lives down there too. Has a 3yr old WR250 that is nearly new from lack of riding.

You bet! I'm Mark Spore....I run the HS website yada-yada. I try to ride as much as I can.....and hit all the hare scrambles. I live one mile north of Gun Lake. My contact information is all over our website:

http://www.ama-d14harescrambles.org/officer.cfm

Someone to split gas money and join in during drive time would be welcomed! :nod:

 

[YZMAN400]

A few more pictures

Over the tree

Under the tree

Sucking wind???

 

[70 marlin]

Don that ride looked to be brutal, wish I was there! I hope you have as much fun at the force ride.

 

[Ward]

We rode Windrock the day before with a guide. That was the most insane trails I have ever ridden. Made Red Bird look like a pee wee track. we rode 23 miles in 5.5 hours. It included a ride down a rock spine that was 4 foot wide and had 30+ foot tall straight down drop offs on both sides. The trails are all super secret and I was requested not to release the GPS tracks on it.

True dat. Windrock was crazy riding especially after not riding for three months. At least the weather was good sunny and 60. I was surprised at the traction you could get in the mud with roots and rocks. I was expecting that crazy Southern Ohio/West Virginia mud or worse the Georgia red clay.

I think we'll be going again first weekend in April. Who's in?

 

[ChrisKring]

True dat. Windrock was crazy riding especially after not riding for three months. At least the weather was good sunny and 60. I was surprised at the traction you could get in the mud with roots and rocks. I was expecting that crazy Southern Ohio/West Virginia mud or worse the Georgia red clay.

I think we'll be going again first weekend in April. Who's in?

Oh yeah, Curt was with us too. :ride:

 

[curt1656]

Oh yeah, Curt was with us too. :ride:

Too late, my feeling is already hurt.

 

[PowderJunkie9]

We really lucked out that we hooked up with the group that we did. I had a GPS track for the trail but my old GPS wouldn't work down there. Withough a guide or GPS you wont find your way around that trail. It is not marked at all.

The pictures dont do justace to just how nasty it was out there. The real nasty sections I was just trying to stay alive and had no time to take pictures.

We do have some helmet cam footage that I need to get edited and uploaded. Ill try and get to that this week.

I cant wait to go back. I think this is going to become a yearly event.

Looks like some sweet rides! Can't wait to see the helmet cam footage. What kind of cam do you have/did you use?

 

[YZMAN400]

At long last the videos come forth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bsUsTo9FK8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNcRe3FGio4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmzDz4sS-8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1_tuhE6YrI

 

[katoom125]

I couldn't ride like that - makes me dizzy looking at the ground all the time.

 

[YZMAN400]

lol.... yea the camera was aimed a little low.