Well folks, it has been an AWESOME week for Woodsy!! Last Sunday I "got a break" and went up to visit
Mark at Whiskey Creek. Had a GREAT visit and got to meet another GREAT DRNer and fam!! WAY
COOL..
The following day , my "regular scheduled" Monday ride with 2 of my local riding buddies found us up and
going at 8 am. COLD was the word for the morning as we departed onto the MCCCT from White Cloud
heading North! WET was also an issue as it had been raining ALOT on Sunday and during the night so all
those GREAT tunnels of trail thru the trees were dripping as we cascaded through the woods. Randy on his
XR200, Rich on his XR400 and yours truly on my "street biked KX".
We took the usual approach on the day of "no hurry, just keep a good pace and see how far we get". There
is a section of the MCCCT here on the west side that has become one of the funnest rides to me - it is the
section just south of the road that leads into Woodland Park (I believe it is 10 mile road). This section
"starts" to give a rider who has ridden the MCCCT up by Boon some great memories of that fabulous
section only a few hours North!! It is VERY twisty and WOODSY (pun intended) - just the way I like it!! I
had been looking forward to this since we had decided to make the run last Thursday!!
I was not disappointed at all, the NO dust situation and the "extra" mud that the rain afforded us did nothing
but add to the enjoyment!!
We wondered our way toward Baldwin on the "O" and found ourselfs pulling into town about 1:30 in the
afternoon. We stopped at Pompies Pizza for our usual "lunch break" and decided to forgo a big lunch for
more trail miles (kind of a bummer too - if you have never had a "strombolie" from this place you dont
know what you are missing - Pineapple and Anchovies are my favorite toppings!!). We decided to head to
the 32nd Street trailhead just north of town and grab the east side of the Big O and see how far we could get
with the couple of ride hours we had left (I was riding with a guy who had to get home for BOWLING at 5
pm - COME ON RICH _ GET YOUR PRIORITYS STRAIGHT!!).
We pulled into the Trail head and this is where things REALLY got interesting. Randy ripped thru the lot
and headed into the woods. I pulled into the lot and noticed this blue van with a New KTM 4 stroke
parked behind it and thought - "I wonder if this guy needs someone to ride with".. As I went around the
front of the Van I looked at the owner/operater and said to myself "I know this guy". Guess what, it was
none other then "Young Ted del Solar" in person!!
I turned in and pulled up to him. I said "I dont believe this"!! He stared thru my goggles and all of a
sudden got this wild look on his face - "Scott" he says... Of course we had no small reunion right then and
there!!
Some of you may recall one of my last Trail Reports about the coincedence by which I had met "Young
Ted" on his Labor Day little trail excursion (this 75 year young man was riding the entire MCCCT BY
HIMSELF and chance would haveit that we met on his way down the West side). Now here we were again,
it seems that destiny had it that he and I were traveling the same paths these days!!
Anyway, I asked INCA aka "Young Ted" (he tells me that INCA could stand for "I Am Not Counting
Anymore") where he was headed and whether or not he wanted company. Ted was kind enough to forgo
his plans to ride with us (A REAL TREAT) and we worked out a ride that suited all of us. We headed
south on the bottom of the "O" and rode down to the intersection where the MCCCT headed back down to
the rig (BOWLING - sheesh...). We had a GREAT ride with this ICON, he is doing FABULOUS adjusting
to his new steed (KTM250 fourstroker). The trail was PERFECT - NO dust - VERY LITTLE WHOOOPS
- cool weather and GREAT companions!!
We stopped at the "intersection" to say our good byes. I, of course, asked INCA what his plans were and he
started telling me about his ride plans for the week (this guy is NO quitter folks!!!). He was planning to ride
Tin Cup in the morning and then meeting up with a group from "Chicago" for "HOP SINGS Rendevous"
(an annual ride he and this group do).
As I listened to INCA tell me about this I simply COULD NOT help myself.. I (sorry Ted, but I HAD to do
it) asked if they (the group) could "handle" an extra rider... Ted assured me that I was welcome, told me he
was heading out at 6:30 am to ride Tin Cup and then going North to Evart. I told him I would do
EVERYTHING in my power to hook up with him but if I wasnt there (at his motel) by 6:30 to leave
without me!!
We departed company with Ted and headed back to the van. We FLEW the MCCCT down to Nichols
Lake and finished or ride on Gravel back to the Van. Loaded up and got back to my house at 5:10 -
PERFECT RIDE!!!!
Well, that was Monday. For those of you who dont know, I am self employed which simpy means I work 24
hours a day and 32 hours a day if the business calls for it!! As soon as I pulled in my wife said the phone
had been "ringing off the wall" so my plans of prepping for the "Rendevous" were going right out the
window!!
2:30 in the morning found me prepping my bike! Randy and Rich both siad they couldnt make it but I was
GOING!!!! I didnt make it for the "early" ride with Ted at Tin Cup :( :( , but I headed for Evart at 9 am on
Tuesday just knowing that I was in for a REAL SPECIAL TREAT - I WAS CORRECT!!!
I pulled into the South traihead and there was a WHOLE bunch of "Pumpkins", a "horse of a different
color - Husky" and another "green wonder machine" (I was glad to see that I wasnt alone).
Ted got a GREAT big smile on his face and proceeded to intro me to his friends. WHAT A FANTASTIC
GROUP OF RIDERS!! I honestly felt like I had known these guys all my life!! There was Tim the Husky
rider, Mike the KDX rider, Bobby, Gene, Mike and Ted the KTM riders and myself - ALL READY FOR A
GREAT DAY IN THE WOODS!
After "intro", Ted called a riders meeting and produced a "plaque" he had made for Gene. The plaque read
"shut up and ride" and had a couple of small springs mounted to it. Apparently, Gene must have had some
suspention problems in the past that the "guys" had teased him about or something and this is what came of
it.. I could tell right away that I was with "my kind of people - BIG KIDS!!!
I had NEVER ridden the Evart Loop before so I was in for a double specail treat! The trail was VERY
muddy, VERY rocky, VERY root covered, VERY tight, VERY hilly, VERY slippery, VERY challenging
and just plain out and out FUN!!!! We spent the better part of the day just playig like a bunch of kids - I
FINALLY got my answer of why they call INCA "YOUNG" Ted!! If any of you could have seen him and
Bobby horseing around and tumbling off into the weeds you would get it too!
What a GREAT time!!
About 1 hour into the ride the sky opened up with a cross between snow and hail - we'll call it Gods version
of an AWESOME snowball fight of which HE is going to win! The ground looked like within a couple
minutes it could have been covered and then it stopped - the sun came out and it was beautiful out again!!
Really NEAT weather for riding!
We covered some FABULOUS downhills that came out beside some really cool little inland lakes (didnt
think I noticed those did you "Mr. Cleaver"?? Of course you wouldnt want to take your eye off the trail to
long cause this trail is pretty dog gone tight and ROCKY and ROOTY (oh, I already said all that).. We
found the area that the CCC mapbook calls the "Sugar Bowl" and had a blast playing around there. I got to
see first hand how movies are made because Gene ("the Bionic Man") kept "reinacting" his version of
"wiping out on a KTM MXC200" for Tims camera :) :) .
Within the last 2 miles of trail (that was a LONG 2 miles Ted!!) I sheared off the top bolt of the mono on
my KX (jumping those boulders can have a negative affect) and thought I was goign to DNF. When the
Mono let go it crushed my pipe almost to the point of complete closure. I "crawled" my way back to the
traihead" for the finish of another GREAT ride..
When we got back we exchanged phone numbers, had a little "celebration" and said our "good byes" at the
end of the day - and WHAT A DAY IT HAD BEEN!!!
I am including a picture of the "Rendevous" group with this report! Their names are: Bottom Row - Left
to Right: Mike "the airmen", Ted "Young Ted", Tim "Mr. Cleaver", Mike "Yet To Be Named". Top Row
Left to Right: Bobby "Hop Sing" and Gene (proudly holding his plaque) "the BIONIC MAN". Not
pictured is myself, Scott - who they named "Dr. Phil"...
Sieze the day!!!
Woodsy
Mark at Whiskey Creek. Had a GREAT visit and got to meet another GREAT DRNer and fam!! WAY
COOL..
The following day , my "regular scheduled" Monday ride with 2 of my local riding buddies found us up and
going at 8 am. COLD was the word for the morning as we departed onto the MCCCT from White Cloud
heading North! WET was also an issue as it had been raining ALOT on Sunday and during the night so all
those GREAT tunnels of trail thru the trees were dripping as we cascaded through the woods. Randy on his
XR200, Rich on his XR400 and yours truly on my "street biked KX".
We took the usual approach on the day of "no hurry, just keep a good pace and see how far we get". There
is a section of the MCCCT here on the west side that has become one of the funnest rides to me - it is the
section just south of the road that leads into Woodland Park (I believe it is 10 mile road). This section
"starts" to give a rider who has ridden the MCCCT up by Boon some great memories of that fabulous
section only a few hours North!! It is VERY twisty and WOODSY (pun intended) - just the way I like it!! I
had been looking forward to this since we had decided to make the run last Thursday!!
I was not disappointed at all, the NO dust situation and the "extra" mud that the rain afforded us did nothing
but add to the enjoyment!!
We wondered our way toward Baldwin on the "O" and found ourselfs pulling into town about 1:30 in the
afternoon. We stopped at Pompies Pizza for our usual "lunch break" and decided to forgo a big lunch for
more trail miles (kind of a bummer too - if you have never had a "strombolie" from this place you dont
know what you are missing - Pineapple and Anchovies are my favorite toppings!!). We decided to head to
the 32nd Street trailhead just north of town and grab the east side of the Big O and see how far we could get
with the couple of ride hours we had left (I was riding with a guy who had to get home for BOWLING at 5
pm - COME ON RICH _ GET YOUR PRIORITYS STRAIGHT!!).
We pulled into the Trail head and this is where things REALLY got interesting. Randy ripped thru the lot
and headed into the woods. I pulled into the lot and noticed this blue van with a New KTM 4 stroke
parked behind it and thought - "I wonder if this guy needs someone to ride with".. As I went around the
front of the Van I looked at the owner/operater and said to myself "I know this guy". Guess what, it was
none other then "Young Ted del Solar" in person!!
I turned in and pulled up to him. I said "I dont believe this"!! He stared thru my goggles and all of a
sudden got this wild look on his face - "Scott" he says... Of course we had no small reunion right then and
there!!
Some of you may recall one of my last Trail Reports about the coincedence by which I had met "Young
Ted" on his Labor Day little trail excursion (this 75 year young man was riding the entire MCCCT BY
HIMSELF and chance would haveit that we met on his way down the West side). Now here we were again,
it seems that destiny had it that he and I were traveling the same paths these days!!
Anyway, I asked INCA aka "Young Ted" (he tells me that INCA could stand for "I Am Not Counting
Anymore") where he was headed and whether or not he wanted company. Ted was kind enough to forgo
his plans to ride with us (A REAL TREAT) and we worked out a ride that suited all of us. We headed
south on the bottom of the "O" and rode down to the intersection where the MCCCT headed back down to
the rig (BOWLING - sheesh...). We had a GREAT ride with this ICON, he is doing FABULOUS adjusting
to his new steed (KTM250 fourstroker). The trail was PERFECT - NO dust - VERY LITTLE WHOOOPS
- cool weather and GREAT companions!!
We stopped at the "intersection" to say our good byes. I, of course, asked INCA what his plans were and he
started telling me about his ride plans for the week (this guy is NO quitter folks!!!). He was planning to ride
Tin Cup in the morning and then meeting up with a group from "Chicago" for "HOP SINGS Rendevous"
(an annual ride he and this group do).
As I listened to INCA tell me about this I simply COULD NOT help myself.. I (sorry Ted, but I HAD to do
it) asked if they (the group) could "handle" an extra rider... Ted assured me that I was welcome, told me he
was heading out at 6:30 am to ride Tin Cup and then going North to Evart. I told him I would do
EVERYTHING in my power to hook up with him but if I wasnt there (at his motel) by 6:30 to leave
without me!!
We departed company with Ted and headed back to the van. We FLEW the MCCCT down to Nichols
Lake and finished or ride on Gravel back to the Van. Loaded up and got back to my house at 5:10 -
PERFECT RIDE!!!!
Well, that was Monday. For those of you who dont know, I am self employed which simpy means I work 24
hours a day and 32 hours a day if the business calls for it!! As soon as I pulled in my wife said the phone
had been "ringing off the wall" so my plans of prepping for the "Rendevous" were going right out the
window!!
2:30 in the morning found me prepping my bike! Randy and Rich both siad they couldnt make it but I was
GOING!!!! I didnt make it for the "early" ride with Ted at Tin Cup :( :( , but I headed for Evart at 9 am on
Tuesday just knowing that I was in for a REAL SPECIAL TREAT - I WAS CORRECT!!!
I pulled into the South traihead and there was a WHOLE bunch of "Pumpkins", a "horse of a different
color - Husky" and another "green wonder machine" (I was glad to see that I wasnt alone).
Ted got a GREAT big smile on his face and proceeded to intro me to his friends. WHAT A FANTASTIC
GROUP OF RIDERS!! I honestly felt like I had known these guys all my life!! There was Tim the Husky
rider, Mike the KDX rider, Bobby, Gene, Mike and Ted the KTM riders and myself - ALL READY FOR A
GREAT DAY IN THE WOODS!
After "intro", Ted called a riders meeting and produced a "plaque" he had made for Gene. The plaque read
"shut up and ride" and had a couple of small springs mounted to it. Apparently, Gene must have had some
suspention problems in the past that the "guys" had teased him about or something and this is what came of
it.. I could tell right away that I was with "my kind of people - BIG KIDS!!!
I had NEVER ridden the Evart Loop before so I was in for a double specail treat! The trail was VERY
muddy, VERY rocky, VERY root covered, VERY tight, VERY hilly, VERY slippery, VERY challenging
and just plain out and out FUN!!!! We spent the better part of the day just playig like a bunch of kids - I
FINALLY got my answer of why they call INCA "YOUNG" Ted!! If any of you could have seen him and
Bobby horseing around and tumbling off into the weeds you would get it too!
What a GREAT time!!
About 1 hour into the ride the sky opened up with a cross between snow and hail - we'll call it Gods version
of an AWESOME snowball fight of which HE is going to win! The ground looked like within a couple
minutes it could have been covered and then it stopped - the sun came out and it was beautiful out again!!
Really NEAT weather for riding!
We covered some FABULOUS downhills that came out beside some really cool little inland lakes (didnt
think I noticed those did you "Mr. Cleaver"?? Of course you wouldnt want to take your eye off the trail to
long cause this trail is pretty dog gone tight and ROCKY and ROOTY (oh, I already said all that).. We
found the area that the CCC mapbook calls the "Sugar Bowl" and had a blast playing around there. I got to
see first hand how movies are made because Gene ("the Bionic Man") kept "reinacting" his version of
"wiping out on a KTM MXC200" for Tims camera :) :) .
Within the last 2 miles of trail (that was a LONG 2 miles Ted!!) I sheared off the top bolt of the mono on
my KX (jumping those boulders can have a negative affect) and thought I was goign to DNF. When the
Mono let go it crushed my pipe almost to the point of complete closure. I "crawled" my way back to the
traihead" for the finish of another GREAT ride..
When we got back we exchanged phone numbers, had a little "celebration" and said our "good byes" at the
end of the day - and WHAT A DAY IT HAD BEEN!!!
I am including a picture of the "Rendevous" group with this report! Their names are: Bottom Row - Left
to Right: Mike "the airmen", Ted "Young Ted", Tim "Mr. Cleaver", Mike "Yet To Be Named". Top Row
Left to Right: Bobby "Hop Sing" and Gene (proudly holding his plaque) "the BIONIC MAN". Not
pictured is myself, Scott - who they named "Dr. Phil"...
Sieze the day!!!
Woodsy
