Lost Lick Loop

Awhile back I was talking to a Wednesday night virgin and I encouraged him to get experienced.  His main concern was that the rides sounded too social, and that would impair his need to ride fast.  Eventually he tried a ride, and the group rabbits quickly disabused him of the notion that our post ride beer somehow impairs our riding ability.

This got me thinking about our motto, "A beer drinking club with a biking problem," and how this is more apt than we are willing to admit.   After a previous post that mentioned my current relationship woes, I received a few comments that confirmed that I wasn't the only one who finds these rides to be an antidote for the Facebook and Twitter masquerade.  In the words of one rider whose presence is sure to be missed and who I hope doesn't mind me sharing his thoughts, since they mirror mine, "That collection of my favorite assholes has seen me through hating my job, not sure what direction my life should go and the bumps that appear traveling down the road of marriage."

After last week's arctic expedition, ideal riding weather returned. Overcast and just warm enough to let our shirts soak up some salty pack juice, but not enough to induce eye burning headband leak.   Along the way a startled white tail almost took out Brett. If only Brett had been faster, the deer slower, and I had my helmet cam on.  After climbing over the hill from Lost Horse and a few more warwicks up the road we regrouped at Como Overlook.  Too bad that when looking over you can't see the lake.  For some of us, we have always felt that this ride was lacking something.  While it has a long climb road slog, it was missing that essential Bitterroot: the hike a bike. Having poured over old maps and Google Earth someone noticed signs of a old road climbing the ridge above the overlook.

While most of us get as excited at the prospect of finding some new trail as we do after a google search for "naked MILF recumbent ride," a small minority looked at us pushing our bikes up the hillside, tucked their tails and with shouts of "Fuck That Shit!" echoing through the forest they disappeared into the trees in pursuit of beers and kebobs. Kebobs made by someone's woman folk who so appreciates the power of the ride that she is willing to bribe us to let her husband join in.

The rest of us pushed and rode our bikes, except for Rob in a Dylan worthy display of climbing prowess pedaled it in it's entirety, another half mile up the old reclaimed road hoping without reason that the Subaru babes that had sped past us earlier had decided to hang out on ridge high above Como.  Needless to say, no willing wanton women were found, although we did find a real overlook of the lake.

Luckily we dissuaded Dean, who was still dreaming of the the grassy knoll free ride on Butterfly two weeks ago, from attempting a repeat straight-line down to the north shore.  We, and especially Dean, were even more lucky that water in canal discouraged Dean from any more ill advised line choices.

Even with several gap jumps attempts, all of the favorite assholes returned in one piece.  The only biomechanical issue was an episode of cramping cured with a few sport beans.

Next week: Warm Springs Ridge hopefully freshly cleared.

Yellowstone Camp

Guest post from Deano.

The weather forecast for Yellowstone Camp wasn’t as nice as last week: Highs around 50, Lows near freezing, large chance of precip – unclear whether solid or liquid.  The forecast was right on.  Probably as a result of that, we had just over 50% of the headcount of last week.  10 riders for about 19 miles.  Every warm layer we had (including body armor) was in place for the descent.

Several of us spotted 2 bighorn sheep just ¼ mile from the parking spot at the start.  One of our group seemed seriously concerned that they were experiencing signs of pertussis (perhaps they had been hanging out in the Pinesdale or Corvallis schools) and that he should “do the right thing”, FWP-style and shoot them.  An hour or so later I should have been more concerned about his enthusiasm, as, after chasing the 2 leaders up the 11 mile/2,700 ft (3 Warwick) climb, I was exhibiting some of those symptoms myself.  

We never quite made YC.  By the time we all reached the top, we realized that we were flirting with daylight issues and had only 3 headlights between us, so we took the first left.  We had also passed through sunlight, drizzle, snow and back into sunlight.  There was a bank or two of old snow in the shadows near 7,000 ft, a few patches of fresh remaining from the night before, but the snow that was falling wasn’t accumulating and the trail was clear.  The descent was challenging, but sweet.  Enough rocks of sufficient size that you had to pay attention.  While the air was cool, the ground conditions were perfect: no mud, but moist enough to stick to your wheels and not to your lungs.  Eight of us descended Rocky Gulch, one back-tracked the road, and one came down Sawdust.  By now, everyone is accounted for.  No mechanicals, no injuries.  The 2 sheep managed to NOT be guests-of-honor at the post-ride barbeque on Aaron’s tailgate. 

Discussion of Lost Horse to Como Overlook/Jenny Ridge next week, with some possible investigation of a purported trail system ABOVE the Overlook.

Calf Creek 2012

Before I get too far into the antics of this Wednesday's wild forest rumpus, I want to take a short detour to a solo ride where I had an uncomfortable revelation about my subconscious and a wonderful insight into the healing power of single track.

Last week I heading out in search of some after work trail, wishing I was heading out for some after work tail.  Every so often the lack of a feminine presence in my life explodes from a small annoyance into a cavernous maw of frustration. It may have had something to do with asking someone out, and getting a yes, although a fairly ambivalent yes. Something along the lines of:  "I guess so,  my favorite contestants on Dancing With The Stars and American Idol got kicked off and having a beer with you is marginally better than trying to improve my scores in Angry Birds." It was the kind of response that leaves you sensing that the evening will be one of awkwardly feeling each other out, rather than passionately feeling each other up.

Having tip toed back into the pathetic totally happening middle aged Bitterroot Valley dating scene I have discovered, much to my consternation, that my deep and abiding knowledge of Westeros is no more the aphrodisiac than my deep and abiding knowledge of Middle Earth was in college.

So while driving to the trailhead I was reminiscing on past relationships, and more signifanctly the gaps between relationships, and contemplating whether my passion for mountain biking was some sort of unhinged transference, to compensate for the deficiencies in my social life.

After parking at Como for a quick jaunt on Shannon Ridge, once I hit the trail, the MMA cage match between Jung and Freud came to an abrupt end when buddha came into the ring and used them as a recliner while he meditated on nothingness and nirvana.  I forgot about everything else, and followed the thin ribbon of dirt. I may not returned enlightened, but I definitely returned better appreciating the value of dirt ribbons.

Whatever everyone else motivations, I'm not a shrink and do got around psychoanalyzing, there were 16 of us packing the parking lot of calf creek with some of us having the chutzpa to park on the horsey trailer side, which seemed to really chap the hide of one horse lady, with a saddle horn wedged up her nether regions and who had mistakenly put the blinders on her own head which prevented her from seeing all the cars already filling the opposite side of the parking lot, and assumed we wanted to park in the horse shit just to piss her off.

Whatever the origin of anti bike bias, I'm glad out negative interactive with her is the exception. Instead I want to thank the horse people have been out in force this year, cutting a new section of trail along the south boundary and clearing a section of trail beyond the meadow that has been out of commission from downfall for at least three years.

With Aaron missing it was up to Dean to do last minute bike maintenance,  replacing the temporary road tube from last week with a real 29er tube.  A black chevy pickup with a yellow bike in the bed pulled into the lot as we climbed up the hill from the parking lot. If you hoping to ride with us, sorry we missed you.  We went left at the first intersection, and then left again at the meadow, and right just past the creek crossing.  Hope you had fun wherever you rode.

Dean claimed he saw a bear near the top of Butterfly Rd, and Bo who was riding far ahead of the rest of us with Dean claimed he also saw a bear. The way the two of them looked at each other I wondered whether they had truly seen a specimen Ursus Americanus or whether while looking for where the wild  things are, they discovered they were the wild things. A subsequent discovery answered the question.

The downhill was as fast and fun as usual, more so for those in front.  Farther back in the pack, the setting sun refracting though the cloud of dust managed to obscure the trail.  The choose your own adventure on the grassy knoll was not universally appreciated, even if everyone agreed that trying it with rim brakes shows either a serious lack of judgement or a degree of skill rarely seen outside of the Red Bull Rampage.  Must be why everyone was back to disc brakes this year.

After missing most of last year I would like to welcome Kevin back.  Please inform your lovely wife that she doesn't need to bribe us with fresh chocolate chip cookies, homemade buns, and grass fed burgers to let you ride with us.  We already like you, and you didn't hold us back. Despite having a larger group, we rode the loop 19 minutes faster than last year.

Plan on putting some air in your tires for the climb up Two Bears toYellowstone Camp next week, and remember if you go for a ride looking for wild things, don't wear your wolf suit.

Buttercup 2012

There a times that I appreciate the presence of a vibrant and active mountain biking community in the valley. Not that yesterday was the ideal example, bundled up in hats and puffies on the side of the road with lum, but in a complete reversal of the last few rides,  no grill.  I assumed we would go back to the barn for the as we traditionally do after riding Buttercup, since the turnout next to Little Sleeping Child Road lacks a decent place to relax post ride.  Whether it was because it was already 9:00 and cold, or because we have turned into a bunch of road weenies, no one was motivated to relocate. Luckily we at least had beer and chips, otherwise we had totally lost our credibility as a beer drinking club with a biking problem.

Before I moved here, I was living in southern Colorado in a small town about twice the size of Hamilton. There only bike shop in town only sold cruisers, and after 10 years I managed to find one other guy who mountain bike, but at heart he preferred shaved legs and skinny tires.  Plus, there were at most three or four trails worth riding. So living here I'm constantly amazed that you can 8 people to get together on a Wednesday night regardless of the weather for ride.  I'm even more amazed that some people will even go out on the preceding days to make sure the trails are clear.

Many thanks to the Bitterroot Backcountry Tree Service for clearing Buttercup from the bottom up. Somehow they missed the memo that the early spring heat in late April had melted the snow and the trail was accessible from above.  More thanks to Warwick, who anxious to try out the fancy saw he won at the Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclist's movie night, made the first foray up into the Sleeping Child hills to discover the premature melting of the snowpack, and along the way cleared most of the downed trees.

Despite the fact the I was much closer to Moab when I lived in Colorado, my visits to the canyon country were usually solitary affairs, that ceased entirely with an ill fated decision to get married. So I was stoked that I was finally able to arrange my schedule to head south for a few days, just like it seems everybody else in the valley was doing. In my case to it a few of the Moab classics like the Porcupine Rim and Sovereign before heading over for a ride on the White Rim.  I thought about writing a post about the trip, but there were no fire jumps or drunken wrestling matches to report. In general the riding on the White Rim reminded me of riding in southern Colorado: hot, dry, with a bunch a plants with pointy pieces. Although the views in Moab were significantly better.

As glad as I was in Moab that I was using the Lyrik DH fork, sometimes you see something that helps you realize that we are too obsessed with fork travel, wheel size, gears and discover that the Chicken Crit had it right.

And sometimes you get a second reminder.

As I have mentioned in the past, past Buttercup is one of my favorite nearby trails.  Even being one of favorites, I always wished it could have more downhill, more single track with several more steep climbs that leave you wondering whether you had your pertussis vaccination, and less time on fire roads.  Wishes do come true. We discovered that taking the dirt bike track at the main fork in the road rewards you with all of these things.

 As much as we bitch about the road portion up Sleeping Child, with a consistent amnesia regarding it's length ( the origin of the famed, just a couple of Warwicks), it has one advantage. It gives you time to talk. Something that is challenging on single track.  I'm not sure if it was this ride, or on the tree clearing ride, but somehow the subject of crotch comfort came up, and someone mentioned that his all time favorite saddle had been previously contoured by Heinzen's hind end, and that a new replacement saddle, identical to the original, except for a lack of previous exposure to flatulence didn't fit the same.  Personally I'd rather have my saddle broken in this way.

Our rides on Buttercup are a harbinger that the days are getting longer along with the rides. Hope everyone has been riding. Get ready for the big days.

Coyote Coulee

After last week Soft Rock wilderness adventure warmup, our return to Coyote Coulee felt like the return to the familiar embrace of a well worn pair of lycra tights on top of a broken in Brooks saddle.  Riding Coyote Coulee is usually the official start of the season.  We may get a few rides in before that, but they are more like the preseason, loosening up the joints, get the blood moving and trying to remember when the last time the chain was lubed or the tires were inflated.  I have been informed that I'm expected to once again use our bike rides as a tool to ponder the existential dilemmas of life, or failing that at least try for a modicum of humor, or if still failing post some photos of hot riders.

With everyone back from their Utah adventures, nearly the whole crew eventually arrived.  Every stop some else appeared at the end of the line, out of breath after trying to catch up from their late start. While for the most we fell back into a smooth big ring pedal stroke, there we still some early season stiff links in the chain to unkink.  New bikes for some, some of use older and slower, some of us older and stronger, some of us fat from a winter or two off the bike, some of us tanned from a month in the Grand Canyon, some of us new, and some of us hungover, we needed to sort ourselves out and jockey for spots in the lineup.

Quite a few new bikes made their debut yesterday, actually the same bike under four different riders.  A slew of shiny dent free grey Turner 5-spots were present making the 5-spot the preferred Wednesday night bike, taking over spot from Ventana.  

And now a few moments to mourn the passing of the Turner DW-link RFX.  Apparently the dream bike for the Bitterroot will never be built.  Instead Dave Turner says be like Chad, Rob, Eric and Joel, and get a 5-spot:

"After multiple iterations and tens of thousands of dollars, the bike rode like a champ, but it was aborted. By the time we got the prices quoted a year ago it became a big financial No F’ing Way. So we spent a great deal of time getting it to the point where it was reasonable. We were pursuing it even after this year’s trade show, through this fall. We went back and got the price more reasonable…but at the end of the day, it’s an expensive bike for thrashers. We’re talking a $2,500 to $2,700 frame price, for a bike someone’s going to throw in the back of a shuttle truck and thrash on? That’s just not going to happen, they’re going to buy a Kona. We are a niche company and a niche market for sure, but we still have manufacturing hurdles.

But this is the truth: the latest-generation 5.Spot, with a 67.7 degree headtube angle and a BB that sits just under 13.5 [unweighted] is superior to any of the RFXs ever built. Most of the guys who wanted an RFX can ride a 5.Spot with a 36 or a Lyric and they won’t be missing anything. I get emails all the time from people who have “over-forked,” saying they had no idea [the 5.Spot] was so capable. We’ve fully condoned it."

Yesterday's glorious warmth was a stark contrast from last year's Coulee Ride and had everyone in the mood to ride and ride hard.  It was warm enough for me to forget last years soggy socks and frozen toes and ride the stream crossings rather than wuss out for the bridges. What a difference a year and one week makes.

"I can only surmise that the only reason we were out yesterday is because we are as crazy as a ball of rattlesnakes coming out of hibernation motherfuckers.  I would also say we are as tough as nails, but one of was reduced to a whimpering schoolgirl as his feet unfroze under the heater of Joe's ForeRunner, several including a whiskey and firewood deficient kiwi skeedaddled before we grilled.  Yet, at least seven of us hung around to drink beer and grill our processed meats.  Jeff's antelope was supremely tasty."

Looking past into some old logs, I found this email from April 10, 2009.  

"Rode Coyote Coulee yesterday. The west limb of the first loop (Hayes Creek) still had a lot of fairly deep snow. The eastern limb and the far loop (Brown Jug?) are nearly snow free except for 2 or 3 small patches and is very rideable."

One unfortunate consequence of nice weather, other that the emergence of ticks,  the need to carry more water, and sweat getting into my eyes, is the challenge of working in themes and phrases related to manliness like Vienna Choir Boys, castrati, penis length and width, vagina growing, and scrotal fortitude.  Instead I'll have to throw in a discovery about female orgasms and exercise.  Apparently bike riding can result in an uncontrollable orgasm in some women.  Gives a whole new meaning to the term bike porn.

Once we finished the Brown Jug loop there was a clamoring to add more mileage, and most of us opted to turn around and go look for the mystery third Moonshine loop.

It was around this time that the renowned wheel builder and proprietor of Red Barn Bicycles,  got separated from the group and ended up all by his lonesome lost in the hinterlands of the Brown Jug.  All this time, and I never knew that his last name had a silent "S" at the end.  Luckily he wandered in with the last of the group just as grills we being fired up. That's right, grills. We had three of the buggers lit up and stuffed with lum.

Sometimes I wonder whether the riding, the beer, or the grilling is the main reason for our Wednesday night gatherings.

Soft Rock

While we have been hunkering down, waiting for warm weather and trying to avoid soiling our new christmas chamois, the tea baggers have been out on the Rattlesnake. Even the lab rats have been shrugging off the rain and snow showers determined to ride Larry Creek.

Finally a few us managed to get off our winter fattened asses, fantasizing ourselves as latter day Lewis and Clarks heading out to explore the wilderness of Soft Rock. Soft Rock, a wilderness, you scoff.  The perennial Corvallis party spot, home of the local folfing, not foffing, course.  A site of numerous paint ball fights. A place where junked cars can still be found hidden in some gullies.

 Regardless, it was an adventure for us.  The trails, where they exists, consist of game trails and short sections of residual ATV trails. Across the valley, views of the Bitterroot remind you why they were described by  Sgt. Patrick Gass from the original Corps of Discovery as, “The most terrible mountains I ever beheld!”

Our seven modern Corps of Discovery members differed a bit from the original.  We lacked an indian maiden, or a maiden of any sort. We had bikes rather than canoes and horses. Despite the wild guesses of our local weather forecasters, our weather was quite different from what Clark described on their westward crossing of Lolo Pass, "I have been wet and as cold in every part as I ever was in my life, Indeed I was at one time fearfull my feet would freeze in the thin mockersons which I wore." Usually our first ride has tremendous turnout, but not this year. I imagine quite few of our regulars were fearful their feet would freeze in their thin Sidis, or maybe they were out buying themselves some cute bonnets for Easter.

Soft Rock is a couple of hundred acres of state land just east of Corvallis.  Just look for the "C" on the butte.  Just south of the "C" the land becomes wooded and there is a series of low ridges topped with rocky knobs and ridges. A great place for trials practice. The ridges are broken up by a series of steep gullies, many of which are rideable, depending on your degree of body armor and lack of good sense.  In one of the gullies someone had built a basic free ride descent with jumps, gaps, and the beginnings of some burmed turns.  Hidden in here a a variety of drops from a few inches to as high as you are stupid to ride.

Warwick, being the generous Kiwi he is, volunteered to anoint that rocks with a small bit of flesh, but no blood,  to begin the season.  In your honor I'm reposting the Gingerbread Man Haka.

Our Corps of Discovery searched the hollows and ridges of Soft Rock, searching for fast downhills, and lung busting climbs. Finding several of each.  None of the ups or downs are very long, a couple hundred feet.  Being on the east side, the area is one of the first to dry out, aided by the decomposed granite that makes up most of the dirt.  This area is potentially safe to ride most of the winter.  Have fun checking it out. 

Elsewhere in the Bitterroot, Coyote Coulee is essentially snow free, with 2 downed trees on the upper side of Hayes Loop. As of a week ago, Como had hard packed rideable snow between Rock Creek and Little Rock Creek. Around 10 trees are down on the south side. If anyone clears these trails, post an update on the Trail Reports page at Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists.  This helps us keep track of trail clearing and helps us show the Forest Service what we are doing.

Rumors are Coyote Coulee to give the ticks at Como an extra week to prepare for our arrival. When reading a little about Lewis and Clark's time in the Bitterroot I came across this log entry, I think from Clark. "9 miles over a high mountain steep & almost inaxcessible much falling timber which fatigues our men & horses exceedingly, in stepping over so great a number of logs added to the steep assents and [descents] of the mountains . . . rained and snowed & hailed the greater part of the day all wet and cold."  Some things don't change.

This map of Soft Rock is a general guide to help you find the general location.  Feel free to find your own way and explore.

View Soft Rock in a larger map

Midwinter Mountain Bike Report

Well the snowpocalypse is finally burying us in snow, so you might be wondering why I posting about biking rather than skiing.  Two reasons: first, tomorrow is powder Thursday and secondly I tend not to post about the backcountry skiing in the area. I'm willing to share great trails. Powder stashes stay secret.


The first bit of biking new is not of the happy sort.  Clearwater National Forest has released their Travel Plan for motorized recreation and somehow they decided to close trails to the clearly non-motorized, but rather human powered mountain bikes in recommended wilderness to maintain these areas wild character.


When you read the summary you might be surprised by this after all it says:


(1) complete a local analysis;
(2) designate roads, trails and areas where motorized travel will be permitted; and 
(3) display those designated routes on a motor vehicle use map. 


A little later the summary it says:

5. Protect wilderness character in recommended wildernesses.

6. Remove over-snow and bicycle restrictions that do not have a clearly identifiable purpose.

Somehow this has been interpreted to keep bikes out of recommended wilderness.  It would have been nice  if they had been honest and said so, rather than "Protect wilderness character in recommended wildernesses."  It would have helpful if they had discussed how bikes destroy wilderness but they didn't.  There are over a thousand pages of documentation, and somehow they neglected to document this, other than burying the trail closures in an appendix.


Interestingly in the final record of decision, this is the section on bicycles:



BICYCLES
The Existing Condition: Some trails and roads currently have bicycle restrictions, and the objectives for those restrictions are not clear. Some MAs in the Forest Plan include direction for the management of mechanized uses, and bicycles are a form of mechanized travel that has not been previously managed in these areas.
The Desired Condition: The desired condition is to meet Forest Plan goals and objectives without unnecessarily restricting bicycle recreational opportunities.
Need: There is a need to remove bicycle restrictions that do not serve a clearly identifiable purpose, and to manage mechanized travel as necessary to address Forest Plan goals for certain Management Areas.

Funny how there is not mention of closing any trails. Later on a passing mention of bikes. No mention of trails openings. Only closures

Bicycle Actions Common to All Action Alternatives

The following bicycle actions were described in the FEIS as common to all action alternatives, and are included in Alternative C Modified.

Appendix B lists all system trails where bicycle travel will be restricted.

Two new bicycle restrictions are common to all action alternatives. They are on Trails 790 and 790-A near the Lolo Pass visitor center. 

One bit on honesty

Eliminate motorized and bicycle travel in recommended wilderness except for summer motorized travel on Fish Lake Trail 419.


Wondering if there is a map of the closures.  Of course not. 




Enough on Clearwater.


In other news.  We have organized an official mountain bike club for the Bitterroot.


The Bitterroot Backcountry Cyclists

Go ahead and join, and help us protect the trails of the Bitterroot.

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