For me, this is truly a dirt biking adventure and learning experience … additionally, it is a fitting example for the signature line of our friend, Woodsy: “TO RIDE IS TO LIVE - TO RIDE WITH MY BROTHERS IS TO LIVE FULFILLED.”
I believe this story typifies everything that makes DRN MTR forum the center of our universe when it comes to making new friends, getting together and finally, sharing our experiences after a ride. Since I am a relatively new member, a relatively new rider [3rd season], and somewhat older than the norm [57], I thought you folks might best enjoy the story by beginning with an abridged version of it’s preliminary email communications and subsequently proceed to a post-ride ‘thank you’ note from me [Nestrick] to the other participants: Neal O’Brien [2big4akdx] and Mike Stephenson [KTM Mike]. These messages illustrate the comradery developing between the three of us before we had ever met in person, and how things actually worked out after meeting and riding together. Finally, I will provide a brief ride report for the trails we explored on Friday and Saturday, 04 & 05Jun04.
Friday’s Ride: Bull Gap trail north from the Pink Store to the connector trail leading to the Meadows, west on this connector to the ORV trail from the Meadows toward the Rose City trail, then south on the ORV trail to its intersection with forest road 4471, then back via the same route [36 miles round trip].
Saturday’s Ride: North on the MCCCT connector [Hunt Creek Trail to Atlanta Trail] from KTM Mike’s house to its intersection with the southern portion of the Atlanta B Loop, CW around the B Loop, then south on the MCCCT connector back to our starting point [44 miles round trip].
***********************************
Email communications [abridged & edited by Terry Nestrick]:
Sunday - 30May04 / 2big4akdx [Neal O’Brien]:
Terry, I've been reading your posts and trail reports and take it you have been doing some riding by yourself. Now I know this is short notice, but I am heading up towards Mio/Hunt Creek (or maybe Luzerne) and if you can call me within 20 or 30 minutes, I am thinking we could meet up somewhere. If not today, some other time for sure. Later.
Sunday - 30May04 / Nestrick:
Hey 2big4akdx ... I just got around to checking my email ... it's 1100 hrs so I assume you're already gone ... thanks a ton for the invite …
That said, both you and KTM Mike have asked me to ride sometime up in his neck of the woods ... it would be a blast for me if you guys can put up with an old guy who has to rest a bit more often, ain't very fast & is still on the steep part of the learning curve for riding skills ...
Sunday - 30May04 / 2big4akdx [Neal O’Brien]:
Terry … it's late and I am getting up early to do what else??? RIDE !! Thought I'd park just south of Luzerne and head down to the Rose City loop.
… don't worry about possibly "being a burden" … we don't look at things that way. All I would ask is don't try to ride over your head and get hurt. We take it easy most of the time. I always try to have fun and get back healthy … my two main goals. Once in a while we may get a "little" throttle happy, but we have never left anybody out in the woods. Heh Heh ... So let's get together sometime. I'm on 3rd shift now and have been trying to do some Friday afternoon/evening rides. I will keep in touch and let you know about this coming Friday if you think you might want to ride … unless you want to go tomorrow. Call me if so or leave an email. I will check before I go … later, Neal
Wednesday - 02Jun04 / KTM Mike [Mike Stephenson]:
Terry - KTM Mike here (Mike Stephenson): Neal O’Brien (2big4aKDX) called and asked me to join you two for a ride Friday night. Unfortunately I can not make it …
But … Neal and I plan to ride on Saturday, and you are welcome to join us. I think Neal is planning on setting up his tent here at my house as I won’t be home Friday night until pretty late - you are welcome to join him out on the lawn - be it in a tent -or camper - whatever. Nothin’ fancy here - but some friendly biker trash to hang out with!
No clue where Neal and I will ride yet. Here at my house you might enjoy some time on the grass track and or my woods loop as I have about a 4 mile course laid out on my property (1+ mile grass track … 3+ miles tight nasty woods - ask Neal...rather technical woods!). We can ride right from my house if we want (I live along the MCCCT and road shoulder riding is legal in this county! [Montmorency]), or we could trailer elsewhere. I have all day Saturday available to ride, and maybe Sunday.
Thursday - 03Jun04 / Nestrick:
Neal: I will have all my stuff packed, loaded and ready to go early Friday morning ... and will await your call ... if you have changed your mind about the Meadows, that's OK by me. Mike mentioned to me you guys hadn't decided on where you wanted to ride on Saturday ... I like a good mystery. He did say that I could spend some time on his grass track and his highly technical woods trail at his home while he was getting his ride ready ... sure, I'll go out and blow 30% of my total energy for the day fooling around on a closed track and somehow get injured ... what a story you guys could make of that ... I can see the write-up in DRN MTR now: Nestrick hospitalized while attempting to ride KTM Mike's back yard ... yea, that's a neat plan ... NOT!
Friday - 04Jun04 / KTM Mike [Mike Stephenson]:
Should I start the DRN thread now: Nestrick hospitalized while attempting to ride KTM Mike's back yard ? and then fill in the blanks as we go?
Neal and I will come up with some fun trail for you...say oh....90 miles worth or so?
Friday - 04JUN04 / 2big4akdx [Neal O’Brien]:
Hey Mike … I am going to hotel it with Terry, someone will have to pry him outta bed tomorrow, after the punishment that will be inflicted on him this afternoon. Heh Heh ...
Sunday - 06Jun04 / Nestrick:
Neal & Mike: I made it home safely and wanted to thank both of you [again] for an outstanding two days of riding ... I had fun, I learned some important riding tips, I didn't get killed/injured/maimed/fractured or lost, I only fell down a few times despite trying to ride considerably faster, farther and through more difficult hazards than my norm ... and to some minor extent, I found both of you to be rather interesting 'biker trash' ... despite your proclivities for dancing with a motorcycle at high speed in very tight woods ... and for finding the deepest water in the entire county to begin our ride. Kicking that turtle off the trail before I got a chance to 'smoke him' still annoys me though ... I know I could have passed him like he was standing still ... at that point in the ride, I was pumped and finding my groove ... thinking back on it now, I'm sure that incident broke my rhythm which is probably why I seemed so slow to you guys thereafter?
Kidding aside, thanks for slowing down a bit and making the effort to become acquainted with me. I greatly appreciated the product of your actions. Thanks for the advice on tires and the advice/use of a hydration system ... these items have risen to the top of my "biker priority list" and hopefully, I can get them both soon. Thank Sheila [Mike’s wife] for breakfast and dinner on Saturday ... a much unexpected treat.
Have a good one ... hope to see you guys again some time when you’re feelin’ tired & slow … terry
***********************************
Trail Reports:
Friday, 04Jun04: Bull Gap trail north from the Pink Store to the connector trail leading to the Meadows, west on this connector to the ORV trail from the Meadows toward the Rose City trail, then south on the ORV trail to its intersection with forest road 4471, then back via the same route [36 miles round trip].
Neal called around 1300 hrs and we both left the Midland/Saginaw area immediately for the Bull Gap trailhead parking facility located east of M-33 on the southwest corner of the Bull Gap Trail system just north of the Pink Store. I pulled into the lot around 1500 hrs and finally met 2big4akdx in person … my first impression, based on his physical size, was that he appeared to be a retired, professional football player [Fullback] more so than a dirt biker. He had mentioned having a big, orange motorcycle in the back of his pickup truck … after seeing him, I forgot all about KTMs … I was wondering if Kubota made a diesel powered, tracked motorcycle? Well … his moniker, 2big4akdx, certainly made sense. After a serious look or two at my equipment and motorcycle, and a few introductory questions, Neal seemed relatively at ease with me and my stuff … so we mounted up and were off under a clear, bright blue sky … there was a hint of a breeze and the temperature hovered near the 75 degree mark … near perfection!
The first six miles or so involved traveling north on the Bull Gap A Loop … this section of the trail was in rather poor condition due to all of the rain lately … while a majority of the sandy sections were dry and dusty, most of the clay areas retained mud puddles that were not significant obstacles but were slippery nonetheless. ATV travel while the trail was extremely wet had left deeply grooved areas which were now beginning to dry and set up. There is one, very steep, hill section that has suffered considerable erosion so as to produce a large singe rut down the center of the trail which is punctuated with a couple of 12 inch steps on the steeper portions of the incline. Going out we rode down this obstacle with no problems … on our return Neal rode up with no problem, but I managed to get hung up on the upper step and stalled my bike. After a bit of pushing to realign my front tire and clear the step with my rear, Neal yelled: “Just climb on, start it up and ride out!” Sounded like a plan … amazing, it worked perfectly and we were on our way. The rest of the Bull Gap trail up to the connector to the Meadows was basically chewed up by significant ATV travel based upon assessment of the grooved tracks. It is important to note that this portion of the A Loop is mostly a forested area with a clay base … it can be muddy and slippery following rainfall, and that’s how we found it.
Once heading west on the connector between Bull Gap and the Meadows, the trail became much nicer. Being more of a sand and gravel base, the wide trail was relatively dry and dusty … Neal & I were able to ride at a quicker pace without traction concerns essentially up to the cutoff for the Rose City loop. The trail marker at this junction was a bit confusing however we had no problems deciding where to go based on the general direction each trail headed. Note that I said both of us were riding at a quicker pace … Neal was basically on ‘residential speed’ cruise control while I was ‘pushing’ to keep him in sight. We continued to ride the dry and dusty trail down to its intersection with forest road 4471 which is about 3.5 miles from its ultimate connection with the Rose City Loop. At this point we had ridden approximately 18 miles, the sun was beginning to set, so we opted to return to our starting point. The ride back was largely uneventful excepting a ‘run in’ I had with an embankment in a deep, soft sand, twisty uphill section and the aforementioned stall on the grooved hill. The sun set as we rode into the parking lot … the ride totaled 36 miles and required 2.6 hrs motor operation time on my CRF-450. Wearing big smiles on dusty faces, we quickly loaded up the bikes and headed for KTM Mike’s place near Atlanta … a drive north of about 40 minutes.
Saturday: North on the MCCCT connector [Hunt Creek Trail to Atlanta Trail] from KTM Mike’s house to its intersection with the southern portion of the Atlanta B Loop, CW around the B Loop, then south on the MCCCT connector back to our starting point [44 miles round trip].
About 0730 hrs, the phone in our motel room rang … it was Mike calling to let us know that his wife had made her special egg casserole for us and it would be ready at 0830 hrs … don’t be late. Looking out the window, the sky was cloudless and a deep, azure blue. The temperature was already near 60 degrees and there wasn’t much breeze … it didn’t take us long to pack our stuff and drive over to Mike’s place … as you might surmise, Neal is a healthy eater, especially when it comes to Sheila’s egg casserole. Picture this, our arrival at Mike’s home: an idyllic, country setting about a mile off the nearest paved road … entering, you pass by a large, freshly mowed field of grass surrounded by densely wooded, hilly terrain that is penetrated by a small stream … near the junction of the grassy field and the wooded hills sets a beautiful, log-style home separated from a large, two car garage of the pole barn type. Careful examination of the grassy field indicates the presence of a tightly mowed track of intricate design laid out so as to challenge even the best of riders under flat-track conditions … there are two small jumps included in the layout. A complete run through the grass track is 1 mile … it then connects to approximately 3 miles of tight, wooded trail … most of this wooded section is very tight, very technical and near virgin in character. It has some spots that my 32” bars would not fit without a good whack on one side or the other … in one case this situation occurs on a rather steep incline to boot! Most of the trail is clearly marked with orange arrows … but being the newbie, I did manage to get lost! It is important to understand that I was under considerable ‘pressure’ riding this course … I was determined to not get injured in Mike’s back yard!
After several cycles around portions of the course, both Mike and Neal now fully realized what they had gotten themselves into regarding a ride with me. Regardless, they maintained a good attitude … however, they each wanted to ride my CRF-450 around the course once before we left for the trails … I took it as a sign that there was some minor interest in my ride … more likely though, there was a distinct possibility it might not make it back from the trails today? Regardless of my insecurities … I had the treat of watching a couple of pros ride my bike as it was meant to be ridden … hard and fast. Later, we rode out to a hunting facility the likes of which I had never seen before. It was a two story, condo-style hunting blind where each unit was equipped with such amenities as a swivel-recliner chair and scent-free plumbing for that tank draining episode that always occurs when prey is in sight. I am not a hunter, and therefore had always believed the apparent misconception that ‘hunters’ were folks who stalked the woods, laid in the mud and dirt for hours, and ultimately endured great physical pain to bag their quarry … Mike has a better idea, and it’s just a short walk or ride from his back door! Had I stumbled upon this setup by myself, I would have thought it was designed for hunting giraffe … why else would one need to be at such elevation?
Following considerable negotiation between Mike and Neal, a route was defined to me in rather nebulous terms … we were going to ride the MCCCT connector [practically at the end of Mike’s driveway] north to its intersection with the western leg of the Atlanta Trail B Loop near Jackson Lake, then ride the ORV trail north to its intersection with the base of the A Loop, take that intra-trail connector east to the eastern leg of the B Loop, then ride the ORV trail south to our initial entry point and finally, assuming I was still present [alive] … ride the MCCCT back to Mike’s place. After topping off our tanks we began what would become one of the best rides of my life. The first 4 or 5 miles were road shoulder riding before we hit trails … however … just before reaching the trails, we encountered what Neal & Mike described as a ‘puddle’ … I thought we were going to ride near Lake Jackson, not through it! One at a time, Mike & Neal blasted through the water… it was relatively hard bottomed, 50 to 60 feet across, perhaps 18 to 20 inches in depth … then, both of them turned, bearing huge smiles and waited for me. I am sure you folks ride through such stuff regularly, but not me … this fording was a big, no humongous, deal … after erasing my initial mental picture [you know, the one where I flounder in the middle, stall the motor, fall over and become trapped under the motorcycle necessitating removal from the puddle feet first followed mouth to mouth resuscitation …] I concentrated on the far bank and let’er rip … it was absolutely amazing … I blasted through, got soaked and popped out on the other side to the cheers of Neal & Mike who had been playing what appeared to be “Rock, Paper, Scissors” … where the loser had to attempt my retrieval? From here, off we rode on mostly sandy trails which wound into and out of densely wooded areas … sometimes conifer and other times hardwood stands. The trails on this portion of the ride [CW going north on the western leg of the B Loop] are ATV accessible but quite tight in some places, wide open in others. Mike and Neal often blasted ahead at what I considered ‘break neck’ speed … this left me out of their dust cloud with an open trail ahead to attack at my skill limits … awesome conditions, great fun, interesting scenery. At intersections and hazards, Mike and/or Neal would be waiting to guide me and make sure I was OK. There were several, deep, muddy sections along this portion of the ride … each time, they would point out a line, give me some instructions and encourage me to give it a try. This type of help is incredibly important to a newbie like me … I mostly had avoided such hazards in the past when riding alone, but with these guys, I usually got to watch them ride the hazard, I received instructions on how to handle the bike under the specific conditions and most importantly, I got to ride through each hazard knowing that they would have been there to laugh at me if I put the bike down … then, potentially, they would ride off and leave me stranded … ??? … I’m kidding, they were very serious about ensuring my safety, while giving me every opportunity to expand my skills and try out new techniques. Along with the muddy spots, there were occasional hill climbs and descents … nothing major, but usually root-infested and/or rocky and steep enough to keep your attention.
Having reached the top of a large sandy hill, we stopped for a good rest. I enjoyed the bench racing and they made the time pass quickly by telling stories and tales of rides past. While there, a group of four bikers blasted through traveling in the opposite direction from us … they were screaming! Continuing on in the CW direction, we encountered more hilly, sandy and sometimes, rocky trail. Having ridden to the eastern leg of the B Loop we entered a region where the trails were sandier in composition, and often, whooped out. Our progress was basically limited by my feeble riding pace … but I kept plugging away, riding farther between breaks and pushing myself to ride as close to my limits as reasonable. It was definitely more fun to ride with other folks … eventually, we returned to the ‘Great Puddle’ … this time it didn’t seem so big … we all rode through like we had done it about a million times! From there it was several miles of road shoulder riding and we were back in the comfortable setting of Mike’s property.
This route yielded a ride of 44 miles and required 3.8 hrs of motor operation time on my CRF-450. We spent the entire afternoon out riding and having fun … it is a day that I will likely never forget. If you are looking for an area that will give you plenty of miles, neat trails and varying conditions … consider the Atlanta Trail. We certainly had a blast!
Terry, Neal & Mike:cool:
I believe this story typifies everything that makes DRN MTR forum the center of our universe when it comes to making new friends, getting together and finally, sharing our experiences after a ride. Since I am a relatively new member, a relatively new rider [3rd season], and somewhat older than the norm [57], I thought you folks might best enjoy the story by beginning with an abridged version of it’s preliminary email communications and subsequently proceed to a post-ride ‘thank you’ note from me [Nestrick] to the other participants: Neal O’Brien [2big4akdx] and Mike Stephenson [KTM Mike]. These messages illustrate the comradery developing between the three of us before we had ever met in person, and how things actually worked out after meeting and riding together. Finally, I will provide a brief ride report for the trails we explored on Friday and Saturday, 04 & 05Jun04.
Friday’s Ride: Bull Gap trail north from the Pink Store to the connector trail leading to the Meadows, west on this connector to the ORV trail from the Meadows toward the Rose City trail, then south on the ORV trail to its intersection with forest road 4471, then back via the same route [36 miles round trip].
Saturday’s Ride: North on the MCCCT connector [Hunt Creek Trail to Atlanta Trail] from KTM Mike’s house to its intersection with the southern portion of the Atlanta B Loop, CW around the B Loop, then south on the MCCCT connector back to our starting point [44 miles round trip].
***********************************
Email communications [abridged & edited by Terry Nestrick]:
Sunday - 30May04 / 2big4akdx [Neal O’Brien]:
Terry, I've been reading your posts and trail reports and take it you have been doing some riding by yourself. Now I know this is short notice, but I am heading up towards Mio/Hunt Creek (or maybe Luzerne) and if you can call me within 20 or 30 minutes, I am thinking we could meet up somewhere. If not today, some other time for sure. Later.
Sunday - 30May04 / Nestrick:
Hey 2big4akdx ... I just got around to checking my email ... it's 1100 hrs so I assume you're already gone ... thanks a ton for the invite …
That said, both you and KTM Mike have asked me to ride sometime up in his neck of the woods ... it would be a blast for me if you guys can put up with an old guy who has to rest a bit more often, ain't very fast & is still on the steep part of the learning curve for riding skills ...
Sunday - 30May04 / 2big4akdx [Neal O’Brien]:
Terry … it's late and I am getting up early to do what else??? RIDE !! Thought I'd park just south of Luzerne and head down to the Rose City loop.
… don't worry about possibly "being a burden" … we don't look at things that way. All I would ask is don't try to ride over your head and get hurt. We take it easy most of the time. I always try to have fun and get back healthy … my two main goals. Once in a while we may get a "little" throttle happy, but we have never left anybody out in the woods. Heh Heh ... So let's get together sometime. I'm on 3rd shift now and have been trying to do some Friday afternoon/evening rides. I will keep in touch and let you know about this coming Friday if you think you might want to ride … unless you want to go tomorrow. Call me if so or leave an email. I will check before I go … later, Neal
Wednesday - 02Jun04 / KTM Mike [Mike Stephenson]:
Terry - KTM Mike here (Mike Stephenson): Neal O’Brien (2big4aKDX) called and asked me to join you two for a ride Friday night. Unfortunately I can not make it …
But … Neal and I plan to ride on Saturday, and you are welcome to join us. I think Neal is planning on setting up his tent here at my house as I won’t be home Friday night until pretty late - you are welcome to join him out on the lawn - be it in a tent -or camper - whatever. Nothin’ fancy here - but some friendly biker trash to hang out with!
No clue where Neal and I will ride yet. Here at my house you might enjoy some time on the grass track and or my woods loop as I have about a 4 mile course laid out on my property (1+ mile grass track … 3+ miles tight nasty woods - ask Neal...rather technical woods!). We can ride right from my house if we want (I live along the MCCCT and road shoulder riding is legal in this county! [Montmorency]), or we could trailer elsewhere. I have all day Saturday available to ride, and maybe Sunday.
Thursday - 03Jun04 / Nestrick:
Neal: I will have all my stuff packed, loaded and ready to go early Friday morning ... and will await your call ... if you have changed your mind about the Meadows, that's OK by me. Mike mentioned to me you guys hadn't decided on where you wanted to ride on Saturday ... I like a good mystery. He did say that I could spend some time on his grass track and his highly technical woods trail at his home while he was getting his ride ready ... sure, I'll go out and blow 30% of my total energy for the day fooling around on a closed track and somehow get injured ... what a story you guys could make of that ... I can see the write-up in DRN MTR now: Nestrick hospitalized while attempting to ride KTM Mike's back yard ... yea, that's a neat plan ... NOT!
Friday - 04Jun04 / KTM Mike [Mike Stephenson]:
Should I start the DRN thread now: Nestrick hospitalized while attempting to ride KTM Mike's back yard ? and then fill in the blanks as we go?
Neal and I will come up with some fun trail for you...say oh....90 miles worth or so?
Friday - 04JUN04 / 2big4akdx [Neal O’Brien]:
Hey Mike … I am going to hotel it with Terry, someone will have to pry him outta bed tomorrow, after the punishment that will be inflicted on him this afternoon. Heh Heh ...
Sunday - 06Jun04 / Nestrick:
Neal & Mike: I made it home safely and wanted to thank both of you [again] for an outstanding two days of riding ... I had fun, I learned some important riding tips, I didn't get killed/injured/maimed/fractured or lost, I only fell down a few times despite trying to ride considerably faster, farther and through more difficult hazards than my norm ... and to some minor extent, I found both of you to be rather interesting 'biker trash' ... despite your proclivities for dancing with a motorcycle at high speed in very tight woods ... and for finding the deepest water in the entire county to begin our ride. Kicking that turtle off the trail before I got a chance to 'smoke him' still annoys me though ... I know I could have passed him like he was standing still ... at that point in the ride, I was pumped and finding my groove ... thinking back on it now, I'm sure that incident broke my rhythm which is probably why I seemed so slow to you guys thereafter?
Kidding aside, thanks for slowing down a bit and making the effort to become acquainted with me. I greatly appreciated the product of your actions. Thanks for the advice on tires and the advice/use of a hydration system ... these items have risen to the top of my "biker priority list" and hopefully, I can get them both soon. Thank Sheila [Mike’s wife] for breakfast and dinner on Saturday ... a much unexpected treat.
Have a good one ... hope to see you guys again some time when you’re feelin’ tired & slow … terry
***********************************
Trail Reports:
Friday, 04Jun04: Bull Gap trail north from the Pink Store to the connector trail leading to the Meadows, west on this connector to the ORV trail from the Meadows toward the Rose City trail, then south on the ORV trail to its intersection with forest road 4471, then back via the same route [36 miles round trip].
Neal called around 1300 hrs and we both left the Midland/Saginaw area immediately for the Bull Gap trailhead parking facility located east of M-33 on the southwest corner of the Bull Gap Trail system just north of the Pink Store. I pulled into the lot around 1500 hrs and finally met 2big4akdx in person … my first impression, based on his physical size, was that he appeared to be a retired, professional football player [Fullback] more so than a dirt biker. He had mentioned having a big, orange motorcycle in the back of his pickup truck … after seeing him, I forgot all about KTMs … I was wondering if Kubota made a diesel powered, tracked motorcycle? Well … his moniker, 2big4akdx, certainly made sense. After a serious look or two at my equipment and motorcycle, and a few introductory questions, Neal seemed relatively at ease with me and my stuff … so we mounted up and were off under a clear, bright blue sky … there was a hint of a breeze and the temperature hovered near the 75 degree mark … near perfection!
The first six miles or so involved traveling north on the Bull Gap A Loop … this section of the trail was in rather poor condition due to all of the rain lately … while a majority of the sandy sections were dry and dusty, most of the clay areas retained mud puddles that were not significant obstacles but were slippery nonetheless. ATV travel while the trail was extremely wet had left deeply grooved areas which were now beginning to dry and set up. There is one, very steep, hill section that has suffered considerable erosion so as to produce a large singe rut down the center of the trail which is punctuated with a couple of 12 inch steps on the steeper portions of the incline. Going out we rode down this obstacle with no problems … on our return Neal rode up with no problem, but I managed to get hung up on the upper step and stalled my bike. After a bit of pushing to realign my front tire and clear the step with my rear, Neal yelled: “Just climb on, start it up and ride out!” Sounded like a plan … amazing, it worked perfectly and we were on our way. The rest of the Bull Gap trail up to the connector to the Meadows was basically chewed up by significant ATV travel based upon assessment of the grooved tracks. It is important to note that this portion of the A Loop is mostly a forested area with a clay base … it can be muddy and slippery following rainfall, and that’s how we found it.
Once heading west on the connector between Bull Gap and the Meadows, the trail became much nicer. Being more of a sand and gravel base, the wide trail was relatively dry and dusty … Neal & I were able to ride at a quicker pace without traction concerns essentially up to the cutoff for the Rose City loop. The trail marker at this junction was a bit confusing however we had no problems deciding where to go based on the general direction each trail headed. Note that I said both of us were riding at a quicker pace … Neal was basically on ‘residential speed’ cruise control while I was ‘pushing’ to keep him in sight. We continued to ride the dry and dusty trail down to its intersection with forest road 4471 which is about 3.5 miles from its ultimate connection with the Rose City Loop. At this point we had ridden approximately 18 miles, the sun was beginning to set, so we opted to return to our starting point. The ride back was largely uneventful excepting a ‘run in’ I had with an embankment in a deep, soft sand, twisty uphill section and the aforementioned stall on the grooved hill. The sun set as we rode into the parking lot … the ride totaled 36 miles and required 2.6 hrs motor operation time on my CRF-450. Wearing big smiles on dusty faces, we quickly loaded up the bikes and headed for KTM Mike’s place near Atlanta … a drive north of about 40 minutes.
Saturday: North on the MCCCT connector [Hunt Creek Trail to Atlanta Trail] from KTM Mike’s house to its intersection with the southern portion of the Atlanta B Loop, CW around the B Loop, then south on the MCCCT connector back to our starting point [44 miles round trip].
About 0730 hrs, the phone in our motel room rang … it was Mike calling to let us know that his wife had made her special egg casserole for us and it would be ready at 0830 hrs … don’t be late. Looking out the window, the sky was cloudless and a deep, azure blue. The temperature was already near 60 degrees and there wasn’t much breeze … it didn’t take us long to pack our stuff and drive over to Mike’s place … as you might surmise, Neal is a healthy eater, especially when it comes to Sheila’s egg casserole. Picture this, our arrival at Mike’s home: an idyllic, country setting about a mile off the nearest paved road … entering, you pass by a large, freshly mowed field of grass surrounded by densely wooded, hilly terrain that is penetrated by a small stream … near the junction of the grassy field and the wooded hills sets a beautiful, log-style home separated from a large, two car garage of the pole barn type. Careful examination of the grassy field indicates the presence of a tightly mowed track of intricate design laid out so as to challenge even the best of riders under flat-track conditions … there are two small jumps included in the layout. A complete run through the grass track is 1 mile … it then connects to approximately 3 miles of tight, wooded trail … most of this wooded section is very tight, very technical and near virgin in character. It has some spots that my 32” bars would not fit without a good whack on one side or the other … in one case this situation occurs on a rather steep incline to boot! Most of the trail is clearly marked with orange arrows … but being the newbie, I did manage to get lost! It is important to understand that I was under considerable ‘pressure’ riding this course … I was determined to not get injured in Mike’s back yard!
After several cycles around portions of the course, both Mike and Neal now fully realized what they had gotten themselves into regarding a ride with me. Regardless, they maintained a good attitude … however, they each wanted to ride my CRF-450 around the course once before we left for the trails … I took it as a sign that there was some minor interest in my ride … more likely though, there was a distinct possibility it might not make it back from the trails today? Regardless of my insecurities … I had the treat of watching a couple of pros ride my bike as it was meant to be ridden … hard and fast. Later, we rode out to a hunting facility the likes of which I had never seen before. It was a two story, condo-style hunting blind where each unit was equipped with such amenities as a swivel-recliner chair and scent-free plumbing for that tank draining episode that always occurs when prey is in sight. I am not a hunter, and therefore had always believed the apparent misconception that ‘hunters’ were folks who stalked the woods, laid in the mud and dirt for hours, and ultimately endured great physical pain to bag their quarry … Mike has a better idea, and it’s just a short walk or ride from his back door! Had I stumbled upon this setup by myself, I would have thought it was designed for hunting giraffe … why else would one need to be at such elevation?
Following considerable negotiation between Mike and Neal, a route was defined to me in rather nebulous terms … we were going to ride the MCCCT connector [practically at the end of Mike’s driveway] north to its intersection with the western leg of the Atlanta Trail B Loop near Jackson Lake, then ride the ORV trail north to its intersection with the base of the A Loop, take that intra-trail connector east to the eastern leg of the B Loop, then ride the ORV trail south to our initial entry point and finally, assuming I was still present [alive] … ride the MCCCT back to Mike’s place. After topping off our tanks we began what would become one of the best rides of my life. The first 4 or 5 miles were road shoulder riding before we hit trails … however … just before reaching the trails, we encountered what Neal & Mike described as a ‘puddle’ … I thought we were going to ride near Lake Jackson, not through it! One at a time, Mike & Neal blasted through the water… it was relatively hard bottomed, 50 to 60 feet across, perhaps 18 to 20 inches in depth … then, both of them turned, bearing huge smiles and waited for me. I am sure you folks ride through such stuff regularly, but not me … this fording was a big, no humongous, deal … after erasing my initial mental picture [you know, the one where I flounder in the middle, stall the motor, fall over and become trapped under the motorcycle necessitating removal from the puddle feet first followed mouth to mouth resuscitation …] I concentrated on the far bank and let’er rip … it was absolutely amazing … I blasted through, got soaked and popped out on the other side to the cheers of Neal & Mike who had been playing what appeared to be “Rock, Paper, Scissors” … where the loser had to attempt my retrieval? From here, off we rode on mostly sandy trails which wound into and out of densely wooded areas … sometimes conifer and other times hardwood stands. The trails on this portion of the ride [CW going north on the western leg of the B Loop] are ATV accessible but quite tight in some places, wide open in others. Mike and Neal often blasted ahead at what I considered ‘break neck’ speed … this left me out of their dust cloud with an open trail ahead to attack at my skill limits … awesome conditions, great fun, interesting scenery. At intersections and hazards, Mike and/or Neal would be waiting to guide me and make sure I was OK. There were several, deep, muddy sections along this portion of the ride … each time, they would point out a line, give me some instructions and encourage me to give it a try. This type of help is incredibly important to a newbie like me … I mostly had avoided such hazards in the past when riding alone, but with these guys, I usually got to watch them ride the hazard, I received instructions on how to handle the bike under the specific conditions and most importantly, I got to ride through each hazard knowing that they would have been there to laugh at me if I put the bike down … then, potentially, they would ride off and leave me stranded … ??? … I’m kidding, they were very serious about ensuring my safety, while giving me every opportunity to expand my skills and try out new techniques. Along with the muddy spots, there were occasional hill climbs and descents … nothing major, but usually root-infested and/or rocky and steep enough to keep your attention.
Having reached the top of a large sandy hill, we stopped for a good rest. I enjoyed the bench racing and they made the time pass quickly by telling stories and tales of rides past. While there, a group of four bikers blasted through traveling in the opposite direction from us … they were screaming! Continuing on in the CW direction, we encountered more hilly, sandy and sometimes, rocky trail. Having ridden to the eastern leg of the B Loop we entered a region where the trails were sandier in composition, and often, whooped out. Our progress was basically limited by my feeble riding pace … but I kept plugging away, riding farther between breaks and pushing myself to ride as close to my limits as reasonable. It was definitely more fun to ride with other folks … eventually, we returned to the ‘Great Puddle’ … this time it didn’t seem so big … we all rode through like we had done it about a million times! From there it was several miles of road shoulder riding and we were back in the comfortable setting of Mike’s property.
This route yielded a ride of 44 miles and required 3.8 hrs of motor operation time on my CRF-450. We spent the entire afternoon out riding and having fun … it is a day that I will likely never forget. If you are looking for an area that will give you plenty of miles, neat trails and varying conditions … consider the Atlanta Trail. We certainly had a blast!
Terry, Neal & Mike:cool: