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The 5, 40 and 80 MCCCT Ride
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[QUOTE="KTM Mike, post: 1289487, member: 22658"] [b]Day 3: Synchronized Wheelies, Mike’s crash, ringing noises, soapbox time,[/b] Jeremy - thanks for the maps! I will also go back and up date with some comments on the TC trails - amazing how some of it all blurs together a few days later. Ted - chime in with any comments, corrections or tall tales to add! Day 3: Synchronized Wheelies, Mike’s crash, hearing ringing noises, a few minutes on a soap box… Off to our typical late start preceded by a big breakfast, a few miles of roads up into the Chandler Hills area and into some more beautiful countryside. Nice easy MCCCT trail, two tracks and back roads through the hills – along with about 1 million mushroom pickers! Soon we were up near the Tomohawk trails. This area is one of my favorite areas to ride – and this ride was no exception. One of my favorite little moments for this ride was a super “Father and Son” moment (not to be confused with fatherandson and Circuit Rider here on DRN, but I am sure they can relate). One bit of the trail runs down a wider two track, arrow straight for quite some time, with rolling hills and good visibility ahead. I could see Mitch ahead of me wheeling off the hills and easy rolling whoops – I pulled up beside him, got my wheelies timed right with his – we glanced at each other and went along for what seemed like the longest time, synchronizing our wheelies perfectly, ending with a big “high 5”. Just one of those special moments you can relate to if you have kids. Eventually, we found ourselves on some nice single track – fun stuff to ride. Ted and Mitch were ahead of me, Mark was with the truck at this point. I was poking along behind the others, occasionally dropping back to rip on ahead for a minute or so. Some how, I managed to snag a foot peg on a stump of tree (that’s my story at least), next thing I knew, I was going over the bars thinking “this is going to hurt”. I slammed into the ground head first rather hard, hard enough, for a minute there I didn’t move being concerned with the possibility of a neck injury. I laid there for who knows how long, then I hear this odd musical ringing/chime like noise… am I dreaming? Is this the gates of heaven opening with a musical chime?…. wait there it is again…boy that is odd, why would I be hearing that? Wait..whats that other sound…this buzzing…vibrating sort of sound? Now I had it figured out – it was my cell phone! I must of rung my gourd good, because my next thought was, “how nice, someone is calling me to see how I am doing after my crash….wait a minute, how would anyone else know? Hey…someone is calling me…I had better answer.” So with that I got up off the ground, fished my phone out of my pack just as the ringing stopped! I see there is a new voice mail, try to check it, but could not remember my password to get to it. “screw it, I can check that later, probably a sales pitch anyhow” . I would later really wish I had gotten that call in time. (more later on that topic). I stuffed the phone back away, dusted myself off, started the bike up trying to catch up with Ted and Mitch. I was still hurting a fair bit – right forearm already swollen up, my head and neck rather sore and stiff, I was riding pretty sloooowly. Every time I moved my right arm, I was made quickly aware I should not do that yet. I soon found Ted and Mitch waiting for me. (the arm and neck are fine by the way, though the neck is still somewhat sore and stiff). We roll into our next gas stop, the ORV parking lot on the Tomohawk A loop just south of Indian River – but we don’t see the van there waiting for us. Oh oh…now I know who was likely calling me. Sure enough, some voice mails from Connie confirm she had gotten twisted around on the back roads on the way to Indian River, but was actually only a short distance away from us. A quick bit of talking her through the route she needed to take, and soon she arrives safe and sound with our gas and left over pizza for lunch. Thank you Connie for sticking with us and finding your way! As we gas up, I noticed the tongue of the trailer was hanging much lower than it typically did – I peer underneath the van to see two large cracks in the hitch were allowing the hitch to sag way down low. Our guess is there was a pre-existing crack, exacerbated by the trailer tongue weight (two bikes loaded way in front of the axles, nothing behind the axles), and rough roads did the hitch in. Not good, and certainly such it would not be safe to continue towing the trailer with the van. A quick call to Sheila, and she is on the way to Indian River to hitch up the Excursion to the trailer. Onto several road miles, to meet up with Wrong Way Willie again on two occasions. The first was just east of Indian River, not long after crossing I-75. We were on a nice two track, and Willie had blocked our view of a turn arrow to our right. We continued straight, realized we saw no markers, came back to the intersection. Willie was still standing right in front of that turn arrow blocking our view, and had cleaverly put up a couple of old trail makers down the leg turning to the left! We followed those until we came out by the Indian River Industrial park, and were once again lost! We back track once again to the corner. This time we manage to see the turn arrow to the right and are back on track. My guess is the trail used to turn left, but was re-routed when the roadway for the industrial park was put in, but not all of the old markers had been pulled down. The next time Willie directed us down a two track full of big mud holes . In the past, I believe this trail is where the MCCCT was actually routed, and had since been re-routed bypassing the mud by going a bit further north then continue east to rejoin at the other end. Somehow Willie blinded us to the fact we did not see a single trail marker for quite a while along the mud section. The mud section ends, and I happen to catch a glimpse of the trail marker you would see heading the other direction – pointing you off to the north – by passing that mud section! I am sure that Willie must of pulled down the like marker on the other end for riders heading the way we were. Oh well. Some more road miles, then we meet up with Sheila to allow Mark to join back in. Some short event like barely used single track sections, some two tracks and minor back roads, and into the Atlanta trail system. Now we were onto trails we had all ridden many times before. (WARNING – ENTERING SOAP BOX ZONE). This is my “home town” trail system, and unfortunately is quite a disappointment to me, after seeing how well maintained other trail systems are. I am going to get up on a soap box for a minute on this topic. I was quite happy to see the Rites of Spring come to Atlanta for the first time a few years ago – a small town like this needs such events to help it survive economically. Unfortunately the result has been the Atlanta trails becoming so horribly whooped out, I for the most part, no longer ride them. Going back several years, before ROS came here, the Atlanta trails had gotten quite a reputation for being whooped out – then it seemed things were being groomed a bit more often, and the trails were much more rideable. There were a few bit tighter sections up the east side that were a bit tighter and still fun to ride. After ROS came to Atlanta the pattern is – ROS whoops it all out early in the season – nothing is groomed until fall – basically after riding season is done, ROS whoops it out again the following spring. Pattern then repeats. Meanwhile, the trails have gotten wider and wider. Result is crappy trails through the majority of the prime riding season. In talking to various other riders from down state, they now say they no longer come to the Atlanta area to ride as a result. We were on these trails on a Saturday of a major holiday weekend, mid to late afternoon, during great weather – yet only saw 1 other ORV. Normally we would easily see a dozen or more other bikes or quads on a holiday weekend. I realize why the preference is to groom in the fall – but if hosting such a large scale event in the spring results in trashing the system for the riding season, I just can not get behind that. I don’t know what the rules, politics, regulations etc are – but in my opinion, if the CCC hosts an event, generates the profits from it (to what ever extent that may be), they should be responsible for grooming those trails after the event – without use of DNR grant funds to support that grooming if necessary. It is that profit generating event that has caused the added traffic volume, and contributed to the added grooming need. Ok –off the soap box now…. Back to our story. Mark has his throttle stick a couple of times as we approach the Atlanta trails proper. He and I swap bikes so I can see what is up – sure enough it sticks for me, so I continue to ride the KDX. That kid was looking all to comfortable on my EXC though – I hope he doesn’t get any ideas. We finish off the dusty whooped out trails, and arrive at our house (AKA Camp Chaos) – the road at the end of our driveway is part of the MCCCT. Sheila grills up some chicken for dinner, then it is off to the garage for some wrenching. Two main tasks for me – figure out what is wrong with the Penton, and address Mark’s throttle issue. First, the less embarrassing one – the KDX throttle and carb is tore down, cleaned up and inspected. We did not seem to find anything wrong really. We decide to stretch the return spring a bit hoping it might add more return “snap” in case of a future stick, and button it back up. Ok , now to the stupid wrenching move on my part…I know…I know…I should of known better. I dig into the Penton – have spark, yet plug is wet…ok, to much fuel, not enough air…jetting? Nothing has changed there…dirty air filter…no just cleaned it…uh hmmm…. I didn’t…nah, couldn’t have…no…I wouldn’t of…. I pull off the side cover (side note – you know those ultra easy side access air boxes the modern KTMs have? Bright design idea huh? – well, my 1976 Penton and years well before that, already had that idea covered!), I pull out the air filter, peer into the intake tube between carb and air box – sure enough…I was indeed dumb enough to have left a rag stuffed into the air box! Ok – hit me with the stupid stick and get it over with now! We all do some remaining routine maintenance type work on the bikes, and head to the house for some grilled chicken Sheila had just finished cooking. Great eats! Soon it is off for a great nights sleep in my own bed (I never seem to sleep as well in a motel as I do at home). [/QUOTE]
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Who to Ride With, Where to Ride
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The 5, 40 and 80 MCCCT Ride
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