http://picasaweb.google.com/brucebh/Austin2008This year's Austin ride was again hosted by Bill "Miracle Whip" Fain. The trail boss was new member Mark Tustin who accepted the job the day he was voted in. Mark did a great job of herding the cats both days.
There were a few comments about the sand wash out of Middlegate at the first gas stop, but then there always is. Weather was warm on Saturday in the flats, but very bearable once we got in the altitude. The first adventure happened after lunch when the trail bosses tried to take everyone up a hill through a cow pasture. After a few attempts, including a flyer by Joe the troops revolted since the leaders had disappeared from view at the top and headed down the road out of the canyon. Mark the trail boss gave the first of many lectures when they caught back up to the group.
Everyone made it in to Austin safely in time for dinner. We even beat the other group of bikes run by Ron (?) Day. Bill had a bet with him that we would beat them but I don't know if he collected. They grumbled something about a flat tire that held them back.
Dinner was at the International with a happy bunch of waitresses. Non-trail boss Duane and others ate Ken's dinner who was back at the motel with tequila poisoning. Mark spotted a some action up the street when he went to get a cigar, but everyone seemed too beat to check it out.
Sunday morning got off with out a hitch and we eventually down off the mountain after a couple of back tracks. One small climb caused a couple of adventures but things went smoothly back down to the valley floor. Once the speeds kicked up Steve the sweeper pushed his brand new KTM 300 a little too hard and paid the price. Steve was his usual jovila self even after being tow 50 miles on the back of an XR650.
After lunch Bruce and Chuck decided to take the quick route back through the sand wash - we assume the larger group made it back safely since we have not heard otherwise. Hopefully we will have some pictures posted this year so everyone that hasn't gone can see what they are missing.
I consider the opportunity to lead this ride a real privilege. I was a little anxious at first but thanks to the support of Dots’ members Bill Fain, Steve Pratt and my Wing Man Duane Groves I think we pulled off a great ride. GPS is a beautiful thing also when the user uses the tool properly. The consensus was 286 miles start to finish.
We started out with a cozy group of ten riders but lost Mr. Vanderhoof early Saturday morning at the start to Montezuma’s Revenge, er, uh the bottle flu. A friend of mine who is very familiar with that area, Duane Groves, and I led the pack with Limey running chase. The weather was great starting out at about 80 degrees. The June heat never materialized Saturday or Sunday so conditions were prime. There was dust but we ran across very little powder that made it bearable. The trash talking started out early as the mystery around the "Special Test" predictably revolved around what continent your ride was imported from and whether it would it could support your manhood.
We led the group on the first leg of the ride in through the same terrain as last year up a fast five mile wash and through a juicy, narrow creek bed for about another ten miles. Skull Canyon before Carrol Station was some fantastic, moist single track before a snack at the first gas splash. We took a twenty-mile excursion up Campbell Creek for a little play to see the Fish Hatchery and then boogied back for grub where Mr. Fain dined us on cold cuts, chips and bananas. Duane decided he would try to run the guys backwards on a trail they took last year but going up what they came down turned out to be a crappy challenge (scared it out of the cows). This was not an advantage of the Trail Boss position. This is where the trash talking subsided - momentarily. The Yamaha guy, guest Chris Chambers, who managed to make it to the top of the qualifier for the Special Test needed a tool to make an adjustment and the only one available had KTM stamped on it. Then the KTM guy who made it up the qualifier, guest Duane Groves (aka Mr. Shit Disturber), needed help from the Yamaha guy to mend his hill climb try #1 damage. It was kind of quiet after the quick repairs but I thought I heard a mutual "what happens in Austin stays in Austin."
We circled back and continued on the planned trail, through the valley and on to meet Bill for gas splash two. We beat feet to the base of the mountain range heading into Austin. We paralleled what looked like a graded, 8’ wide drainage ditch and then dropped in for about three miles of bitchin’, graded gravel. We reached the bottom of the mountain and the road that reminded me of Pike’s Peak hill climb and the drag race was on. That was about 8-10 miles of the best feet-on-the-pegs, broad-sliding, WFO I’ve done in many, many years. On top of the hill the view of the valley we just rode through was nothing short of s-p-e-t-a-c-u-l-a-r! We finished the last few miles in to Austin where I expected to come across a Swiss sheepherder yodeling and carrying a staff. As trail maintenance ensued at the motel and riders began consuming cold beverages the trash talking got really deep. After the beer emboldened the KTM and Yamaha guys (who by this time had failed to mention the mountain top makeup), they decided to hammer Joe Dowd. Joe wore the target with confidence and the fur and feathers flew until the bell rang for dinner. Prime Rib, baked potatoes and strawberry shortcake quieted the contestants while their mouths were full. No flats, injuries or other failures occurred on day one - 130 miles.
Day two (156 miles) started with an awesome downhill ride through a glacial valley with a couple of added miles for a GPS misread that resulted in some of the great pictures Bruce Hendrickson provided. Our trip through some incredible valleys with tire tracks (only half way up) on some hills got our wheels spinning for some expedition rides. The scenery down the valley and out of the mountain was quite a distraction from a great downhill. We found our way to our track back through the valley and a long, flat section. Our head count at an intersection failed to include Limey. After his dust cloud didn’t appear, guest Duane Kinross (with the biggest tank) tracked back to search. When Limey’s dust cloud didn’t materalize, Duane and I followed up to find the two breaking out the tow strap. Our first casualty came as Limey decided what he was going to be spending his Economic Stimulus check on – a new piston for his BRAND NEW KTM 300! Mr. Kinross and Bruce Hendrickson began the painful tow back on the very convenient, wide and flat road to lunch. We continued over Elkhorn Pass to 722 and through the pucker bushes for some true, virgin boonie crashing through the dry lake bed and on to lunch where we got Chris Chambers’ flat front tire back in shape. A big thanks to guest Chris chambers for volunteering to ride cleanup for the rest of the day.
It was late after lunch and some needed to head for home so only six of us remained for the last leg back to Middlegate. This small bunch made head counts quicker and we made the last 72 miles an amazing Bonsai ride home. We had about 2/3 of that on curvy double track averaging 50-60 mph, three rows of two side by side. Duane detoured us through some tight, rocky and Pine strewn double and single tracks up to a gnarly canyon where we stopped for an abandon mine and down a steep three mile wash back into the valley. The remainder of the ride provided a great drag race home to the last five miles of the original wash we started on and into Middlegate. Mr. Vanderhoof had made a great recovery by lunch on Sunday and since he could only make one leg of the ride, he picked a good one.
Except for Limey’s new piston, no injuries and one flat tire made this a statistical success if nothing else. A few "What ifs" got tossed around about an Austin 300 next year and there are enough trails on GPS to make it if we can figure in the support locations. Anyone game?
Thank you for the confidence you expressed in me by giving me the reigns to this traditional event the club holds.
Sincerely,
Mark Tustin, 48X