elkinsflat Elkins FLat new trails; scraped, bent and busted ride report 8-19-17

[bigbob 901]

we started out fine, looking to get some miles in, but the last half of the ride, it was like Slyko was out there putting the curse on us,  Every thing came up scraped, bent and busted 

I bent my bars on a silly crash into some hard rock, crashed just right to put all the crash energy into the left hand guard and bar.  BENT.       Then Later Oldedude seized up his YZ250.  Too many hours on the old top end he said.  So I had to tow his POS Yamaha back to the trucks.    We drank two beers and feeling better,     I try loading my bike up by myself., miss the mark fall over and scrape the shit out of my shin.  Blood and skin in my sock.    

Good news is the USFS has re-route some trails, added new single track.  Never before new EF trails ridden by us ,  got good photos.   But there also was too much rock on the old trails....   Had enough of EF for the summer.   scraped, bent and busted

 

 

Edited August 19, 2017 by bigbob

[bigbob 901]

[bigbob 901]

 

[still2smokin]

Well you can tell where I went today .

Everthing went smooth except I had to stop on this section twice , once because I got stuck and the other because I had to launch the bike up the rock face as I chose the wrong line .  

 

[still2smokin]

This reminds me of the time I broke my wrist loading my bike about 15 yrs ago.  

 

Well actually I told the wife I broke it loading the bike but it really happened during a failed hill climb attempt that ended with me cart wheeling down about 100ft of the hill.  

 

Felt like she would be less mad if it didnt happen while on the bike and it worked ? 

She still thinks that I broke it falling out of the truck 

[bigbob 901]

rock lobster!!

[DrKayak]

7 hours ago, bigbob said:

 

 

You crashed riding it up in the truck in shorts and flip-flops after 2 beers? ?

I had my ramp slip to one side while riding up it a Sugar Pine.. Nothing like you riding surface suddenly shifting to one side to cause lose of balance... had no idea why I was falling over... damaged the truck more than me or the bike. That was the last time for riding it up the ramp.. 

What't the low-down on the new trails?  

[bigbob 901]

I ran it up or tried too, slipped off my step, step tilted over, my shin crashed into it as I held up the bike sideways till curt came over to help. yea first time I ever crashed loading my bike. Oldedude offered to help but I was I got this. Note to self, accept the spot help.

 

They closed the creek crossing cause the quads tore it up, so the nice trail that leads to it from the north is now extended nice around to the concrete bridge. now on the south side of the creek crossing, they closed the rock climb out and had to install a good mile or more of new woods trails - nice long run up and around through trees. some short steep sections are already silty rutty. So this trail may not stay good for long. it needs some rain and riding to pack it down.

 

Then at the bottom of 28 there is a new 1/2 mile of good trail.

 

All in all, maybe 2-3 miles of new trails. not a lot but for us EF locals who have ridden the rivers of round rock "trails" at EF forever, its nice that some new dirt single track trail sections are added to make up for loosing that creek crossing

 

Yeah two beers gets me pretty gased up. I am pickled from a life of beer drinking I figure, so at this age I drink a lot less and it only takes Two to fire me up. Note to self, load bike before the second beer

 

[OldeDude]

Good time while it lasted, typical Elkins summertime rocks and dust.  Good to see the FS finally put in the reroutes they've been planning for about five years, although the necessity of some of them was pure BS.

As for the bike, the good news is I didn't grenade anything when it seized.  I've had a top end kit on the work bench for a year, just kept putting off the install.  The bad news is I'm going to have to split the cases and do a bottom end job.  Would have found this out a year ago if I wouldn't have put off the top end, but instead I found out the hard way.

So looks like I'll be riding the KTM until I get the YZ done.  I just need to order some parts, some tools, and find some time.

[still2smokin]

20 hours ago, bigbob said:

rock lobster!!

Is that really Rock Lobster ? 

Serious question , have come down this section dozens of times but might be the first time I actually went up it ( by accident of course  )   .

Was just riding with out a care what trail I turned on to as I do when I got the GPS going and riding solo . Was some serious work going up and then up and then up again  .

[still2smokin]

Another question . 

 

IS OD rocking black backgrounds with white numbers ? 

I know you won 2 enduros and quoted twice in dirt rider but yet he is still the one pimping black backgrounds ......

 

 

 

[OldeDude]

Quote

IS OD rocking black backgrounds with white numbers ? 

 

Those are the backgrounds I run outside of D36.  I personally think my D36 yellow backgrounds look like shit on a blue bike, so only put them on when I have to .

Edited August 21, 2017 by OldeDude

[still2smokin]

23 minutes ago, OldeDude said:

 

Those are the backgrounds I run outside of D36.  I personally think my D36 yellow backgrounds look like shit on a blue bike, so only put them on when I have to .

 

[bigbob 901]

yes from your photo it looks like the top half of rock lobster. If the bottom half was more chunky particularly the start of it and you had to make a left turn to start up , then thats it

 

 

[Bill_P]

Where was the rocks?  Seriously?  We don't have any trails that smooth in AZ.  It's all $R#@!%%#@@ ing rock strewn torture trail here.  Would kill for smooth trails like that.  There might be some down in the Dez., but even there there's more rock than on your trails.  Enjoy the smooth ride!!!!? ? ?

 

PS - I saw a west coast customs episode where they put a winch in the back of a truck so that riders could winch their bikes in.  You might want to check into that bob.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Bill_P

[bigbob 901]

I did not take pictures of the rocks. Those EF rocky trails are like gutter trails packed full of grapefruit to bowling ball round rocks, just boring rivers of round rocks to the point where its not a trail at all

 

EF has many such sections - just gets old. It comes with the territory of many nice trail sections too

 

 

[DrKayak]

15 hours ago, bigbob said:

I did not take pictures of the rocks. Those EF rocky trails are like gutter trails packed full of grapefruit to bowling ball round rocks, just boring rivers of round rocks to the point where its not a trail at all

 

EF has many such sections - just gets old. It comes with the territory of many nice trail sections too

 

 

Yea, like that one ridge trail that leads back to Caldor. Try that one on a 690.. sucks... about the only thing worse is deep sand whoops.. 

That's why I prefer GT.. 

[Bill_P]

15 hours ago, bigbob said:

I did not take pictures of the rocks. Those EF rocky trails are like gutter trails packed full of grapefruit to bowling ball round rocks, just boring rivers of round rocks to the point where its not a trail at all

 

EF has many such sections - just gets old. It comes with the territory of many nice trail sections too

 

 

Well, you DID take pics of some bitchen smooth, dirt trails.  We don't have those here.  All we have is rocks, step ups, more rocks.  Bigger rocks.  Nasty trails, and more and bigger rocks. At least you have some fun trails to mix up your (puny) rocks with.....

That section where still2smokin had to stop twice on would be considered smooth flowing NorAZ trail.

Edited August 22, 2017 by Bill_P

[Mckay]

On 8/19/2017 at 2:03 PM, bigbob said:

we started out fine, looking to get some miles in, but the last half of the ride, it was like Slyko was out there putting the curse on us,  Every thing came up scraped, bent and busted 

I bent my bars on a silly crash into some hard rock, crashed just right to put all the crash energy into the left hand guard and bar.  BENT.       Then Later Oldedude seized up his YZ250.  Too many hours on the old top end he said.  So I had to tow his POS Yamaha back to the trucks.    We drank two beers and feeling better,     I try loading my bike up by myself., miss the mark fall over and scrape the shit out of my shin.  Blood and skin in my sock.    

Good news is the USFS has re-route some trails, added new single track.  Never before new EF trails ridden by us ,  got good photos.   But there also was too much rock on the old trails....   Had enough of EF for the summer.   scraped, bent and busted

 

 

 

Looks like good riding, I need to get up there and have a look. How far from Fresno area is it?

[bigbob 901]

at least 3 hours from fresno