Ride pictures from Saddle Mt. - 2/12/05

[Old_Man_Time]

I pulled into the parking lot about 9:45. Some of the guys were already there and the whole gang had arrived and we hit the trail by 10:30. You could not ask for better weather. Most everyone left their coats at the vehicles.

We did 16 miles and ended up at the cliffs over looking the Beverly Dunes. Someone noticed that my rear trials tire had a split in it the entire width of the tire. This tire has some 1300 miles on it so I was not too upset except I was afraid it would end my day early. We decided to finish a loop back to the vehicle through the rockiest of the ravenes. I said if that did not flatten my tire we could head out again and drop down off of Saddle Mt. into the dunes. Back at the truck (now 19 miles of riding) my tire was still ok and it remained ok for the rest of the day. We took a vote and decided we were going to make the trip down into the dunes. I told everyone that I had not anticipated working that hard today but I was game so off we went.

The hill out of the dunes is rather steep and has loose rock and soil over to the right and jagged rocks and steps on the left. The main thing is momentum and don't move over to the right where the loose stuff is. I moved over to the right twice and was stopped twice. I rode back down to the half way point of the first section of the hill turned my bike around and stayed to the left all the way up the hill. Yaaaahoooooooo.

This is a view from the top of the hill. See that little trail down in the bottom of the ravene? That is the starting point. See the three white dots? Those are riders heads. To the right of the closest rider you can barely make out the orange of a KTM. This is the hill we took down off of Saddle Mt. and climbed back up to Saddle Mt.

In this picture, Roy looking down the hill that he just finished climbing up. Roy had stayed down at the most difficult spot on the hill to help other rider make it before he finished the climb. (he helped me pick my bike up off the ground) A lot of other riders began to congregate here to watch us climb out.

Scott is taking a picture of me taking a picture of him. We have just climbed Nick's Hill. That's what Tractor named this hill that climbs out of the dunes back up to Saddle Mt.. Behind Scott in the left hand upper section of the picture you can barely make out some blue color with white dots around it. This is other riders trying to see if they can ride that ridge back up to Saddle Mt.. They didn't make it and turned around.

This hill actually consists of two hills. The first is the longest and hardest. You end up on a narrow road before the final leg of the hill. These riders are sitting on the narrow road talking before finishing the climb.

The next pictures I have entitled INSANITY: You see there is another way down to the Dunes off of Saddle Mt. It is almost a true verticle. I would never have even considered such a thing and still wouldn't. As we were watching the last of our riders work their way up the hill, I was told to turn around and take a look at the side of the cliff face opposite of the hill we were on. Sure enough, there it was, two images of what can only be defined as INSANITY taking the fast way down to the dunes.

Here is a zoomed look of:

INSANITY

May this hill forever wear the name: INSANITY

Boys I hope your wives see this and you get a spanking for being so naughty. ?

I didn't really take the camera out too much because I was simply having a fun ride. I felt really good on the way home and this morning. That was a fun day guys. I enjoyed the good company of you all. ?

[mommyrider]

Great pics ???

[Vultan]

Great pics Nick!

What bike do you prefer to ride at Mattawa?

Insanity hill is pretty scary! I didn't know about it until I was half way down it. All I could do was hold on and pucker! I tried to stop on it a few times to take a picture, then I gave up and skidded all the way down to the bottom. The dunes at the base made the ride down worth while, they're a blast! ?

[goatman]

Where is this? That hill looks fun! ?

[Ride]

Loynz, is it possible to ride up it? Looks like fun and i have a new sand tire for the 450 I've been itching to try ?

[HONDA DUDE]

Is that a CRF 150, that guy in the blue is sitting on? How was that handling the ride with the big bikes?

Nice pics!

[Ricochet450]

Old Man Time

Insanity Hill looks worse than it is especially at a distance.

The first time I went down it was back in 1983 on a xr200,

I was 13 years old at the time, my dad and brother had to

give me a little pep talk first. But then I was good to go,

especially when they both bailed off and said it was a long walk

back to the pickup if I didn't follow LOL. My goal now is to climb

back out the thing someday, I think I'm gonna have to have a paddle

tire to get the job done. Anyhow looks like you guys had a good ride,

like to hook up with you guys someday for a ride.

[trav]

omt, if i am not mistaken that downhill was already given its name a long time ago when it was used in a running of the mattawa 100... haeback's hill.

[Old_Man_Time]

omt, if i am not mistaken that downhill was already given its name a long time ago when it was used in a running of the mattawa 100... haeback's hill.

All you guys who are thinking it is climbable with a paddle tire better think again. My photo is cut off and does not show the top of the cliff face. The first section of this hill is not sand. I suspect at that grade, if you could make it to the rock section which is steeper than the sand section, your paddles would rip loose in the first ten feet of rocks.

But if you can climb it Ill bring my camera with the 10X optical zoom lens.

I talked with one of the guys who was talked into going down it and he said never again. ??

Trav you know more than me about the old Desert 100 race but are you sure that hill was a part of the course? That would eliminate more than half the field of riders. Survival of the crazys. ?

Well it has a new name now.

[Old_Man_Time]

Great pics Nick!

What bike do you prefer to ride at Mattawa?

Insanity hill is pretty scary! I didn't know about it until I was half way down it. All I could do was hold on and pucker! I tried to stop on it a few times to take a picture, then I gave up and skidded all the way down to the bottom. The dunes at the base made the ride down worth while, they're a blast! ?

It's kind of a toss up between the 525 and 650. In the sand the KX500 would win hands down. But in general I think the 650 has the edge only because of the Rekluse auto clutch. That makes all the technical stuff a piece of cake.

[Old_Man_Time]

Old Man Time

Insanity Hill looks worse than it is especially at a distance.

The first time I went down it was back in 1983 on a xr200,

I was 13 years old at the time, my dad and brother had to

give me a little pep talk first. But then I was good to go,

especially when they both bailed off and said it was a long walk

back to the pickup if I didn't follow LOL. My goal now is to climb

back out the thing someday, I think I'm gonna have to have a paddle

tire to get the job done. Anyhow looks like you guys had a good ride,

like to hook up with you guys someday for a ride.

Well when I was 13 I was a lot more plyable than I am now. No thanks, I'm just a wimp.

??

[Camstyn]

Firecracker and I rode there on Sunday, I just got home, it was a fun day! We only logged 16 miles but with those relentless sand whoops I had my fill, it was my first real ride since July.

Unfortunately Sharla had a crash and had to walk out with a very sore wrist all the way back from the wash 1 1/2 miles along the fenceline. She might not be posting soon, it was tough to tell how serious the injury is/was.

It was a fun place to ride, I didn't realize how out of shape I am, those sand whoops really kicked my butt. ??

[oldbones]

Hey there Nick, looks like you and the crew had a good time at Mattawa.

"Insanity Hill" is definitely enough to get your attention, but not as death defying as it looks from afar.

Here is the view from the top of the hill looking down into the dunes...

Here is a shot from about 2/3 of the way down the hill. It was a little difficult to get stopped to take a picture (as Loynzie pointed out already).

As for climbing it... I dunno. Without a paddle, there's just no way. With a paddle, I'm sure there are guys who could, but it probably wouldn't be me. ?

[Ride]

Jeremy, no pix.

[Vultan]

Loynz, is it possible to ride up it? Looks like fun and i have a new sand tire for the 450 I've been itching to try ?

I doubt anyone could make it to the top, but it would be fun to try. Like Nick said, there is a steep rock section on the top that isn't in the pictures he took. I was on Jason's 400 last time I was there, so I didn't feel comfortable beating on it like I do my 300. Next time we go, let's ride down it and see how high we can make it back up! ?

[Old_Man_Time]

Is that a CRF 150, that guy in the blue is sitting on? How was that handling the ride with the big bikes?

Nice pics!

He was not with our riding group. He just came over to watch everyone climbing out of the dunes back up the Mt.. It does look like a crf150 or 230. I really don't know how he would have done if he had dropped down into the dunes and tried to make it back out. Sometimes those smaller bikes will surprise you. When we get into the open on the bigger bikes and open them up, I'm sure he would be left so far behind he wouldn't have to worry about any dust. But we always stop and wait on our fellow riders so it would have been no problem.

?

[Vultan]

He was not with our riding group. He just came over to watch everyone climbing out of the dunes back up the Mt.. It does look like a crf150 or 230. I really don't know how he would have done if he had dropped down into the dunes and tried to make it back out. Sometimes those smaller bikes will surprise you. When we get into the open on the bigger bikes and open them up, I'm sure he would be left so far behind he wouldn't have to worry about any dust. But we always stop and wait on our fellow riders so it would have been no problem.

?

I found a different way to exit the dunes last time I was there, but it had some healthy rock step-ups. I didn't see any sign of tracks, so I turned around before I got myself into trouble (I was by myself ? ). I can't wait to go back there and do some exploring. We need a video camera for the dune jumping and attempts at the big hill!

[oldbones]

Hmm, looks like the pics are working? Anyone?

[Old_Man_Time]

I found a different way to exit the dunes last time I was there, but it had some healthy rock step-ups. I didn't see any sign of tracks, so I turned around before I got myself into trouble (I was by myself ? ). I can't wait to go back there and do some exploring. We need a video camera for the dune jumping and attempts at the big hill!

That would be awsome, a video camera to document the carnage ? . I know the step your talking about. A bunch from our group three or four weeks ago tried it and turned around because of the fog and snow. They didn't want to get into any trouble. In fact in one of my pictures I mentioned you could barely make out some blue on a ridge behind Scott. That is the ridge your talking about. I personally get tired of the sand rather quickly but exploring the ravenes and ridges would be fun. ?

[Dances With Rocks]

Oldbones or Loynz-

Could you stop coming down that hill, or are you just along for the ride once you drop in?

I talked with one of the guys from another group that did it, he said never again, that he couldn't stop, and was in the trench all the way down.

I don't know about anyone making it up that, a better chance when the sand is wet, but I want to be there to see someone try! ?