Michigan ride (w/Art and Linda) report

YamaMama · July 21, 2008

I know you've met folks like them... people that you feel comfortable with right off the bat. That's Art and Linda. (or Skinny Bruno and Skittles as they are now fondly known as ? )

They drove all the way up from Missouri to ride some Michigan dirt. They even had to sample some up close. According to them, they have lots of rock to ride, but dirt is rare... and what's this sand stuff?? They have never seen a true sand whoop, and they both got to experience them this weekend.

I know everyone will have more and better stories about the weekend, but I wanted to be FIRST! LOL You'll also have to wait until I upload all my pictures (I took a few, and hubby took a bunch).

It was a weekend filled w/good food and good fun. John and I arrived Friday night. We got to hang out around the campfire and get to know Art and Linda a bit before riding in the morning. Stacy (NUN) arrived in the morning and we all went for an early ride together. The cabins are nice because you can access the trails from them, but you have some major sand highways you have to ride to get to the good stuff. Linda, having never rode sand, wasn't too thrilled. I, on the other hand, got plenty of opportunity to work on my whoops technique. I can happily say I can now ride them a LOT faster then previously. I can actually get the front up enough and roll through the bottom w/the rear wheel. COOL! Linda was having a lot of trouble w/the loose sand... it was challenging her a lot. I have been there and done that, so I can sympathize. She had one pretty bad get-off... a high-side that bruised her ribs pretty bad. We pretty much called it quits at that point for our morning ride and headed back to the cabins.

After we lunched (Stacy's hubby arrived at lunch), the sky started blackening up... rain moved in. It looked like it would just be a short sprinkle, but turned into quite the gully-washer. We all holed up indoors (most napping) until it blew over. After it let up, we all suited back up for an afternoon ride (well, except for Jonathan... still snoozing, and Linda who was nursing those sore ribs). Cori and I opted to ride together and let the faster group take off and do their thing.

Let me tell you, I think that was the most fun I've ever had on a dirt bike! Cori and I ride so close to the same pace (she can outrun me here and there... she has the bigger bike w/tons more power, so I pretty much expected it), it was really cool. I let her lead since she knows her way around the area. SWEET! Man she found all the greatest ORV routes... twisty, turny and FUN! The sand was soaked and there were fun puddles everywhere. Cori would stop at the end of a section and I'd pull up and we'd both have the BIGGEST grins on our faces. We just couldn't stop talking about how cool the sections were. It was just one of those days when you could get into a great rhythm and flow from turn to turn and ride smooth the whole time. WOOT!! ?

When we got back, the rest of the crew was already there. They had a similarly great ride. Cori and I told Linda she missed the best ride ever. We talked it up so much she was eager to ride in the morning. ?

Our Saturday night potluck dinner was wonderful! We had a great variety of good food. After dinner, we got a fire started then some of us walked up to the store. We came back w/stuff for s'mores and hobo pies, but most everyone was too stuffed to even think of eating more. The chatter around the fire was something I won't soon forget. What a fun group!

Sunday morning dawned cool and overcast. Since it had rained some more during the night, we knew the sand would still be wet. Linda was the first one in her gear. I think hearing Cori and I talk about how much fun we had got her psyched to ride. We started as a group. The trail would start out ORV, then the single track MCCCT would branch off and parallel the ORV trail. We would split up there and meet back up at the next stop. We finally ended up splitting up completely, with Cori, Jonathan, Art, Linda and me riding ORV trails together. Since I rode behind Linda on Saturday and again on Sunday, I got to see how much better she rode. Man she was having a day like Cori and I had Saturday afternoon. She had a few bobbles, but saved most of them. The couple of times she did go down it was a lot easier (not hard crashes). She has a lot of spunk, and I have to give her a lot of credit. I don't know if I would have been back out there after the rough day the day before.

Cori:

Jonathan:

Linda:

Art w/his tools hanging out (rumor is he has 4... no, wait... not tools... it was... well, probably shouldn't say here on a public forum...):

Jonathan without a camera in front of his face (though you have proof that more pictures will be posted!):

We got back and the rest of the gang arrived shortly after. John had some issues w/trees and stumps thanks to a faulty rear brake... smashing his foot once and breaking the brake lever off completely the second time. Now that we are home, it's starting to hurt him pretty good. He's gimping around gingerly. Since he wouldn't be riding any more, we decided to pack up and come home. We packed everything, had a nice lunch w/the gang, and hit the road.

Thanks everyone for a great weekend! Can't wait to do it again sometime!!

HeidiB · July 21, 2008

Great ride report YamaMama! I really enjoyed reading about your weekend.

Glad you made some good memories with some great people.

Plushpuppy · July 21, 2008

woo YM! glad y'all had an awesome weekend!!!! can't wait to see your pictures. The wet sand must have been cool!

zig06 · July 21, 2008

What ORV trail did you guys run? I personally don't know of any that are close enough to any cabins (unless your bike is road legal...).

YamaMama · July 21, 2008

What ORV trail did you guys run? I personally don't know of any that are close enough to any cabins (unless your bike is road legal...).

We rode the Meadows trails out of Luzerne. There is a section of road from the gas station to the trail head that is ORV legal right there. The cabins are between the trail and the gas station. There was a lot of traffic though there all day long. The cabins are on Deeter Rd. just south of Ma Deeter's.

zig06 · July 21, 2008

We rode the Meadows trails out of Luzerne. There is a section of road from the gas station to the trail head that is ORV legal right there. The cabins are between the trail and the gas station. There was a lot of traffic though there all day long. The cabins are on Deeter Rd. just south of Ma Deeter's.

aka "Bull Gap" http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_15070-38330--,00.html

I normally stick to the west side of the state (Cedar Creek, White Cloud, Hulton, Little O, Evart, etc). Which would explain why I didn't know about the cabins. Sounds like a good time!

WyomingKim · July 21, 2008

Nice report YM...sounds as if there was a good time had by all.

Looking forward to more pics and reports. ?

?

Cori.....did you get your jetting figured out?

jackdrinker48015 · July 21, 2008

aka "Bull Gap" http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10365_15070-38330--,00.html
I normally stick to the west side of the state (Cedar Creek, White Cloud, Hulton, Little O, Evart, etc). Which would explain why I didn't know about the cabins. Sounds like a good time!

AKA.. The Meadows... http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/hmnf/pages/Recreation/pdf_files/mvummaps_huron/MVUM_HuronNF_West_d_size_300dpi.pdf

Only thing in common with Bull Gap is a connector...

We tend to stick to the east, which is why we never head west.. Except Evart which is 10 miles from my dads house..

jackdrinker48015 · July 21, 2008

Nice report YM...sounds as if there was a good time had by all.
Looking forward to more pics and reports. ?

?

Cori.....did you get your jetting figured out?

Yup, I got it good.. the 36mm PWK made a world of difference and I have the jetting really really close... I'll make a few little tweaks but it was sweet.. I even threw it around for a few miles...

jewels Gomez · July 21, 2008

cool pics n report...

WyomingKim · July 21, 2008

Yup, I got it good.. the 36mm PWK made a world of difference and I have the jetting really really close... I'll make a few little tweaks but it was sweet.. I even threw it around for a few miles...

Right On...glad to hear it.??

Sun · July 21, 2008

Nice report. Looks like a great place to ride and a fun time!

YamaMama · July 21, 2008

Keep your eyes peeled for more pics and more reports from the other folks. I have a mess of pictures that hubby took that I haven't even seen yet. ? I also have some helmet cam footage. ?

You may notice I took pictures of other people taking pictures... I have proof that there are other pictures out there. ?

WomanRider · July 21, 2008

Glad everone had fun. I thought out you while I was bicycling and canoeing.

NiceUserName · July 21, 2008

I really enjoyed meeting Art and Linda and I felt sad leaving Sunday afternoon. Linda is a real trooper and also a sweetheart and a saint for putting up with Art, who is slightly full of it. Actually Art was one heck of a nice guy and I enjoyed his stories and knowledge of bikes. And speaking of bikes, his hybrid (KDX220 in a KX125 frame) was one of the nicest handling bikes I’ve been on yet. I didn’t get to ride it on the trails, but just playing around with it at the campground, I was impressed at how buttery smooth and responsive the motor was and how well it handled. All together a very nice set up and it’s got Mark and I thinking about future projects for me. Linda’s little KLX140 was also very nice. Very smooth power delivery and it also handled very well.

I had a lot of fun riding with everyone and really like those MCCCT sections. That is how single track should look like. I could do without the 12” wide mega whoops in some sections and the sugar sand on one section of it over by M-72, but other than that, beautiful trail and there’s still plenty of it we didn’t see, so need to go back again. I think Art enjoyed the single track and I’m sure John did, judging by the ear to ear grin on his face. It’s really fun to ride with guys who have fun and enjoy themselves and I got a kick out of Art and John who both seemed like they were having a good time.

Cori also did very well and I think she’s finding her inner peace and riding very confidently these days. Jonathan was a sweetheart as usual, especially right before nap time.

Got to see some deer on the trail and stop and look at wild flowers and pick wild blueberries. I hope Linda posts that picture of the purple bells we were finding. I love being out in the woods. John showed me what winter mint looks like (I think it was winter mint – spearmint?) and it sure does taste good, especially when you’ve been sucking on dirt and sand.

I think Karen and I both got schooled on riding in the sand and while I still hate the dang stuff, I was sufficiently traumatized and subjected to enough of it to just get over it and ride through it without freaking out any more.

Art and Linda, that offer of baby back ribs is still good if you all want to come back sometime and ride the trails over by us. In hind sight, I think Linda would have done better over our way without so much sand, but the Meadows is still a beautiful area and a lot of fun.