4/26 KT Spring  Xing

Crossing of the Kanawha Trace is a ride I try to get in some fashion at least once a year.  A Spring weekend is prime time to put tracks to this 32 mile Boy Scout trail.  I had my doubts if could be pulled of so soon while my rid cage healed up.  Andy was on board as wing man and kept things on track for a Saturday departure, while I down-played the magnitude of the ride.  I did take one day off the bike and use that time to chock the fuel tank.  The daily bowl of oatmeal (apple, cinnamon, flax seed and peanut butter) 2 egg and sausage biscuits from Hardees (fulfilling 8AM meetings) for breakfast.  All of one large $5 Little Caesars' pepperoni pizza for lunch.  Rocco's pasta and a big salad topped out the days caloric intake with a late 9 o'clock supper.  As I watched the areas only certified broadcasts meteorologist spout of about exactly when the rain was going to be at such and such and how your day was going to be, I thought, bullshit my forecast would be that the rains would peter out, and my day would be just fine.  Well there was no rain, not even a drop.  I mean those guys get paid a lot to pretend they know what they are doing.  Maybe I am a little jealous.

Saturday morning we ran the auto shuttle to Hurricane and started the ride behind Saturn.  This left the trail head was 15 miles away along dwindling road surfaces.  Up and over to Fraziers Bottom in a hour five enjoying the easy rolling pace while we could.  A quick water top off and a snack before we hit the trail for the first 4 mile leg that stutter steps up to Lookout Point.  I hoped we could make it thru the 1000ft of climbs in an hour, things looked good with at mile 30 with a fresh reroute from low in the creek to up into the woods.

so fresh you - can smell it

Then the first deflation of the day came at 29 in the countdown of miles.  That deflating feeling you get when you realize you may not have a spare tube at exactly the same time your rear tire is going flat.  And what if it's going flat cause you rip the valve stem loose, cause that is unrepairable - and that is what it was.  Andy only had one 29" spare tube due to the fact I took his 26" spare about a week or so ago and hadn't paid him back.  After eating some crow about how I could go so rooky on this ride, I proceeded to jam and fold the 29'r tube into my little tire.  Got it up to pressure - no lump no bump no problem the rest of the day.  We roll past Lookout at one and a half hours trail time.  Four miles of trail in 90 minutes - just 28 more miles!  Things pickup as the Trace goes down and back roads; Mount Zion, Guyan Creek, Bear Hollow. Miles start to tick off a little faster now, one by another.

ramps ?  

 A 25 minute Lunch stop around mile 20 near Blackjack felt like it was five.  Didn't want to leave but there was many a mile ahead.  Cow fields and gravel and hike a bikes and sweet single track blurred together while they tick by. 

4 hours ride time - quite time settles in

where there's bull there's bullshit

The last photo - it was all hump to finish after this. 

6:50 KT time

8:00? total ride time

4/24 Fast Weak

Prelude KT from Blue Sulpher with Andy

Interesting Weakly

Dwayne pulled a smokin river train and bailed

Jay was stuck in traffic

I counted no dabs on the O.C.

Phil was photogenic

JT

Greg

Matt

made the ride

but missed the lens

4/22 T N P

I usually avoid this sort of  thing, mainly in part because every single time I show up I hear things like this ... "real fast pace" or  "hardest night yet".  Maybe I inflict that sort of thing, showing up in MTB shoes and a flat bar on the road bike.  I like to say that I contribute something to the ride, even if it is easy prey. 

Tuesday night is the fast group road ride that Takes No Prisoners.  Meaning if you (me) goes off the back you (me) are left on your (my) own.  I made it ten miles then I was on my own, the mountain biker refugee.  I know I suck at this sort of thing but WTF I usually make at least to the point when it really ramps up. 

Being left out this early left options, like, maybe a gravel ridge shortcut.  Township Road 156 was right there, going up into hillbilly heaven, red clay mud bogs requiring dismounts and fine line skill to make it through the spaghetti ruts clean.  Onward on the ridge to the finest packed dirt and little loose gravels.  Sketchy fast descent  and a long dirt rollout, about five miles of dirt in all.  I had all but forgotten the quality dirt road riding the southern most point in Ohio offers.  Then I forgot about the TNP.  I rolled up to the shop about three minutes before the night's contenders.  A dirty little shortcut maybe, but I like that exact sort of thing.

4/20 Going Green

I thought about it and loading grub onto your back may not be the most efficient way to go about it.  I got the B.O.B trailer, could add a tub or something and the packing would be a lot easier and the total items hauled could be increased.  Maybe it's not worth the effort, but the trailer is sitting there, being wasteful.  I am going to be riding anyway, always looking for a purpose in each ride.  Just another idea to keep me amused, efficient as it may be.

Sunday piddlin and wrenchin, little wiped out from the previous day's adventure riding, rounded out the rolling inventory to 4 complete bikes.  The most up and ready line-up that has been on hand for quite a while.  The newly resurrected hardtail needed a test run and we needed some ground cow and kitty litter from the store.  I usually don't do store runs on the bike.  Normally errands are run in a car conjunction with other trips, but  the thought of unparking a car that could set idle for the entire weekend went across my grain.  So now there was a reason to ride -  for 75 cents in fuel savings plus the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you are saving the planet.  Found an appropriate back pack and bike lock, waited out a short April shower and was off for the 7 mile round trip.

List in hand, items secured and paid for I am there in the checkout - the freak packing and strapping all his groceries in a nap sac.  Ten pounds of kitty litter, one pound ground cow, plastic tomatoe, lettuce, buns and a bunch off bananas.  Hey, it's Earth Day week - people need to see this sort of thing.   Maybe someone will think about it, what they could do.  (like maybe not eating cow ... (shit))   And that maybe I'm not just some crazy little f 'er riding a bicycle.  Well maybe I am.  

4/19 deTour Mason

Poster Boy

Sent out the word...

The  deTour Mason 50 miler is on the books for this weekend.

Lotts of road

Lots of gravel

Out to some candy trail sections

Rolling from houses

Sat or Sun ?

Jearly AM thang  -?-  haven’t looked for a weather skirt

Respond here

I got one sheep er, taker

Andy called in sick.  Phillip thought he would like this sort of thing.  On a single speed.  Goody.  Fifteen miles of flat spinning pavement to the first gravel climb.  Twenty-three mile before hitting trail at Lookout Point.  This is where Philip mentioned he had not the idea of the severity of the ride.  Eight more miles of prime Mason County gravel before turning west, back on the Kanawha Trace at Guyan Creek.  Twelve miles of true tracking the Trace then onto the blue blaze of Big Cabell Ck Road.  This (after 47 miles) is where the Fuji falls apart, Phillip's left crank separates from the bottom bracket spindle and neither of us have an 8mm Allen to torque it back in place.  He does a bit of one legged spinning, I do some towing and a little pushing.  It was going to be a long four miles back on foot.  I scout on ahead to the next house and find someone out in the garage welding on a short track race car frame in the garage.  I secure the use of the appropriate tool and we get things back in one piece with little effort. 

A full working day on the bike - rolled at 9:30 and finished up at 5:00.  One flat in addition to the de-cranko defacto.  A couple of pic-a-nic stops and some mellow slumminess on Phil's part, but notning into the thumb twiddling range.  I picked up the missing parts of the KT to piece together a full crossing of the Trace for the year and Phillip can now say he has done every section of the KT (rethink- maybe he has not been to Gobbler Knob?) 

Anyway, a local classic checked off. 

Feels good.

Knotty Pine Lodge - Mason Co, WV

 Kanawha Trace

Bear Hollow

... 36 miles into the ride

 Blackjack

4/17 Weakly

Thursday evening fun ride from exit 18 into Barboursville ParK

    "THIS IS MY RIDING SHIRT"

planes trains and automobiles

Phillip Matt Dwayne Greg                               and                                  Andy

River Trail

Osage Grove

4/15 Contrast and Perspective

 Ex-pate Nate sent in a bunch of photos from a couple ride last week.  I guess if you can't race around in the muck with your buds, this is the next best thing.  Riding out the door for this would take little to get used to.  The early burst of Spring and greenery looks soo dreamy. 

WS Trail - California

4/13 Take it Easy

 My neighbor, Greg Pickens

Still feeling the effects from last weeks race mishap I ramped up the spectator mode for WVMBA #2 - the Challenge at Mountwood park in Parkersburg, WV.   Caught a ride up Sunday morn with Dwayne, pedaled around, shook some cowbell and snapped some shots when the camera allowed. 

bunches of photos

 Nice turnout for rainy, sleety and muddy day that seen some of the front runners straying from the course resulting in a major setback that could not be overcome. 

Hanging out and watching was a definite change of pace, but an easy one at that.  Keeping the focus on the Ultra Series Races. Things should be on track in three week for the Middle Mountain Momma.

 Dwayne Walters bike bFAT

4/10 Weakly

Phillip stickin' the tricky climb

Six riders for the weekly Weakly setting the track.  Tom was there demonstrating regroup shortcuts for the climbing impaired.   Potential for timed loop competition on the upper loop for next week, if the interest is there.  Casual group riding and ~15 minute cruise interval.  The best of both worlds.  

Dwayne rolling into the rocks during the Weakly at Barboursville Park

4/9 What you Want

Video from across the pond in the Alps of France: 

  Mondial Du VTT Descente de Venosc caméra embarquée

jes mane

4/7 The Way the Cookie Crumbled

Okay I bit it hard.  Stupid log on one of the ridge down slopes.  I seen it.  I feared it.  I slowed way down to hop it.  I still bit it hard.  Smashed my glasses in between my face and the turf.  Helmet saved my noggin.  Got some tweaked muscles in my right rib cage.  Toughed it out to the end with several help me Jesus moments.  Legs and the motor were up to speed, so I was I bit disappointed, lost maybe 7 positions looking at the results.  I was playing the cat and mouse thing with a bunch of single speeders, reveling in their perdicaments.  I was on the full boing and was glad, that was the only thing that enabled me to finish with the discomfort.  Better finishing time than last years meltdown by 16 minutes at five hours and 35 minutes so I will take it for what it is worth.  Live and learn.  Racing is out at Mountwwod - will still be on the rejuve.

New Castle VA.  Dragons Back XX.  50 racers log in for the 9AM start. 

That's all I can manage right now head and body still kinda foggy

dwell on this later

ouch

4/5 Leaving the Mud

This time tomorrow i hope to be up Deer Trail turning to the north and having ten miles of glorious ridge top "trail" to skirt about. 

No roads no cars no 4x4's or four dweelers.  Just bikes - maybe a dozen or so for the early start doubleX that really isn't too double, at least as climbing concerned.  Just mo ridge (and mor forest road back) 

If you are running well you get to mix it up with the regular xc and finish before 'em.  I might not see nobybody after the first climb.  Like last year (photo at right) I usually find somebody to roll with on the long road back.  Checking out all that way along that ridge that is well, wow.  The road is long enough to make the last single track climb welcomed.  Double down on Grouse.  yeh. 

Weather is should be perfect.  Where else right now can you actually get in some quality durt.  With the exception of the "ring of fire" it will mud free.  Little 1 mile loop that is a fast blast when its dry, but expect the mudder deluxe.   Worth the trip for shit. 

Its all packed, precook and prepared.  The easy stuff is what lays ahead.  Driving eating chillin drinking eating sleeping eating and riding.  Just waiting for GO>  New Castle VA

4/3 Weakly

Oh the weather curse of the weekly!  Rain all day understandably cuts into participation, but how many people does it take to dig ditches?  By six o'clock the rain took a break at the Park and held of till the end.  Kept the loops up on top, identified and worked on several drainage impaired spots.  Left the trails in better shape than when we went in.  Slicky sliding skills tweaked, gotta love a mudder. 

4/2 Douthat Trail Mission Follow Up

Got this story line today;

this is one section of trail that will not become lost to wilderness

stamping the mtb name on it

 a photo journey of our day on Beards Mtn.

http://picasaweb.google.com/shenandoah.mountain.touring/SVBCBeardsMtnTrailworkMission

*Crew Leader Information*
Name: Chris Scott

E-mail: chris@mountaintouring.com

*Trail Information*
District: Warm Spring Ranger District
Trail Number: #459 and #459A
Name: Beards Mtn. Trail and Beards Mtn. Spur Trail
Section: Full length of trail from southern end at Douthat State Park to swinging bridge over the Cowpasture River at the Walton Tract 

*Work Information*
Trip Date: 3/30/08
Work Performed: Chainsawing dead fall, brushing trail corridor, and minimal tread work 
Num Workers: 9
Total Work Hrs: 90 Hrs - 9 people at 10 hrs  
Total Travel Hrs: 20 hrs - 2 vehicles from Harrisonburg 4 hrs each, 6 hrs for Ohio vehicle, 1 bike rider 6 hrs
Names: Chris Scott, Michael Carpenter, Thomas Jenkins, Kyle Lawrence, Kurt Rosenburger, Mistly Tilson, Joey Boyle, Mike Boyes, and Dan Oats

Equipment used: 3 brushers, 2 chainsaws and various hand tools property of Shenandoah Valley Bicycle Coalition

*Comments*

We did not open up the trail visually from Douthtat State Park, the trail intersection is still mostly unnoticeable
Unauthorized ATV use is probably coming from the Hickman Draft area and continuing about 3 miles south of the intersection with the Spur Trail along the ridge top cutting off and on the trail

Trail needs to be re blazed with paint

Tread work needs to be performed on the Spur Trail, the very bottom 1/3 mile and top section are most needed areas. The soil is very soft with steep grades. The benching will go very quickly with a large group.

We can still notice the tread work that was done 3 years ago by your work party

Thanks for letting our club get out there and get this amazing trail opened up

Chat soon,

Chris

3/30 Trail Frattin

  Headed down south with Joey from the north, to the magical land of Douthat State Park, leaving wet soggy foothills and upGrading for dry trails.  Stoney Run up Middle and down Fore was a an hour prelude to the hugeness of Warm Springs - 2500 ft elevation gain with a brushy Brushy for trail payoff. Shakedown camping along Wilson Creek to meet up with the  Harrisonburg Crew that evening.  Major trail maintenance day on the other side of the park on and off Beards MT. 

S-D-S is getting tighter

Brushy Mountain with Elliots Knob on the horizon

morning chow

yes

 biggest challenge of the day...

goin in deep

diggin in

hallelujah ! brothers

lunchin brunchin somethin ...

\bike bFAT

Beech Fork Association of Trails

Barboursville's Fun Awesome Trails

bFAT is an informal group of riders who appreciate the land and ride for a healthy well being.

Beech Fork is mostly a single track trail that follows around the lake leading into a combination of creek bed, hill climb, and fast downhill back to the lake.  Barboursville's Park has some nice runs from the top with  numerous scenic overlooks from the  sheer  cliffs and steep drops. The flat single track that follows the river and comes out behind the lake - is where the real fun can begin or end. Click on the link at top of page - above (right or left) to see a map!    The  Kanawha Trace and Adahi Trails are 32 mile and  17 mile multi user trails crossing over private land.  Check with the Tri-State Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America for trail information and registration.

bFAT email groupo<----click here  Become a part of an e-group forum that will let all subscribers communicate (free!). Send an e-mail with the word "join" in the subject or body and you'll get hooked up with other riders, to do fun group rides, get trail info and conditions, technical advice, etc.

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for more info  admister @ bike bFAT