RR: SSolo high altitude semi-epic

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a nearby
few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents, and one
that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many creek
crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to get that
brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up that
road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which would be
the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found the right
cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my mp3 player
and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on my bike - so
sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over my bars
and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff section
everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and not too
crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just goes
and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main Crest, but
just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to keep you on
your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

Heh, it's been too long but while carrying my bike across one of the log
crossings of 15-19 I fell into it's pool crunching my thigh between my bars
and toptube when I hit the bottom of the pool. I can trackstand all day on
my bike but I have [censored] balance when on my two feet. You, Jerry, and Bill
walked right across the log carrying your bikes.

Greg

--
Ticketmaster sucks, but everyone knows that:
http://ticketmastersucks.org

Dethink to survive - Mclusky

MattB wrote:
<SNIP THE CREST RR>

I'm supposed to attempt it again in a few weeks, but I think I'll just
jinx it again.

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

G.T. said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a
nearby few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents,
and one that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many
creek crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to
get that brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up
that road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which
would be the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found
the right cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my
mp3 player and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on
my bike - so sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to
where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're
tougher than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over
my bars and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff
section everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and
not too crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just
goes and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main
Crest, but just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to
keep you on your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

Heh, it's been too long but while carrying my bike across one of the
log crossings of 15-19 I fell into it's pool crunching my thigh
between my bars and toptube when I hit the bottom of the pool. I can
trackstand all day on my bike but I have [censored] balance when on my
two feet. You, Jerry, and Bill walked right across the log carrying
your bikes.

Jeez, I must have just been too dazed to realize I was doing it! I suck at
balancing acts...especially when carrying my bike. (I can't seem to
shoulder it the normal way due to my tweaked wing, so usually end up using
the bike as a "crutch" to cheat my way across. If it doesn't reach the
deck, I'm screwed!)

Nice RR, Matt. IIRC we shuttled that ride, so solo SS is quite the epic
indeed!

Bill "I sit in awe" S.

Quoted message said:

Greg

Bill Sornson said:

G.T. said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a
nearby few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents,
and one that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many
creek crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to
get that brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up
that road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which
would be the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found
the right cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my
mp3 player and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on
my bike - so sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

> From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to
> where I
crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're
tougher than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over
my bars and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff
section everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and
not too crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just
goes and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main
Crest, but just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to
keep you on your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

Heh, it's been too long but while carrying my bike across one of the
log crossings of 15-19 I fell into it's pool crunching my thigh
between my bars and toptube when I hit the bottom of the pool. I can
trackstand all day on my bike but I have [censored] balance when on my
two feet. You, Jerry, and Bill walked right across the log carrying
your bikes.

Jeez, I must have just been too dazed to realize I was doing it! I suck at
balancing acts...especially when carrying my bike. (I can't seem to
shoulder it the normal way due to my tweaked wing, so usually end up using
the bike as a "crutch" to cheat my way across. If it doesn't reach the
deck, I'm screwed!)

Nice RR, Matt. IIRC we shuttled that ride, so solo SS is quite the epic
indeed!

Bill "I sit in awe" S.

Same here.

Greg

--
Ticketmaster and Ticketweb suck, but everyone knows that:
http://www.ticketmastersucks.org

Dethink to survive - Mclusky

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...
(snip)

Quoted message said:

A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!".

(snip)

Quoted message said:

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

You're definitely tougher than ME!

MattB said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a nearby
few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents, and one
that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many creek
crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to get that
brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up that
road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which would be
the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found the right
cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my mp3 player
and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on my bike - so
sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over my bars
and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff section
everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and not too
crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just goes
and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main Crest, but
just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to keep you on
your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0442.JPG>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0443%20(2).JPG>

One of the harder ones I walked. I was already wet so I didn't try my
luck on that slippery looking log. Deeper than it looks!

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0454%20(2).JPG>

I found a huge mushroom the size of a cantelope. I didn't eat it.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0447%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0448.JPG>

Then there's an eerie section with car bits scattered around that came
from the pass a few hundred feet above. Kind of creepy.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0452%20(2).JPG>

Not too long after that theres one more spirit-crushing steep climb
back up to a two track, which then leads back to the car.
It was a good, clean (yet dirty) ride with no mechanicals or crashes.

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

Bad-ass. Great writeup, and the pics make me want a vacation. Props
on your climbing, that's a lot of feet for 34 miles. I'm thinking in
geared terms, btw. Top notch!

MattB said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a nearby
few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents, and one
that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many creek
crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to get that
brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up that
road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which would be
the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found the right
cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my mp3 player
and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on my bike - so
sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over my bars
and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff section
everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and not too
crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just goes
and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main Crest, but
just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to keep you on
your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0442.JPG>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0443%20(2).JPG>

One of the harder ones I walked. I was already wet so I didn't try my
luck on that slippery looking log. Deeper than it looks!

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0454%20(2).JPG>

I found a huge mushroom the size of a cantelope. I didn't eat it.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0447%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0448.JPG>

Then there's an eerie section with car bits scattered around that came
from the pass a few hundred feet above. Kind of creepy.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0452%20(2).JPG>

Not too long after that theres one more spirit-crushing steep climb
back up to a two track, which then leads back to the car.
It was a good, clean (yet dirty) ride with no mechanicals or crashes.

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

Great RR and some sweet pictures AND all with one gear, very cool.

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a nearby
few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents, and one
that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many creek
crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to get that
brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up that
road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which would be
the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found the right
cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my mp3 player
and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on my bike - so
sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over my bars
and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff section
everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and not too
crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just goes
and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main Crest, but
just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to keep you on
your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0442.JPG>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0443%20(2).JPG>

One of the harder ones I walked. I was already wet so I didn't try my
luck on that slippery looking log. Deeper than it looks!

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0454%20(2).JPG>

I found a huge mushroom the size of a cantelope. I didn't eat it.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0447%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0448.JPG>

Then there's an eerie section with car bits scattered around that came
from the pass a few hundred feet above. Kind of creepy.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0452%20(2).JPG>

Not too long after that theres one more spirit-crushing steep climb
back up to a two track, which then leads back to the car.
It was a good, clean (yet dirty) ride with no mechanicals or crashes.

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

Awesome job Matt. How long did it take? What gears were you running?
Nice pics, too.

Gary (ss's getting dusty from lack of use)

GeeDubb said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a nearby
few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents, and one
that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many creek
crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to get that
brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up that
road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which would be
the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found the right
cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my mp3 player
and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on my bike - so
sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over my bars
and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff section
everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and not too
crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just goes
and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main Crest, but
just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to keep you on
your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0442.JPG>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0443%20(2).JPG>

One of the harder ones I walked. I was already wet so I didn't try my
luck on that slippery looking log. Deeper than it looks!

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0454%20(2).JPG>

I found a huge mushroom the size of a cantelope. I didn't eat it.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0447%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0448.JPG>

Then there's an eerie section with car bits scattered around that came
from the pass a few hundred feet above. Kind of creepy.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0452%20(2).JPG>

Not too long after that theres one more spirit-crushing steep climb
back up to a two track, which then leads back to the car.
It was a good, clean (yet dirty) ride with no mechanicals or crashes.

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

Awesome job Matt. How long did it take? What gears were you running?
Nice pics, too.

Gary (ss's getting dusty from lack of use)

4:15, which I'm pretty happy with. In years past we rode that long or
longer after shuttling the big climb!

I'm running 2:1+1, 32:17 I think. Seemed just about right.

Matt

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

GeeDubb said:

4:15, which I'm pretty happy with. In years past we rode that long or
longer after shuttling the big climb!

Damn, that's fast.

Greg
--
Ticketmaster sucks, but everyone knows that:
http://ticketmastersucks.org
"Ya gotta stop riding the brakes,
ya gotta stop robbing the cradle" - Chris D

MattB said:

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Good stuff, Matt. Thanks for posting it up.

JD

MattB said:

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

Excellent RR!
We have bee doing nothing but SS rides but nothing like that!

I really enjoyed that!

MattB said:

Last Friday I wanted to go on a ride with a big descent to really
enjoy the new BB7 brake I recently added to my 1x1. There are a nearby
few trails that come to mind when I think of big descents, and one
that I thought would be perfect. Agate Creek. With it's many creek
crossings and big vertical drop it would be a perfect way to get that
brake broken in.
To ride as a loop, I parked at the lower trailhead and rode a fast
paved couple of Miles down to the base of Monarch and turned up the
road that leads to the bottom of Old Monarch Pass. A few Miles up that
road and I was turning onto the dirt to begin my climb which would be
the biggest of the day. As I got into my groove and found the right
cadence, Blind Faith's Jam #2 (Slow Jam) started up on my mp3 player
and I knew it was going to be a good day (yeah, tunes on my bike - so
sue me).

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0428%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0431.JPG>

About an hour or so later I found myself at the summit. The climb was
actually pretty enjoyable with the firm dirt from recent rains.

I stopped for a snack and looked back where I climbed from.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0433%20(2).JPG>

Quoted message said:

From there I took the Divide trail singletrack about a Mile to where I

crossed the pass and started climbing The Crest. At the top of one of
the higher points I had to stop and catch my breath. A guy in racer
garb who had followed me up the climb passed me saying "You're tougher
than me!". Ha! It didn't feel like it as I was leaning over my bars
and gasping.Once I recovered I continued on to the fast buff section
everyone loves so much. Being a week day, it was nice and not too
crowded. The spin felt great after that grind.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0438%20(2).jpg>

I stopped for lunch at the lean-to, which is also the turn off for
Green's Creek. There were three nice lady backpackers who had "too
much food" and were asking for volunteers to help them lighten their
loads. So the homemade beef jerky and fine sharp cheddar complimented
my PB & J nicely. The only other cyclists I saw all day were a group
of three I had passed earlier who were just arriving. One guy with
them was pretty overweight and looked like he was hurtin'. Hopefully
he made it out ok.

I continued on and turned on to the Agate Creek trail, which just goes
and goes down for a while. A little rougher than the main Crest, but
just a joy to ride and little surprises here and there to keep you on
your toes.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0439%20(2).JPG>

I counted 21 creek crossings, starting with this one. Crossings 1-14
were ridibale and pretty fun. 15-19 were too deep, rocky, and flowing
too fast, but the last couple were good to ride again.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0442.JPG>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0443%20(2).JPG>

One of the harder ones I walked. I was already wet so I didn't try my
luck on that slippery looking log. Deeper than it looks!

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0454%20(2).JPG>

I found a huge mushroom the size of a cantelope. I didn't eat it.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/img_0447%20(2)%20(2).jpg>
<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0448.JPG>

Then there's an eerie section with car bits scattered around that came
from the pass a few hundred feet above. Kind of creepy.

<http://tinyurl.com/36fcqo/IMG_0452%20(2).JPG>

Not too long after that theres one more spirit-crushing steep climb
back up to a two track, which then leads back to the car.
It was a good, clean (yet dirty) ride with no mechanicals or crashes.

34 Miles, 4300' of climbing, 21 creek crossings, and one gear. Good
times!

Matt

Schweet. Can you be nostalgic for a place you've never been?

/s

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

GeeDubb said:

4:15, which I'm pretty happy with. In years past we rode that long or
longer after shuttling the big climb!

Damn, that's fast.

Greg

Really fast considering it took me 8.5 hours to do 42 miles last year on a
geared bike!

Gary

"GeeDubb" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

"G.T." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"MattB" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

GeeDubb wrote:
>

4:15, which I'm pretty happy with. In years past we rode that long or
longer after shuttling the big climb!

Damn, that's fast.

Greg

Really fast considering it took me 8.5 hours to do 42 miles last year on a
geared bike!

And considering that Agate Creek ain't the smoothest descent on the planet.

I bought some beans from the Supreme Bean today. Those guys are really
cool, they're right by the bike path now, and many of their employees ride
bikes to work. I asked them about the possibility of doing public tastings
there and they said they've been thinking about it.

Greg
--
Ticketmaster and Ticketweb suck, but everyone knows that:
http://ticketmastersucks.org

Dethink to survive - Mclusky

Quoted message said:

I bought some beans from the Supreme Bean today. Those guys are really
cool, they're right by the bike path now, and many of their employees ride
bikes to work. I asked them about the possibility of doing public
tastings there and they said they've been thinking about it.

Greg
--

I may have to start ordering from them as my coffee roaster is getting tired
after some 600 roasts. A new roaster is in the $500 range and that's money
that could be spent on a new bike.....

Gary