RR: Eff All This Rain!

This Rain, this fog, this snow, this wind....where the hell is the sun?!

I could wait no longer. I couldn't stand taking lame road trips on my SS. I couldn't stand being
away from my trails, I just couldn't stand looking at my clean, untouched, unmuddied SS setting in
the corner of my cave. We had to get out or we would both simply wither away into dust.

Weather: %70 chance of severe thunderstorms, gray skies, low 60's F.

Well hey that means I have a %30 chance of having a good sloppy, dangerous ride if the severe
thunderstorms pass us by. The odds were in my favor, at least that's what I told myself.

I put on my biking gear(tee shirt and shorts), prolinked the chain, filled up an extra water bottle,
headed out the door, onto the street, and made the trail head by a quarter to three.

Ugly from the start. The first thing is see is Barney trail damage. Tons of newly formed cheater
lines formed by riders, and I use the term loosely, going around a little puddle of mud. For MV's
sake get off and walk your bike around or take it through the damn mud. Don't start widening what
used to be beautiful single track.

The conditions were such that I had to stay mainly on the rocky trails knowing full well this
could turn out to be quite treacherous. I was on a mission to have a good ride and clear my mind
of the cobwebs that have formed from not riding the trails in such a long time...It was a ride
worth the risks.

About 30 minutes into the ride I run into a family of hikers that had made their way up into the
park. Hmmm, didn't they see the weather forecast? They shouldn't have been out there with 4 to 8
year olds hiking around, not knowing where the hell they were going, not to mention no map, not to
mention not knowing how to read the blazes.

They asked me for directions back down into the park and what are those funny painted marks on the
trees and rocks. After a lengthy explanation I turn them around and get them going back down into
the park. MV only knows what would have happened to them when the skies opened up and they found
themselves completely lost in the woods. This one moment made the entire ride worth while. I
actually helped a family from senseless pain and suffering....Thank MV for Mountain Bikers!

After dabbing my way though a number of rocky trails, I came across a hiker. I stopped to let him
know that he would probably come across a lost family and gave him the run down. He said he had an
extra map and would make sure they would find their way back down into the park. Huh, extra map?
Must have been or still is a Boy scout.

Sometime later I had to take cover in one of the parks tunnels underneath the train tracks that run
parallel to the river. Guess I lost the %30 bet. It wasn't too bad I only waited for about 20 to 30
minutes for the downpour to pass. I didn't mind much, I mean how much wetter can the trails get? So
far my ride was just fine, slow and easy. But I knew it was going to be a bitch getting back home.

I made loop around and started back out on the main park roads. It's only a slight drizzle by now. A
car passed and honked, I turn to look and I see the two young Cleaver kids waving from the back
seat, I assumed Ward and June were up front having out. It was about 1 and an half hours since I
first encountered them on the trail. Hope they didn't get too wet on their excellent adventure.

After a lung busting, thigh burning, SS trip up and out of the park, I was fully satisfied with the
ride. The trails are in pretty bad shape and I didn't help much by being out on them in these
conditions. But I just had to do it or I would have snapped. I don't think they will be in good
shape until the mid July.

Ride safe, and stay on the trails at all costs.

Peace, Bill(satisfied)Wheeler. The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a
reflector, that is, the mind should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of
the world.
:-]

 

"Bill Wheeler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> snip another excellent RR
>
> After a lung busting, thigh burning, SS trip up and out of the park, I was fully satisfied with
> the ride. The trails are in pretty bad shape and I didn't help much by being out on them in these
> conditions. But I just had to do it or I would have snapped. I don't think they will be in good
> shape until the mid July.
>
> Ride safe, and stay on the trails at all costs.
>
> Peace, Bill(satisfied)Wheeler.

I'm assuming this is a Patapsco RR, what with the train-track-tunnel rain shelter and the fact that
you seem to ride there a lot...

So, really, how bad are the trails? I was planning on going up Tuesday, but not if the trails
need the rest. Things weren't so bad a month ago, but it's been warmer and wetter since. Is it
worth a trip?

Is the Grist Mill trail still closed on weekdays?

Last time I went to Patapsco, some guy on a FS MGX offered me $10 to carry his bike up the Soapstone
trail to his car, over at the park and ride. I guess he didn't want to interrupt his smoking. Dick.

Chris

 

On Mon, 02 Jun 2003 01:23:01 GMT, "Chris" <[email protected]> wrote:

>I'm assuming this is a Patapsco RR, what with the train-track-tunnel rain shelter and the fact that
>you seem to ride there a lot...

Yep.

>
>So, really, how bad are the trails? I was planning on going up Tuesday, but not if the trails
>need the rest. Things weren't so bad a month ago, but it's been warmer and wetter since. Is it
>worth a trip?

Parts of the trails are really bad. It's worth the trip if you stay on the trails. Some really deep
mud. If you know where the rocks are stay on those trails.

>
>Is the Grist Mill trail still closed on weekdays?

Don't know....not sure I know that trail by that name.

>
>Last time I went to Patapsco, some guy on a FS MGX offered me $10 to carry his bike up the
>Soapstone trail to his car, over at the park and ride. I guess he didn't want to interrupt his
>smoking. Dick.

Yep

>
>Chris
>
Peace, Bill The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind
should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]

 

> "Bill Wheeler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > snip another excellent RR
> >
> > After a lung busting, thigh burning, SS trip up and out of the park, I was fully satisfied with
> > the ride. The trails are in pretty bad shape and I didn't help much by being out on them in
> > these conditions. But I just had to do it or I would have snapped. I don't think they will be in
> > good shape until the mid July.
> >
> > Ride safe, and stay on the trails at all costs.
> >
> > Peace, Bill(satisfied)Wheeler.
>

We got over an inch and a third alone on Saturday. I got up on Sunday and knew the trails would be
wet/muddy, but the fact that my father has been rediagnosed with cancer and may have only 2-3 months
to live was enough of a motivator to go ride my heart out. Beside the fact, if you aren't into mud
riding around here, you might as well put your bikes up for the summer, because I have a feeling it
is going to be like this for a while (hope to be proven wrong!)

 

Bill Wheeler <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This Rain, this fog, this snow, this wind....where the hell is the sun?!

Rain? Fog? What's that eh?!?!?!?

Shaun aRe 5 days, mid 70's to high 80's, clear skies, heheheheh............

 

"Shaun Rimmer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
|
| Bill Wheeler <[email protected]> wrote in message
| news:[email protected]...
| > This Rain, this fog, this snow, this wind....where the hell is the sun?!
|
|
|
| Rain? Fog? What's that eh?!?!?!?
|
|
|
|
| Shaun aRe 5 days, mid 70's to high 80's, clear skies,
heheheheh............
|
|

Dammit! the Effing Limeys got our spring!

Nelson<---bloody Yank ready to dump some tea!

---
__o _`\(,_ Cycling is life, (_)/ (_) all the rest, just details. Nelson Binch =^o.o^=
http://intergalax.com

Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.486 / Virus Database: 284 -
Release Date: 5/29/2003

 

Nelson Binch <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Shaun Rimmer" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> |
> | Bill Wheeler <[email protected]> wrote in message
> | news:[email protected]...
> | > This Rain, this fog, this snow, this wind....where the hell is the sun?!
> |
> |
> |
> | Rain? Fog? What's that eh?!?!?!?
> |
> |
> |
> |
> | Shaun aRe 5 days, mid 70's to high 80's, clear skies,
> heheheheh............
> |
> |
>
> Dammit! the Effing Limeys got our spring!

Yeah, you're pissed now, but that spring of yours is our 'high summer' FFS, heheheheh...............

> Nelson<---bloody Yank ready to dump some tea!

WTF are you onnabout Nelz, ya bloody weirdo?

Shaun aRe

 

"Bill Wheeler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> This Rain, this fog, this snow, this wind....where the hell is the sun?!
>

I have a trail system near me where NOONE rides. When it's wet I hit that and get about 8 miles in.

Nice RR Bill and thanks for the Avalon updates.

Marty

 

On Mon, 2 Jun 2003 16:11:42 +0100, "Shaun Rimmer" <[email protected]> wrote:

>
>Bill Wheeler <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> This Rain, this fog, this snow, this wind....where the hell is the sun?!
>
>
>
>Rain? Fog? What's that eh?!?!?!?
>
>
>
>
>Shaun aRe 5 days, mid 70's to high 80's, clear skies, heheheheh............
>

Amazing, simply amazing!. It's not even raining at Roland Garros! It always rains during the French
Open, WTF?

Guess this is Mother Nature's payback.....for something.

Peace, Bill The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind
should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]