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RR1: The Agassiz

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01 / Original postRR1: The AgassizRoger Buchanan · 30 May 2004 02 / This pagePosts 1–10Page 1 of 1 · chronological order 03 / Latest replyPost #10Roger Buchanan · 31 May 2004

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Mountain Bikes
Published
30 May 2004
Last activity
31 May 2004
Original author
Roger Buchanan
Posts
10
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Public discussion
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303
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Hydration

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  1. Original post
    Roger Buchanan
    Archived post
    #1

    We'd finally packed everything we'd need for our trip and were on the
    road. Full of elation that you get on that first day of holidays we
    pulled into the trailhead for our first ride. It was a long abandoned
    fire road. The temp was about 50F, and it was partly cloudy with a wind
    out of the NW. We planned to ride the trail North as it climbs a very
    little bit, and then enjoy the return with the tailwind.

    We were wondering what the first item we'd learn about having forgotten
    would be, and it turned out to be Linda's old riding shoes. More on that
    later. Off we went.

    About 3km into the ride we came to the first rougher section. Lots of
    erosion, washouts and the like. I made it fine through most of it until
    I came to a big mud hole spanning the whole fire road. I took what
    looked like the firmest of a very unfirm surface. I got 2/3 of the way
    across before I bogged down and stalled in the mud. The next thing was
    pure slapstick. I unclipped, put my right foot out, stepping
    inadvertently on the slope of an unseen rut. My foot slipped and I
    started to go over. I managed to catch myself with my right arm long
    enough to get my foot moved to make a tripod with the one arm, leg and
    bike. Then everything started sliding again, away from each other. PLOP!
    SPLEECK... Nice gooey mud all down my right side. How am I going to get
    this off??? (More on that later). It is at this point that Linda warns
    me against really crashing, or we turn around.

    At the 3.5km mark we come to a nice clear stream running across the fire
    road. It's about 8ft wide and 1.5 feet deep. I roll right into the
    clearest section. Well, as needs be, I needn't have really worried about
    the mud I was wearing after all. My front wheel got to the other side,
    found a wheel trap in all that clean water, and once again, over I went.
    SPLASH! Cold, cold, cold, fast running water.

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ1.jpg

    Just when we thought we were done with the water we came to this Beaver
    Pond:

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ2.jpg

    which I waded through like this:

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ3.jpg

    until we finally came out at the other side, which had the "caution
    ahead" sign <grin>

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ4.jpg

    Linda, having forgotten her old riding shoes, and refusing to get her
    new shoes wet, decided to walk across barefoot.

    We got sorta wrung out and then started riding. At 6km we saw a nice
    little mink scampering along the waters edge. At 10 km we stopped for a
    snack of fresh bananas. When I looked up I saw the most amazing creature
    about 75 yards further down the trail. I told Linda "move very slowly
    and look down at the corner of the trail, there's a Timber Wolf checking
    us out!". I'd only ever seen one other Timber Wolf before, and they're
    all huge compared to the Coyote or Brush Wolf. His paw prints were
    almost the size of my hand. Travelling into the wind can yield some
    surprising results. Then at 12km we saw a couple of White Tailed Deer.
    By this time I'd dried off nicely.

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ5.jpg

    At that point Linda was down to half her water, so it was time to turn
    around and head back. There's just no way I can get her interested in
    wearing a larger H20 capacity hydration pack.

    Things went remarkably
    well until the 18km point whereby Linda's bike seemed to buck, and OTB
    she went. Turns out it was likely a bit of the trail being off camber
    and loose, with the tire sliding out. Weird! I washed out the cuts and
    scrapes with water from MY hydration pack <evil grin>. She still doesn't
    want one...

    Well, back at the water and I'm carrying my bike. Linda opts for the
    "volume displacement" method, and manages to find the deepest part:

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ6.jpg
    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ7.jpg

    We walk and ride some of the rougher section and make our way back to
    the trailhead.

    General comments about the ride included:
    the fact that my "Sharks" socks were appropriate for the day.

    Owing to a heavy wet snow a couple of weeks earlier we saw a lot of pine
    trees that had snapped under the weight of the wet snow about 2/3 of the
    way up their trunk.

    A few Quads had been out on some sections of the trail, and those things
    sure can turn hard pack into "fluffed up pack".

    Soaking nicely warmed up legs in ICE COLD water in NOT conducive to
    making those last few km go by any more smoothly. (It was like trying to
    pedal by stretching cold toffee)

    Over the course of 24km, and 3 hrs, our bikes were either ridden,
    pushed, pulled, carried or floated. We encountered unexpected challenges
    and amazing sightings. It was Epic.

    And of course what should one have after such a nice ride, but an
    appropriately named treat!

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/images/AGASSIZ8.jpg

    Enjoy!

    --
    - Rog

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html

    NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM"
    from my "Reply To:" address, or it will be returned.

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  2. PAS
    Archived post
    #2
    Roger Buchanan said:
    Quoted message said:

    Soaking nicely warmed up legs in ICE COLD water in NOT conducive to


    making those last few km go by any more smoothly. (It was like trying
    to pedal by stretching cold toffee)

    Actually this is supposed to help reduce lactic acid buildup in the
    muscles. I seem to recall JD forcing us all to stand in the ice-cold Payette
    Lake after one of the AMB-ID rides.

    Great photos, time to invent a new sport combining snorkels and mountain
    bikes.

    penny

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  3. S o r n i
    Archived post
    #3
    Roger Buchanan said:

    We'd finally packed everything we'd need for our trip and were on the
    road. Full of elation that you get on that first day of holidays we
    pulled into the trailhead for our first ride. It was a long abandoned
    fire road. The temp was about 50F, and it was partly cloudy with a
    wind out of the NW. We planned to ride the trail North as it climbs a
    very little bit, and then enjoy the return with the tailwind.

    {snig ol' bip}

    Very enjoyable RR, Rog -- don't let your doc(s) read it, however!

    BTW, I hear Nashbar has a special on XT snorkles right now.

    Bill "rimshot" S.

    Report
  4. Monique Y. Mudama
    Archived post
    #4

    On 2004-05-30, Roger Buchanan penned:

    [adventure snipped]

    Okay, I'm never going to complain about the dinky little puddles I ride
    through again.

    Quoted message said:

    At that point Linda was down to half her water, so it was time to turn
    around and head back. There's just no way I can get her interested in
    wearing a larger H20 capacity hydration pack.

    How big is the one she uses?

    --
    monique

    "The people who run record companies now wouldn't know a song if it flew up
    their nose and died." -- David Crosby, on PBS Frontline

    Report
  5. Monique Y. Mudama
    Archived post
    #5

    On 2004-05-30, PAS penned:

    Quoted message said:
    Roger Buchanan said:
    Quoted message said:

    Soaking nicely warmed up legs in ICE COLD water in NOT conducive to


    making those last few km go by any more smoothly. (It was like trying
    to pedal by stretching cold toffee)

    Actually this is supposed to help reduce lactic acid buildup in the
    muscles. I seem to recall JD forcing us all to stand in the ice-cold
    Payette Lake after one of the AMB-ID rides.

    If a friend of mine suggested that, I'd suspect them of just trying to
    get a good laugh at my expense =P

    --
    monique

    Report
  6. Email address hidden
    Archived post
    #6

    After what you went into you need that beer. Thank
    goodness it isn't that [censored] water beer. Bud,Busch,Miller,and the lites.

    I MTB 2004

    Report
  7. Roger Buchanan
    Archived post
    #7
    PAS said:


    Roger Buchanan said:
    Quoted message said:

    Soaking nicely warmed up legs in ICE COLD water in NOT conducive to


    making those last few km go by any more smoothly. (It was like trying
    to pedal by stretching cold toffee)

    Actually this is supposed to help reduce lactic acid buildup in the
    muscles. I seem to recall JD forcing us all to stand in the ice-cold Payette
    Lake after one of the AMB-ID rides.

    Yeah... but this was **during** the ride... ;-)

    --
    - Rog

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html

    NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM"
    from my "Reply To:" address, or it will be returned.

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  8. Roger Buchanan
    Archived post
    #8
    S o r n i said:

    Very enjoyable RR, Rog -- don't let your doc(s) read it, however!

    Doc's?!?!? Where????

    Quoted message said:

    BTW, I hear Nashbar has a special on XT snorkles right now.

    Yeah... Shimano is milking that "hollowtech" stuff for all it's worth.
    --
    - Rog

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html

    NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM"
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  9. Roger Buchanan
    Archived post
    #9
    Monique Y. Mudama said:
    Quoted message said:

    At that point Linda was down to half her water, so it was time to turn
    around and head back. There's just no way I can get her interested in
    wearing a larger H20 capacity hydration pack.

    How big is the one she uses?

    Sorry. I wasn't very clear on that one. She just uses large bottles.
    Won't wear a pack no how!
    --
    - Rog

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html

    NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM"
    from my "Reply To:" address, or it will be returned.

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  10. Roger Buchanan
    Archived post
    #10
    Quoted message said:


    After what you went into you need that beer. Thank
    goodness it isn't that [censored] water beer. Bud,Busch,Miller,and the lites.

    It went down well after each ride. I even used a bottle of it a couple
    of days later to make some Beer & Cheese soup! Was it good? Well, Linda
    came back for seconds, and she *hates* beer...

    It's too bad none of the micro-breweries around here make an "assorted"
    pack with one or two of each beer they make. I don't drink a lot
    normally, and even less since my surgery, but I'd be willing to buy an
    assorted pack from micro place that I trust.

    --
    - Rog

    http://www.wpcusrgrp.org/~rogerbuchanan/index.html

    NOTE: to Reply to this, remove the phrase "NOSPAM"
    from my "Reply To:" address, or it will be returned.

    Report

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