I finally rode Honeycomb for the first time last fall....and was suddenly asking myself "What have I been doing with my life?" That's a fun trail.
BMT is fun. Worth the grunt. Pedal up it before the Tram loads bikes.
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I finally rode Honeycomb for the first time last fall....and was suddenly asking myself "What have I been doing with my life?" That's a fun trail.
BMT is fun. Worth the grunt. Pedal up it before the Tram loads bikes.
As a bonus, once you pedal all the way up the Soli Summit road a few times you'll never complain about Puke Hill again!Quote:
Originally Posted by joetron
Worst climb ever! Save yourself the effort and just shuttle the crest.
First foray of the season to PC last night, I was shocked at the depth of the moondust on the lower trails already. Armstrong is a powder field, Moosehouse is basically a dusty trench. Super bummed as I heard it was completely primo last week. Exited via Loose Moose for the first and last time, perfect trail to learn how to manage 2 wheel drifts in blown out corners and to test high speed rebound on the insane brake-bumps. Silver Queen is still running good, get it before it becomes Mars! Looks like the new 9k trail is almost G2G, I fear the window to nail Black Forest is going to be super short this year.
Still a great time up there, roaming around the aspens is hard to beat.
I think I got the great idea from you to get to the top of Soli starting at Brighton - Lake Mary- Solitude. #neverforget #neveragainQuote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
What's the new 9K trail? I wasn't shocked by dust, it didn't seem too bad on Jennis, but getting back to my car the 'trailhead' at 6:15 was shocking. Swarms of people going up and groups of 10 riding, nooooo thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boissal
Attachment 330654
Nope, wasn't me. I've never once accessed the top of Solitude via Brighton. I've gone up the Lake Mary trail several times to access LCC or AF via Catherine's Pass, but that's it.Quote:
Originally Posted by muted
https://www.trailforks.com/trails/9k-trail/Quote:
Originally Posted by muted
Connects Empire Pass to Black Forest. Whether that's a good thing or not is highly debatable.
I know a few people that prefer to go that way. It is significantly less climbing if I remember right and it gets you a fun, chunky descent in the middle of your climb. You either have to pedal up the pavement or shuttle up to Brighton.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
Ha, OK. Doesn't really matter who told me, any route is worth doing once.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
[Huh, that's not a need I ever thought about.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
Now i see it says, "Phase 2 will be an additional connection linking to Shadow Lake and Scott's Bowl to be completed Summer 2020."
OK, I'm open to this idea now. Why not.
Moosehouse was mostly like that last Friday. Not too bad, but I'm certainly not surprised to hear your report. Was Mojave open? I rode Silver Queen after finding out Mojave was still closed last Friday. Agree that SQ is in good shape.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boissal
What is the preferred descent when it's this dry? I rode red bull the same day and it's getting quite loose. CMG maybe? But I think the upper section is 2-way
Yeah I think Steve Lloyd usually goes that way. I'd rather loop it than shuttle which means a fairly long road grind to Brighton so I'd rather just get on dirt at Soli.Quote:
Originally Posted by dfinn
I'm squarely on the bad thing side. Black Forest isn't a trail that is going to fare well with more traffic, especially from the lock-the-rear-brake-and-slide-around crowd. It's going to get ridden 5x as much now that you don't have to pay your dues to get to ze top and will probably be a 4' deep dusty trench by mid June, same as Moosehouse. Too bad, I absolutely LOVE riding it but it gets any more blown it's going to move from fun to dumb. Oh well...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
I didn't see anything to indicate that Mojave would be closed, I assume it's G2G.Quote:
Originally Posted by g_man80
Preferred descent is a good question. I tend to go to Moosehouse when I'm in the area as even when it's blown to shit it's fun and I still have to commit to all the drops. Moosepoop is cool but I don't like the pavement finish so I tend to get on GraveDigger then 4:20 and Sweeney's (bouncy as hell) or Flat Cable/Jennys, neither of which are conducive to hauling ass in my book (not a bad thing as it's usually dark by the time I get there). If I'm closer to PC proper I usually pick CMG over Spiro. It sees less traffic (including hikers) and doesn't have as many corners to turn into giant craters. RedBull is cool and once things are dry it's not any looser than the other options and is more exciting.
Thanks. There was a large sign across the trail at the top that said Closed. I don't know if that was due to conditions or trail work? I'll check it out next time I'm up that way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boissal
Mtn trails keeps it closed until it’s fully dried out to protect it, same with SQ.
Rode up keystone, big mess of downed trees before silver lake. Lower apex and upper cmg are in great shape.
File that mm to jennis section of CMG under trials that should be one way, you can go wayyyyyyy too fast on that.
Hoping to hit Black Forest soon before the crowds find out about it, luckily there are still a lot of old school trails below MM that are too tight for the kids these days.
First downed tree on pine cone is a mile up, I turned around.
This was my last week of riding pcmr pre-5pm as I’m trading my 6-2 for a new, grown up 9-5, only took me until 33 to do so, had nearly 10 years here riding midweek without crowds. Was nearly empty on the trials from 1-4pm.
Attachment 330679
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Thanks for the report, that's some good info! Agree that CMG is dangerously fast and would be less sketch as a one way.Quote:
Originally Posted by Phall
You've been way lucky with that schedule!! I ride PC from 5:30PM (if I'm lucky to get out early) until dark, smack in the middle of the rush. I was surrounded by cars with bike racks from the time I got off I-80 yesterday, talked to 3 groups in the lot, passed about 30 people on Armstrong (groups of up to 8), and got back down to find about 12 different clusters of people hanging out drinking beers. Everyone was psyched and pleasant the whole time and it didn't bother me one bit but the thought of riding for 2 hours with no people in sight still makes me drool...
Mojave was G2G today, no closure sign, no wetness, fast sticky dirt. Somehow I had never ridden it, that hole in my resume is now filled.
Black Forest is also primo, there is 1 patch of snow left just before getting to the intersection with Evil Empire. The flat section that follows has a bunch of deadfall, I pulled 2 skinny trees down but the other 3 or so are too big for one person to move. There are 2 HUGE aspens in the trail immediately after the junction with 9k Trail and one a bit further down the flowy section that could be bad news, it sneaks up on you rather fast. I ate shit hard crossing the steep snowfield on Bow Hunter, turns out mtb shoes don't work as well as ski boots to kick step. Also got screamed at by a party who thought I was poaching the 9K Trail, had to have a chat with them about calming the fuck down, riding the first 100' allows you to avoid a huge snowfield blocking Corvair and I was done hiking in snow for the day. Payroll is running great and doubles as a bike wash with the creek running high.
I had an interesting encounter with an aggressive dusky grouse on Fat Lip. I was slogging across one of the rooty meadows and saw this fat bird walking down the trail heading my way. I figured it would notice me and bolt (which is what always happens in the winter with grouses) but he had other thoughts and came straight at me to attack my tire. I got off the bike and he must have realized that my leg was less puncture-proof than a DHF because he ran under the frame and pinched the shit out of me. I pushed him off with my foot (didn't want to kick him, figured he had a lady friend nesting close by, who am I to interrupt his date) but he came right back for more brawling. I hopped on the bike to flee but he kept coming and managed to peck me a couple of times while I was spinning away. I dropped him on the downhill and escaped with my tail between my legs. Lost my honor in a duel with a grouse, I think it's all over for me.
Apparently "his" name is Gretchen. Mountain Trails Foundation said to watch out for her. Guess you aren't her only enemy, lol.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boissal
Shit that was a female? I thought only the males were territorial and aggressive. Now I'm really glad I didn't run into a dude grouse, he probably would have shot me on sight.Quote:
Originally Posted by snowaddict91
Edit: found the post, one of the few reasons to miss not being on FB. Gretchen is a good name. Wonder if anyone looked under he skirt to confirm the gender, she sure looked like a male based on pics but I'm no avian expert.
I was gonna post the screenshot but the GD iphone app won't let me post screenshots. Glad you found it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Boissal
It's amazing that she's attacked enough people that they actually mentioned it in a post. I used to only worry about moose around PC, now I have to keep an eye out for birds...Quote:
Originally Posted by snowaddict91
That was hilarious. It's a crying shame there was no witnesses or video.
Definitely to the video part. My emasculating biking story was when I was riding lifts at Sundance. Some bug bit me in the chest riding up with the wife. I yelled out loud and picked it out of my shirt and it was....a lady bug. Wife laughed and laughed until I pulled up my shirt and saw it drew blood. Then she was like holy shit!Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
But still, a lady bug? I don’t even believe it.
65, overcast, good dirt, no people. Almost felt a little PNW’y out there tonight.
Attachment 330757
Anyone heard anything about PC lifts spinning for bikes this season?
Last I heard, vail is being very cautious. The golf course at canyons isn’t even open yet, and that’s a much higher dollar draw for the business, I think it would be optimistic for it to happen before mid July. I can pry some and see what I can find out. For one, I’ve been happy with the lack of tourists riding around the jennis area, it’s pretty clear that any issue I’ve had in the past with downhill traffic not yielding or hikers on loose moose/lower CMG getting pissed at your high speed descending has been strictly tourists.
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I'm trying to avoid the shit-show of people at the base of PC so combining Spin Cycle and parts of Undertow worked last night. Spin Cycle isn't overgrown yet, although one section up top was starting to get as bushy as a 70's porn star.
Attachment 330763
^^^ yep. Rode it the other night for the first time in years. So fun and not a soul over that way.
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Here's a short vid of Gretchen going for my tires and doing ninja moves under the bike. She got real mad when I called her a turkey (every bird I see out is a trail turkey and every ungulate is a trail cow, they become snow turkey/cows if I'm on skis) and the real assault started so I put the phone away and ran, didn't want to film a snuff movie of my own death...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman
https://youtu.be/SNGGUs74izg
I routinely embarrass the shit out of myself when something flies in the openings of my helmet or down my shirt. I always assume it's a murder hornet with a flame thrower and it wants to drill into my skull. Usually there's screeching, a hasty dismount (sometimes at speed), frantic undressing while wailing incoherently, and finally grumbling about those damn box elder bugs / lady bugs / whatever harmless insect had the misfortune to fly at me.
Last season a couple witnessed me crater hard at the exit of Fat Lip, I got bit on the ear by something, started screaming blood murder, let go of the bars with 1 hand to slap the side of my face, and immediately cartwheeled off the bike after clipping a pointy rock in the compression right before hitting the dirt road. I think I posted about it at the time, the girl ran to see if I was OK and found me upside down in the brush getting sprayed by sealant coming out of my punctured rear wheel. I had 1 microscopic bite mark to show for it, definitely worth the class 10 freakout!
This me in the midst of a vicious Mtn Chicken attack a few years ago on Fat Lip
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVd_CT5F...=1snxch85uehvt
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I would've been way less excited for my grouse encounter the other day if I would have seen the last two posts. Lol.
Anybody have a feel for what Park City will be like above mid-mountain tomorrow afternoon?
Brown pow with a chance of grouse attacks? Sorry, I'm no help. But if I get out this afternoon/evening I'll let you know.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Rode Flying Dog last night and everything had fully dried even in the shadiest spots on the N side. I imagine upper PC will be great with another 36 hours of sun.Quote:
Originally Posted by zion zig zag
Edit: had another grouse encounter on Flying Dog. Looked up just in time to see the fucker run at me with his tail feathers all puffed up. I froze for a sec then charged him with reckless abandon. He stood his ground for a bit then bolted into the brush. A win for the human, down with the avian overlords!
Thanks for the PC beta, sounds like it should be good.
I kind of feel that branches are stretching and growing faster than normal this year? Hard to judge the weeds, dry April must have something to do with it. Anyways, anyone know of the best snip to prevent Witch's broom? My haphazard observation is that leaving an inch or two of branch vs. cutting at the trunk helps.
Raced my bike for the first time on 20 plus years last night. What did I learn? Riding with the girls has not made me fast, the decade of medical training didn’t help. Missing last year due to neck surgery left a mark on my fitness. I’ve got all the excuses for being slow AF.
Had a great time though
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Agreed. Lots of stuff I've been riding is really grown in, despite higher than usual traffic.Quote:
Originally Posted by Meconium
Go ride before it’s too dry again. Everything up to BF was hero or just barely past hero on the dry side. Mm in the trees from bf to Red Bull was A++Attachment 331257
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When ?My kid took up racing, I told him, "understand that even the slow people ride more than 95% of riders. " If you are out there, that is a win!
my friends who have stayed strong at racing are divorcees or their kids adon't know them. there is no way to do both well until they are old enough to be faster than you.