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sasquatch69

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Posts posted by sasquatch69

  1. 11 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Hmmm.  I thought I was familiar with all the unpaved trails in Dallas County, by name at least.  That one escaped me.

    It’s way out on the far eastern border of Richardson, close to Murphy and Sachse. Huge park. Eastern half has several miles of paved trails. Western half (on opposite side of creek) has all the unpaved trails, with two bridge connections across the creek. Best place to park is the lot along Moroney Drive south of Renner - you ride down the hill towards the woods to the south and follow the trails (they’re all marked “Breckenridge Trail” on Google Maps). It takes some exploring - and the trails deeper in the woods under tree canopy are still tacky/muddy/underwater. 

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  2. Even though all the DORBA trails are still closed, got in a really nice 5mi tonight at Breckenridge Park in Richardson. I’ve hiked out there enough to know which trails to avoid after lots of rain, but there are enough that are either open pasture or Austin chalk so they were nice and dry. I’ll take it right now. 

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  3. Hate all you want, but I’ve had a 2nd-gen Ridgeline for nearly three years and it’s pretty much exactly what I needed. Comfortable for family of four on long trips, engine feels strong (plus the VTEC kick on acceleration), trunk is incredibly handy, lined bed has handled loads of everything from dirt to decomposed granite to massive piles of scout troop gear with no issues, and I haul my kayaks and bikes around with it too. Gets decent gas mileage, and after nearly 50k miles it hasn’t had a single issue (although I’d think that’s expected these days). Almost bought a Taco, but after trying both, the Honda was much more comfortable for both driver and passenger - and the dealer gave me a great deal on it. Also, I’m too old to give a shit that it’s a unibody. 

  4. Had to get back on the bike somehow, so I rode about 8mi last night on some newish paved trails along PGBT in Garland (combined with surface streets in Sachse).  The trailhead also has a gravel road for utility easement access that leads into the back side of the Rowlett Creek Preserve, so I rode in.  What little I could see of the trails was still muck/underwater.  This sucks - and the forecast isn't any better for days.

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  5. Just got home from our first plane trip since Covid hit, to New Orleans. Arrived on a late-night flight, and checked both Uber and Lyft apps. Lyft’s fare to our place was $15 cheaper, so we went with that. We ended up doing Lyft the entire trip - 7-8 times in total - and never had a bad experience. Additionally, their “save if you wait a bit” feature was fantastic - we’d be finishing up a meal or drinks and I’d go ahead and choose that option, and once a driver was en route we’d actually settle and leave, and car was usually rolling up as we walked outside. Each time that fare was $4-8 less than the normal option. Drivers were all friendly and cars were generally clean - and if you’ve ever done traditional cabs in NOLA in the past you know that’s far from guaranteed.

    We also tried a new service, Turo, on the one day we needed to actually have a car. It was also a great experience but that’s for another thread. 

  6. 31 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Are there any trails in Camp Wisdom?  There certainly could be, the geo is just like Boulder and OCNP.  I'm not aware of any, though.

    And, I think you're still involved in Scouting, is it still used?
     

    When I was in scouts, we always camped there a couple of times a year.  For whatever reason, it usually rained like hell, so my associations are not altogether pleasant.  Back then, most non-inner-city troops didn't use it much.

    There are trails, but they’re not open to public - they are used for the BSA programs mentioned above.

    I’m still an active scout leader, and these days Wisdom is used a ton, but mostly for day programs and training programs. Our troop usually prefers to camp further out due to highway noise at wisdom. 

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  7. Well, this sucks.

    Quote

    This past week, thieves accessed BSA Camp Wisdom by the Interstate 20 boundary and compromised the fenced property operated by Circle Ten Council.   With 371 acres, located in Dallas County, it is one of the oldest camps in Texas, this camp is filled with lots of camping history. 

    The thefts occurred during the night, and possibly occurred over consecutive nights.   It is speculated that stolen items may have been staged in the woods near the point of entry, as some of the bikes were recovered inside camp, stashed in the brush.   Although multiple buildings were targeted and other items stolen, the hardest hit was the Bike Barn, the storage location for all the Mountain Bikes for the Council's Cycling Merit Badge and Mountain Biking Adventure Programs.

     

    Due to the thefts occurring on the property, 23 of the 30 mountain bikes were lost or damaged.   All of the bicycle maintenance and repair tools were taken, and some of the trail maintenance tools were taken.   For the Cycling Merit Badge and Mountain Biking Adventure Program alone, estimated losses are close to $20,000.00.  This theft will affect and most likely **cancel our valued Cycling Merit Badge & Mountain Biking Adventure Program at  2021 Summer Camps, for hundreds of Scouts, Boys and Girls. 

     

    Law enforcement has gathered some tips and leads and believe that at least some of the stolen items may still be in the nearby area of I-20 and Spur 408, in various municipalities. Solid tips should be directed to Detective Joe Gonzales 214-671-0636, Case #072210-202.

    Reach out to Boy Scout Circle Ten Council Camping Director, Scott Arrington, through the Council Office at 972-741-5093, or 214-902-6700, if you can offer assistance to help get program up and running again.   Any financial contributions should be specified for the "Cycling Merit Badge & Mountain Biking Adventure Program" of Circle Ten Council, BSA.

    https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10226591609003170&id=1435150460

     

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  8. Our troop did our canoeing campout this past weekend, with a group of 30 scouts/adults paddling 10 miles down a particularly beautiful stretch of the Brazos downriver from the PK dam.  After a late start Friday due to storms, we made it to the campsite after 10pm, had to set up quickly and get scouts to bed, and then wake up at 6am to eat breakfast and do a 30-minute class on the safety aspects of the merit badge before we hit the water.  It was great - had a few of the new scouts who struggled, so we moved scouts around to even out the strength level on the boats.  Water was great - not too swift, and mostly high enough to avoid portaging (except for a few short stretches).  Our top adult grubmaster was on this trip, too, so the grownup meals were incredible.  Scout meals varied widely by patrol, as always :D

     

     

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  9. It's no Fruita, but I've been riding Rowlett Creek Preserve a lot lately to kill time while my kid has swim practice nearby. I've been spending more time on the northern trails on the other side of the creek crossing, which are new to me. Generally they're great and pretty flowy, but tonight I tried Loop 13 for the first time. It's one long rock garden - really kicked my butt. 

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  10. 7 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Geez.  Rode Harry Moss today trying to squeak one in before/if it rains.  About all I can say is a mile further and an mph faster than last week.

    I need to get back to riding daily/near daily before it gets Africa hot.

    You chose ... wisely.

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  11. On 4/12/2021 at 12:11 PM, Braff Zacklin said:

    That looks incredibly fun. Except for the drop at about 2:45. I could see myself eating shit there for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    Is this a private park near Austin? Lots of work sculpting those jump lines. Some of those table tops are purty big.

     

    On 4/11/2021 at 7:37 PM, wd40 said:

    and some footage by mere mortals.

     

    I've really only been back into MTB for just over a year after a long layoff, and other than riding BCGB 15 years ago, all my experience is up here in D/FW area.  Is this combination of jump lines and major chunk pretty common on trails down in Austin/SA area, or is this unique to RPR?  I've been thinking about heading down there for a weekend of riding, but this looks a bit above my experience/comfort level.

  12. 59 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Yeah, the riding shoes make a difference in multiple ways.  I run a similar set up with Chesters and Adidas Trail Cross.  Those shoes are the sturdiest shoes I own.  My hiking shoes/boots aren't as rigid and protective as those things, yet they're still comfortable and walkable.  I'm also pretty surprised how much traction they give when hike-a-biking, given the minimal sole pattern.

    Currently, I don't think I could keep up with you.  A variety of little things seem to be interfering with my riding and regaining fitness.  After yesterdays very moderate ride, I wasn't exhausted or anything, just didn't feel like going around again.  Got home, did a few things, showered, and then crashed for three hours.  I think maybe the vaccine took more out of me than I realized once the achiness and malaise was gone.

    Erwin is a pretty fun trail -in the shade-.  I've come to realize that I don't like riding out in the open much, particularly when it gets hot as balls.

    I rode a low-end hardtail for several years that probably matches my abilities well, but upgrading to a low-end squishy, but a good one, has been one of the best things I've ever done.  It's more comfortable pounding out miles at a place like River Legacy or RCP, and more confidence-inspiring on some of the ruggeder things.  The steering on a slack frame will probably screw with you for a while in the lower-speed, twisty turny stuff, though.

    I'm still pretty slow, but I just try to push myself to keep going a bit further when I'm ready to quit, even if it's just an extra mile or two on flatter trails. I'm having some gear slippage issues on harder climbs which has bogged me down a bit - I've greased up the chain, cassette, etc, which helped, but I think it's mostly due to the bike's age.

    Erwin was gorgeous last night, even in the open field sections. Getting second vax dose tomorrow which may take me out for a bit, so trying to squeeze in what I can this week.

     

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  13. 10 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Well, did a pokey, kinda pathetic five miler at Harry Moss.  I did finally bury my pride, walk the creek crossings, and ride the red loop.  That's kind of fun and different.

     

    I haven't ridden through that creek crossing yet - still walk it both ways.  Coming back across at the end is often even more slippery than getting over there.  I also rode right over a snake on the Orange trail there earlier this week - it looked like a root until I got right up on top of it.

    Used some birthday $ to buy a decent pair of MTB riding shoes (Adidas Five Ten Sleuths) and they're great  - big improvement in feeling of control compared to the basic sneakers I wore previously.  I also finally replaced the BMX-style original pedals on my GT with modern flats - they're some Race Face knockoffs that were highly rated on Amazon, and so far I really like them.

    I've done 30 miles in the past two days - combination of great rides at Horseshoe, Harry Moss, RCP and Erwin.  Also went to Big Cedar last Saturday with a buddy, and got to ride his new Scott 29er.  First time I've ridden a modern bike that size, and now I'm seriously jonesing to upgrade.

     

     

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  14. 18 hours ago, Braff Zacklin said:

    I like Mezcals, particularly as a rear tire. Good rollers and lightweight. Terrible in mud and not the best for chunk, so you've been warned if you ride those conditions.

    I debated going with different types for front and rear, but figured I'd try this first.  If I'm not happy with handling I may try something different in front and save the Mezcal for when the rear one wears out.  Did another 5mi today at Horseshoe and it handled well, although like you said, the one tiny bit of mud was slow going.  Oh well, that will encourage me to stay off muddy trails, thus less work cleaning up the bike. 😀 

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  15. Got new tires on the old bike today - Vittoria Mezcal 26" 2.1s. Guy at RBM recommended them a couple months ago as a great XC option for our terrain, but they didn't have any in my size, so I ordered online and they finally showed up yesterday. I took it to KJ for a quick 5mi this afternoon and it feels like a new bike - better handling, smoother ride, etc.  Got the slime tubes and a tube wrap on each as well, so hopefully I'll avoid flats and punctures, but we all know how that goes. Hopefully this will hold off the urge for a new ride for another year or so.

     

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  16. A day off today meant 13mi at Northshore late on a Tuesday morning, so I had the place pretty much to myself, without all the Stravaholes flying through. Did 1-3 and back, then squeezed in 5 because I wasn't ready to stop riding yet, and wanted to try one I hadn't done before. Gorgeous riding weather and hero dirt. Can't wait to go back on another less-crowded weekday. 

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  17. Back at Big Cedar this morning before the rain, and got another 10 miles in. Rode the full back stretch of Ranger today, including two trails I had not done before, Copperhead Ridge and Lower Forty. L40 was great and had some nice views of the little valley, but CR nearly killed me. Take the climbs on the outer perimeter at Boulder, and multiply them a whole bunch – that's essentially the entire length of the trail, sharp up and down and up and down. I also wiped out on a little skinny bridge that I approached at the wrong angle, and ended up falling in slow motion into a little gully full of branches. Didn't get hurt, but pretty scratched up.

    @TwiceHorn One note if you come out here and decide to ride that stretch of Ranger - Oncor has completely torn up the part of the trail that stretches into the easement again. When you get to that spot, you'll know it - just hang a hard left along the tree line and the trail picks back up after a very short distance. 
     

    I also got a good photo of the worst of the climb out of the valley. Even the Enduro guys ahead of me had to hop off and walk it - it's a lot steeper than it looks.

     

     

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  18. 18 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:


    Yeah. Got a little bit yesterday, but the Hobbs trails can really hold up to it.

    I feel like I kinda pulled one over on the universe. On Monday it looked like rain the whole time, and I didn’t ride in any rain, and the trail conditions weren’t negatively affected at all. I’ve moved on to Tulsa to visit family for the remainder of the weekend, but I have a feeling NWA is going to be an early spring or late fall tradition. It’s a pretty easy drive for us (9 hours), and it has a considerably longer riding season. Wife loved the area too (she doesn’t MTB). We went hiking yesterday in the Buffalo River area and it was stunning.

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    Gorgeous. My boys' scout troop is headed up there this week for spring break, but we're dealing with aging parent healthcare issues so no trip for us. I can't wait to get up there to hike and ride, though.

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  19. 14 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    On a bunch of different trails, I have noticed that the foliage is a lot thinner than normal.  Being kind of a dumbass, I was thinking well, it must just be winter and my long layoff means I don't recognize things quite the same.  But, of course, freezemageddon made everything drop leaves and die back.  It's kind of weird.

    Katie Jackson especially looks real different because you can actually see all the apartments and homes nearby.  I think that is really the most urban/suburban trail in DFW as it is surrounded on all sides by residential buildings.

    The trails for the most part aren't that leafy for some strange reason.  Harry Moss is always pretty dense with the trees and can be leafy year-round, but it's usually dry leafy.  I learned pretty early on that what appears to be dry, thin leafy can hide wet moldy slime underneath that's like teflon.  Being a general purpose pussy, I am therefore pretty careful on leafy trails.

    That section of Moss that sasquatch mentions is up and down and can get kind of speedy with direction change.  It's also a bit exposed on a hillside.  Not dangerous exposed, but it would not be fun to go off of uncontrolled from a leaf skid.

    I went back to HM early this am - did the red trail this time, too (but walked the creek crossings).  Lots of leaf cover, particularly on the inner trails, but like you said, mostly dry.  There were a couple little drops where groundcover had been dumped onto the landing spot to avoid mud, but it did make for a couple "oh sh!t" moments at speed. 

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  20. 20 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

    Had a fairly unremarkable ride at Harry Moss today.  I did do all the little climbs and drops that I was previously afraid would reveal how grossly out of shape I am.  Not too bad.

    I had noticed that this new frame is a little easier to get the front up on, which I discovered is because the chainstays are 10mm shorter than the older one (425 vs 435).  I also discovered the flipside of that, that I have to focus more on keeping my weight up front when climbing the steepies.  Holy chit, I almost looped out backward on one of the climbs.

    This post Inspired me to ride HM this morning. I forgot how low-key difficult that first stretch is with all the little ups and downs along the edge of the property. Did all of the trails except red, and had a good 7mi ride overall, but dang, there's a lot of trash on that property from creek flooding. 

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