Friday Dam short RR

OK, the dam is still there. Some of the trails have been smoothed with
a narrow dozer, but only a few. Still plenty of ruts, roots, rocks,
but- no mud! Sorry, Chris, but things were pretty dry.

I found an amusing little downhill that I don't think is an 'official'
trail, but I couldn't resist it. Was short, about 20' of steep stuff
with a bunch more that was mellow, but it went around a rock and a
tree and had about a 50-60 degree slope. Was so much fun going down,
of course I had to try up.
I made it up past the tough stuff, but right at the top (the top of
the hard part, anyway) that huge mutant rear tire I have (interco
terraflex from M&H) hooked up and brought the front wheel up.
It wasn't too steep where I stopped, but couldn't find any throttle
setting between "dig" and "loop" so I got off and backed down the hill
with the engine off, in gear, using the clutch to act as a brake. That
went well until, with me just about pinned against the tree, it
started to loop out, backing down the hill.
I grabbed the tree with one hand, kept the other on the bars and
pirouetted the bike as far as I could. The bike ended up sideways at
the bottom of the hill, laying across some large rocks- I couldn't
pivot it, so I had to pick the front half of the bike up about 3' to
clear the rocks. It was partly on the hill, sideways, seat facing
downhill, of course.
Got the pig upright, did a damage assessment.
Well, Jim Cook and others who were amazed my metal tank was pristine,
it is no longer. I scratched one of the stickers. Went through to the
paint, but didn't scratch the paint. Didn't dent it either.
I had to rest about 20 minutes after that, it was a lot of lifting,
I'll tell you what. I chalked it up as Idaho practice.

Those who have been to the dam, you know that big rock about 4 stories
tall sitting in the bowl just below the dam (down in the moto-x area)?
I saw some tracks going up the back side of it, so once again I just
had to try it.
There was a 3' section of rock alllmost vertical near the top that
lent some adventure to an otherwise short climb. It was so cool I had
to do it again! More Idaho practice...

My MT21 rear tire was better for all this stuff in some respects- it
was better on smooth rocks, especially wet rocks, and sometimes a
little slip is better than absolute traction.

This new tire gets so much traction, and is tall enough, that 13-48
gears are still a little too steep. At some point I'll get a larger
chain guide and fit a 14-50-something that'll be a little lower
geared. A 48 tooth rear is the max you can fit with the stock lower
guide. maybe I'll just make a bracket that'll lower it a little.

During the week is the time to go there! There were never more than 5
other people there until about 4pm. Only downside is they don't open
the area with the loading-ledges you can back your truck against, so I
had to load/unload with the 10' 2x12 I use to load at the house. At
home, I have a dip I can put the truck into and its very easy. Without
that dip, unloading is scary, and loading- well, I had to ride it up.
Scariest thing I did all day.

So what the hey is it with me and lack of peer pressure? When I'm with
a bunch of guys, I take it pretty easy, but alone, I can't resist
anything that looks juuuust shy of impossible.
WTF?

-DDave

PS I have some so-so photos, maybe someday I'll do that ABPM thang.

 >Still plenty of ruts, roots, rocks,
 >but- no mud! Sorry, Chris, but things were pretty dry.

Darn. I used to like dry, but until Me & bike came back covered in mud, I
actually felt like I rode something. How was my hydroplane pond, BTW?

<snip hillclimb/downhill>

You scratched the stickers!!!! How DARE you!!!!

 >Those who have been to the dam, you know that big rock about 4 stories
 >tall sitting in the bowl just below the dam (down in the moto-x area)?

I took a 15-yo kid on an XR250 to the Dam once. He rode up that thing like it
was nuthin'. Then again, it wasn't on a BRP.

 >Only downside is they don't open
 >the area with the loading-ledges you can back your truck against, so I
 >had to load/unload with the 10' 2x12 I use to load at the house.

Awww, Dave. You miss my 8'x20" ramp do you? I shoulda left it for ya, but you
always rode there on the BRP, so I didn't think you'd need it!

 >So what the hey is it with me and lack of peer pressure? When I'm with
 >a bunch of guys, I take it pretty easy, but alone, I can't resist
 >anything that looks juuuust shy of impossible.
 >WTF?

I'm just the opposite, Dave. When I'm chasing someone...being careful goes out
the window. I'm stoked the Dam still finds you interested. I sincerely wish I
could go another round out there with you. Tell you what...meet me in Idaho,
say...late August?

--Chris M.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->