Nick, rallying the North Yuba!
Margaret, getting down!
Shredder, doing what she does best, shredding!
This past Friday I woke up got my camping shit together, packed up Smokey, loaded the Santa Cruz Full Suspension and headed for Downieville, California. My destination and plan was to get the Lavazzola spot on the creek. Whatta you know? Abracadabra, I scored the the Mcdeez, Nick, Margaret, myself and the mutts a killer spot, that last year when we stayed there we got the “Evil Eye” from some not so friendly campereroos! Anyway, after piching my tent… wha… Smokey and I set out on the hour and a half loop that the Mcdeez, Oso, myself and Smokey did last year during the Banff weekend. Departed Lavazzola and road along the creek with my faithful companion in tow, actually in lead! Came out on the fireroad by the 1st Divide, headed up the road and jumped on the 2nd Divide trail. Pretty fun riding, some debris on the trail, but not too much to take away the fun factor that Smokey and I were partaking in. We came upon some snow patches, lil’ hika-biking, back on the bike, more snow, more hika-biking, and then fuck, next thing I knew, I was on my feet pushing my bike for what seemed like forever. Got to the point where I made sure I had my lighter and started looking for wood to burn as I was pushing. I didn’t completely give up, just looking and making sure I had options… survival instinct I guess… “my mind playing tricks on me!” Happy I had my ipod, not so happy with Smokey taking off for 20 to 30 minutes after a deer or some other critter/bear/mountain lion. I must have been moving to slow for him. Well, after about an hour maybe closer to two of loosing the trail, finding it, frozen feet, and the fear that I was gonna be on the news, I found the last climb, that I couldn’t even ride, that brings you up to the 2nd and 3rd Divide intersection. From there another short climb to the always fun as hell 3rd Divide downhill portion… sweet… Shit, I wasn’t scared, I swear I wasn’t, seriously! Just me and my overheating boy tearing up the 3rd Divide back to camp… 3 ½ to 4 hours. Had a beer, gave the mutt some food with a splash of brown ale and water, changed cloths and met the McDeeez, who were on the McD Factor, at the Banff Film Show. Not much of a weekend, unless you consider shredding trail, camping in Downieville, drinking beer, watching cool films, hanging with good friends and drinking more beer, fun!
Much more to report, but you should have gone if you wanted to know… dummies!
Car camp breakfast, Lavazzola style…
-Nooner
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irregardless of the fact that i didn’t ride my bike a single pedal revolution or even step into my skis, i had about as much fun as i’d hoped i would. the nefarious events that led to Nick noticing a crack in the stem on his bike may have been a stroke of good luck. i mean, can you imagine, nuking down some trail and … your your handlebars break off? well, as any TBS reader can attest, i’ve ridden there a few times lately and was happy to send Nick out on my bike so that he may enjoy the shred. i spent what time i had Saturday afternoon finding and hiking the western portion of the new N. Yuba Trail extension. McCleod and I, and a dog (mtn lion protection - no she’s no match for a big cat…) found the put-in, hiked probably 2ish miles, and turned around. i had stated i’d meet everyone at Rock Rest CG at 3pm. i got back to the truck with 10 minutes to spare and weezed some “funny IPA” while the dogzilla rehydrated. i chatted with other movie going mtb riding folk and rolled to the appointed meeting local. just as i arriving, Nick was acrossing the big bridge. then, Marg and Nooner. all were stoked, but, where’s my pregnant wife? oh she’s right behind them, cool. that’s my girl! 24 weeks and riding the NYT! we had a nice tail-gater there at the take-out for a while while Nick and Marg rode the pavers backt to their car. dinner in camp, movies in the Yuba Theater, and more campfires and funny IPA and lies and shit. then, sleep.
well, that was just Saturday. it was pretty much a repeat for Sunday. no skiing was accomplish (unless Nooner toured w/o his ski poles, which ended up in my truck). my camera was plumb out of battery, so i have no pics to share. that’s cool though, Nunes’ pics capture it all, techie trail, and… the spatula brigade cooking buttermilk pancakes, eggs, and deli sliced bacon on the tailgate of the wagon.
gud times, thanks for playin’!
umm, bacon. A cracked stem? That’s something I haven’t seen before. What kind was it?
Griz,
a well used one, apparently. he said it had done tours on 4 bikes. it wasn’t all beat up though. just some light weight parts that were used until failure. it was probably a 100mm x 5 deg rise x 31.8 clamp aluminum Easton dealie bob. the crack started at about the middle of the curved surface of the handle bar clamp and was propogating back into the neck of the stem. i suggested just getting a steel hose clamp from the hardware store and…
i’ll stick with Thomson bits and pieces, thank you very much.
Went for the typical Stubbie ride today… Stubbie, Mike and I. The Stubbie bike equation… take what he tells you (time) and multiply it by two and that gives you actual time!!! 6hrs in the Nevada City/Hwy 20 area… fuckin great singletrack. We started at Washington Ridge and rode down to Scotts Flat, back up to Hwy 20 and took singletrack down to Nevada City, crossed the road and shredded along the Nevada City Water way/supply canal, up a steep ass climb to the store where I bought a tri-tip sandwhich, back to the truck to refuel, climbed the pioneer trail to the helispot area, crossed a few snow patches and made an honest ass-ualt to Skillman camp but turned around a mile or two before the destination (due to snow) and turned around and bomed it back down some wicked fun singletrack to the truck.
Good riding with you guys… you amigos put a good ol’ fashion ass wupin on me today!!! Feel behind the calorie intake curve! Payback is a BE EYE TEA SEE H!!!
420 Ride is coming soon… to a trail near us. Get ready, sounds like a real pain in the ass… fun fun fun!!!
-N
Sweet!
Barrett and I did the Lemond loop into a headwind. He finished, but I bailed @ Sky tavern with no feeling and very little response from my fingers in the biting cold. Mrs. Restlessape came and got me.
Can’t imagine a cracked stem!
-M
Skiing Alpine tomorrow for a few hours with Gregg and then off to Reno for some trail shredding and sushi… any of you mofoes interested?
Peace out bitches,
-N-
I’ll be @ Alpine today from 2:30 to 5 ish. No skiing tho. I want to ride lockwood to Toll Road Sunday. Not much singletrack, but a long ride and should be scenic and interesting.
I’ll ping you this evening Nooner.
-M