Mad Cow Mountain Ride Dec.26, 2010 to Jan.2, 2011 By Jim Cairnes
Got a call from Airon as I was leaving Monday morning that he was stranded in the city with a van showing zero oil pressure and he was out. (As it turned out, Airon, in fine Northstar tradition,wheeled his KTM 450 out of the van, raced off to buy a sending unit, fix the van and be at the staging area in time to join Catfish and I for our second loop after lunch. We followed my 20 mile loop,mostly Blue rated trails with one Black Diamond steep descent and climb. We were really surprised at how few riders out there, good as it is a two way riding area. I had my first crash on a crazy tight downhill switch back, to Catfish's amusement and we had fun making the rocky climb out the other side. Lots of big mud holes and one trail that was so overgrown we were busting through it chins on the tank. We turned a Quad rider round at the river before the final big climb as there was no way in hell him making it up the way we had just come down. The second loop Airon was helmet camerman and got some great footage of me wheelying through a mud hole with him right behind, he also got all my other crashes on film too. One climb we tried took me 3 goes to make it climbing out of a river bed then 50 feet of loose rock then a long loose climb, slip that clutch! We tackled our black diamond section again and all made it through unscathed. Perfect conditions, great traction amazing riding and I found out how fast is too fast to hit a big deep mud pool with said pool ending up all over me. Loaded the bikes and trucked up Red Mnt to camp,and try my new Spanish sobriety two wheeled tester as we all tried our hands at the helm of the Gas Gas 250 trials bike (I seem to remember Catfish extracting himself from a bush!) Blame it on the vodka. Best ribs ever at 11.00 in the rain, Songdoggie howls at midnight then a rainy night in the tent. The fun wasn't over yet as getting off Red Mnt after an inch of rain in the trucks took some doing over the soupy clay, Airon got to use his camp shovel digging his van out! Really fun times! Jim
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