Eric and I did a bit of riding and camping this weekend up at Middle Creek in the Mendocino National Forest. We loaded up the bikes (his KTM LC4 640e and my Husky SM610) and left from Lower Deer Valley, hopped onto upper Deer Valley Road, then hit some trails in search of a nice warm camping spot near water. For those that know the area, we hit some connector trails and finally ended up on Trail 12 to 17 to 37. These photos were taken at the junction of 17 and 37... The perspective in the above photo cracks me up It makes me look tiny and the Husky look huge! I was a tad reluctant to ride my 610 on 37, since it was sporting the 5gal tank (full, I might add...) a totally shot rear tire, and was fully loaded for camping, but my fears were without merit. As long as it didn't get away from me on the downhill stuff (it picks up speed like a cement truck) it was a blast to ride! There is one section before the big creek crossing that is pretty tight through some...I don't know...it's not manzanita but similar...and I usually blow a turn or two there on the KTM but the Husky sliced and diced that stuff like it was nothing! It was nothing short of a revelation! Eric said I was going pretty good through there. The Husky is lower, has a much tighter turning radius and a shorter wheelbase. A total joy to ride There's some good downhill right before the creek crossing, visible behing Eric and the bikes... And the semi-rocky road up the other side... I'm almost embarrassed to post these, as the water is only about 1' deep at the most. Bike were disappearing beneath the waves and being swept away at the Sawmill Enduro here in `03. Eric saw a guy totally disappear beneath the water that day. He chose a different line. Luckily the race got called before I got here. Anyway, it was Eric's turn first... Then mine... The twisty climb out of the drainage was some of the most fun riding I've done in some time. I'm always amazed at how capable and nimble the SM610 is. We explored along a nice creek... And found a nice place to camp... Went looking for firewood and Eric got to use the handy-dandy folding saw I got him a few years ago... I went looking for flowers and butterflies while Eric labored More to come... WoodsChick
Very nice Explorerchick. Can you ask Eric to smile when he poses, so we know he's having fun. Oh, never mind, that is his having fun expression. Please tell him I say hi. And share the rest soon. Bambislayer
Great Post once again Explorerchick. A little water crossing never hurt anyone. Looks pretty cool. Hey didn't I hear something about a Water Falls some where?
We got camp set up and then headed into the creek to soak up some sun and enjoy the day. We spent the entire day tromping up and down the creek, chasing frogs and looking for fish, talking and swimming, drinking red wine out of our bota bag (one of the Top 10 inventions for this campin' dualsporter ) and just having ourselves a ball in general. These are the days I live for! Anyway, got the fire started... ...and then got the stove ready for dinner, which would be spare ribs cooked over the fire (they were frozen when I slid them alongside my Camelbak bladder earlier in the morning, now they were just slushy) and mashed potatoes with bacon and cheddar. Hey, where's the pan? Whaddaya mean? Well, you packed the food. Yeah, well, you're the one that carries the pan and stove. Not today, I'm not! What did you do with it? Me?? Nothing! How come you didn't grab it? You do the food, remember? Yeah, well, you load your own bags, don't you?? Long story short, I remembered seeing a fresh can across the creek and went in to get it. We boiled the crap out of it and it became our faithful companion the rest of the weekend Dinner was delicious! After sitting by the fire for hours on end we slept like rocks and woke with the sun the next morning. After a long walk and 2 strong cups of coffee we headed on over to Stonyford in search of more water to play in. Hey, what's down this road? Ooh! A swimming hole! It was kinda cold in the shade so we kept on going. It'll be sweet in another month or so... Had lunch at this pleasant little spot... Spent the rest of the afternoon playing in the water here... We goofed around so long we had to high-tail it back on the road... Instead of taking the superhighway the whole way, though, we headed towards French Creek. We crossed the creek near Crabtree Hot Springs and headed up the hill toward home... What a great way to celebrate the Summer Solstice! This is what I missed out on last summer after breaking my ankle, and I can't wait to do more of it this summer! We had a great time together, the bikes performed flawlessly, I never had to pick up the Husky (bonus!) and the weather was exactly as we had hoped! Thanks for coming along with me WoodsChick
It's funny you mention that! We were just having this very same discussion a few days ago! He always looks grumpy in photos, but he was having just as much fun as I was. No, really He says "hi" back at ya WoodsChick
Thanks, Mr. HD! Yeah, we never made it to the water fall. We decided it was at too high of an elevation for the temps so we bagged it. We'll hit it later in the summer, though, for sure WoodsChick
Thanks, Coffee! We cooked the ribs over the fire on our little grill, then we put the grill on the stove and boiled the water in the can. Dumped the water in the bag and mixed everything up and...voila'...dinner! Oh, and did anyone notice that the fuel bottle looks brand new? Well, that's because it is...purchased on the way up there because someone forgot our regular one at home No pinning that one me, that's for sure WoodsChick
Yeah, it's definitely a new direction for me, that's for sure. For the last 20 years or so it's been all about finding the gnarliest stuff I can handle (or not ) and riding only that. Then came the plated 450 and more dualsport stuff, then the 610. Meanwhile the injuries were piling up, thus leading to more sedate riding when getting back on the bike at first. It's a ton of fun, and very relaxing, too. It's easier on the equipment and easier on the body, too. Make no mistake, we've got plans for riding the Dusy Ershim again this summer or fall, and I want to hit the Rincon Trail down at Kennedy Meadows next time I'm there, too, so I'm not done with the nasty stuff at all...not by a long shot...but this kind of riding is very rewarding in a whole different way. It's just...different WoodsChick
Yeah, got into DSing about 2 years ago and love it. Thought it might be a boring old guy sport but really like to explore. It's good fun and does not beat you up. Got some buddies doing a hard core 1600 mile DS / camping ride out of Bend Oregon right now, wish i could have pulled they trip off
Hey Woody great report.. I did that same ride when my '05 TE was new. I'll try and find the photos... C-ya Jim Tell grumpo I said hi.
I'd love to see the photos, JimO! Post `em up in this thread here if you want. And yeah, I'll tell "grumpo" you said hi We both hope to see you in December in Tecate WoodsChick
Please let me know when ya'll go do Kennedy Meadows and the Niagra Rim trail...pleeze. Not far from the front door.
Hey, Columbia! We've done the Niagara Rim, but it was a handful on street tires The Kennedy Meadows we're talking about isn't the one off of Sonora Pass, it's down in the Sequoia NF east of Porteville. It is sometimes referred to as the Kern Plateau, too. I'd like to go back to Niagara Rim sometime and try it with proper knobbies Relief Reservoir is nice and warm over Labor Day and I wouldn't mind swimming in it again WoodsChick
Glad to see and hear you and Eric are doing good and having fun. I cant wait to get a duel sport and start doing this stuff, i am insainly jealous Also cant wait to ride with you two again. spring break was awsome )
