PDX Off-Pavement Ride

[clapped_r6]

Originally Posted by crazybrit

I wish I'd not seen any of it until after we go the dunes.

well, i don't harbor any ill will against sand, so you're safe there.

ice on the other hand, i will kick it's ass any chance i get

[Scott_PDX]

Originally Posted by clapped_r6

if you can't appreciate the stylings of Sepultura, feel free to turn the sound off. also, technically it's "thrash"

can't help you with the guns though. it's called a redneck duathlon. we knew you would appreciate rapid fire

Coun't me in for the next "Redneck Durathalon", in fact maybe we could thow in some "Busch" beer and call it a "Triathalon"!!!

Thanks for the Vid Remarksman - looks like I need to work on finding my gears better on that bike.

[Scott_PDX]

Anybody ride out there? Looks like the North side starts pretty low. Thinking it may be a good day trip exploration.

[SuperD!]

Originally Posted by Scott_PDX

Anybody ride out there? Looks like the North side starts pretty low. Thinking it may be a good day trip exploration.

It's supposed to be dry on Saturday...I'd be in for some troublemaking I think. I can bring firearms, but I'm leaving the Busch alone.

[Jungle Man]

You could stop at the St Helens Gun show on the way back.

[Scott_PDX]

Originally Posted by blz-bob

It's supposed to be dry on Saturday...I'd be in for some troublemaking I think. I can bring firearms, but I'm leaving the Busch alone.

PM - Sent, looks like we are a go for SUNDAY. I'm sure we'll have a Superball up there.

[bensgone]

Any Newberg area TEEN RIDERS?
My two teen sons are always looking for friends to ride with. We have two spots on the bike trailer, and can pick up and drop off if they are in the area. Riders must have solid equipment and Intermediate or better riding skills. Pm me here.
Jones creek tomorrow!

[Squishy]

Met up at Scotts place, loaded Dave's bike & mine onto the trailer, threw Scott's on the truck & headed for the hills.
Grabbed some Subway just before the OHV area, then saddled up.


Nice clean bikes!


Blz-Bob's little motard.


Jubilation of our arrival at the "summit"..well, we'll call it the summit. We were too bloody exhausted to go any further!


Tired old buggers, realising how fit you have to be to ride really muddy snowy trails...& kick starting high compression dirty bikes, covered in mud, in precarious positions!!

But...we did it, & arrived back safely at the staging area at dusk...absolutely knackered
Loaded up, stopped in for a well earned mexican dinner on the way back to Scott's. Pressure washed the bulk of the crud off, then layered up for a sweet little rip through the city, back out to the mountain.
A good get together Albeit exhausting, trying out a new area to us & putting the bikes & ourselves through the paces.
Lets do it all again...in the dry, with a few more gravel roads in the mix.

[Scott_PDX]

Nice pictures Squishy. Here'a few more.

Found two other guys who'd rather ride bikes than watch TV, so we headed for Nicolai Mountain OHV Area - A place none of us had been before.

Nice staging area, but watch the loose crushed rock.



Squishy, still clean, and Dave getting ready.


Up the hill we go. Squishy showing off his very capable XR400.


Dave's WR was the "no brainer"choice for this ride. Smooth, quiet, an electric start that actually works, a little lower...just plain fun ride. Dave was modest in his skills, but you could tell he grew up around bikes and racing.


The main trail south slowly climbs from about 500' to 2400' or so. There are some clear cuts and some deep forested areas, even a few bridges.


Soon we ran into snow. At this point I still liked the bike, so here she is in all her glory. Later on, I could of been just as happy to leave her on the side of the hill (Hot start problems).


At some point Dave and Neil switched bikes, took me a minute to figure it out. Note the deterioating trails.


Squishy experiencing a "Modern" bike.


Typical of winter riding, sometimes you have to go around the trees.


Blocked by snow, at the end of the trail.


A couple of nuts indeed...unfortunately things were downhill from here.


A couple of turns later I drop the tall bike again. This time managing to whisky throttle the front wheel onto a bush. Dave was quick to lend a hand when I gave him the "I'm too freaking tire to deal with this alone look". By then I managed to flood the carb, and this is where I need to work on my hot start technique. I managed to kill a lot of the battery juice trying to start the bike earlier with the petcock off ( DOI ), and the little battery gave up the ghost. After kicking and messing with it for close to an hour, we decided to tow it down and try to bump start it. The trail was so muddy and twisty it was hard to bump start. Eventually we find a side road we missed in the mist on the ascent and one final uphill push we were on to a real road. I was able to bump start it to life in short order. By then we were pretty happy when we finally made it back to truck. It was quite a little adventure, for only riding less than 20 miles.

FWIW - Most of the trails we rode were quad tracked with lots of mud lower on, and loose rocks above. I'm guessing they are EASY INTERMEDIATE trails, which still seem pretty advanced for my novice skills. We had 4 or so days of no rain, but these trails were still pretty wet - I can image the mud in a rain even or soon after would be deep. I'd like to go back on a dryer season, and with some better skills (and iron out some bike issues), and check out more of the trails. Till then, I need a trip to the dry side!

Adventures sometimes suck when you are having them, but the memory will last longer. Thanks for a fun day in the woods guys.

[matloik]

Good to know of another play area near Portland.

Scott, if you are planning on going to the Crooked River camp-out, consider trailering your KTM. That's what I will be doing, and hope to hit Millican OHV while there.

[SuperD!]

You sound like you feel guilty for cheating on your WR Scott...
Great pics, Squish & Scott! That was fun! Short ride, but a big workout.

[SuperD!]

Originally Posted by SuperD!

You sound like you feel guilty for cheating on your WR Scott...
Great pics, Squish & Scott! That was fun! Short ride, but a big workout.

It appears I got my name changed...

[Squishy]

Originally Posted by Scott_PDX

Squishy experiencing a "Modern" bike.

Whudda ya mean modern, '03 is pretty good on my standards...ifeel kinda "modern" on it anyway!

Good photos Scott...if only we'd got a shot of you kickin the mule

Anyone got KTM 450 hot starting techniques?

A Motomule trailer with 2 fully charged truck batteries comes to mind

[Squishy]

Originally Posted by SuperD!

It appears I got my name changed...

That works, now for an avatar...of you wheelying that WR fat tire.\
Good meeting up with you Dave, let's do it again with some open terrain.

[MortimerSickle]

Originally Posted by SuperD!

It appears I got my name changed...

Originally Posted by Squishy

...
Good meeting up with you Dave....

Osborne?