The 5th Annual Unofficial, Unorganized Monkeybutt 500! The San Juan Sickness!

Yep, it's about time ladies and gentlemen to start talking about bad, bad things!
After much discussion, or actually a momentary lapse of reason, I volunteered to organize the Rocky Mountain Monkeybutt this year and we are going to ride the scenic San Juans!

Dates: August 22-24

Where? The San Juans...almost all of them!

Ride Requirements to join this ride:
1)Lots of riding experience! This is a singletrack focused ride. There will be several passes, but those are just beautiful ways to connect to the good stuff. For those of you on the fence, try Brecktrek first. And then consider this being like that, only 3 days worth, and much harder singletrack. No sugarcoating this!

2)Membership to COHVCO, PAPA or SJTR. The first is statewide and really gives back to our trails in this state as a whole. PAPA and SJTR are the local organizations that really work directly to keep the trails we will be riding clear and I really encourage giving back to them!

3)Trail work. Give at least a day of your time clearing trail. This can be over here, but your local riding area is just fine. Just give back to the sport and be an awesome steward of our sport!

4)An appropriate bike. Great running condition, well sorted prior to trip, PLATED and stickered, adequate lighting and helmet lights are a plus. Sub 600cc would be highly recommended. Just because you can probably get your big pig through a lot of these trails doesn't necessarily mean you should for 3 days straight. Fatigue becomes a real factor which can cause you to bonk, which can significantly slow the pace of what is trying to be accomplished
5)Call the Dolores Ranger District now! (970) 882-7296 or email Debbie Kill at dkill@fs.fed.us Let them know all of the good experiences you have had in the Rico area with multi users, how much you love coming to the area specifically to ride, etc...We need to fight to keep this open for us! It is such good terrain! I think Debbie is the one to speak with...I will try to find her specific email as well...

Those that have come before you...

MB 500 Past history...(you must read every post of every past ride to even qualify. If you don't get our sick sense of humor, you won't get this ride!)

#1 - (2010)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=534143

#2 - (2011)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651369

#3 - (2012)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=756197

#4 - (2013)
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=853077&highlight=Annual+Monkey-butt

Ride info: this will updated as this progresses

This is a way to share our area with other enthusiasts. This is free, volunteer, and no one benefits in any way other than the brief 10 seconds of internet fame if you complete it. It is not a race. It is not a massive pack of tire spinning beginners attempting something way beyond their level. This is going to be a fun gathering of endurance singletrack junkies that want to push themselves and have a good time. Everyone helps each other and longtime friendships are made.

It will take me awhile to sort out the actual route. There are several logistical things to sort out. The plan is to ride most of the goods of the San Juans, not in this order, and not limited to-The Uncompahgre Plateau, Ouray, Ridgway, Lake City, Silverton, Telluride, Rico, and DMR and possibly toward Mancos. Plan on night riding, we rarely make it to camp when it is light out.

We will sort out sag wagon detail as this evolves. In the past everyone would pile their camp gear into a few vehicles Thursday night, have some beers, get up early, eat and ride. Lunches usually revolve around gas station stops and Raul Duke's wife takes charge for dinners at camp.
Courtney is pretty much a god send in that regard and hopefully she can help in some way this year as well.

I will join the technological world shortly and actually buy a GPS and start learning how to use it and log tracks in preparation. If you have tracks of any of the singletrack in the area, feel free to PM me so I can start compiling info.

THE "IN" LIST
Mountainsandrivers
Raul Duke
Brav
Rinoman
Cross-country
Enduro-ince (I am just assuming he will actually show for this, although he will probably get scared of the group size, ride ahead and be drinking beer at camp hours before we roll in..)
vXzErokNots (I spelled it right this time!)
Pariahtize (a big definite maybe)
Ride Dual Sport
Rhollamby
Rawdawg
Bobby Southard (+1?)

Any of you still on the fence, feel free to ask any questions, shoot me a PM, etc..I will mentally keep track of maybes, just want to start getting a better idea of size for planning.. The question you ask is probably what others were wondering about. Do expect the thread to occasionally get derailed with general confusion, merriment and shenanigans.

Also know that if you choose a ride that I am helping put together, it really reflects on you and I would question your judgement...seriously!

Well, I guess I'm in again. Oh wait, no in list. Sorry.


dllamadllama:dllama

Can you provide that clock thing Mr Duke?

As you wish...

<embed src="http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/cd/ccc-cartoons/show.swf?clickURL=http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/cartoon-countdown-clocks/&clickLABEL=CountdownClockCodes.com&flashLABEL=CountdownClockCodes.com&skin=http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/cd/ccc-cartoons/skins/34.jpg&text=Monkey%2DButt%20500&untilColor=65280&textColor=0&datesColor=0&year=2014&month=7&day=22&hour=6&minute=0&second=0&x=-15&y=76" quality="high" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="300" height="200" name="countdown" align="middle" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" /><br><small><a href="http://www.countdownclockcodes.com/cartoon-countdown-clocks/">CountdownClockCodes.com</a></small>

Florida Tom has been notified...

And I hear there is a great new place for him to rent a CR in Woodland park!

Hell yeah! Great to hear from you!
How was the TAT?

So perhaps I might have crashed that CR a couple times.....but I did pay them an extra 500 dollars in rental fees. Ok that's not totally true, it was only and extra 50 dollars in rental fees, that was one sweet deal !!! Also if anyone still has some hearing damage from the little exhaust problem, I promise to be quieter this year.

What?
Did you say somthin'?
I can't hear so well after that Harley with straight pipes joined us on the 1st Monkey-Butt and I had to ride sweep.

Oh the memories...
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13527370&postcount=363

Well this looks like fun!

I am hoping to make it !!!
Thanks for putting this together. I will CZECH it out!

What's the story behind this pic?

Karma. Joined the ride, but didn't do the trail work requirement!

That'll teach him.
Looks like he pissed off the tree huggers too.

OUT!!!

aint nobody got time for hitting trees THAT hard. jeezo:huh

I just like the 4x4 sprinter looking van. Wish we had those here in the states!

BTW, although we have had our share of mishaps, that pic was not from our trip. Some Europeans who can't avoid trees me thinks. Our ride is more about seeing what you can push your body and bike on. The 1000 yd stare is commonplace, but when you are sitting around the fire having a beer, it is suddenly all good! Until you move a little, which brings some screams and moans, but trust me, it is all good!

So does anyone have any tracks from around the SW CO area? I think I found some for Nate Creek/Lou Creek/Alpine trail, but want to see about Wager Gulch/Lost Creek/Pole Creek, Calico by Rico, and anything on the Uncompahgre off Divide Road.
Snow is melting quickly, so I can start exploring soon and logging my own, even if it is just finding the easy connectors for the good stuff!