Team Trail Monster

Thanksgiving Day 2011

2011-11-24T16:21:00.000-08:00

Couldn't help but sneak in a little afternoon Thanksgiving day ride.

PS... We're still alive. Just busy leaving tracks in the dirt.

5 young doe's hung out and explained that today is for turkey's not deer. So we left before anyone got hurt.

Getchasum Still plenty of holiday left.

PS it is still Summertime!

2011-08-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

Been to busy to blog. It seems that every weekend this summer I have been able to spend camping, canoeing, biking, or just chillin'. Those damn weeks seem to get in the way. I have started carving the weeks into smaller chunks to ensure I get my full dose of summer. Sick Days Done Right!

Below are a few pics I snapped last weekend on a 50 mile 3 day float....errr...scratch that....52 miles in two days. Fast water and Faster Paddlers(Stitz and Keeven). (One note...always besure to define the term "Float Trip" before signing up.) I packed way more beer than these fella's thought necessary....I now know why...These kids wait til well after noon before considering a cold beverage...and they never set their paddles down. 30 miles day 1 with a half day of rain. Day 2 22 miles with plenty of daylight left, leaves little time for beer drinking. enjoy a few snaps...my camera and anything cloth like was soaked since oh lets say 9 am Friday morning....til we got home so the pics might be a little water spotted.

Fog was thick Friday and Saturday til midday. Very surreal floating alone through the mist on the water listening to the distant thunder gaining on me.

The float - Cedargrove to Powder Mill Current River Missouri

The Plan - Drive to Cedar Thursday eve, called ahead to Carr's canoe rental for a vehicle shuttle

* they pick it up at Cedargrove and drop at Powder Mill....$150 ouch. I guess fuel and time add up.

We hit the water a bit after 7AM. Destination 20 miles down river.

By 9 the storms had caught us and we had to leave the water for a bit. Lightning has a way of making you want away from water.

20 minutes later we were back at the paddle. The water speed seemed to pick up a bit and we were knocking off miles like crazy.

I finally took their paddles away just below Round Springs. Note...Better to camp North of Round Springs or several miles South ...better gravel bars.

Great night sleeping on the gravel, after that long paddle it didn't take much of a fire to knock me out.

Saturday we awoke to clearing sky's and that familiar morning mist on the water at 8:30. 22 miles to go and no doubt we would have that done by 3PM. We stopped at Two Rivers for a swim and some ice. Good times were had swimming the current as it dumped from the Jacks Fork River into the Current River.

I pretty much just let the river drag me the next 7 miles to Powder Mill. A couple miles up river from the Hwy 106 Bridge I was treated to a Bald Eagle flying up the river. Very cool to see in that setting.

A quick clean up and we headed for the Dairy Shack in Emminence. Best grub in Shannon County. Get a twist cone for sure.

Home by 11PM. That is one day early. Sunday AM I awoke in my own bed feeling like I had forgotten something...best I could tell was that I forgot I had a kitchen pass for 3 days not 2....so I loaded up the Subaru with the TrailMOnster and we headed for BASS River Resort. We made it down by 1PM and set up a day camp in the Courtois. Swimming with Sydney and Wendy.

Sunset Sunday

My Best Friend.

What? You thought that was enough for a weekend...? I told ya the weeks get in the way so I have been cutting them short.

So Wednesday was Sydney's Kindergarten orientation.

Big Day for sure!

We hit up the elementary school, got the scoop on lunch, recess, some book stuff and the cool bus ride. Syd hopped on the bus and we met her at the house. She has been waiting to ride that bus for at least 2 years. Mom has not been waiting for her to ride that bus...Mom is ... gonna need some friends to call and invite her on bike rides this week as school starts Monday.

We decided to make Wenesday special for Syd so we loaded up the Suby again and headed for the Huzzah this time. 100 miles puts you pretty close to the low water bridge at Scotia landing. The new car's super gas mileage seems to give an assist toward these trips. We spent the afternoon swimming and learning to us a snorkle. It didn't take more than 5 minutes and couple mouthfulls of water before Syd got the hang of the snorkle. Soon all we could see was her butt in the air and a blue snorkle...she floated well over 100 meters of river before even looking up.

Chillin' not Workin'

Mid Afternoon worn out?

Not!

um yes I think it's ok if she plays on the roof of the new car...it can handle hail, boats, and bikes, I am pretty sure it can handle a 40lb barefooter.

Get here via Gravel if your good. So that was last week....and here it is Saturday morning...big day ahead. Stella is moving to a new home in South Dakota later today, we have had fun, but the humid Missouri weather makes it a crime for me to keep her here. Rust will eat her in a couple more years if she stays...so off to sweeter and hopefully dryer air.

I am headed to Council Bluff Lake tonight for little Perseid Meteor shower viewing while simultaneously crushing a few PBR's and getting a Moontan. Full MOON GET OUTSIDE! Sumnmer only comes once this year Getchasum!

Sunset for Coates, I know how he digs em'

TTMA - Team Trail Monster Adventures - Float n Bike

2011-07-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

I keep letting the blog slip as summer rips by, not much I can do except try an toss a few posts as time permits. Trail Monstering is busy work, er...busy fun! I have been working on some local adventures to try and squeeze in a bit more fun into my weeks, as if I need more. The latest round is a little something I will call Trail Monster Tri Training. Basically multi-sport training with a bike, a kayak, and my two feet.

Here's the scoop all you adventuring types out there. The goal is to make a short float/bike/run loop close to home and self shuttled. When you can self shuttle there are no excuses for not giving it a try. Today's route is along the Big Creek on the Lincoln/St Charles Missouri county line just west of Hwy 61. I have discussed this route with several people, researched the Google Maps, test drove the bike route to ensure a solid route, and yesterday I set out with the plan in my head.

Ready here goes, Drive to Indian Camp Creek Park, secure your bike (I locked mine to a trailhead kiosk out in the open. Obviously the lock only keeps the honest man honest.), drive to Meyer Road bridge over Big Creek ~4 miles via John Creech and Creech Roads just North of the park accessed via Hwy 61. Alternative route is Dietrich Road to English Road to WW(Meyer Road). If you can't get there with these basic directions, well, you probably have no business out there. ;)

I park on the SE corner of the bridge. Ticks are really bad right there, so stay out of the grass and check yourself before heading down to the water. Car secure and bike gear in the dry sack, it's time to paddle out for the float.

Hit the water - Start time 6:02PM - A bit earlier would have been better, say 4-4:30PM. Notice on the way down under the bridge there is a rope...don't take it as if it were trash. It's to help pull yourself up the slippery slope after a day of swimmin' in the creek or running back to the car for the typical forgotten stuff...bug spray/sunscreen. Pop a tab on a fine PBR and enjoy the next few miles, don't get to comfy your gonna need to get out of the boat and drag soon. This picture shows what looks to be a deadend, however, upon closer inspection of this and many other log jams, root wads, and gravel bars there is usually a little tunnel to slip through. Some are bit tighter. Keep a watchful eye for spiders n snakes. Here are a few photo's from the float.

A small chute through the grasses and into a nice deep hole. 8-10' Deep on the backside.

This next pic had me wondering if I made a mistake on the creek choice...

The creek has lots of twists, turns, slow pools, little ripples, log jams, and some trash...Thank you Mr. Farmer for creating an illegal dump where you thought nobody would see as the stream bank erodes and drops your trash into the creek.

This rootwad and trunk are absolutely huge.

Gravel and Sand bars line the creek edges interspersed with eroding corn and bean fields.

Look close. Ya think that ladder on the earth bank is for the pool access?

The end of the paddle but not the end of the Adventure.

I missed my turn into Indian Camp Creek and had to do a little bushwhacking. If your not up for a little bushwhacking then ya better not join a Team Trail Monster Adventure. Bushwhacking is almost always required. Besides the itches will go away in a week or so.

The photo above is a long grassy field edged by woods and stinging nettle...yup I marched right through it dragging my boat while in shorts...it only stings for a minute. From here I ran to ICCP and my bike. Quick change of clothes from within the dry sack and off for the bike leg. Given I have forgotten my light mounts I used the Creech road connection instead of Dietrich. The only auto to pass me was on Dietrich and of course the pickup that needed to cackle the pipes a bit for me. The shoulder of Hwy 61 is not really a good place to ride, however, it's a very short shot and plenty of shoulder to work with. The ride down Creech was pretty cool after dark. Wish I had that light mount, had to hand carry.

So was it a success? In my book a success defined as "any Adventure you return home from breathing". Might be fun after a light rain when the water level picks up. Probably a bit dangerous, so take heed and be prepared. Bailing on an Adventure is always an option. Knowing your limits keeps you alive. Here is the Garmin data from the trip. I will take 10 miles of cross training like this any day.

GETCHASUM!

Friday Morning Change of Plans

2011-06-17T12:45:00.000-07:00

Couldn't sleep at 5 AM, so the air temps at 71*F were begging me to ride off into Lost Valley.

Pink in the morn'n Sailor take Warn'n...

Sweet Single Track all to myself!

Snake bite number 1...

Big Ol' Owl swooped past me and lit in the tree.

Snake bite number 2...no more tubes or air.

Huge thanks to Jamie Young(sp) for loaning me a pump and patches. Even with the good Samaritan activities I still managed to score a 6 mile walk. Jamie I hope you make the Luau on Sunday for your first race! Great course for a first time racer! I will have your pump at Registration just ask for TTM or Lawman.

Ok closet naturalists....what is this. Pale Yellow flower, bursts in to large seed pods with parachute like tops on the seeds that float on a breeze. Sorry the iPhone didn't want to play nice with the camera focus today.

Upon arrival at work 2 hours late I ushered in a nice little shower.

Don't worry none - that trail is so hardpacked right now you can ride it tonight. But Don't just wait til tomorrow. Go ride some pavement or clean your bike for race day.

CBL SLOW RIDE

2011-06-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Fully recharged. A great weekend and I didn't even ride my bike, but - I did see some crazy double rainbow's and one right out of Temple...I did cut a tree with an axe, catch a fish with a flyrod, sleep in a hammock, clean some trail, and climbed all the way to the infamous yet unknown by many, Council Bluff.

Awesome!

Oh and drank some PBR's with a friend.

And...heard Slow Ride on the Radio twice, once pulling on to Hwy 40 and second pulling away from the boat ramp at Council Bluff Lake.

Daddy do you wanna come with me on that ride?

2011-05-31T09:33:00.000-07:00

1, 2, 3, GO! Those are her words! Someday's...ya know...she just does stuff that...well scares the shit out of me. Gonna have to find a slow forward button for her...

Chilling together after the leap of faith.

The return trip caught on video. Click it!

From Taum Sauk Mtn 5-28-11

The climb up to Mom at Mina Sauk Falls!

Sydney's first view from the top of Mina Sauk Falls. I wish the video had been running. She squeeked and then wanted to get closer.

Trail Guide giving instructions on the next phase of our hike.

Trail ART with Trail MOnster flair.

Todd H...this was left for you...maybe next time. ;)

Trail MOnster Racing!

2011-05-23T07:53:00.000-07:00

Yup All of us got in some racing on Sunday, including the first race for the best known Trail MOnster of all, Sydney "The DestroyOR!"

Awesome day for sure! Great Job Sydney!

I had a great day as well, squeaking out a narrow victory over my awesome wife with 6 laps in a tad over 5 hours and a grand total of 45 miles, I think one moar lap and she was going to lay down the pain for me. I got lucky when they called the race due to heavy rain and lightning. I had another lap left in the tank, but the lack of fuel was taking it's toll. a handful of red licorice and a blackberry Jet Gu w/ 6 bottles of ice water was not nearly enough for 5+ hours of racing. Next time I won't let my Hammer Paste get heated up in my jersey pocket and will make sure I have a back up fuel plan in case something fails...

Next up my birthday present to myself! 200 miles of gravel road in the Flint Hills of SE Kansas!

http://www.dirtykanza200.com/ Check out some of the pics of the area.

Sure I have done some other stuff but nothing will compare with the next race on deck.

Spring has sprung!

2011-05-08T02:55:00.000-07:00

Seems to be harder and harder to try and find time to blog. I have a new phone maybe I can find an app for blogger. Yup upgraded to the iPhone 4. Sad to see the Nokia 2610 go away. Solid phone just needed an upgrade, the features with a smart phone are amazing. They have changed quite a few things for me. I am more flexible, but I still can't find time to write. I do seem to update facebook often. It's easy to post a pic. I will try that here.

Where did I leave off? Maybe just be fore LBL. What a great race! It was a another tough nav for me. I started us off with a wrong turn with in the first mile. It got worse for about the next 6 checkpoints. Jeff and I began to disagree with navigating....I offered him the maps several times and finally I turned and said Do Not Question Me. I was so flustered I wanted to give up. That was a first for me in a race. I did get us back on track and we made it to the paddle portion. The lake was getting beaten by 20knot winds I think. There were 2-3 rollers with white caps and spray. The paddle was shorted from 8 to 5 miles. I would have been happy with .5. It was tough. We took a rogue wave a bit crooked and I watched Jeff get launched over the side of the boat. Oh don't worry I was right behind him. You know there is always a turning point in a race. This was ours. Our packs and the map case had floated out from under the canoe as we are being tossed about, some 20 yards off shore. Jeff managed to his feet first but not before sucking up half of Lake Barkley. We managed to drag everything to shore and eventually flip the boat and drain it. My first reaction after hitting the shore was to get our rain gear on. the rain jackets did the trick and helped conserve what little body heat we had left as the lake temp was a nice chilly ~55*F. I think we spent about 5 minutes total on the beach getting reset and deciding to move on. Quiting out here still means you have to get your boat back to the take out...about mile and a half away.

We finished the paddle and my legs had stiffened and I was very cold. With the shortened paddle we would have to run about 2 miles back to the start line to get our bikes for the next section...thanks to our being lost first thing in the AM I was now familiar with our current location. We had been here about 4 hours earlier. The earlier run took a toll, and I was feeling it. Was it the BONK happening? Possibly. We got on the bikes and it was only minutes before I found my groove on the Hei Hei 29er. Jeff let me lead out and I was flossing the singletrack. I haven't ridden that well in a long time. We found our rhythm. We were right on from this point out and we got to enjoy some fine Kentucky singletrack. The canal loop is fast and lots of fun. If you haven't ridden LBL, find the time. It's worth the trip.

So at the finish my Bonk had set in. The last couple miles on the bike finished me off. We crossed the line and I was done. fell flat on back and managed to roll over and lay there for a bit. I had to be helped back over and then up to my feet. I kinda think running out of water as we got on the bike was a bad idea....My fuel bottles had been sitting on the bike in the sun for hours so they went bad...it was gross. Jeff gave me a few pulls on his bottle and whatever concoction he has turned my stomach. Thought I would die. This was the first race that I have ever turned down a cold beer. I could barely drink the cup of water someone brought me. Enough of my whining. In the end we managed a 6th place in the 2Person Male division out of 23 teams. Over all I think we had a top 10. The results I was sorting through seem to be missing a team or two. so lets just call it a top 10. Sweet! 2 races and now what? We have taken off some time from running so I could focus my training for the 200 miles of gravel roads in June. My birthday I have decided to take on the DK200. 200 miles around Emporia, KS through the remote countryside of the Flint Hills region. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_Hills This is gonna be a true test of personal; endurance. This race is about beating someone else, it's about persevering, and overcoming those personal struggles as I push myself to new boundary's. At 43, I think the thought of riding a bicycle around a loop in Kansas that is as long as trip across Missouri is pretty cool idea. 10 years ago I would have called myself nuts. So the sky is lighting up with the morning sun and I have an urge to ride my bike...I will try to find some time to put more on the blog. Until then, find me on facebook, always lots of pics of fun being a TrailMonster.

Can't seem to find the LBL pics....moar soon

Been Facebook'n and stuff.

2011-03-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

Opps's sorry blog fans...FB seems to be my Blog of late...but it just doesn't retell the story 6 months or 2 years later. I will try to write more. While you wait for me to write more, take a little trip and click a few of the links in the text below and explore the world of a Trail Monster.

We found this little old bike while exploring near Council Bluff Lake...a mile or so from any trail.

Where to start? Castlwood 8 Hour - Wendy wrote that up. It was Awesome 3rd place 2p Coed victory for Team Trail Monster. Hopefully we stay after this one until we get a 1st! we have a 3rd, 2nd, 4th, 3rd...always flirting around the top...maybe, just maybe 2011 is the year. As Jason said to me following the race after party breakfast..."You know Jim if you trained for these races....". He has a point...so I am....Then Winter hit...

I got a new bike! Oh yeah I already wrote briefly about that! It has changed things for me. I love cruising on it. I hope I am going to love gravel cruising on it...I still have not had a gravel ride on it...and the DK200 is looming 12 weeks away. I have stayed with the bike and run more than usual this winter, so coming into spring I feel good. I could stand to drop another 10-15 but I am sure summer will take care of that.

Racin'> >? Yup Still at it. Adventure Racing that is. I talked Wendy's brother(Jeff) into joining me for the Bonk Hard Chill in February. We trained for it by taking at least one long run a week together...5-8 miles, and we did an orienteering meet at Cliff Cave Park. We had a great race. A couple learning points were logged. ummm Keep your fat Thumb off the MAP! and Do Not Change Your Route 90% through the course!!! Stay the line! Man a couple mistakes I know we dropped and hour +. In the end we managed 4th in the 2P Male division. Lots of strong racers! 12th Overall! Not bad for our first race together. Here is a pre-race shot w/ Stella hanging out in the background.

As for that bad compass..errgghhh, well I got to help it get Lost for once! I might also add....DO NOT MESS WITH YOUR BIKE THE NIGHT BEFORE A RACE! PERIOD! I felt as if I was pedaling up hill all day...well sorta...since I decided to let most of the air out of my rear shock. It sucked! Thanks for letting me ride your bike Jeff. My bike is now dialed. Middlefork and Council Bluff Lake last weekend was the perfect opportunity to reset everything. I even got to bag my first night of the year in the hammock, as seen below.

Before I miss this opportunity to throw a plug to our good friends over at Team Virtus, lets get this on the table! They got hooked up with a reporter and photographer for the Bonk Hard Chill race. If you want an honest insider view? Check this out...Article, Slideshow.

Then like a bunch of Jerks they are, they went rounded up some more jerks and had a little non-race of the Adventure style! Wish I could a been there...see pic above, you understand.

Yup it's 4am and I sitting here catching up the world on the life of a Trail Monster when I should be catching the last hours of darkness behind my eyelids. So what has been happening....? I must send Thanks out to Coach for setting up the most awesome of group road rides ever..."Death By Mostly Flat HILLS". I think that is what the MF was for in his email...I do have a video where riders passed me headed up to Cremini Green....I think at a minimum the F bomb dropped 9 of 10 times as they saw the wall of blacktop. I think it's 25% or better and it's a near standing start. Great race though. Check out this group of Jerks that got caught trying to steal a tomb stone....one of them even had to write an essay about it.

I started tracking my fitness activities over at Daily Mile and I have added a widget to the Blog for the stalkers out there. As you will see the training will pickup. Right now I am about 200 miles a month, either on the bike or running. Jeff and I have entered the LBL 12 Hour Adventure Race April 2 at Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky. We will look at the longer race later in the year...Berryman AR 36???Maybe!

UFD racing series is now underway, get out and getchasum dirt racin! I am trying to decide when I will race the dirt series. I would really like to do a few, ICCP and Broemmelsiek are up there because they are so close to home, maybe Greensfelder. Lost Valley Luau and MFXC I have volunteered to do race support....DIRT CRITS(hope to step up a level before it's over) !!! RIM is on the list, Burning at the Bluff 8, BT Epic 3, hmmm I think there are one or two more. I would like to add some more Adventure Races to the list. However, with the price of gas and race fee's, this hobby/fitness gig can get expensive. In the end I just like to ride my bike and run in the woods. So with that I would like to retire tonight before I see this...

I am half tempted to head out for a little pre-dawn dirt now...except it feels like the sleep timer is about to go off. Not to worry, I will keep training! If you are reading this as a mid pack rider...well keep doin' what your doin'...and this below is all you will see...

TTM is gonna get Faster!

‎"The point is though it really doesn't matter how you do it - just shut up and move yer feet!" - Matt Turgeon 2011

Game changer, life altering?

2011-01-24T07:24:00.000-08:00

My I present- Jake the Snake - 2011 KONA!

One ride through the Lou has confirmed that this bike can and will do anything when I put the power to the pedals. Forest Park and beyond for the first ride, fresh snow falling, old crusty snow on the trails and streets, cyclocross course with 6 inches or more of snow, all capped by a sled run down Art Hill. Stay tuned for a full report, and then training rides until June 4, 2011 Dirty Kanza 200 (200 Miles of Gravel Roads, Emporia, KS)

Thanksgiving Vacation til now...2 days left...?

2010-11-26T15:50:00.000-08:00

So it's been a minute since my last post....I prefer photo blogging and I have been without a camera for a while...but thanks to Pentax I am back in business. I Crushed!err Drowned my Olympus Stylus 770SW back in July, replaced it with the Olympus Tough 8010...it sucked in my book...toooooo many damn options and it seemed to always take low res pics... It's a point n shoot...com'on. Time to Test the Pentax...so W90 it is...had it for 3 weeks...realized I did not purchase the protection plan from BB...so guess what...I am SOL....because like all things ....I must break them. Crushed the front lens on a bike ride....So on a whim I sent it to the Pentax repair...Next thing I know...they are fixing it and a part was backordered....well luck was on my/our side...the part came in and the camera returned home in time for our Thanksgiving Vacation.

So it's been a minute. Burning at the Bluff was awesome, Hell it was so awesome our teammate Keith decided to do a lap and a half on a broken leg. Super StuD! Awesome fast course for sure!

So Thanksgiving Vaca went like this so far....

PS...New Photo Blog

Photo's from Stella

Just a statement that getting out there offers lots of different views..

Stitz, Busken, Pryor, Keevan, and TTM @ Middlefork

I had to explain the next...and yes I like sheep boots.

How else do you get the sheep to stand still...?

Oh and we signed up for the Castlewood 8 Hour Adventure Race 4th in a row for TTM. Best of all I found my most favored item, my Castlewood 8 Hour fleece cap. It was tucked away in my hunting jacket from Deer Season 2009. Yes another skunk....that makes several now...gotta get a better grip on hunting property options.

Burnin' is almost here.

2010-09-17T06:58:00.000-07:00

Ah, at last!

Mountain Bike Season is on Full Tilt now!

Lake Loop lookin sweet.

Gotta Black Brew agein' in the oak chips and dancing with coffee from last years burnin'.

Summer has brought some new skillz and determination to the Trail Monster franchise.

I have felt the pain of recent weeks of ride time and trail karma.

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, Sundays....and any other ...day

This pain train ensures I pull my share of the load.

Trail Monstering in full effect!

Rapture In Misery

2010-08-16T19:47:00.001-07:00

The terrain of the trail twisted and turned through shadowy field edges, amid stretches of completely sun baked tall grass fields, then slipped into the woodlands for an immediate test with slime covered roots and rocks, with a good measure of climbing on mixed surfaces of pea gravel, hard pack dirt, and shady north side slopes of some grease like mud before dropping quickly off of the ridges with sweeping turns followed closely by more rocks and dips in creek beds with stone bridges interconnected with a sweet ribbon of soul sucking river bottom loam leading to a loose rock and wet root series of switchbacks ascending to the false flat open field roads from hell before paying back the pain with a final rip through young forest on contoured bench cut single track with a pump track flow, ending with a massive field cyclo-cross tests weaving through the coolest pit setup ever.

The scoring system was top notch. Barcode scans as you crossed the line with your time, position in your race group, and time to the racer in front of you. That was worth the entry fee. Nothing like dropping a $100 bucks or more at a race and have to wait a week for the final scores because everything is done on cardboard.

This is on my must do list for next year to improve on my 8th Place in the 40+ 6 hour solo.

PS I am not selling my bike just yet. We are still on speaking terms.

Obviously this is way before lap 3 of 4 of the 8+ mile course.

In other news Wendy got a podium.

3rd Place 12 Hour Women's solo....7 laps.

I think she rode a different course...

I am sure she will blog it up in a day or so...check her blog Pabst Smear.

On a horse with no name.

2010-08-08T10:13:00.000-07:00

Saturday Sunrise Epic's

There are days when you know your gonna ride. When your me and you have the green light to ride why not make it an epic. Last Saturday was one of those to have your butt on a saddle. I sent out a few pings on Friday evening looking for interest in a Trail Monster Epic. It's not often that outsiders get the invite to tag along on a Saturday Epic. This one would be no different, as not a single soldier took the bait. So be it. TTM would go solo and roll the "Tri-fecta" as so aptly named by ... anyone? ok, so it was Craig Thrasher that threw the moniker on the ride that covers Lost Valley, Matson Hill Park, and Klondike Park all with a Katy Trail connection. There is one tiny difference to the TTM version. I ride from home. No loading up an automobile to go ride my bike. Saturday Solo's start from the front door and hopefully return there under my own power. This Saturday would be only different from the past with one exception, gears. Through a round about of crazy events over the summer I have totaled my Stumpjumper and replaced it with the Kona Hei Hei 29er Deluxe. Yup, it's got gears. So quick summary on the new ride. 09' Hei Hei Deluxe frame with the Fox fork, shifty bits are X.9 trigger shifters, X.9 FD, FSA Afterburner 2X, X.0 RD, XT Cassette, Juicy Ultimate brakes f/r, Custom Girls/Spade rotors, Velocity Blunt's 29er, Tubeless setup with Bontrager symetrical rim strips and Stans on the inside of a new set of Shwalbe Racing Ralphs, left over bar from the stumpy, loaner grips til I replace my Ergons that I destroyed thanks to cheap allen bolts stripping out. So that pretty much makes up my new "Horse with no name". The intent of the Saturday ride was to get to know the bike, tweak a few things, and well what else...RIDE~!

So off we go, 6am rollout from casa TTM. Sunrise over Bryan Road.

Summer mornings must make awesome balloon flights, as the two below were taking off from Research Park south of Hwy 40. The balloon on the left (blue/grey) is piloted by Frank Hines. Frank and I work together, and through round about Monday morning coffee we discovered we were both up and outside early Saturday. Of course the Red White and Blue of Remax is up and flying. I guess real estate still lines somebody's pockets well.

Shadow pictures always seem to intrigue me when riding. This is the Hamburg trail near the "mound". While riding the Hamburg I encountered a beagle pup. He was cruising like he was on a mission, I figure lost pup and whistle for him. He stopped and ran to me. Great now I have buddy for the ride...not so fast, collared and all something seems out of place. He is aweful small to be out running. It took a minute before I realized I had just interupted a training session. I took out my Ipod and that is when I heard the rest of the pack chassing rabbits. He resumed the chase, I hope he didn't get in to much trouble.
Ah, Singletrack at last. Lost Valley singletrack is home to the GORC Tuesday Night ride. This is where I learned to ride again. I took the trail in the counterclockwise direction and picked up the new section of singletrack known as phase 2. (PS...the trail names are the only thing that sucks at LV.) Lots of twisty ridge riding then a few rollers before the drop down to the doubletrack. This little bump below is at the bottom of the last major decent. I reached down and turned off the pro-pedal and let'r rip. Sweet 20MPH. BLAM What the?> Unwanted air, TREE, TREEEE Oh shit that hurt. Speed and direction change was more than the front tire wanted. I burped all of the air out of the tubeless and steering went left, then airborn. I clipped the little just left of center on the trail at the top and hit the big tree in the distance(center) with my left hip and camera which was tucked safely in the jersey pocket. It's 7:30am and 20 miles into the ride. Never crashed here before... Click the picture and look for the horizontal white slash in the center just left of the trail...that's my bike and where we landed. Good distance...poor landing.
So now how do you fix a flat on the trail with tubeless tire? Co2 x3 did it. reset the bead after cleaning dirt and moss out of it. I knew better than using the stupid handpump I carry. Somedays that thing won't blow out a candle. Time for more C02. All fixed and rolling a tad low, so I figured the lower lot would hold a few riders and possibly a floor pump. Just glad the three hotties running the trail had already crested the hill before I made my decent...that could have been not such a good introduction to mountain bikers in the am.
Upon borrowing a floor pump I noticed this fine antique that was being readied for a ride. Thanks for the pump. Time for me to roll to Matson, the rest of LV can wait til the return trip.

To get to Matson Hill Park and all 4.7 miles of singletrack, one must pay the toll and ride several miles of Katy Trail flatness and then earn your ride by climbing Matson Hill Road(SteepGravel).

Once on top there is a short ride down the pavement to the park. Good News on the Park...expansion plans are working! I heard about another 400 acres that were just purchased. This could be the destination trail. Thanks SCCP and GORC. So here is the one of two pictures I managed to get of Pete B (hiding behind the tree) and Jeff R(in the blue) while we rode together for a bit. Sorry about dropping you guys after we got split by the other group I passed. I was on a mission. Hope to see ya for another ride soon. When trails are fun I forget to take pictures sometimes.

If your gonna go big then you owe it to yourself to follow Duke to Terry and then down to the Katy Trail. Don't don't let the flatness fool you grasshopper.

You get paid for your efforts at the end, besides this is pretty much a rite of passage. Pick one, they all make it worthwhile.

When in the area one must stop in on "The Pimp's" proving ground. Word has it a local trail guru had this rocky edge of your seat trail named after him.

He made sure to watch over all the land. I still think I will have lunch under that tree someday.

So just because you are in Rome....look there are some things that at my age I just should not do. The large drop at the top of Donkey Kong is one of them. The trail to the right is there for a reason, sanity. So I took a look and remembered rolling down much bigger drops in Moab, and thought no problem, "Just roll it out". Damn if it didn't sound doable.

Umm...well not so much. I took that picture above to make sure my face wasn't bleeding. The side of my face was pretty much numb. Now looking at it, you think no big deal...ok. The shadow line is pretty much wear my front wheel hit and stuck. The larger of the two steps just above my helmet is wear my face hit, followed closely behind by my ass, feet, and bike. The helmet is cracked. Better than my head for sure! PSA! Wear your helmet!

Slight face rash and lots of sand. As you can see there is some serious thoughts rolling around in the mellon. Mostly trying to record a note to self not to do that shit again. I dusted myself off as much as possible and finished up this side of Klondike. Lucky for me there are showers here at the campground. I rinsed and rekitted, checked in at home, and knocked down a few snacks. Next plan was set for a cold beer. I may not of needed it, but I think I earned it. I was bound for "The Tavern in Defiance", the one across the street. They have PBR and really good food. I headed out through the park and up and over on hogsback down to the Katy Trail.
After a fine sandwhich of smoked pork loin and a couple beers. Pretty much the only food I have had today, save for a couple packs of 100 calorie crackers, and a peanut butter cheese crackers. So I finished up my Katy Trail ride and looped through Lost Valley for phase 1, a few more miles of singletrack. Next was the decision to put in a few miles of Hamburg and Busch gravel. While riding I tend to let my mind wander. Today has been no different. However, one thing that seems somewhat ironic is that while looking up this gravel I thought of Bob Jenkins and his quest for Leadville. It seems that Bob thought of me and my Cheerleader appearance at the last dirt crit whiling pre-riding one of the crazy ass climbs on the Leadville course. See I have watched Bob struggle this year, but not like last. He seems to have turned a corner. He buckled down and got back at it, cutting weight, and making the appearances. So hey BOOM keep it up! You don't have to finish Leadville, you just have to start. It's your race, ride, journey, only you can write the outcome. So with the thought of you making that journey given all the hurdles thrown your way, I looked up this road, and pedaled on. The Saturday Solo from here was driven by those thoughts. Hell I can't let Bob have all the fun. I wrapped up Busch with a loop of the bike path and some sweet nearly traffic free gravel time.

Sometimes you really have to dig deep. The following is crash #3. I hit the ditch at a pretty good speed and stuck the front wheel again. The only problem, I was still holding the handlebars when I stopped...when I say "stopped" well I mean landed...I ended up sitting in front of the bike while still holding the bars. The impact was so fast that I just spun completely over and landed on my ass in front of the bike. After dusting myself off again, I rolled on.

Brommelsiek was good. The park system has done a great job keeping the trails mowed this summer. The extra traffic from cyclists has helped as well. Seems the parks are really starting to get some fans. Hopewell and Hwy N...only one place to go from here.
A ride to Duello Road bound for Prospect. Lots of new work, do you think the county will proposition MoDot to add a bike lane? It does lead to a park. Reality is, they will raise the speed limit and tuck the white line as far to the right as possible.

Enough pavement. Time for some more singletrack. Hit the trail on the Westside. Trailhead is the sunny spot on the weeds just off the right center of the photo.
Whew, great ride along the creek and past "Wendy's Swimming Pool". This is the park that Wendy took her first mountain bike ride and made it 5 minutes before breaking her elbow. All the way to the ER she kept asking for a Do Over. Sick for sure.

As my taint is now completely sand free thanks to continued use of the VGS-12 I am headed home. The picture really brings out the reality of how I feel at the very end of the ride. Everything around me was fuzzy. I succeeded in my first South 40 - Century. Yes, you read that right! A Century, 100 miles, on two wheels, pedaled by me! 100 Miles Shit Yeah!

Next?

Coming Soon to a race near you!

Ps...still don't have a name for my new ride.

What I do know, if it throws me a couple more times, I will call it "SOLD"!

King in my Kingdom!

2010-08-01T11:20:00.000-07:00

From the big door to the little door, it's allllll miiiinnnnnneeee~!!!!

Trail Monster'n Summer 2010 24 Hour trippin'

2010-07-22T10:42:00.001-07:00

First Up, Daren @ Rose from St

James Evangelical Church Vacation Bible School New Haven Mo. I have recovered the remains of your aerial

"note in a bottle" released on July 6, 2010.

Balloon recovery site information ( 009 18-JUL-10 9:59:14AM

N38.69341 W91.29220 502 ft )

I have removed the debris aka...litter and will return to you. Your Message was read aloud in raised voice on the trail Sunday morning after picking it up, obviously this message was sent to us after the awesome and powerful display of weather that baptized our souls for the krushing of our day ahead and surely we sinned for poaching a nights sleep on the picnic tables in the city park.

Your Message "Broadcast the Good News!", "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1:15

The sign in the incredible photo was noted only a short distance east of the downed location, should you go in search of this spot. PS...that darkness was 9:30 am....

On to moar incredible news. TTM and Sasha , got our selves a nice weekend. Musta been luck. Friday consisted of a quiet day at the office...thanks to Mgmt vacations....then home. I twisted Sasha's arm to go out for the evening...we never go out to eat...save for the monthly trip to Ralphs place to catch the Brown Dog Blues Band in action. Seriously, get yo' butt on over there and catch some fine blues talent on the stage. Hell the BDBB don't even suck that bad. So it's story time, we managed to get out of the house with out a real destination, other than we did not want to spend $60 on sushi at our favorite place Sushi Sen of Lake St. Louis. So...now what? We do love our Sushi, so...I decided to just drive and found our way over to

Kitaro. Hibachi! That's the ticket, right? I found out that Sasha had never entered such a crazy establishment where they cook in front of you. So we saddled up to a grill, next to another lovely whale sized couple had beached themselves...Really diet Soda...Go out all out and splurge once

for the real thing....ugghh.. Of course we chat briefly to hear that well....they mumble and of course they put off an aire about them since we mentioned never dining here prior. "regulars" they were...lol So we order up some drinks ...real manly like...Mai tai's and Jack on the rocks...for the life of me I can't see why she won't drink the fufu drinks with me...Slurp...gone...next...I love the koolaid drinks. next up, Mojito...it kinda sucked. Finally we get to order some food. We went with chicken and steak...and tried to order an eel and avacado roll...apparently writing things

down or remembering is difficult for someone in a waitress position...we never saw the roll. Diners at the grill to our right were getting a treat and we cheered loudly for the asian appearing chef...Our chef rolls in and guess what. We get the "black guy". He Sucked! When Wendy commented on the acrobatic talents of the shrimp on the far grill, his response was, "Yeah, but his food sucks". dude it all sucks...we came for the entertainment. Psst Better off goin to Ralphs! Foods better, and even with out the BDBB there will be entertainment....if your lucky Lewis Greenberg will stop in for a lively chat. So Kitaro...thumbs down. We bailed on this joint and hit up the warehouse of drink stores, Friar Tucks. Bourbon was on order. We needed another bottle to stash in the garden for the moments of chillaxation. Whiskey in a dirty bottle pulled from under a rock in a garden has a way of adjusting ones outlook for the moment.

We considered hitting up Masa's or Blue Sky for a cocktail, but a few miles into the drive home...Kitaro's revenge was upon us. I will filter this piece. Safe at home and recovered we

decide to enjoy a nice stash the bottle moment. so...are you still with me...this is Friday evening around 10:30PM. It gets better. Wendy points out a glowing balloon like object floating

overhead. This think looked like a burner on a balloon all fired up. It was aobut 150' in the air and moving in a Northerly direction at steady speed...it was pretty quick. Not a sound was heard as it floated over, as it passed the desire to apply my coyote like reflexes kicked in, and howls were made. The UFO floated on about a half mile then went out. I think it was possibly one of

those Japanese lantern things that fly after being lit. Either way I think it was a sign. We both fell asleep in the garden chairs til the skeeters woke us. We seem to doze off quite often in those

garden chairs.

I awoke early Saturday morning and created coffee strong enough to handle Woodford Reserve, grabbed a bagel and headed for the garden. Sunrise is awesome out there. Wendy arrived shortly. I suggested the coffee needed a little help so the bourbon came out, when she accepted the notion I knew, we were in the midst of a "TrAiL MoNsTeR" session. We sat out there til around half past ten. The sun hammers the garden seating after that and if you stay...you better sunscreen...We hatched a plan to take the bikes and ride out the Marthasville to see my old

buddy Ben Franklin. (Picture at Augusta Brewery)

He's been working on their new home

so they can get the hell out of

Arkansas and back to civilization...well

at least out of Arkansas. Marthasville from our home should be around 35

miles....I think. A few hour ride. We packed our Hennessey hammocks, a jug or so of water and a Honey stinger. I figured we would just buy whatever we needed. It's not like this is the Middlefork on the OT.

We had some bike chores to handle, you know gettin the right rolly tires on the gearing tight. Wendy would take her Connor and I the MahJOR One. Singlespeeds baby! 38x17 for her and 42X18 for me. Time to get our mash on. We headed out and rolled our way to QT and the bank, gotta have some cash money to Trail Monster properly. Traffic suggested we take a back route and we hit Stump road and then on over to Bates. PS...roadies...when Bates is done...man what a nice long hill. We continued on into Swinghaven for a short shout out to Jason Pryor whom has taken up residence in Gunshow Buskin's old place. So we busted him doin' the dishes in an apron. Good to see marriage is training him well. LOL. If only he we strong enough, he would have tagged along. Maybe next time. We hit the Katy via Technology Blvd and Research Park. It wasn't long before we called time out for a hydration break. We need beer. We attempted to purchase Ice Cold PBR's in Defiance, however, Terry N Kathy's (biker Bar) is not worthy of such a fine beverage, we settled for the worst Stag in a bottle ever. given the Beer quality and visual talent was lacking, a plan to keep moving was in order. Do you think you could follow this grand leader on an overnight unscripted bike packing trip?

Word from Fort Franklin was that the painting crew would be leaving Marthasville in an

hournhalf...it's 5:30PM..."Well we are headed to Augusta Brewery, why don't ya meet us there for a beer." We enjoyed very over priced food and beer, another $60 bucks. Ben did show and we had a great chat and hope to have many more after they get moved back. Good Luck Kelly, Bailey and Shady!

Two and a half hours later...7PM we decide to roll on out of Augusta, I think at this point is where the grand leader was maybe overly medicated or under Gogi berried. I say we can be in Herman by 9:30. It will barely be dark, perfect for city park camping. After a few more stops I was starting to sober and stated on moar than one occassion, "Baby I am sorry I had know idea this trip would require this much effort." she would just laugh at me.... Damn who woulda thought a gravel ride of 65 miles while drinking adult beverages would require such a physical effort. We made to McKittrick about 10:45PM. My light had a dead battery from the point it was

first needed. Good thing Wendy's light worked. The Katy trail has skunks, possums, and loads of frogs after dark and some jerks think a long distance trail should close at sunset...Does the AT/OT/CDT close at sunset...I think not.... At the remote gas station on 19, I destroyed 2 Double Charbroiled Cheeseburgers(microwaved), Quart of Chocolate milk, and some other junk. $20bucks including Wendy's Monster burger. Sign said 2 miles to Herman. Odd place that Herman is...we hit town and they had rolled up the sidewalks and shut off the lights. When we arrived it the park we were cheered for being hardcore bikers riding in after dark from a large group camp singing songs around the fire. We passed on that group, since they sucked moar than the BDBB. As it turns out, there are really no suitable trees for hammock camping, not even the shelter posts. So we crashed out on a couple picnic tables wrapped in our princess sheets and listened to the locals hoot n hollar. The cops seemed quite busy with kids jumpin the fence into the city pool, or who knows...they managed to rip around the park all night long. A few hours of sleep found us puffy eyed and hungry, lucky for us Hardee's just opened. Better off poaching a nites sleep on the trail. As we finished breakfast we were loading up our gear to sound of thunder in the distance. The cashier at Hardee's made sure to inform us of a red sky at dawn and the belief of rain for the day. Red in the Morn Sailor take Warn. Good thing we are not sailors and we are riding bikes, right? One of the customers tells us the storms are headed north of Columbia, nothing to worry about. I should have checked for myself. We hit the road and then trail for few miles enjoying the wind at our backs for once. About five miles into the return trip we sense the storm is going to over take us. Winds were rockin things. Thunder and lightning! Lucky for me to have spotted an umbrella on the side of Technology Blvd on our way out of town. Never one to let a gift such as this pass I packed it along for the ride. You know, ya never know... (Overpacker Alert). With rain pounding around us we huddled under the gift umbrella for about 20 minutes, the rain just got stronger, so we hopped a fence to take shelter on some rocks. the trees were far enough apart to get a shelter erected. He hung out here for about 30 minutes. Only once did the lightning get close...It struck something on the hillside above us. Very sketchy for a bit.

As the storm passed we packed up to hit the trail. I think we were ready to be home. As noted here in this fine disposable camera photo...

Sasha Petrosovitch displays the ever present Team Seagal Wave. Did I mention our Olympus Stylus 770sw died after 4 years...filled with water on the a previous trip with Gunshow Busken and his fine trooper Walker. Moar on that at a later date.

In true Trail Monster fashion we learn something ever time we take a trip. As noted here a fine soldier is learning to ride sans hands for the first time.

Awesome to see her picking up much needed skillz for fall soul krushing and wrist snapping. With the storms passed and new skillz in hand we pushed for home. Fuel needs require a brief stop at Peers Deli for a sandwich and kindness from strangers.

After finishing a nice turkey sandwich on the front step and watching the chickens free range around the place, a local had stepped out of the store and smiled, and said I betcha wish they sold towels in there.

My response, actually dry socks would be even better. She laughed and climbed in her big red truck and drove off. A few minutes later she rolled back up and jumped out with a big smile and says Hey here ya go, just some old farm socks but there dry. Awesome. A gift from a stranger on the trail, humanity does prevail in remote places. She smiled turned and drove away. No chance other than in this post to thank her....So (THANK YOU! Trail Angel). Dry feet make the world much better...

We made it back to Defiance, this time to Dave and Jacquies Place across the corner, (Home of

the World Famous Stuffed Squirrels). This place has character(s), refer to Trail Monster session 06/2009. Not only that, but they serve PBR longnecks! The menu says today's special is a Red Devil? So why not howabout 2 of those and 2 corn on the cob. A "Red Devil" is perfect trail fuel, Grilled Cheese(Cheddar), Fresh Sliced Tomatoes, Grilled Onions and I think an arm load of delicious BACON! Awesome, the only correction would be pepperjack to bring on some heat. oh and I think with a few beers and lunch our tab was about $15 bucks.

Now completly satisfied we have TrailMonstered properly with PBR's we turn our wheels for home.

Along the way you MIGHT find signs that surely piss off Joe Brazil and friends that are proposing a ban on bicycles on the roads of Southern St. Chuck...Guess while you're at it Joe you better think about the safety of automobile drivers and ban tractors, mail delivery, school buses, and forbid anyone from having mechanical troubles on the roadway. I am sure the list will grow.

Meanwhile, in moar civilized sections of St. Charles County undercover do gooders have put in a bike lane....Note...very near the new Highway Patrol office on Hwy 94 and 40/61/I-64. Must have happened back near the turn of the century after they kicked the horse and buggy out.

All total 131 miles round trip from right out the front door pedal powered.

She Did IT!!!!

2010-05-27T18:35:00.000-07:00

First day with pedals and no training wheels and already crushin' singletrack!

First pedal strokes on singletrack!

Learning to stand on the pedals day 1...

Another weekend in the life of a Trail Monster

2010-05-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

Forecast...Rain all weekend...

Syds view of the sky.

Weathered the storm.

Maiden voyage of our newest boat.

I think she approves...

Shhhh.....can you hear the drips from the paddle?

...the ripples of the water past little fingers?

Think I can make it?

A little trail work.

Sometimes you need a break.

Gotta get those base miles in to shred with me.

I think they all had a great weekend.

Do you think it's time for pedals? Watch below...

MOAB!!!!

2010-05-10T11:23:00.001-07:00

Full reportup soon. Recovery first.

Upper Porcupine Singletrack yes the trail is that close to the edge.

Almost got real personal with the valley floor. As you see it is where I landed from this over the bars trip. Bruised, and scared shitless for a minute.

Porcupine Rim Trail.

Dudes that gave me the trail data to link up Slickrock.(Thanks)

Dinosaur track near Potash road.

View point over Moab from Slickrock Trail.

Yeah, Shred Together!

2010-04-14T18:37:00.000-07:00

Bunny Trail

2010-04-04T16:28:00.001-07:00

Good

Better

Bestest

I waited all night for this bucket full of eggs...?

More Easter Egg hunting on the Berryman Bunny Trail

All wrapped up and shreddin' trail.

Big Gravel Friday Got Dirty.

2010-03-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Two soldiers go hunting...

rabbits...

Wrist Snappers...

MiLeSSSSSS....

40 Miles(Paved, Gravel, Singletrack)

Consider me officially de-sanded! Thank you VGS-12!

Backpackers Monthly February Edition - Spring in your step

2010-03-09T04:20:00.000-08:00

FEBRUARY 26-28, 2010

In summary, Night hike Friday to Bell Mtn, setup camp, woke up chilly and enjoyed a sunrise peaking over the trees and under a few clouds. Coffee and bagels to fuel the day, then off trail straight down to Shut-in's creek. A lot more off trail to the peak on Lindsey Mtn. The cool temps allowed us to pack some flank steak for fajitas with fixin's and the sun made the rocks a worthy picnic location. More bushwacking and out to the gravel for a nice quiet stroll back to the TrailHead. We did stop just off the gravel to enjoy a few sips of fine Craggenmore Single Malt 12 for me and Savory Jack D. for Wendy as the moon rose from the treetops. Great 24 hour trip for sure.

The last 3 pics are us kicking around our friends front yard....ahhh to have a shut-in's right in the front yard...SWEET. PS...it's official white chicks can jump.

Tarptent at Sunrise

Spring in her step!

Did I mention fear of heights?

View back at Bell Mtn, we just left the high point in the center of the picture.

Lindsey Mtn

Clownin' around.

Marble Creek

Rockhopper!

Biking for Baby Food!

2010-02-26T06:50:00.000-08:00

If your gonna ride, then ride for a greater cause than just getting your fat ass off the couch.

The Shriners do it in little yellow jeeps so kids can walk.

Bob is gonna do it so babies can eat.

Click It!
http://biking-for-baby-food.blogspot.com/

....breaking the cycle for cycling.

2010-02-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

Off Season Complete

2010-02-01T08:58:00.001-08:00

As the eve of February is upon us we find time is ripe for a change.

Why not test run the French press ala Jet Boil PCS in the kitchen.

Rule 1) Do not assemble French Press and add coffee then boil.

Seemed like the fastest way to get the much needed black juice.

Instead of the typical waddle to the fridge for a beer, how about a ride instead?

Proper planning will lead to the Trail Head Brewery in just a short 25.04 mile spin from home via neighborhoods and Katy trail state park. The beer is not as good as a fine TTM ale, and the sweet potato is lacking the TTM touch of grilling overnight.

Maybe a breast of Peacock would make nice table fare?

To work it off a bit more of a ride is in order.

Better be quick this pace line don't wait around for desert.

If your off season was a tough as mine odds are you will see lots of this for a month or so...

Public service announcement: Yo Frenchtown Antique District...your signage is a bit misleading. I am sure this orignated near the other end of Hwy 94. If ya still want the sign its chillin' next to a light pole in Research Park.

Bring It February TTM is back!

How cold is it?

2010-01-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Yes it's that cold in Missouri.

Trainer for Christmas

2009-12-25T07:22:00.000-08:00

Race Day!

Black Friday...TTM Style

2009-11-27T20:10:00.000-08:00

Proper Attire for starters.

Add a dash of water.

One sprig of woodland finely diced.

Toss in a whole bowl full of friends.

Several ounces of shredded corn rows!

(Which by the way is the only approved method for corn rows!)

Marinate in the sun for a few hours.

Keep marinating.

Careful now, it's almost ready.

Damn to much special sauce.

She is behind this I see.

ORDER OUT!

BT EPIC

2009-11-07T06:15:00.000-08:00

October 25 th 2009 was a bittersweet day... The last mountainbike race of the season... Not knowing if we had a sitter, Jim opted to ride the tour and I was going to do the race. Lining up Sunday morning, with the usual suspects, I looked at it as a group ride and set a goal of about 7 hours.. Deep down I wondered about my legs and what I could expect from them coming off the Burnin' just 2 weeks ago.. There was also a chance of rain to make things interesting.

After crossing the make shift bridge at the water crossing, thank you Scott, I knew the gravel would be tough on my SS so I just pedaled and looked forward to the singletrack. The trail was covered in leaves but otherwise in good shape. I reached Brazil Creek and saw a bike and a helmet, hmmm. Getting to the switchback I see a guy being carried down on a board. After about 10 minutes we are able to pass. The volunteers apologize for "holding you guys up". Not necessary. I said a short prayer for him and moved on..

At mile 21 I got to see Jim , who was surprised to see me so soon. Jim is an awesome pit crew, as many of you found out.. He gave me some liquid fuel, an apple and a bagel I shoved in my bra for later. He then informed me that my teammate, Mason Storm, was only a few minutes ahead of me. After crossing the Hwy I already knew I would be in for a walk on the longer climb, so I made sure to ride the steep short one. I came upon another rider and asked if he had seen Storm.. He had .. Storm was close. I started yelling " Storm, I am coming to snap your wrists.." Finally I caught him. He was " just chillin". I had the pleasure of riding with him until the road climb back to Berryman. My downhills arent very fast, but I can climb pretty well.

Jim pushed me through very quickly. Yea, finally to our piece of adopt-a-trail.. I know this well and was able to reach Beecher in record time.. The rain wasnt so bad until about now. Wet, cold, and tired I reminded myself that there was BEER at the finish. Keep going.

Around mile 43 I was surprised to see Jim and Doug Busken, who gave me a much needed jacket. About mile 45 I realized I had no brakes after I hit the first of 3 trees . I have experience with hitting trees and am tougher than I look. But, how am I going to stop on the gravel downhills ???

The mud was thick and took a lot out of me. I was thrilled to hit the gravel, or so I thought. I had wished I had a mask on to deflect the gravel from hitting me in the face and eyes. Finally , the last downhill . I squeezed my brake levers as hard as I could and was able to make the turn, screaming though. The guy behind me was not as lucky, and hit the fence. I dreaded the water cross but then realized I was already wet, so it was not a big deal.. I could hear the party and smell the beer by now. I finished at 7 hours and 49 minutes, with a huge smile. I felt great and wished there was 10 more miles left. I am confident that my 7 hour goal would have been within reach if conditions had been better. Next year!!

Special thanks to God, for my strength and safety, Jim for being so supportive, the volunteers for making it all happen,Jason Pryor for the preride pasta, Busken for the jacket which is finally clean,and finally to SHE-RA my bike {Specialized SS Rockhopper } that made it all possible.

Congrats to Loreen, Karen, and Christine for spectacular finishes. Way to go Kevin Bonney, at 17, was the youngest finisher. It was a pleasure talking to Clayton Bell and Garth Possner , who I think is amazing and want to join his " fan club" . And a high five to Mitch, Dwayne and Keeven for making the shirt.

Hijacked for a great cause!

2009-11-05T06:41:00.000-08:00

There is still time for YOU to make a difference in the future. The future of hiking, trail running, and mountain biking in the St. Louis area can and will change this Saturday forever!

Are you willing to let it happen without you?

Can you rake leaves, nip a wayward branch, swing a pulaski, or tame a rouge hoe?

Can you spare 4 hours of your day?

Can you eat a free lunch?

Can you carry home some free swag?

If you can answer YES to any of the above then why not be a part of the change?

Change This!

To this!

Go put your name on the list and show your friends you are going to make a change in the future.

LIST HERE!

Make your way to the parking lot at the "Mound" as we will be shuttling into the worksite from there.

Directions

7295-7317 Missouri 94, Weldon Spring, MO 63304

Link: <http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=38.695693,-90.724068&sll=37.966362,-91.833472&sspn=0,0&ie=UTF8&ll=38.695257,-90.725355&spn=0.012778,0.019205&t=h&z=16&iwloc=A>

Over 1 mile of new trail is waiting to spring forth from your hoe!

Bring a friend!

What to expect ?

Workdays are at the core of what GORC is all about. They are the reason the club was founded: to build trails that we are able to ride and enjoy for years to come. While the work is hard, you'll probably find that in addition to being very rewarding, you might find yourself having a lot of fun as well. At the very least, you will have a different perspective on trails when you ride over a section that you helped build yourself. You don't have to be a GORC member, and there's no experience necessary to participate. Workdays are led by experienced Crew Leaders who will explain trailbuilding technique and show you how to use the tools properly.Here's what to expect at a typical GORC Workday, which usually takes place from 9am to 1pm on a Saturday, including a few things you might want to bring to make the experience more enjoyable:General Items:-Water is sometimes, but not always provided. Most people either wear a Camelbak, or bring their own water bottle, just in case.-Snacks. While food is provided after the workday, it isn't usually available during the workday itself. You might want to bring an energy bar in case you get hungry.-Glasses. To keep flying debris out of your eyes. Glasses are sometimes provided, but you can wear your cycling glasses.-Insect repellent. Some of the parks where we work have loads of ticks, so it's a good idea to bring this.-Gloves. You'll definitely need these. A pair of work gloves is best, but you can wear cycling gloves too.-BootsClothing:The intensity of the work can vary depending on whether you're doing light maintenance with loppers, or benchcutting with digging tools. Most people wear long pants and dress in layers so that they can make themselves comfortable as they go along. If you plan on attending a lot of workdays, you might want to invest in a pair of gaiters.Tools:Tools are provided by GORC or the land agency we're working with. Many GORC members have purchased their own tools. If you have loppers, or a tree saw, you might want to bring them, but they aren't necessary.Children/Dogs:Most of the land agencies will allow you to bring children, but some have minimum age requirements to do actual work. If you want to bring them, you'll have to make sure they are prepared for getting into things like poison ivy, and alert for insects and other critters. You will also be responsible for keeping them away from any possibly dangerous situations where trailwork is going on. The same goes for dogs. You'll have to obey the rules regarding leashes which vary from park to park.Weather:Since the number of workdays is limited by season, we do our best to go through with every workday unless the weather tells us otherwise. Light rain and snow are not usually things that will stop a workday, but weather which makes it unsafe to travel, or makes the trails unsuitable for a particular task is. For example we've canceled a workday at Klondike to repair some switchbacks because the trails were just too muddy to get any useful work done on such a steep hillside. We got snowed on during the construction of the Rollercoaster at Castlewood, but it turned out to be a very productive workday, albeit cold and wet. Common sense usually prevails and the decision on whether or not to go ahead will be made by the Steward and posted on the forum, so if there is any doubt, check there before heading out.After the workday is over, food is provided by a donation from a sponsoring bike shop, and some schwag is usually given away. Weather permitting, a ride on the new trail then takes place so you can enjoy the fruits of your labor! If you have any other questions regarding a workday you wish to attend, don't hesitate to post it in the forum. Remember, GORC is an all-volunteer organization, and without your help we wouldn't be able to have so many great places to ride in the Metro St. Louis area. See you at the next workday!

Burnin' at the Bluff 2009

2009-10-12T17:37:00.001-07:00

The blog title picture is the reaction you get when your name is called to climb to the top of the podium on your cherry poppin' trip to the Burnin' at the Bluff!

When you rock it on a singlespeed mountain bike for 10.36 hours covering 5 laps totaling 65 miles while rockin' one of your awesome sponsors swag and drinkin' their beer and over the speakers you hear 12 hour Solo Female ....1st place is ...... Team Seagal's own .... Wendy Davis you get the following picture!

From getting a jersey from the team in March as the biggest fan for your birthday, to rocking the podium in first place as a teammate, you can't get any happier!

....workin' like a soldier, dreamin' of said podium.

I think the burning sheep had the last word...

You awesome peeps at MESA Cycles sure throw down one helluva moutain bike event!

Thanks!

Special thanks to ICCC for the great pasta dinner and the 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies I ate!

Movie night anyone?

2009-10-07T14:15:00.001-07:00

TTM training run...

2009-09-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Trail Monster Tango

2009-09-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

Guess who?

Any guess on the source of the mad dancing skills?

Just another TTM Friday!

2009-09-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

Bet you wish your Friday's were like this...

I would show you Saturday and Sunday...

but, you couldn't handle it!

Base Jumping beginnings and Binder Lake endings.

2009-09-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time a little trail monster climbed a rock, and then another rock and another. Soon a little trail monster was bored with merely climbing rocks. So why not kick it up a notch and jump instead of climb down. Her form is perfect, never taking her eyes off her landing mark. Touchdown. I think a base jumper is born... please feel free to donate to her co-pay account.

Before you question her atire...think again...Daddy did not dress her...this was a solo mission and she rocks the hiking boots, pink socks, mini-skirt, and satin Mickey-n-Minnie shirt!

Binder Lake 6 hour Mariachi festival. I now fully understand why there are so many Mexican eateries in the great land of Missouri. The residents of Jeff City have taken to Mariachi music with a gusto. Thus, the sounds echo in the surrounding woodlands and I even had a sighting of trumpeter playing while tied to a large oak tree. It had the faint resemblance of a scene from Deliverance. All I know is "ya keep on pedalin' ur bike boy". To recover from visions such as this it takes a bit of time and therapy. Delicious Ice Cold PBR's help one to come back to reality. Ahh that's it...

Race RECAP: Rain, mist, and very little sunshine with temps in the 70's. Perfect for a day of hard packed dirt singletrack. LeMans start, so I took the first lap, I had a great start near the front of the pack, but alas, not fast enough to pass the kid on the run. Upon entering the single track I could tell we were in for some aggressive riding to break this pack up. Brakes for every turn, and then...yup tires were rubbin' my back wheel. Given I am holding steady at 210, it would take a bit more to move me. Next thing I hear is "The gaps gettin' to big, move on" and then "Pass that kid!", and then "Somebody tell that kid to move or he is gonna get kicked in the ditch!" I almost fell off my bike laughing, until I felt the rub again and realize I may have bitten off way more than I could chew being in the front. Eventually the kid left a gap and I shot through the brush for the pass, and right on my wheel the one and only "pFoodman". Could it be the always gracious Ralph was ready to kick a kid in the ditch? I gave up the spot just to make sure he didn't kick me to the ditch. I was way over geared for the course. 34x20 was to much with the short steeps, I just couldn't keep the speed in the climbs and that cost me alot of extra effort. After the first few climbs and the view of Ralphs butt was gone, the trail opened up and I was alone and unmotivated to push on. I almost thought I missed a turn as I didn't hear even a chainslap. The ups were good grunts and the downs were very fast...almost toooo fast. I knew every downhill I would have to push my limits to stay in contention as the climbs were killin me. The first lap left one small bunny headless in the middle of a turn. Guess he zigged when he shoulda zagged. The grassy fields were my real downfall. Why is it that a climb in the woods can be tough but a climb in the open grass fields it is downright punishing? I seem to fall apart in places that SS should excel. The transistions went smooth, handing Wendy the baton and sending her out on a seek and destroy mission. We both ran the same gearing so I knew the battle she was entering. My first lap was 47 minutes. I think the heavy traffic early on cost me at least 5 minutes as my later laps were all in the area of 41-42 minutes. I was struggling to make a sub 40, but just couldn't quite hit it. I do beleive the fuel was getting better. The first lap I had Heed and Cytomax pre race and then water on the bike. The Heed was not friendly, so I switched up when Tamminator offered me some Perpetum. That was the trick. All laps after that went much better. I would only fuel between laps as I had about 50 minutes of down time. Wendy was rockin' out great times, but then lap 2 started having mechanicals. The damn dropouts seemed to start sliding when she would power up the steeps. That was the same problem I had with the Rockhopper. Guess it's time for a new configuration...or better yet a Kona! Ok, so the Kona is on hold until the new bike fund is replenished. Until then I will look at installing a spacer kit or wheel tensioner system of some sort.

My 4th and final lap, I went out about 5 minutes behind Coach. So my mission was to catch him. I went out with a good pace to do just that...until I rolled up on Sonya T...then my mission changed...why chase coach with the scenery back here. Soon she was having none of this tailing and forced me to pass on the rocky climb. In the distance I could hear a chainslap coming on fast, and I got a glimpse. White Mesa jersey...yup Christine Ford was moving through and a I felt I needed to stay away. So I pushed and pushed to keep away until I mentally broke down and just yelled out through the woods for her to "put me out of my misery". Little did I know that at that very instance I had snapped her wrists and she was dropping into granny for a spin to the finish. I guess my pleas fired up her carnivorous instincts. She closed the gap as we entered the big field, and as she passed I felt my own wrists snap and shame came over me for giving in with only 2 miles to go. Having left the start line without my Samurai sword I could not end it all right there, so I powered on and grabbed her wheel as we passed Conan pushing his bike with a broken chain. That is one big F'n mountain biker. Fear of falling prey to him I dug deep and hung on Christine's wheel until the second grassy field climb, and then when I heard the clicky things going off I knew she was dropping into spin mode, so I stood up and cranked for all my worth. Besides...that big F'n dude is still back there...and he was not going to take my bike...maybe hers but not mine. As I exited the field I realized I had opened enough of a gap that I would finish ahead in the battle and save face, thus no need for the sword and the final round of seppuku.
At transistion Wendy was standing there sans her bike...damn that means she wants to ride mine. She snatched it from hands and made a couple of adjustments and rolled out on her final lap. The above picture is her after finishing the race and her fastest lap yet. Not sure why but she agrees that my bike is much faster than hers. So fast that at one point she had to wrestle it to the ground in a sharp turn just to show who was in charge. It must have been an epic battle as they both returned with scrapes, bruises and even chunks of earth strewn about them. Of course with a few cold PBR's to toast our finish as teammates and members of the most respected team in all of mountain biking "TEAM SEAGAL", we conclude that all is right in this world. In lieu of a podium appearance, Wendy chose to have her picture taken with the one and only Ralph "pFoodman" Pfremmer . I chose to keep my distance as I wasn't sure if he still had a kick in the ditch pheeling about him. Oh and a Nice round of applause goes out to Nick of Team Red Wheel and all of his assistants in putting on a Most Excellent race! (Lower left of the pic IN the boots)

Pictures courtesy of Christine Ford! Thanks again for the pics and the challenge!

Results Yup 18th out of 28 with our other teammates Coarch and special guest Peat taking in a top 10. More on their race here.

PS...The new KONA Tent is the Bomb!!!

next up...Major One break-in, Psychocross breakdown!

Berryman Duathlon 2009

2009-08-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

The long awaited post.

Wendy took 3rd in the 12 hour Women's division and I didn't.

She won another pair of awesome Salomon shoes. Hardly looks like she just ran 18.6 miles and rode 48 miles at Berryman. 18,000 feet of climbing in 12 hours.

Psst Check out the new kit! It's official Team Trail Monster are now members of Team Seagal!

The following picture shows just what lack of proper fuel can do to you in an endurance race. Our transition area is trashed, because I could not stay organized or focused.

Special thanks to Todd Holtman for saving me from a face plant bonk and sharing the top secret Rocket Fuel. Result of Rocket Fuel below.

10 minutes into this walk/run of the 4th lap, I found new legs and began my comeback. As I finished the run I felt awesome. I thought I could crank out the bike leg in about an hour which would put me in the running for a 5th lap. After 3.5 miles on the bike I realized that the 32x17 had taken it's toll. I settled for just rolling out to the gravel and waiting for Wendy so we could finish together. As I exited the jeep trail about mile 9 I saw Jason(race director) watching the riders exit the woods for the last lap. So I stopped to chat. You know I had time to kill. I figured I was in about 10th at this point, so no podium finish. After about 5 minutes of chatting we hear voices from the trail and I look over my shoulder and see the two guys I had been trading slots with all day. I couldn't believe it. I had passed them in the last transition. Makes since...as my last transition was 3.45 minutes whereas, all the others were in 10-15 minutes. Jason urged me to continue on and take my slot. I thought I would rather surprise Wendy with a rolling finish, a cheap token to make up for the fact I forgot that Friday was our 11 anniversary of our meeting. I hung a around for a minute or two and decided to roll on in toward the finish and wait...after a few minutes I decided to do it up right and roll through the finish and grab a couple Delicious Ice Cold PBR's for the finish line hand up. I made my way back out to the road in time to see Wendy rolling in, only 2 minutes behind 2nd place. I only wish I had a camera to capture the smile when I handed her the PBR. Very well deserved!

At the awards ceremony I learned of my mistake. Had I just finished and gone back out to meet Wendy, I would have taken 4th instead of 6th.

Next year 5 laps and no regrets!...maybe a different gear choice as well. ouch!

2009 Results Here

Tree time, Pine Tar, University, and more.

2009-08-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ok...warning...this one is not pictures as normal...let the words paint one for ya...

Thursday afternoon found 2/3's of TTM headed for Berryman in time for a little race recon and trail maintenance. Upon arrival, we hung the hammocks, gathered some firewood, and then I decide like always to do some bike maintenance before a ride on an epic trail over a hundred miles from home and most of the tools required. Everyone knows what happens next...

......so the plan change brake pads on "She-Ra"(Wendy's SS) and swap a cog on my Stumpy SS, etc. As always...things go perfect, Not!

For She-ra brakepads should be a breeze, and an easy training class...Right? Getting the damn pads out fo the Avid BB7 caliper was a huge PITA, then they appear ok, so why not stopy when I squeezy the brakey thingy? ...Hmmm, time to take more shit apart. An Avid BB7 caliper can be field stripped with a shit load of wrenches, pliers, cussin', and brute force, and more cussin'. Eventually, you end up with no less than 6 horsefly bites, pinetar stuck to your legs and a little springy thing that goes into a little hole behind a little silver thingy that looked like it might have been a washer at somepoint. So with all of that I side with Wendy and put it all back together, as she says she really doesn't need a back brake....for a night ride at Berryman (Eyes rolled back now)....Funny how when you put it all back together and change nothing they somehow work...(this never happens for my stuff). Now let's keep in mind that during the battle of the brakes, I am also working on my bike trying to remove the 17 cog. I tried everything to get the lock ring off and nothing worked. Not even the hammer side of my axe.(got the scars on the chainwhip and wrench to prove it.) I must have gone back and forth between the two bikes for over an hour. All I wanted was to swap my gearing to something more Berrymanesque, you know like maybe a nice easy spinner of 34x20, instead of the masochistic 34X17 initially intended for the Dirt crits at Castlewood. As the sun sinks behind the pines, I give up and decided to ride the macho gearing. Yes 34X17 at Berryman in the dark.
Off we go into the ever darkening treeline. Counterclockwise from the campground. Spiders are everywhere, and some of the webs are very strong, nothing like getting closelined by a sticky web and then have some crawly black and yellow thing swing off your helmet onto your nose. This was the first time I have ever ridden CCW from Berryman CG. Wow, what a great ride. The plan was to ride the 4.5 mile run loop of the duathlon course then retire for a couple cold Racer 5's. At the first mile I realize the 34x17 is perfect for this little excursion. Am I getting stronger? hmmm...I was rockin' it like DG, only about 10 MPH slower. Nothing to steep and everything super flowy. I stopped at the first mile mark...which just happend to coincide with the peak of a nice little climb to a forest service road. Wendy rolled in a few minutes after me, looking a bit out of whack. Apparently she took a rock the wrong way or was it the chainline issues throwing the chain and went down, as noted by the bloody scrapes on her legs...the fresh ones. She says riding a mountain bike is a weight control thing, you know, gain a pound, then go ride, crash, and peel a pound of skin off on some random rock or tree. After a brief inspection and tweak to the chain tension, she says it's superficial, just flesh wound, let's ride. Another 100 spiders later, I missed the turn on the fire road out, no big deal, we will just catch the next one (FS 2278). This one was easy to spot, and held a memory for us. A couple years ago this was the site of our 3rd nights camp while hiking the BT.(Berryman Trail) with Sydney. 1 mile later and we make it to Shirley Ridge Rd, aka Berryman Road. Make a left and a couple miles, then cold beer and ham sandwhiches from the Berryman General Store. A couple cold beers down and a handful of meteor's recorded. Saw an awesome meteor with a tail that seemed to last forever. I am pretty sure that John Roth skipped that one across the sky for us. 2 Racer 5's and it's time for bed, so we gathered up our chairs and turned the fire down on low, and headed for Hotel Hennessy. What a great nights sleep tucked in my own little pod swinging between a couple pines. Tonight we kept the rainfly's off and what great view of the moon and stars through the pines...all in bug free delight.

Morning rolled in all to fast as the first of a few riders showed up a daylight for a little Berryman lovin'. DG is not the only daylighter at Bman it appears. I slipped out the birthing canal of Hotel Hennessy and made my way to the cooler for my morning coffee in the can. Starbucks does make a nice portable cup of joe called Doubleshot with Energy(Mocha). Beats trying to boil water, especially when traveling light. I wandered over to the parking lot and met "Roc"(sp) who had slipped away from his family camping in Steelville for an early morning lap. Roc also managed to take their breakfast cooler...opps. Roc got himself all kitted up and headed out... He rolled off and then back again in 15 minutes. He just wanted to confirm he was on the BT as it has changed a bit. The spring rains over the past couple years have really put a hurt on the ol' girl in places. Time for some reroutes soon. Wendy slept in a few extra minutes, and is now awake. We prepped for our full lap recon. The plan run the run loop, then return grab the bikes and ride the bike loop. So I decided it's only 4.5 miles no water required....duh...trails are not the same as the neighbor hood runs I have been doing. I was managing 10-11 minute miles for the first 2 and then stopped to see if Wendy would share a swallow of water...damn I was thirsty. guess I will need to add a bottle for the run...or just not drink Racer 5's the night before. All in all we ran 5 miles, as I missed the turn again and added 2/10's of a mile, then ran back down the correct road to ensure the route was clear for the race. 1 hour for the run. Ok I'll take it...I did walk once or twice on an uphill slog and I have factored 1 hour for the run and 2 for the bike. As we returned to the campground we met Don(Enduro67). I haven't seen Don in 2-3 years since we last rode Bman with GORC. We gathered up our gear and the 3 of us headed out. Sweet ride progressing...then I was rejected at a creek crossing. Don passed me and we never saw him again. The gearing was unbeleiveably good only one tough climb and that rock step(2.5miles) I never clear...I'll post a picture with the race details later. The jeep road from the Artesian well is a hike abike for the first couple hundred yards for me. I am sure the experts can manage it, but I will save my legs for the long run and make this a recovery zone. As we approached the top of the climb on the jeep road the trees have covered the trail, so we just blast through taking leaves and limbs to the face and body....note to self...loppers required. At the gravel (Floyd Tower rd) we turn right and head back to Bman CG. A nice easy spin on the dust choked cooridoor thanks to a few trucks that rolled through without slowing or hardly sharing the road. The gravel highlight is the monster downhill about 1.5 m from the campground. I managed 35mph. Whatarush!
We finished up and headed for Potosi. Two items on the list...
1) Lunch! Dos Primos it is...the fuel of champions as we have been trained by our Superior Teammates. (Legend has it that the Dos Primos dip is filled, covered, smothered, chunked, chopped, topped, and diced with superhuman jenkem). So as new soldiers we passed on the dip as we were not fully authorized to accept such a powerful suace.
2)Next task, a couple loppers from the OTA HQ and headed back to Bman for some quick cleanup. The tree cover on the jeep road was cut back on the climb, and we highlighted the run loop by grubbing out the weeds for the first 25 yards or so of a nasty turn. A few signs, some tape and all will be good come race day. We finished our day with a short truck ride over to Bass Resort for a dip in the Courtois creek and to finish off the last 2 Racer 5's. ahh...what a great way to start a weekend...and it's only Friday....the odd part is now we take the 2 hour drive home...again it's only Friday.

Saturday...Nothing...lazy day, tweaking the bikes. Saturday night I slipped out about 9 for a test ride....QT/On the Run/ShopnSave....all in search of Cold single cans of Guinness. I managed to find a couple and spun around Winghaven to a friends house...drank a few more of his beers and realized...it's midnight..and I have to be on the road by 6. Sunday is a big day.

Sunday...Move In Day - UCM

Our oldest daughter has now been properly delivered to the UCM dorms. Not sure how I feel about this one. That's a long way from home...but I guess they have to move on sooner or later.

I will give the U credit for having the crew of kids to unload the cars...The rains fell as we rolled into town, and as we pulled to the curb in front of the building I was not prepared for what came next. A herd of "Mule Hauls" came rollin' out and converged on our auto's like a pack of rabid ants at a picnic. The stripped the minivan to the bone in mere seconds. All the gear and related beauty items piled neatly inside the building. A quick bit of paperwork and off we go...toting way to much shit up five flights of stairs to the second to last room in the hall....Hey where did those rabid ants go? Well all was settled and a few memories of my own days a school resurfaced...then I got nervous about leaving Julie without armed guards. 2 minutes into the hallway hauling and some dork ass hands her is digits...good thing I didn't see it or he would be minus one for sure.

We met the roommate...I'll keep it short, by saying...5 teddy bears on her bed covered in rainbow comforter, and the smell of a weekend full deadheads in a vw van...She must have been celebrating Woodstock, at which her grandparents surely attended.... Odds are good this roomy will be movin' on soon, or educated into the ways of a beauty queen.

So off for books and lunch. Mexican anywhere besides Dos Priomos is just beans, cheese and some bullshit chips with bottled salsa...Now I don't speak mexican, or spanish, or anything south of Arkansas and that includes Texan, but I will guess "El Vaquero" must mean "horse shit served here at a snails pace". Glad Pop's picked up the tab on this one.

Goodbyes were brief, as I am sure Jules wanted us out of there pronto...so off we went. Oh and by the way...I have another pic for my book on American Folk Art. This fine piece was found on Hwy 13 outside of Warrensburg. Zoom in for the details...nice work and use of recycled materials. I really dig the chainring and goosehead necklace, however, pops dreadlocks look pretty cool.

Good Luck Jules.

A parting family pic.

I ain't skeered to post it!

2009-08-12T07:05:00.000-07:00

Maybe it's time to give up the SS for sum real performance!

Found this here: Everyday Athlete

Heidi offers me entertainment from a Twisted Sister kinda view.

Thanks Heidi Swift!

It's on! Berryman Duathlon 2009

2009-08-11T05:10:00.000-07:00

!Click it for a ticket!

TTM will go Head 2 Head this year!

12 Hours of Mountain Biking on single speeds and Trail Running on worn out shoes.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Come Join us on Missouri's only IMBA EPIC trail for a great day.

Volunteers are welcome!

Click the Berryman Logo above for a link to the race info, map below.

Best of Luck Doctor!

2009-08-05T23:34:00.000-07:00

FBC sendoff and all,

Prescot or bust!

It's the little things that make us tick...

2009-07-29T14:59:00.000-07:00

A little cool clear creek?Just a little jump?
A little higher?

A little more smile?

Mostly it's

"Just to stay a little bit longer..."

Jose's replacement?

2009-07-23T09:32:00.001-07:00

NUF SED!

Just

2009-07-19T19:03:00.000-07:00

Dance like everybody is watching!

Weekends just keep getting better!

2009-07-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

A week ago I found the arrowhead while hiking around BnB Ranch, then today I found my way into first place in the Missouri State Championships MTB beginner over 40 class!

Wow!
Thurday night was the 2nd round of the dirt crit short track series presneted by Alpin Shop.

My first ride a week ago left me with a 16th out of 34 "C" class aka Beginner. Round 2 I decided to take a demo ride on a Gary Fisher 29er hardtail, instead of my Stumpy 29er SS. The move paid off! I moved to 4th out of 43(still pending final results). I was even able to add some entertainment for the great crowd on hand! I pulled a beautiful wheelie across the finish line...I just wish I would have stopped with the wheelie and not with the back of the head plant in the dirt. I pulled up that lightweight Fox fork and and crushed myself all the way to the dirt. I haven't seen a picture yet, but I am sure someone managed a copy as there was 50-100 people at the finish area cheering. Alls well, I am ok. Nothing a beer won't fix.

Friday I took the day off work and went fishing with my Dad. We decided to head for Salt River for a little catfishin'. We loaded up supplies and headed for the ramp at the Louisiana, MO riverfront. I started backing the boat trailer down the steep ramp and all of sudden my brake foot went to the floor. Quick pump it, nothing damn...rolling backward and picking up speed! Shit! Slam it in low, and stomp the gas! Tires burning like Jimmy Johnson finishing a good day at Lowes Motorspeedway. Finally the tires hooked up only a few feet from the water, the boat and trailer are now sideways and only inches from a jack knife damage. I managed to get everything back up the ramp in one piece and we found that the steel brake lines had blown apart. So now that I have securely removed the seat from the truck with my ass, we took it home and swapped it for the S10. The rest of the day went off without any major problems(minus a the rain showers). Almost a dozen channel cats and a suitcase of natty light, and a nap!Even with the rain we had a great time.

So Saturday morning I woke with the alarm at 6...well if ya don't count the 2 snooze button hits. The mission...road ride with Granada Cyclery at 7. I made it to the store by 6:58AM...only a couple riders, but a lot full of cars....hmm...ride must have left early. I just pulled the (still unnamed) Bianchi SS out of the truck and prepared to ride. I rolled out with a couple other riders and we made our way to St. Paul where we caught the early group that rolled at 6:30...(New start time). I just rolled back to the store with Brad (Fixie) It was a fast spin for me, but I had a great time. In the range of ~22miles total. On the way home I remembered the local race today at Castlewood on Blue Ribbon. My previous thoughts on this course were to skip the race. It was a tough run back in December during the Castlwood 8 hour Adventure Race.{Team Trail Monster SS ;) }

Some twisted motivation appeared and I hurried home with the thought of making the race...It's 9am...Race starts at 11...(psst its 35 minutes to Castlewood from home) I sprung in the door with the great thought...."Lets go racin'." Wendy perplexed says "where?..." Castlewood for the State Championships. She agreed to go watch. Out the door and over to race with 30 minutes to spare. No need for a warm up...just figure out which race....I settled on Beginner 40+, even though I rode the race on a SS. I am still a beginner racer, well I was. I guess it's now time to Catup! Yes I managed 1st in 40+ and 3rd overall in the beginners. I lead out the race with the hole shot, and stayed there until a 1/4 mile from the tunnel. The hills on Blue Ribbon, forced me to hike a bike a bit and that cost me 2nd place to Cammeron....well that and the minor crash back at the tunnels...I couldn't unclip and just took a slowspeed fallover. I was super stoked with my results given the 20 Miles I did for breakfast. The course today was about 5.3 miles, and as a beginner I had one lap.

Now its time for one of the following:

Founders - Red Rye Pale Ale

Bear Republic - Racer 5 (Favorite)

Southern Tier - Imperial Cre'me brule'e Stout

and maybe a little nap.

Oh and Sydney got a treat today.

A train was stalled at the tracks, and the engineer let em' get a quick picture.

Hike in peace John Roth.

2009-07-06T10:00:00.001-07:00

May you always find stones to skip and stack.

Your legacy lives on...

Really it is good to be the King!

2009-06-30T11:15:00.001-07:00

Perfect.

Loooonnnggg Weeekend!!

2009-06-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

Team Trail Monster Headed out Thursday night for an overnight. Pizza, beer, and rock n roll!

Norf County Pizza gone west! Cus'!

The Tavern @ Definace! ...doesn't close until 1:30am Thursday

Look close..its blurry like my eyes were at 2AM.

Snake Grabbin @ 2in tha morn!!! Gotta watch where ya hang ur hammock!!! I grabbed this snake while tieing the hammock tarp in place. You can bet I will look first from now on.

Stay tuned, it's only friday! 52 Miles on Single speeds, now headed for Berryman!

Recap from Thursday:

Thursday Night Karaoke and Pole dancing Trail Monster Style!

Snakes at 2am...what next? The morning after picture. He was still hanging out in the tree next to where I slept.

Streakers in the park?

Diana and Karen on an out n back from Busch Greenway.

Good to see ya again! You just never know where a Trail Monster might show up!

Hogzback!!!

Climbing out of Ducket Creek sewers in 95* heat.

Official Bike Lane in St Chuck?

(Research Park Overpass)

Saturday:

Woke up in the USFS meat locker(er Bunk House) in Potosi. Damn near froze to death as the AC runs non-stop. Grabbed a chainsaw and headed for B-man.
Trail Kharma at Berryman Saturday Morning.

We met a handful of Team Ghisallo and Fisher 29er crew cranking out hot laps in near 100* temps.

You Ghisallo guys are smart making smiling DG do a prelap of Berryman before he rides with ya!

Then off to the friendly farm/retreat/redneck oasis of Mr. OTA himself (John Roth).

Thanks for letting TTM hang on your gravel bar and enjoy the bullfrogs croakin'

Finally, the only viable excuse for missing the SSMC with Team Seagal!

Tubin' with Sydney on the upper Courtois!

Trail Monster Float Trip anyone?

Setting the plans now....stay tuned!

As if this weekend was not enough, an awesome donation made its way to the Trail Monster storage! 57.5 pounds of porn. Yup you read it right, TTM has recieved a large rubbermaid tote from an undisclosed source. The contents: "Playboy" magazines dating back to the 60's! Nearly blind at this point but more research is required!

Until later: (What she said: "Peace Out Bitches"!)

Nuthin' says summer like Slip-n-Slide!

2009-06-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

Ozark Trail Damage is Extensive!

2009-05-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Decades in the making, and destroyed in a days time... That's the inital thoughts after recon crews got the first looks at the "OT" through central Missouri. Over 100 miles of trail is now closed due to the devastation from the "Derecho" that blew through 5-8-09. The hurricane force winds ripped the freshly leafed out tress from the ground roots and all. Trees lay scattered on the trail for miles.

I worked with a crew of 6 last Saturday and I believe we only cleared about 1/2 mile of trail and we hadn't even made it to the ridgetop, which is the location of the major damage. As you can see from the photo's that follow tree's of all sizes took a hit during this storm. The clean up work is demanding for sure with leaners, widow makers, and binds of all shapes and sizes. The sawyers will earn their keep this year for sure!

For more information on the trail status please visit the

Ozark Trail Association.

If you have a free day, lend a hand. Large sections of trail are closed until the cleanup is complete.

On a brighter note...If you are looking for a dog and a dozen eggs then look no further. The only place in Missouri to offer both.

All grown up.

2009-05-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

Where did the time go? Last day as a high school senior 2009.

Backpacker Training 101 aka Sydney's Bootcamp

2009-05-06T06:40:00.000-07:00

All of us at Team Trail Monster highly recommend Sydney's Bootcamp.
Lots of trail miles in boots, lots of rocks to scramble on, and even a few trees for climbing.
We are now in training for the Team Trail Monster Big Spring Bring on Summer Hike.
40+ Miles of Hiking on the Ozark Trail followed by 35+ miles of Floating down the Current River.
Duration 7 days... give or take a day or so for fun days and side trip hikes like Rocky Falls.
Check out a few more training pictures. We even practice first aid.

Mud*Attitude/State of Mind= Wrist Snapping!

2009-04-19T16:55:00.000-07:00

BONE BENDER 3/6
Smithville Lake Trails

Smithville, MO

April 18, 2009

The freshly manicured course was washed in the early morning hours to ensure maximum carnage for the day.

To ensure the plan of the day would be massive pain, the fine peeps from Earth Riders Smithville trails crew brought in extras for cleanup as noted below.

Trail Monster made sure to inspect the mud in turn 1 and teach the boys how it's done.

Carnage came early and often for some. This race was not for the weak with 11 miles of mud ahead, there was not gonna be a course record today, unless, it was for destroyed spirits and deraillures.

Of course there are those wired a little bit differently....

You know those who think it's still cross season like the amazing "IAMDWAYNEGOSCINSKI".

"Grinnin' Goscinski"

Much to smile about here for the one they call "Mitch the Masher".

I think the Mashin' has begun! There must be some rule written in ancient sanscript stored in a PBR warehouse that says "To wear this jersey you must possess "balls"....I am pretty sure these bike patrollers will not ask to see the sack again!

Earnin' spokes!

Who's Next? Mud, Girls, and....ahh, yup she's just givin a little slap to the head.

OH, and by the way...the Goods!

In the words of another group of famous boys..."You gotta Fight"!

4 hours plus to make it 11 miles in mud so deep, they are still looking for bodies.

2nd Place 6 hour Female Solo! Thanks to all involved for a great test of endurance!

And....ummm well, thanks for letting us play in your mud.

Sorry bout the tread marks.

Reinterested!

2009-03-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

Bring ur A Game like Kenny. Biatches Ouachita is on!

Happy Birthday MOM!

2009-03-25T08:57:00.000-07:00

How'd you spend your 40th Birthday?

Checkin' out the awesome views in the Ozarks?

Sampling the local fair at the Dairy Shack?

Yup I think So!
Did you take a Pajama hike on a beautiful spring day with your favorite Trail Monster?

Did you see a Purple Red Hatted, Black WoodPecker going to a meeting?

Did you take in some more sights?

Or maybe you finished off a little nightcap?

Did you fall asleep by the fire?

Did you get some snuggle time?

Happy Birthday MOM!
And to top the whole weekend did you get two really cool gifts, like the a prized "Team Seagal Cycling Jersey", or maybe a nighttime sighting of the last of the wild mustangs in the Ozarks?

Well My Mommy Did!!!!!!

Ever wonder where that sweet singletrack comes from?

2009-03-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well.......somebody wanders off the road

And along comes some little trail elf that

ties little orange ribbons to the trees to form a drunken line in the brush.

After a while a few friends start pickin' up leaves one at a time....

then other friends gently urge the big rocks and roots out of the way,
and finally somebody sweeps it clean.

and then....

.......and then...somebody steps on a frog.

AND then all your friends wanna see the frog.

Ok, so nobody stepped on a frog, but all of these friends from GORC did lay down a ribbon of super sexy singletrack.

It's so sexy you gotta see it twice.

So now you know where the sweet singletrack comes from...

Go see for yourself...just click the picture.

The Trace Creek Section aka "North Trace" GORC adopt-a-trail has now been lifted up and out of the creek.

I wanna go to Brommelsiek Park!

2009-03-07T13:32:00.000-08:00

They have a bubble to see things my way.

A big climby thing on the big slide.

There is some dirt for my bike and me.

A little more practice and I will crash just like Dad!

This clip shows I have my Mom's determination!

I made it!

I like to fly in the swing!

I love the park!

There is this extra swing so we can swing together at my birthday party next Saturday!

View Larger Map

What a difference a day makes...

2009-03-01T17:41:00.000-08:00

Somedays you just take what's thrown at ya. Even if the weather dude says slight chance of 1-3" possible, and you get 10-12". I witnessed snow as deep as 12 inches at Akers Ferry, MO. Enjoy the slideshow of pictures from the float. Snow was accumulating at about 2" per hour during the float.

This short 1.5 miles was the most serene time I have ever experienced on the river. This was initially a solo fishing trip. I only made two casts and put the rod away to enjoy the beauty of the moment, as we all know you don't get very many of this times in life. A few minutes later a pair of wood ducks jumped up and flew down stream look close in the pictures for them. Very quiet and pretty with the heavy snow falling. The big rocks along the waters edge don't look near as inviting to jumpers when the temps are in the 30's. Welsh Spring is somewhat erie as you pass the old building with bars and such. I took the short hike up from the take out. That was a very spooky place as daylight faded. Mark this one up as "One float I will never forget".

Big Spring State Park MO

2009-02-21T16:52:00.000-08:00

Big Trip in the works to kick off summer!

Hike N Float

Hike Starts here...connects through Kinnard Hollow to the Ozark Trail

40+/- miles hiking northward to Powder Mill and then jump in a canoe or kayaks and float 30+/- miles back to Big Spring. 4-6 Days depending on the Speed of a Trail Monster

Warrior's Meal

2009-02-16T18:53:00.000-08:00

Only the stong of mind, and true of heart need tempt this fine fare.

Eat only the breasts and drink of the Delicious nectar from within.

A true warrior will arise!

GO EAT HERE!

2009-02-15T15:43:00.000-08:00

Berryman General Store

FRENCH TOAST! OUI!

Cheesy Eggs and pig butt

Biscuts n Gravy and black coffee

Breakfast is awesome and cheap!

Lunch - Incredible Ham Sandwich with the works, or try the bologna sandwhich Perfect!

Psst...even cold beer and a picnic table and well pump.

If Yo Ass Stinks....they got showers fitycent will get ya started!
When yin's git all cleaned up, buy some stuff, be nice, and say Hi to Lenna.

Adopt-a-Trail Luvin'

2009-02-11T09:03:00.001-08:00

Haulin' the "Boss".

"Sherpa Daddy"

Trail clearing discussion with the boss(the little one).

Trail Monster working the loppers.

"TTM" spent last weekend on Berryman/Ozark Trail doing a little deadfall clearing etc. Loved the warming temps and camping in the pines with snow on the ground. Who would think it would be 70*F with Snow in Missouri and the first weekend in February.

Sydney got to put her new wheels on the trail for the first time.
She loved it for about 10 minutes then deiced the snow was to much for the bike.

Sledin' was the most fun.
This is the new game where Daddy gets to run backwards while trying to pull Sydney down the ice/slush until the giggles are overwhelming.

"Stella" makes the perfect retreat for a midday nap when the ground is wet.

Love the quilt Mom!!!

If you like it, I know where ya can buy one.

Sassy Sisters II - Louisiana, MO 63353

(573)-754-4855

Ask for Judy and refrence "Team Trail Monsters Camping Quilt" or any other custom quilting needs/supplies.

Shameless plug for My Mom's Quilt Shop

An evening by the fire with"Stella".

Another perfect weekend for "Team Trail Monster"!

Up Next - Berryman General Store review! A must read if your in the area.

Following directions...

2009-02-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

Who's says kids don't listen?

Syd was asked to take the dogs out to potty.

Some take it a bit further than most.

Full dress rehearsal for a rainy day.

It's 8:30 at night and 4*C and no shoes.

Her words upon return from a short stoll in the yard...."Ice is swippery."

Not scared of the dark that's for sure.

Backpacking this summer is gonna be a blast!

Team Trail Monster takes a hike.

2009-02-01T11:43:00.000-08:00

With the weather breaking for the better we decided on a midday hike at Indian Camp Creek Park (ICCP). The plan...pack and be on the road by 10am. LOL...that never happens. We are never out before 11. So like normal we loaded Stella and hit the road by 11:30. The temp was in the upper 40's and made a climb all the way into the low 50's. Not bad by Missouri standards for January 31. Side note...Digital camera batteries Suck! Every trip I hear the dreaded beep and the flash of the title to my book "Battery Empty". So the Olympus is dead but the Sony Hcam is alive so we have some video...well at least until I dropped it into a small brook...You would think they could at least make these things splash resistant...Sure glad we bought the accident insurance, now if we can only get to Circuit City and learn about warranty procedures post store closure.

The hike started off with our lead trail monster pointing out the trail and pushing us to get moving. We actually started off in an off trail hike following a lone set of "Purple Brer Fox" tracks through the woods. At one point we heard the "Purple Brer Fox", however, he was very fast and we did not see him.

Can you name the tune in playing on the IPOD w/ speaker in the background of the video?

So on with the day and the melting woodlands along Big Creek. We saw lots of fat Robins bouncing from limb to limb along the creek edge. A big fat Red Squirrel briefly made an appearance. We made our way through the woods to the single-track and followed until we found a trail that was obviously blocked off, so we decided to keep with the theme and go off trail some more. Hopefully that trail is under construction and will open in the spring...great flowy flat sections with little dips in and around the creek bottoms. It will be fast that is for sure. The trail is less than a mile but will make a nice addition to the rest. We popped out of the woods and into a small field and followed and old double track to the blacktop and back to "Stella". We spent a about 15 minutes at the park and Sydney was sure to climb on the big concrete frog and turtle statues. Time flys when you're having fun, almost missed the departure time. We have to be in Louisiana MO at 3PM to watch Julie take the Polar Bear Plunge for Special Olypics. That video is up on my facebook along with a short video of the Trail Monster leading a short hike.

Closing skies over Annada, MO.

NEW LANDMARK Ozark Trail TH Hwy 8

2009-01-24T17:24:00.000-08:00

...... and up on 3 uggh!!

Cap it.

An Eagle's crew.

Michael Bobb Eagle Scout Project 2009

Landscaped.

Hwy marked.

Ozark Trail Hwy 8 24-JAN-09 N

Garmin Waypoint 37.91739 W91.07559 676 ft

Hwy 8 Trail Head Marker

Job Well Done.

Congratulations on a job well done.

I took a little hike on this section of the OT...(Southern end of the Courtois section at Hwy 8. Dead fall cleared North from the highway to the climb up to the campground. Ready to ride.

I also took a hike on the Berryman Trail from BMan Campground Clockwise 2 miles in. Dead fall cleared. Wish I had more time, darkness was headed our way.

Jim and Dakota at Berryman

Dakota and I made it back home by 7PM.

Heard a great tune on the way home .....Chris Cook

Slicing peace

2009-01-04T15:29:00.000-08:00

Could it be that 2009 will be the year of peace?

Sliced January 3, 2009

In other news: A short spin through testy water.

Will the rains continue in 09'?
Creek crossin' is gettin' tricky...

Brian with a handoff

Another look back coming soon.

Looking forward: Gotta keep em clean this year. And gotta keep eatin rite...

Smokin' Breasts - Goose Breast

Pictures from our fridge today.

2008-12-25T15:50:00.000-08:00

This one I don't get. Freezing Cold and decided to slip outside to swing. Those toes didn't last 20 seconds...

Hot Laps with a new backpack and bike.

My Girls on christmas day...and all in pink....

Man it's hard to believe I wore this coat over 20 years ago...she was snoopin through the basement and found this.

End to a perfect day. Merry Christmas to all.

Christmas Wrenchin'

2008-12-25T12:38:00.000-08:00

Wrenchin' on it, just like Dad!

Results up ------ NOW 3rd Place!!!! 2 Person COED

2008-12-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

UPDATED...

OK, Sorry...Wendy made me edit the original post...so it's in a draft file(naa...I'll post it, somebody may wanta a read it...Title "Compatability Test".....). She said nobody wants the play by play of an adventure race....LOL..gotta love beer buzz ritin'
3rd Place Coed! #29/85 Overall! I will not Bonk next year. Must eat & drink more!!!! Broken chain twice at the beginning of the bike section...and then a little crash, faceplant...and 5 minutes later full on bonk, with cramps to follow. But we did it. Distance summary, I think about 6 mi in a canoe at 7am 30*F headwinds on the Meremac river, ~8 mi orienteering (running checkpoints), ~12 mi on mtn bike, and then finished off with 19 Checkpoint Rogaine...we managed 10 CP's before our time expired...we were cooked.! Great race! First Place and a top 10 Next Year!!!

Compatability Testing...aka COED Adventure Racing

2008-12-08T07:24:00.000-08:00

THE LONG POST!

The following is a play by play of our 2008 Castlewood 8+ Hour Adventure Race from memory. Yes...every Checkpoint is now etched in my photographic playbook...aka my mind~! I wrote all of this without the aide of maps or coordinates...why...because I can! ...oh yes and I had a few beers...

3:45AM WAKE UP!!! Get movin', Did I sleep? I don't think so. My adrenaline was already pumping. Get dressed, quietly.....keep moving, damn starting to sweat, peel a layer and finish packing Stella. Ahh 4:30 Stella is rollin down the street, QT in sight, gas, coffee, Chocolate Covered -Yummy yellow stuffed doughnut!, Check, good to go.

Where is Castlewood? Damn had to stop and ask directions to an Adventure race...that can't be good. Lost before the race starts....ok, back on track...Big Bend to Ries make a left.

We are right on schedule...got a sweet spot near the HQ and race start, perfect. Lets unload.

A few hello's around to faces we haven't seen in months. Ryan, Carrie (AMAZINGRACE), Mike (Mid Rivers Adventure Racing). Time to check in and pickup our passport for the day. Mr. Keevan is standing there with that "PermaGrin", always good to see an SS Icon (Single Speed). Excitement is building!

Ok, Checklist - Bikes yup, helmets, gloves, packs. - Nah, I don't need that much water....(Mistake Numero Uno!) Cold weather means more fuel, and yes water is fuel. Muscles need to be hydrated. I am not sure what I was thinking at this point. I just wanted to go. Wendy is going through her checklist, and starting to bounce. I think she is ready. Clothing check...the temp is in the mid 20's, its now 5:30AM. Pre-race meeting in 15 minutes. Pack the fleece, there is no way I can start the race with this on...I will burn up.
Clothing - Bib-Knickers, and Specialized Bike pants, Short-sleeve Fat Tire Jersey (Need the pockets), Starter - Dri-fit loose longsleeve, top it off with another loose longsleeve with a 1/4 zip. Ahh perfect - gloves, jersey and a my serius weatherproof in the pack. Checklist complete Lets go!
Whats that bus doing here...you can hear the crowd volumn pickup...more buses... can only mean one thing....we are going for a ride to start the race. 5:45AM Pre-race meeting. A few heads up regarding the course...Checkpoint 12-13 stay on the road its a private drive. BTW the race really starts at 7AM, we will be transported to the race start, at which time more instructions will be given. Load the bus, Team Trail Monster picks Buss one, sittin next to Team Control Freaks, AMAZINGRACE is just a couple seats up. 4 buses load up, we are rollin. Up Ries, to Big Bend, now South on I-44...cross the Meramec River, Make a left, cross the tracks, and left on W. Lead Bus overshoots the drop site....extra 10 minutes on the bus. I see a building, picnic tables, and more and horses. Hmmm? Group Announcement....1 person from everyteam will run down around the property, and gather 2 pieces of paper from the volunteers on the course and bring them back...then you can plot the first section of the course. Wendy chose to run. The run was sketchy, tall grass, ice on the gravel road, and its very cold. Wendy made it back, and no she was not last....close thanks to a fall. The wind keeps blowing my maps around...it took a minute to get situated and begfin plotting....Done! Close the map case and figure out where we are...ok got it...follow the crowd..LOL not really I think we are in the top 20 leaving the start. Run to the canoe put in...which way ...damn, myadrenaline is flowing so fast I think I am trying to run 7 min miles...grab a canoe, paddle, life vest. Damn life vest doesn't fit with a backpack on...or does it...just about knocked Wendy down with the canoe...let the cussin' of Jim begin. - Note our typical race start is ....I go way to fast, rail on Wendy for not going faster, and she cusses me...its how we race....we hit the water and the canoe feels like we are dragging and anchor...dman now we are taking on water...just enough to soak my shoes...Paddling is tough, flat water, Wind in our face. First Checkpoint is in sight...dosent seem like we will ever get there.
Pull up and get out. Punch passport, carry canoe up the hill to the parking lot, drop it and run to the next checkpoint around the road to the intersection at Route 66 State park. Orienteering section...There is Mr "Permagrin" Keevan handing out clue sheets. damn...take a heading and go....6 points - Its all flat running in tall grass and a little sparce woodlands. Team Trail Monster is not in synch. I am running to fast, let the arguements begin...then the cussin, and quitin' yup we must have quit 3 or 4 times already....I slow down and damn Wendy trips over a hidden log, Is she hurt? Dunno, she wont speak to me...Up she goes and we are off again. We make it back to the canoes and grab a better looking one. I of course knock her down again draggin the canoe out of her hands....gotta slow down. We clear the checkpoint and hit the water...man this canoe rocks...we can tell in the first couple feet this one will move. Off we go, gaining on the group ahead...slowly we reel them in...and a COED 4 person reeled us in...how are the doing it? Man they were quick in the water. Checkpoint on the left...go get it...I jump out and run up the bank..its muddy and slippery. Checkpoint cleared. I decide a quick route to the water is straight ...brush bustin and I bust my ass, and tumble down the river bank to the waters edge...did it work? Almost, we left at the same time as the other team. We pick an outside line and make a move in the fast water, we are out in front and moving away. Nice maybe we are getting in synch, the bickering has calmed some...we are in for a long day. Our paddle strokes seem to be in smooth now, and damn a cramp in my hammy....stretch it out, and lose time. Teams are catchin us. Looks like about a mile left on the water...6 all together....Checkpoint on the left. Its a gear check, Ok lets doit...we proceed to pull everything out, the organization in the clear bags is a great hit...Gear check complete in less than a minute. Repack is even faster, grab the canoe and carry it 100yards to the parking lot....drop it and run to checkpoint 6. We are are at Sherman beach, cp 6 is just off stinging nettle trail....easy enough, running behind a group we peel off on a side trail, they are going the wrong way. We swing toward the river and a quick search turns up a checkpoint...follow the river down to Cp 7. Easy enough, its on the river bank...tucked out of sight. We just crossed paths with Offroad Fixation, they are moving nicely, we are on their heels. CP 7 clear and on to 8, Tunnel to Cedar Bluff, Short cut go straight to the tracks and follow the road to the right. CP should be about 1/2 mile....run...run oh there is a tunnel...I remember it being big enough for a bike last year....in I go...3'X3' all the way through damn nothing its a storm drain. back through...run.....run....damn I think we missed it...ok into the woods...damn thats the river and the tracks meeting...we are way off...over shot it...turn back on the stinging nettle trail. There it is...Cedar Bluff trail...tunnel...CP 8 is on the other side...in we go...yes even claustrophobic Wendy is going through. CP 8 clear, follow the trail around to base of hill CP 9 is on the hill top...time for billy goat legs, up we go straight. Damn this a big hill. Legs are feeling it. CP 9 clear, down to the start and climb the bigger hill in front of us...straight up the face...legs are dying...we are on top and meet another team. CP 10 clear, We all head dwon the backside together, CP 11 is at the bottom. following an old road up to CP 12 on private prop. CP12 clear, Volunteers keep us pumped with their words of encouragement. Thanks Volunteers we needed it! Slow walk up the private road to recover from the hill, we start to jog and make our way down the hill to New Balwin road, dman which way....look at the map again...(Bonk starting) Ok left to the triangle then right...tirangle is the street by the firehouse. cp 13...is under the bridge, we are now in the company of Team Booger Butts, they proceed to drop us on the road run back into Castlewood SP. Ok on to HQ CP 14...now the Bike leg, we are pumped this is our thing right...refill water for Wendy, I have abottle on the bike, Chug some G2 Grape, yummy Ok lets go. Across the road and up Lone Wolf, make a left at the top to CP 15. Sounds easy enough...I take the lead on the climb, and 50 ft into it.."snap" top tube here I come...I am chain free and falling!Damn...Yup there is that $40 XTR chain piled up on the ground behind me...damn it. Ok lets roll back to the van I know for sure I don't have a link in my pack...note to self...pack extra chain. Ok, shorten the drivetrain, damn the chain is still to short since I destroyed a link. Anyone got a spare link? No, wait in my box whats this...yes, my chainwhip, take a link, insert and off we go, back up Lone Wolf....Snap more nads on the top tube, @%$^@ many bad words fly, I am quite sure this is a test, and I am failing. I quit! Wendy reluctantly follows, she knows I have had it with the bike problems. We roll to the start finish line and Jason from Bonk Hard ask whats up?...Broken chain..he points to the Bike Mechanic onsite. "Farrell" from Big Shark! He digs deep in the kit and pulls out a new chain, and then put it on. He ensures me this is not really a Grenada, or Momentum problem, but a shimano issue. He's right...I stop cussin both shops...Momementum for the chain, and Grenada for the Specialized headache!.....My adrenaline has regrouped, and now I we head off again up Lone Wolf.....2/3's of the way up...what where are my damn maps? Wendy do you have them? No! Damn it! back down, where did I leave them...with Farrell? NO, anyone haven't seen em...Honestly I think I had this section memorized but its manadatory for the course. Check Stella. Yes right there next to my Helmet, must have left them after the first chain issue. Ok, up we go trip number 4 on Lone Wolf, lets walk this one...CP 15 clear, down "River Scene" to LoneWolf lower section. CP 16 is on the hillside just off the trail. I ride the steep stuff on top of River Scene and then wait for Wendy, she is walking it. As we move on to the lower bench cut I lose the front wheel on a root and down hard. The bike slides gently narrowly missing a tree, same for my head...except not so gently...hard impact to the elbow...I know there is blood, but no time to look, we have to go...cAn yoU sAy BONK! Yup its coming on fast. We spin down to CP 16 and miss it...damn where is it? Back Track...damn its up the hill we should have stayed on top...I miss plotted this one by 1/16th of an inch which is a long way on a 1:15000 map. Ok up the hill we go...I do not have the gas to ride so I push. I now admit that I am bonked...Wendy suggests a Gel...good Idea and some water....ok lets go...slowly trudging up hill, I have no idea how we are going to make the rest of this race we are less than 2 miles into 12 on the bike, with lots of climbing. CP 16 Clear, with lots of encouragement from the 4 person female team that is kicking our butt now...(Team Your Mom). I can tell the Gel is now starting to help me come back to life...time for another...? Why not...tip up the Hammer Gel...Yuck! Tastes like dirt and honey, but I need it to recover. CP 17 is a creek crossing on the trail...easy enough. Clear, follow trail left up Cardiac Hill to Justin's...CP 18 is right there...nice walk up Cardiac..no legs left for the big climbs. CP 18 Clear, rip dopwn Cardiac...nice..refreshed with a downhill...hit the road go left to Ranger s cabin, turn left and go up the intermountain connector...half way up is CP19, then CP20 is @ the intersection...Passport check...wow...that is a muddy wrinkled up passport...(note to self-take better care of the passport) On to CP 21 which is a ways down rollercoaster...whaaahooo...love this trail...feeling great...cp21..now..off trail through the brush...this is where Wendy starts to question my sanity on the bike...straight into the trees and hit the next trail hard right...down hill to the road then left....to the Rail Road tunnel...2nd trail left to the river follow it right...look for the ruins...yes! there it is...large concrete walls cp 23 is inside. Clear, follow trail right upstream with river CP24 is on a bend about 1/2 mile, CP 24 Clear, CP 25 at the base of the stairs....nice rip through the flats...this is when I realize that cramps are for real...I caught a nice rick in the center of the trail and grabbed some air time...wham mid flight cramps on the inside of the calves. Damn that hurts! Keep going, Wendy didn't see the cramps, but the riders goin the other way knew something was up with the grimmace on my face. CP 25 Clear Now back to the RR tracks, follow the tracks to Kiefer Creek cross creek and climb bank (Short Cut to Grotpeter)...sorta ....its not ridable, Climb up to the hairpin corner, CP 26 Clear, now go on up to the Pits...on top of the hill. Major Cramps hit both thighs at the knees...this time I got off the bike and then Whammy, I hit the ground. I didn't have a clue as to how to stretch this time...calves, thighs, hamstrings...all in a massive cramps session, a couple sips of water and walked it out...on to CP 27 - Clear, turn- go back to trail and down to Love trail(I think thats the name)...went off tral in a step section hit trail turned left...nice sweep to the bottom CP 28 is at a bridge on a hard right.....now almost done...CP28 Clear, back to HQ...CP 29! What a Sweet feeling! a couple cowbells and now somebody wants to hand us another map...what...r u $%$ kiddin me? Laura Thanks for the encouragement...just go get one or two you have an hour and half.... Roagaine - 19 Checkpoints We decided to walk a couple of em'...good idea to stretch the screaming muscles. R-CP 19 at the ranger office, then on to R-CP 15 Creek crossing same as CP 17 from the bike....now follow the Kiefer Creek Road to Ries R-CP18 is in the woods along the drainage on the right....100yards further go back to the road and R-CP4 is on the left up the drainage, back to the road and up hill back into the drainage is R-CP6 top of the hill is R-CP8 the same as CP 27, ok now...decision time...Hit R-CP10 on Roller coaster then R-CP 12....Damn missed R-CP 10 trying to short cut Roller Coaster....Keep moving time is short, down to R-CP5 at the bottom of Grotpeter back across the creek to the under the tracks to R-CP3 now time is short 10 checkpoints on the Rogaine is much more than we had planned to do...believe it or not I was trying to run at this point...Adrenaline is Surging...Hand in Hand we run from the playground to Shelter 1 finish! Yes!!!!! We Did it...Lets have a beer, and Where is Farrell? Dude you saved our race, how about a cold one. Schlafly Imperial Stout....One sip and yuck...no-way that was going in this body...can I have a grape super chill?
What a race...How did you finish? I thought you would never ask...WE TOOK 3rd Place COED!!!! Slipped one postion from last year, but overall finish was much better...WE are inside the top 30 out of 85 teams! We were only a few minutes behind the leaders through the first few check points....could have been closer had we not stopped to argue... ;) Good news is we are still married.

Did I mention we did this on Single Speeds? 34x21 for me and 32x20 for Wendy. Btw, we are also 40 and 39 repectively...as Wendy put it...we kicked the ass' of a bunch of 20 somethings!

See ya next year @ Castlewood

For more information on Adventure Racing - Go HERE

Thank You Bonk Hard Racing, Team Subaru, and Big Shark!!!

Sincerly,
Team Trail Monster - Jim and Wendy Davis

Ps.....If you would like to see Team Trail Monster race the Bonk Hard Chill in February.....Sponser US!!!!!

Cracked!

2008-11-30T11:06:00.000-08:00

2008 Stumpjumper RIP!

So I think we have finally figured out the chain throwing problem. A nice inch long crack across the weld holding the chainstay to the seat tube. This little crack allowed the frame to flex, inturn allowing the chainline to slide out of whack just a tad bit at a time...eventually the it would throw the chain. I have been so frustrated witht his bike since I got it back in May, I almost gave up cycling. With just a tad bit of good fortune I may get a 2009 frame as a replacement.

The Specialized rep is headed by the shop Monday to confirm the dath of my frame, and order a new one. With any luck I will have it by Wednesday, giving me 1.5 days to get it dialed in for the Castlewood 8 Hour Adventure race Saturday morning at 6am.

To blow of some steam I managed a Saturday morning ride(Wendy's Rockhopper 29er SS) with the BRO-N-Law Jeff. We took the Bryan Road to Busch to Brommelsiek route I mapped last fall. Great Ride. 28 mile loop. I will work on getting a link up to the route.
PS...Wendy managed to inspect her bike within minutes of our return....and it was in perfect working order.

Tick Tock

2008-11-24T11:58:00.001-08:00

Castlewood 8 Hour is almost here...

R U READY?

A New Dawn arises...

2008-08-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

Berryman Trail August 23, 2008

Perfect weather - mid 60's to start Highs near the upper 80's.

Rain a couple days prior washed the trails clean...

Sydsmomma(Wendy) is set for the start of the 12 hour test of Endurance.

12 Miles Bike and 4.5 Running Time - 7AM-ish
New Ride - 2008 Rock Hopper 29er - SS 32x18 and 32x20.

Only minor preparations are needed when you follow a simple mantra:

"Superior Attitude, Superior State of Mind."

As her guiding forces have shown her..."It's a Mental Game"

I worked checkpoint Bravo on the Bike Section at the top of the climb from the artesian well. A great place to see the real pain set in...
As one rider responded when asked about trail conditions - "Perfect, Slippery roots ;), and a couple death holes on the backside..." I will guess the slippery roots had something to do with the death holes... ;)

Wendy crushed the first bike portion with the highly respectable push through her 32x18...not recommended for a newbie on the SS at Berryman. Effects of a tough climb with a steep gear:

She made a quick swap to my Stumpjumper @ 34x21 only to return it on the next lap with a flat rear...(Hutchinson Pythons...2nd flat in as many weeks since installation. Going back to the Specialized Fast Tracks. - Tire Sale Anyone)

During her 2nd lap the super pit crew of "Trail Monster and Me" swapped out the 18 for a 20... this kid can fix anything, just look at the determination! Cheap labor...all ya need is a box of Popsicles (Fruit Juice-not that sugary crap- her words not mine ;))

Heading out to finish up snappin the wrists.

Finish Line Push

Total Carnage Results?

You Bet! 1st Place Women Overall!!!

Takin home free a BonkHard race entry and a new pair of Salomon Trail Shoes! As you can see she is totally stoked for the new shoes!

3 Laps under 12 hours...totally snappin my wrists from the year before.

The post race moment of joy and honor as she names her trusty new steed: "She-Ra"

Of course none of this would be possible without the support from a few friends...(double click the pic and check out the seat tube and bars)

For the rest of you that dare challenge "She-Ra" and her Master...

The following shall be you're fate as it has those that have challenged before!!!

Shadow Puppet Wrist Snappin

2008-07-29T08:10:00.000-07:00

Matson Hill Non-Race #4
Typical Team Trail Monster Carnage. I destroyed the left crank arm on the hill climb...go figure it was a typical race day for me....Break the Bike .... then nobody knows how fast you are....;) Sydsmomma Cranked out a lap of Matson on her old tank "
Big Bertha"..hopefully the last, as the new RockHopper 29er will be ready very soon.
Thanks Team Seagal for the Ice Cold PBR and all of the Swag!!!

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Road Trip on down memory lane...or just the tail end of a great cruise...

2008-02-04T12:47:00.000-08:00

Ever wondered what changes?

Nothing really...

maybe some paint but the bones are still solid....

Its still the jug.

Starks u-turn

The Y? Yup it is...

Do ya know this place?

Restin place?

Or this place?

OR Do you know this face?

New Single Track On the horizon....

2008-01-14T07:54:00.000-08:00

This past weekend was my first opportunity to hike the new property at Matson Hill. Someday soon we will add an additional 5 miles or so to the exisiting 3 loop at Matson Hill. The new area is now in the hands of the St. Charles County Parks department.
STL Biking link to Matson Hill
The skinny on the new terrain....awesome...lots of rocks, and more rocks, some old road beds, and that customary Matson Hill....This new portion of the park could play home to a new piece of downhill action, and quiet possibly a sick piece of rock work. The entire hill side has a skirt of big rock...So we should be able to get in a nice piece of technical rock trail and at the same time make use of a nice easy flow area to offer multiple skill sets. We have a couple small run offs that have great solid rock/broken slabs for crossing and playing. a huge cedar grove and a hidden fire pit.... This new portion of the park also touches the D. Boone properties...so Historic value will keep our trail system out of site of the buildings and such. Stay tuned for more on this subject.

I have also completed my route design to Brommelsiek park. This route is through Busch Wildlife area north of the archery range and along the north side of lake 33. Starts at Winghaven Theater and flows over old roads and field edge double track all the way to Schwede road and Brommelsiek park. There is word that the Greenway commision wants part of this route to connect to Barat haven and route underneath the I/64(Hwy40/61) via the bridge over the Dardenne creek. This would be anice connector to the wildlife area and the 25 miles plus of gravel roads...(dusty)..however it also connects to the Hamburg and Katy Trail system...which connects to Lost Valley and Matson Hill, and Klondike and last but not least by any means....the August Brewery!!!! Next issue....Paniers that hold growlers...if your gonna ride to a brewery ...then ya gotta bring some home....

Perfect Weather for a Hike together!

2007-12-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

Saturday proved to be the most awesome of days. One of the top five snow storms was rolling through the Lou and all we wanted to do was be right out in the middle of it. High Noon we hit the Lewis and Clark Trail at Weldon Springs. As we wandered down the trail we discussed our distance...would it be 5 0r 8. Only time would tell...The parking lot was full so we knew we would cross the paths of a few brave souls...or is it soles...

The count for the day as follows:

6-8 MO dept of Conservation Volunteers all dressed in official gear out for a morning stroll. Word of a couple crazy Pileated Wood Peckers was passed...

1 Lone Hiker about 50 in a camo coat with fanny pack and a water bottle...few words whispered as he moved on past.

1 Camera man...out trying for some great snow shots....Word passed of some climbers rappelling the limestone bluffs.

3 Climbers...2 guys in their late 30's and a 5 year old boy...decked out near a small fire warming from their climb. about 200 feet of crappy limestone. They moaned of the crappy conditions...(Duh its limestone mixed with Ice and Snow...its bound to crumble in your grip)

3 Hikers...They looked like us with an older daughter...they mentioned that their daughter grew up in a back pack much like Sydney is doing....(Wendy was Stoked to her that it can be done...raising a kid outdoors...)

1 Lady Hiker on the move barely a word spoken...all is well..we were near the end...

The Slide Show Photo's(Upper right or the link below) show our fun from start to finish...Look Close and you may see our Christmas Card shot...sure wish we could get the big kids to go...I guess that once you hit 17+ your pretty much done with your parents for a while...

http://picasaweb.google.com/Davis437/FirstSnowHikeDec152007

Adventure Racing - Castlewood 8 hour

2007-12-08T10:19:00.001-08:00

Team "Trail Monster" Rocks the nay sayers with a 2nd Place 2 Person Coed Finish!
8 hours 58 minutes. If only Team Captain had read the instructions on the orienteering course....quite possibly a 1st place finish could have been in store.

(Note to Captain....Always read and assume checkpoints are to be done in order....)

Navigationally near perfect....CP 18 was further than expected and cost the team an additional 15 minutes. Pre-race distances between CP's is a must.

Phrase of the day....."Pedal Faster" ---- Response of the day...."Shutup, your an $#$^! - I am trying my best"

Psssst - we are still married...LOL