Locals Rack Up Good Times at Mountain Bike Oregon

July 22, 2008 on 1:05 pm | In Mt. Biking |

Fourteen area riders were among more than 200 participants at the July session of Mountain Bike Oregon in Oakridge. Not only did we have a great time, but we learned that we aren’t embarrassing - at least when it comes to overall fitness and technical skill.

Our group - which was the largest at the event - included Rob Larsen, Lori Larsen, Lance Brigman, Paul Norris, Melanie “The Human Bruise” Norris, Jeff Muldoon, Dara Muldoon, J. LeMonds, D. LeMonds, Monte Price, George Go, Jack Berry, Rob Boursaw, and B. Dog. We finished with scratches, bruises, one mangled thumb, 10 empty growlers, and a lot of laughter and great memories.

Memories

• Even the guides were impressed with Boone Dog and Monte. After we rode Alpine, they were talking about “the motocross guy” (Monte) and “the guy with the sneakers” (Jason). If there was anyone at MBO who was a better DH-er, we didn’t run into them during the four days we were there.
• Dave had an anger management problem. During the Alpine ride, the same scenario took place several times: Guys would jump onto the trail at the head of the pack. Every time the trail tilted up, we would pass them. This happened about three times before they figured it out. Dave got stuck behind a woman who refused to let him pass. He got a little crotchety about it. Said she probably drives an RV 65 in the fast line on the freeway. At the end of the ride, one of the people we kept passing said, “Those old guys ride way too fast.”
• Mel has so many bruises she could be a poster child for domestic abuse.
• I suppose that it’s better that most of the physical and mechanical problems landed on one person. Unfortunately, that person was me. See details under “No Crank, Mangled Thumb, Broken Chain.”
• Rob was one of only a handful of riders on a single-speed, and he rode it dang well.
• Paul had the entire bus cracking up with his explanation of how “Puyallup” should be pronounced.
• Many good beers every evening at our camp site, which was definitely the most lively around.
• Jason and Monte were at the rear of the pack because Monte broke his chain during the climb up to the start of the Hardesty downhill. Even though a lot of riders were going very fast (You descend more than 3,500 feet in only 5.5 miles), Monte and Jason passed every one of them before they hit the bottom.
• Hats off to the women in our group. Dara, Mel, and Lori did a phenomenal job, whether the ride was a technical downhill or a demanding epic.
• The start of the single-track at Hardesty has a pretty good climb. One of the younger guys who was with us said, “You have to be a monster to have a shot at this.” After which, at least six of the people in our group cranked right up it.
• Every person in our group went on every ride. Some people rode more slowly than others, but it was a real highlight that we were all able to hang together.

Day One - After setting up camp, we rode Salmon Creek, a beautiful and relatively easy piece of singletrack that leaves from the campground. The scenery reminded me of the Toutle River before the 1980 eruption. The only downside was that there were a few nettles and plenty of thorns. We returned with five flats.

Day Two - Let the adventure begin! We did the Alpine shuttle. This is a must-ride for anyone heading to Oakridge. We started at 4,900 feet and ended up riding about 15 miles. Big views in every direction, with fast, flowing and mostly smooth singletrack. We climbed about 2,000 feet. Total descent was 5,000 feet.

We discovered on some of the initial climbs that some of the people riding in the alleged “Hammer Group” were severely deluded about their capabilities. By the time we hit the first couple of regrouping points, the local crew was at the front of the pack.

Day Three - We geared up for the Middle Fork epic, which ended up being about 26 miles. Probably 3,500 feet of descent and 1,500 of climbing. Lots of tight switchbacks, creek crossings, and hike-a-bike on the first half. The trail goes right along the river, which was a real treat. This is raw country and very beautiful. The second half was fast and flowing, with plenty of opportunities to motor in your middle chain ring. Everybody in our group rode hard and did a great job.

Day Four - We shuttled to Hardesty, climbed for about two miles and then rolled into the descent. It was a lot like rolling off a table. Definitely a high pucker factor for those of us who are mere mortals. If you took your finger off the front break for even a second, you picked up considerable speed. This trail was steeper and much more technical than Alpine, with plenty of roots and rocks to provide opportunities for carnage.

No Crank, Mangled Thumb, Broken Chain
Things got interesting for me during the second half of the Alpine ride. The bolt on my left crank came loose and couldn’t be tightened. I put the crank and pedal in my pack and started thinking about how I was going to ride the last seven miles. I ended up putting my left foot on the frame and clipped in with the right. It was a little complicated since the only way I could stay back on the saddle was to have my right foot in the down position, which was not exactly ideal on the descent. I was cruising along pretty good and actually caught three guys who had passed me while I was attempting to do the repair.

I was proud of myself when I got to the gate at the bottom. Only 100 feet to go. That’s when things went very wrong. When I hit the gravel I was trying to clip back in with my right foot. I glanced down and didn’t see the rock in front of me. Bad news. I went over the bars hard and tatered my left thumb.

Dr. Brigman had this diagnosis: “You really screwed it up.”

He referred me to Dr. Go for a second opinion. Dr. Go said: “Yes, you really screwed it up. Probably broken at the first joint. Not much we can do about it.”

The Middle Fork ride on Day Three wasn’t too bad, other than the fact that I couldn’t shift into my middle chain ring or brake effectively with my left hand. Problems were compounded when I broke my chain halfway through and couldn’t put any torque on it for the rest of that ride or Hardesty on Day Four. Hardesty was especially tough on my thumb because the downhill was so steep and such a pounding.

Bike is in the shop. Thumb is in recovery.

Photos of Lance and Monte at Hardesty at http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=434454.