@dapeach I have ner bent a cassette.... I have however had one blown up on a climb before
***Monday, Monday, MONDAY! gmt***
- Thread starter Pesqueeb
- Start date
what make/brand cassette?
Used to happen to me fairly frequently with SRAM cassettes back in the days of 9-speed, before X-Dome and machined steel. Never happened with Shimano. Bent a SunRace that way within a month of putting it on.
I've had good luck with Shimano and new SRAM X-Dome steel cassettes. I may, maybe, perhaps, give the e-Thirteen cassettes a try, but I'm worried that because they're made by SunRace, they'll bend too. What they have going for them is their modularity though. Replacing only the part that is worn/broken is appealing to me.
I had a mixed bag weekend. Drove my oldest to his first sleep-away camp on Friday with Cubs. It was his first time away from family. Turns out I was a wreck. I hadn't anticipated I'd be choked up by it. Not being there for him if other kids aren't nice to him (or if he pisses off older kids, who in turn are mean to him), was worrisome. But... he seems to have enjoyed it. On Saturday, my wife, my 5 y.o. and I went to the forest. He and I biked, she ran. We all had a great time. I went for a ride to a new area close to where a buddy just moved. It's flat. really flat, but really flowy. You have to pedal a lot to maintain speed, but mostly you need to know how to corner and carry momentum. Good fun. (but next time I'll bring the rigid single speed for more of a challenge). Followed that up with beers in the parking lot, and pizza and beers at his place.
Sunday my eldest came back. At first he seemed happy, but then he just melted down and couldn't keep it together and just acted like a total sack of shit. Carried over into this morning too. not fun. My little guy even said, "I don't want a big brother. He's just mean." That gave me the sad.
Good thing I did yoga at lunch today. First time in at least 7 years, and third time ever. I think it will be good. not too hippy, not too hard, but still a physical challenge. It definitely clears your head though. I'm signed up to do these classes through till December, so hopefully they help.
Have a good week everyone.
Sunrace. You’re not the first person to tell me this. The replacement is a new Shimano.
My 6yo spent Friday night at beaver camp. My wife stayed with him. Lots of parents did. I lucked out and stayed home with our 4yo.
They thought better to opt out staying Saturday night too...
either day might work. let me know what works best for you guys.
I did Beaver camp with the boy last spring. Took the little guy too. It was fun. That was his first year in Beavers, but he'd known most of the kids all year. And now he's a first year Cub (which is why no parents), there's only been two meetings so far, with a new set of faces. It can be hard to integrate a new group like that, which made me a bit nervous I guess... But it sounds like he handled it like a champ. I guess it never feels good to know you're of no use anymore! But I'm also pretty amazed he handled it so well.
MehGot super high (12K) with my lady on Saturday, then camped here:
Watched my buddy Elroy start a fire with a Not A Flamethrower:
Drank some of Elroy's whiskey:
Rode in some aspens on Sunday:
Up to a sweet little cabin at 10k:
And enjoyed a ripping descent through aspens and wide open meadows:
Today? Asides from working... I'm shopping for new skis.
What he forgot to tell you is that he and I were I-70 traffic-buddies on the way back. Then he took the frontage road and I never saw him again.
True Fact™ that I indeed saw the Toshi-mobile in all it's temp-tag glory in the wild, with a non-moped on the bike rack even.
Sunday. She has Snobahn 9-930 then a bday party at 4. We'll have to make in between fit. I'll text you.
Nice little score I found this morning...... Montana boletes..... Super tasty, nice strong earthy flavor.
Think I will do a brown gravy to go with these and use them to top a nice flat iron...
I was on the frontage roads most of the way back where possible not long after midday on Sunday, traffic was already slow on I70.
I figured if I could hold out on I-70 I'd get to the express toll lane and make up the time. That was a mistake, both for the length of time to the lane and because I got stuck behind some idiot in a JK doing 55 mph and slowing randomly in concert with the adjacent lanes.
There was still fucking traffic at 6:30pm. 
We got back from the United States Dressage Federation, Region 7 Championships in Los Angeles at 10:30 last night. By the time we hot the horse back into it's stall, the trailer unloaded, horse poop leaned out, and the trailer back in its parking spot it was almost midnight. We got home a few minutes later and hit the bed at 12:30. I was beat. Ruth had a great show against the top ranked horse and ride combinations in the USA. She came in second at Prix St Georges and !st place at 4th level. Kick ass lady
spending today cleaning out the camper
spending today cleaning out the camper
interesting read re: helmets and safety:
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
and the TLDR Outside mag summary:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2346446/vrginia-tech-lab-ranked-safest-bike-helmets
This Lab Ranked the Safest Bike Helmets
Aaron Gulley
Sep 30, 2018
A group of researchers at Virginia Tech performed rigorous testing on 30 top bike helmets to find out which is the most protective
A recent report out of the Helmet Lab at Virginia Tech rates 30 of the most popular cycling helmets based on their ability to reduce the risk of concussion. The ratings have the potential to shake up the industry and consumer buying patterns by ranking some helmets as safer than others.
Up until this study, every helmet on the market has been considered as safe as any other because each meets U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards. Europe has its own standards (EN-1078), and there are additional tests for downhill certification (ASTM F1952). But all of these accreditations operate on pass-fail systems. If you can buy it in a store in the United States, a helmet has successfully passed the drop tests set by the CPSC and is considered safe.
“Manufacturers are pretty limited by liability in what they can say about a helmet’s safety. They can tell you that their helmet meets the standards,” says Megan Bland, a Ph.D. candidate who led the Virginia Tech research. “We are much freer to talk about the nuance and safety of each helmet because we aren’t limited by that liability.”
The Virginia Tech researchers created their own set of protocols. Unlike CPSC standards, which call for a series of drop tests on the top of the helmet, V-Tech also measured glancing blows and oblique angles. The team tested four samples of each helmet model, recording impacts on six distinct regions for a total of 24 data points per model. The six locations were selected according to crash data to simulate the most statistically probable accidents: three represent headfirst crashes, two are skidding impacts with hits to the side of the head, and one enacts an over-the-handlebars fall with force to the back of the head. The researchers also used a more realistic head form (nylon-based as opposed to the CPSC’s metal version) and mimicked a pliable neck joint instead of the rigid constraints mandated by the CPSC. These changes reflect today’s deeper understanding of and focus on brain injuries, whereas the older standards were designed around preventing skull fracture and death.
(Courtesy VTech Study)
“Despite what the [CPSC] standards assess, there is plenty of data that shows that most cycling impacts happen at an angle, and that affects the way your head rotates and the type of injuries you could sustain,” says Bland. “Our goal was to replicate real-world impacts.”
On a scale of zero stars (the equivalent of not wearing a helmet) to five stars (the safest), four helmets received top marks, 12 earned four stars, and 12 garnered three. The Bontrager Ballista MIPS ($200) ranked the safest, followed by the Louis Garneau Raid MIPS ($100) and Bell Stratus MIPS ($150). No single brand dominated the rankings, nor did a helmet’s price correlate with protection. For instance, the Specialized Chamonix MIPS ($75) outperformed the Specialized S-Works Prevail II ($225) and the Specialized S-Works Evade II ($250). The Lazer Genesis ($100) and Bern Watts ($60) were the only two models to earn two stars, the lowest ranking assigned in the test.
Part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, which has been researching concussions in football players since the early 2000s and released its first rankings of that sport’s helmets back in 2011, the Virginia Tech team has been working on its cycling ratings for more than three years but draws on a deep repository of brain-injury research. The researchers decided to delve into cycling now because the volume of injuries far exceeds those in the team sports they study, simply by virtue of the number of participants.
According to Thom Parks, senior director of product safety at Giro, Virginia Tech’s research is worthy. “There are inherent limitations,” he says. “They couldn’t buy 100 models of a helmet; they couldn’t do the diversity of testing that we would like them to do.” (Giro and Bell, both owned by Vista Outdoors, operate a test lab of their own called The Dome.) “But,” he adds, “they are good scientists, their undertaking is ambitious, and, from what I can see, the overall approach is valid and they are getting good information.” Parks isn’t alone in the industry in his positive assessment of the Virginia Tech study. “Greater testing on products like helmets is a good thing as long as the methods are transparent, and Virginia Tech has been good about making its criteria and process clear,” says Eric Bjorling, spokesperson for Trek, whose Bontrager Ballista helmet earned top marks. “For consumers, it’s a good way to verify that the products that they’re using have gone through an independent review.”
Still, even Bland admits there are limits to Virginia Tech’s research. “There is an infinite realm of impact scenarios, so you have to put a limit on the testing you can do,” she says. “We have used the likeliest scenarios. Proportionally, a five-star helmet will give you the best chances in an accident.”
The cycling helmet test is an ongoing project, says Bland. Virginia Tech intends to release ratings on another 15 helmets this fall and plans to continue testing on current and upcoming models. That’s good news for consumers. Not only does it help cyclists choose the safest helmets possible, it also means manufacturers will likely start paying attention and working even harder to build better lids. Says Bjorling, “If an organization like Virginia Tech can provide greater criteria and a deeper understanding of what people need from their helmets to enjoy bikes more safely, that can only help.”
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
and the TLDR Outside mag summary:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2346446/vrginia-tech-lab-ranked-safest-bike-helmets
This Lab Ranked the Safest Bike Helmets
Aaron Gulley
Sep 30, 2018
A group of researchers at Virginia Tech performed rigorous testing on 30 top bike helmets to find out which is the most protective
A recent report out of the Helmet Lab at Virginia Tech rates 30 of the most popular cycling helmets based on their ability to reduce the risk of concussion. The ratings have the potential to shake up the industry and consumer buying patterns by ranking some helmets as safer than others.
Up until this study, every helmet on the market has been considered as safe as any other because each meets U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards. Europe has its own standards (EN-1078), and there are additional tests for downhill certification (ASTM F1952). But all of these accreditations operate on pass-fail systems. If you can buy it in a store in the United States, a helmet has successfully passed the drop tests set by the CPSC and is considered safe.
“Manufacturers are pretty limited by liability in what they can say about a helmet’s safety. They can tell you that their helmet meets the standards,” says Megan Bland, a Ph.D. candidate who led the Virginia Tech research. “We are much freer to talk about the nuance and safety of each helmet because we aren’t limited by that liability.”
The Virginia Tech researchers created their own set of protocols. Unlike CPSC standards, which call for a series of drop tests on the top of the helmet, V-Tech also measured glancing blows and oblique angles. The team tested four samples of each helmet model, recording impacts on six distinct regions for a total of 24 data points per model. The six locations were selected according to crash data to simulate the most statistically probable accidents: three represent headfirst crashes, two are skidding impacts with hits to the side of the head, and one enacts an over-the-handlebars fall with force to the back of the head. The researchers also used a more realistic head form (nylon-based as opposed to the CPSC’s metal version) and mimicked a pliable neck joint instead of the rigid constraints mandated by the CPSC. These changes reflect today’s deeper understanding of and focus on brain injuries, whereas the older standards were designed around preventing skull fracture and death.
(Courtesy VTech Study)
“Despite what the [CPSC] standards assess, there is plenty of data that shows that most cycling impacts happen at an angle, and that affects the way your head rotates and the type of injuries you could sustain,” says Bland. “Our goal was to replicate real-world impacts.”
On a scale of zero stars (the equivalent of not wearing a helmet) to five stars (the safest), four helmets received top marks, 12 earned four stars, and 12 garnered three. The Bontrager Ballista MIPS ($200) ranked the safest, followed by the Louis Garneau Raid MIPS ($100) and Bell Stratus MIPS ($150). No single brand dominated the rankings, nor did a helmet’s price correlate with protection. For instance, the Specialized Chamonix MIPS ($75) outperformed the Specialized S-Works Prevail II ($225) and the Specialized S-Works Evade II ($250). The Lazer Genesis ($100) and Bern Watts ($60) were the only two models to earn two stars, the lowest ranking assigned in the test.
Part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, which has been researching concussions in football players since the early 2000s and released its first rankings of that sport’s helmets back in 2011, the Virginia Tech team has been working on its cycling ratings for more than three years but draws on a deep repository of brain-injury research. The researchers decided to delve into cycling now because the volume of injuries far exceeds those in the team sports they study, simply by virtue of the number of participants.
According to Thom Parks, senior director of product safety at Giro, Virginia Tech’s research is worthy. “There are inherent limitations,” he says. “They couldn’t buy 100 models of a helmet; they couldn’t do the diversity of testing that we would like them to do.” (Giro and Bell, both owned by Vista Outdoors, operate a test lab of their own called The Dome.) “But,” he adds, “they are good scientists, their undertaking is ambitious, and, from what I can see, the overall approach is valid and they are getting good information.” Parks isn’t alone in the industry in his positive assessment of the Virginia Tech study. “Greater testing on products like helmets is a good thing as long as the methods are transparent, and Virginia Tech has been good about making its criteria and process clear,” says Eric Bjorling, spokesperson for Trek, whose Bontrager Ballista helmet earned top marks. “For consumers, it’s a good way to verify that the products that they’re using have gone through an independent review.”
Still, even Bland admits there are limits to Virginia Tech’s research. “There is an infinite realm of impact scenarios, so you have to put a limit on the testing you can do,” she says. “We have used the likeliest scenarios. Proportionally, a five-star helmet will give you the best chances in an accident.”
The cycling helmet test is an ongoing project, says Bland. Virginia Tech intends to release ratings on another 15 helmets this fall and plans to continue testing on current and upcoming models. That’s good news for consumers. Not only does it help cyclists choose the safest helmets possible, it also means manufacturers will likely start paying attention and working even harder to build better lids. Says Bjorling, “If an organization like Virginia Tech can provide greater criteria and a deeper understanding of what people need from their helmets to enjoy bikes more safely, that can only help.”
They didn't actually rate MTB helmets, from what I can tell...just some road helmets with visors?interesting read re: helmets and safety:
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
and the TLDR Outside mag summary:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2346446/vrginia-tech-lab-ranked-safest-bike-helmets
This Lab Ranked the Safest Bike Helmets
Aaron Gulley
Sep 30, 2018
A group of researchers at Virginia Tech performed rigorous testing on 30 top bike helmets to find out which is the most protective
A recent report out of the Helmet Lab at Virginia Tech rates 30 of the most popular cycling helmets based on their ability to reduce the risk of concussion. The ratings have the potential to shake up the industry and consumer buying patterns by ranking some helmets as safer than others.
Up until this study, every helmet on the market has been considered as safe as any other because each meets U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards. Europe has its own standards (EN-1078), and there are additional tests for downhill certification (ASTM F1952). But all of these accreditations operate on pass-fail systems. If you can buy it in a store in the United States, a helmet has successfully passed the drop tests set by the CPSC and is considered safe.
“Manufacturers are pretty limited by liability in what they can say about a helmet’s safety. They can tell you that their helmet meets the standards,” says Megan Bland, a Ph.D. candidate who led the Virginia Tech research. “We are much freer to talk about the nuance and safety of each helmet because we aren’t limited by that liability.”
The Virginia Tech researchers created their own set of protocols. Unlike CPSC standards, which call for a series of drop tests on the top of the helmet, V-Tech also measured glancing blows and oblique angles. The team tested four samples of each helmet model, recording impacts on six distinct regions for a total of 24 data points per model. The six locations were selected according to crash data to simulate the most statistically probable accidents: three represent headfirst crashes, two are skidding impacts with hits to the side of the head, and one enacts an over-the-handlebars fall with force to the back of the head. The researchers also used a more realistic head form (nylon-based as opposed to the CPSC’s metal version) and mimicked a pliable neck joint instead of the rigid constraints mandated by the CPSC. These changes reflect today’s deeper understanding of and focus on brain injuries, whereas the older standards were designed around preventing skull fracture and death.
(Courtesy VTech Study)
“Despite what the [CPSC] standards assess, there is plenty of data that shows that most cycling impacts happen at an angle, and that affects the way your head rotates and the type of injuries you could sustain,” says Bland. “Our goal was to replicate real-world impacts.”
On a scale of zero stars (the equivalent of not wearing a helmet) to five stars (the safest), four helmets received top marks, 12 earned four stars, and 12 garnered three. The Bontrager Ballista MIPS ($200) ranked the safest, followed by the Louis Garneau Raid MIPS ($100) and Bell Stratus MIPS ($150). No single brand dominated the rankings, nor did a helmet’s price correlate with protection. For instance, the Specialized Chamonix MIPS ($75) outperformed the Specialized S-Works Prevail II ($225) and the Specialized S-Works Evade II ($250). The Lazer Genesis ($100) and Bern Watts ($60) were the only two models to earn two stars, the lowest ranking assigned in the test.
Part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, which has been researching concussions in football players since the early 2000s and released its first rankings of that sport’s helmets back in 2011, the Virginia Tech team has been working on its cycling ratings for more than three years but draws on a deep repository of brain-injury research. The researchers decided to delve into cycling now because the volume of injuries far exceeds those in the team sports they study, simply by virtue of the number of participants.
According to Thom Parks, senior director of product safety at Giro, Virginia Tech’s research is worthy. “There are inherent limitations,” he says. “They couldn’t buy 100 models of a helmet; they couldn’t do the diversity of testing that we would like them to do.” (Giro and Bell, both owned by Vista Outdoors, operate a test lab of their own called The Dome.) “But,” he adds, “they are good scientists, their undertaking is ambitious, and, from what I can see, the overall approach is valid and they are getting good information.” Parks isn’t alone in the industry in his positive assessment of the Virginia Tech study. “Greater testing on products like helmets is a good thing as long as the methods are transparent, and Virginia Tech has been good about making its criteria and process clear,” says Eric Bjorling, spokesperson for Trek, whose Bontrager Ballista helmet earned top marks. “For consumers, it’s a good way to verify that the products that they’re using have gone through an independent review.”
Still, even Bland admits there are limits to Virginia Tech’s research. “There is an infinite realm of impact scenarios, so you have to put a limit on the testing you can do,” she says. “We have used the likeliest scenarios. Proportionally, a five-star helmet will give you the best chances in an accident.”
The cycling helmet test is an ongoing project, says Bland. Virginia Tech intends to release ratings on another 15 helmets this fall and plans to continue testing on current and upcoming models. That’s good news for consumers. Not only does it help cyclists choose the safest helmets possible, it also means manufacturers will likely start paying attention and working even harder to build better lids. Says Bjorling, “If an organization like Virginia Tech can provide greater criteria and a deeper understanding of what people need from their helmets to enjoy bikes more safely, that can only help.”
Am I missing something?
Holy shitballs, looks amazing. I would totally die there.
Yeah, I almost never ride Burke. Im on Seymour.
I ought to make arrangements. Way less traffic on Burke trails.
Are you here?
i had planned on being there sat/sun....but i fucked that up....in longmont doing laundry....leaving colorado tomorrow...
this is great and all, except for the fact that they didn't test any helmets that people actually wear.interesting read re: helmets and safety:
https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/bicycle-helmet-ratings.html
and the TLDR Outside mag summary:
https://www.outsideonline.com/2346446/vrginia-tech-lab-ranked-safest-bike-helmets
This Lab Ranked the Safest Bike Helmets
Aaron Gulley
Sep 30, 2018
A group of researchers at Virginia Tech performed rigorous testing on 30 top bike helmets to find out which is the most protective
A recent report out of the Helmet Lab at Virginia Tech rates 30 of the most popular cycling helmets based on their ability to reduce the risk of concussion. The ratings have the potential to shake up the industry and consumer buying patterns by ranking some helmets as safer than others.
Up until this study, every helmet on the market has been considered as safe as any other because each meets U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) standards. Europe has its own standards (EN-1078), and there are additional tests for downhill certification (ASTM F1952). But all of these accreditations operate on pass-fail systems. If you can buy it in a store in the United States, a helmet has successfully passed the drop tests set by the CPSC and is considered safe.
“Manufacturers are pretty limited by liability in what they can say about a helmet’s safety. They can tell you that their helmet meets the standards,” says Megan Bland, a Ph.D. candidate who led the Virginia Tech research. “We are much freer to talk about the nuance and safety of each helmet because we aren’t limited by that liability.”
The Virginia Tech researchers created their own set of protocols. Unlike CPSC standards, which call for a series of drop tests on the top of the helmet, V-Tech also measured glancing blows and oblique angles. The team tested four samples of each helmet model, recording impacts on six distinct regions for a total of 24 data points per model. The six locations were selected according to crash data to simulate the most statistically probable accidents: three represent headfirst crashes, two are skidding impacts with hits to the side of the head, and one enacts an over-the-handlebars fall with force to the back of the head. The researchers also used a more realistic head form (nylon-based as opposed to the CPSC’s metal version) and mimicked a pliable neck joint instead of the rigid constraints mandated by the CPSC. These changes reflect today’s deeper understanding of and focus on brain injuries, whereas the older standards were designed around preventing skull fracture and death.
(Courtesy VTech Study)
“Despite what the [CPSC] standards assess, there is plenty of data that shows that most cycling impacts happen at an angle, and that affects the way your head rotates and the type of injuries you could sustain,” says Bland. “Our goal was to replicate real-world impacts.”
On a scale of zero stars (the equivalent of not wearing a helmet) to five stars (the safest), four helmets received top marks, 12 earned four stars, and 12 garnered three. The Bontrager Ballista MIPS ($200) ranked the safest, followed by the Louis Garneau Raid MIPS ($100) and Bell Stratus MIPS ($150). No single brand dominated the rankings, nor did a helmet’s price correlate with protection. For instance, the Specialized Chamonix MIPS ($75) outperformed the Specialized S-Works Prevail II ($225) and the Specialized S-Works Evade II ($250). The Lazer Genesis ($100) and Bern Watts ($60) were the only two models to earn two stars, the lowest ranking assigned in the test.
Part of the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, which has been researching concussions in football players since the early 2000s and released its first rankings of that sport’s helmets back in 2011, the Virginia Tech team has been working on its cycling ratings for more than three years but draws on a deep repository of brain-injury research. The researchers decided to delve into cycling now because the volume of injuries far exceeds those in the team sports they study, simply by virtue of the number of participants.
According to Thom Parks, senior director of product safety at Giro, Virginia Tech’s research is worthy. “There are inherent limitations,” he says. “They couldn’t buy 100 models of a helmet; they couldn’t do the diversity of testing that we would like them to do.” (Giro and Bell, both owned by Vista Outdoors, operate a test lab of their own called The Dome.) “But,” he adds, “they are good scientists, their undertaking is ambitious, and, from what I can see, the overall approach is valid and they are getting good information.” Parks isn’t alone in the industry in his positive assessment of the Virginia Tech study. “Greater testing on products like helmets is a good thing as long as the methods are transparent, and Virginia Tech has been good about making its criteria and process clear,” says Eric Bjorling, spokesperson for Trek, whose Bontrager Ballista helmet earned top marks. “For consumers, it’s a good way to verify that the products that they’re using have gone through an independent review.”
Still, even Bland admits there are limits to Virginia Tech’s research. “There is an infinite realm of impact scenarios, so you have to put a limit on the testing you can do,” she says. “We have used the likeliest scenarios. Proportionally, a five-star helmet will give you the best chances in an accident.”
The cycling helmet test is an ongoing project, says Bland. Virginia Tech intends to release ratings on another 15 helmets this fall and plans to continue testing on current and upcoming models. That’s good news for consumers. Not only does it help cyclists choose the safest helmets possible, it also means manufacturers will likely start paying attention and working even harder to build better lids. Says Bjorling, “If an organization like Virginia Tech can provide greater criteria and a deeper understanding of what people need from their helmets to enjoy bikes more safely, that can only help.”
i might have actually done that....been surly.
Rode:
Clawhammer
Black
Buckwheat
Bennett
My knees are feeling the "B"s.
Only ran into one other person out there, another rider, who waved and pedaled by.
Saw some bear poop, but no tracks in fresh mud. Must have been there before the last shower. Did see a dead bear on the side of the rode though. That or it got pulled over by Sheriff deputies.
At some point I'd like to ride this loop with someone else. Some of the ruts and steep rock gardens I walk, but can probably ride.
Good day in the woods.
Clawhammer
Black
Buckwheat
Bennett
My knees are feeling the "B"s.
Only ran into one other person out there, another rider, who waved and pedaled by.
Saw some bear poop, but no tracks in fresh mud. Must have been there before the last shower. Did see a dead bear on the side of the rode though. That or it got pulled over by Sheriff deputies.
At some point I'd like to ride this loop with someone else. Some of the ruts and steep rock gardens I walk, but can probably ride.
Good day in the woods.