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Two Jackalopes do SMBA, Whiteface & Diablo

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,670
1,855
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Friday -- 5pm -- SMBA Trails
We meet Sinister Bike guys and demo their Freeride Prototype as well as a herd of R9's on our local trails. Good times, followed by refreshing beverages at the local pub. :cheers:

Saturday -- not as early as we planned -- Whiteface Mtn.
Fearing the weather, we heistate in our departure (mistake #1). We arrive at the mountain to find it in excellent condition under cloudy skies and cool temperatures. We meet the Sinister Bike Guys from Friday night and we're off to hit the Beginner/Sport Race Course. Fun, fast and flowly with lots of woodchip surfing on an open slope/fireroad. For our second run, we head down the scope out the Expert/Pro Race Course (mistake #2). Deciding that I might die soon (as I was getting intimate with the ground) we turn off the course onto trail #26 and plow ahead through some tough singletrack only to find ourselves back on the Expert/Pro race course which leads to (mistake #3) us following the Race Course for a while longer and more intimate encounters with the ground, rocks, trees, a wretched drop that tried to kill me, etc. DownhillMike soon rescued us and we followed him over the woodchips again (mistake #4) to the section of the mountain that has the newly built double teeter and some bridges. Excellent features and lots of fun!!! Our final (and biggest mistake) was that we had taken too long scoping out lines for me to try to ride (note the use of the word try) and missed the lift for a final run (mistake #5). We did manage to have an AWESOME time and I really got some DH mojo on!

Sunday -- a day of rest -- Saratoga Horse Track
I hit the Saratoga Horse Track for final day and left after 3 races as I was sick and tired of the rain. I returned home to drink some beers.

Monday -- 10am -- Diablo
Well, some jackalopes had sent out a message about a gathering at Diablo today and they all bailed so it was just Sq-Earl and I -- two lone jackalopes, ready to takle some DH at Mountain Creek. After the rains of Ernesto we were unsure of the conditions of the Mountain but were pleasantly surprised to see mostly dry trails and only Alpine and Dominion were closed for the day. The lift operaters whooped it up a bit too much the night before and showed up late (lifts were supposed to open at 9am and didn't open until 10:20) so the lifts were going to be open for 2 hours longer to make up for the inconvenience!!! :banana: We did see JRogers rockin' the DH but didn't get a chance to do any runs with him (he's a little too fast for me ;) )

Enough words...onto the pictures (all of Diablo today).

TreeSaw finding her mojo for the day with an easy first run.


Sq-Earl hitting the infamous "Road to Nowhere" Drop (series or pics -- I don't know how to make them all into one)






TreeSaw aparently lost the road to nowhere.



TreeSaw riding some berms





Sq-Earl educating the masses on the two possible lines off this rock -- First up the skinny:


Second up the drop:



TreeSaw hitting Crap Chute (which is getting the crap shot out of it with all of the erroding rainfall and constant abuse from me :D )







Sq-Earl making this look WAY too smooth!






TreeSaw heading to Lower Exodus, etc.



Sq-Earl on Careless Whisper







TreeSaw rippin' some bridges on Triple Drop





Sq-Earl whippin' the hip jump on Crap Chute







TreeSaw tackling some rock gardens throughout the day









Sq-Earl just couldn't get enough of the "Phantom Drop"







BYOB -- toasting our great day of riding at the Pizza Station.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
No Whiteface pics? Sheesh! Nice to see you guys there! Gotta "surf" those wood chips - steer with your hips and no brakes! By sunday, they had been turned into woop dee doos....Nice Diablo pics!
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,670
1,855
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
Nice stuff!

T - how do you like that ASX compared to the SGS??
It's very different! Overall, I think the handling is tighter (I can steer through sections with ease) and it's a lot lighter! The wheelbase is shorter so it doesn't feel quite as stable on super steep stuff but I am getting more and more used to it with each ride. I was amazed at some of the stuff I was able to clean both at Whiteface and at Diablo. The frame is smaller too (15" vs. my 17" SGS) so that makes a difference too. Really, I am liking it but find that I just need to ride it more and get comfortable with the feel.
 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,670
1,855
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
No Whiteface pics? Sheesh! Nice to see you guys there! Gotta "surf" those wood chips - steer with your hips and no brakes! By sunday, they had been turned into woop dee doos....Nice Diablo pics!
Thanks! I can't believe we didn't bring the camera to Whiteface. Those woodchips were weird. At one point, I was completely sideways. I am still surprised I didn't crash in them. I did however, learn a lot about steering with my hips (disco style of course) :happydance:

How did the race go?
 

JRogers

talks too much
Mar 19, 2002
3,785
1
Claremont, CA
Cool pics. Nice seeing you guys at Diablo. Wish I could have actually taken some runs with you, but I was tied up with two other groups. Plus, one of the guys I was with got rocked on Dominion- had to get two sets of stitches, including one on his nose. Looked nasty.
 

Jim Mac

MAKE ENDURO GREAT AGAIN
May 21, 2004
6,352
282
the middle east of NY
Thanks! I can't believe we didn't bring the camera to Whiteface. Those woodchips were weird. At one point, I was completely sideways. I am still surprised I didn't crash in them. I did however, learn a lot about steering with my hips (disco style of course) :happydance:

How did the race go?
It was fun as hell, dry, etc. Though I was the only old sport guy (40+) , I did well enough timewise to have taken 3rd in the 30-39 sport group. I bottomed out my fork in the ditch right before the wood chips and went wide into the corner, spraying them into the spectators! BRRRAAAAPP! It seemed like everyone had a great time and got turned on to Whiteface.
 

DHS

Friendly Neighborhood Pool Boy
Apr 23, 2002
5,094
0
Sand, CA
awesome pics. yea we have cameras, just hard to actually want to stop and take some photos
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Thanks! I can't believe we didn't bring the camera to Whiteface. Those woodchips were weird.
I went into that section really hot once and my front wheel got sucked up and flipped me over the bars at around 35mph. The airline had lost my bike and gear. So hitting the ground without pads at 35mpg anywhere else would have been hospital for sure, but the landing was suprizingly soft in those woodchips.

 

TreeSaw

Mama Monkey
Oct 30, 2003
17,670
1,855
Dancin' over rocks n' roots!
I went into that section really hot once and my front wheel got sucked up and flipped me over the bars at around 35mph. The airline had lost my bike and gear. So hitting the ground without pads at 35mpg anywhere else would have been hospital for sure, but the landing was suprizingly soft in those woodchips.

:shocked: I was thinking it would be a cozy place to crash...especially compared to the many rocks that I was toppling onto. Too bad about your gear though...have you located it?
 

hooples3

Fuggetaboutit!
Mar 14, 2005
5,245
0
Brooklyn
great pics tree!!! Looks like you guys had a blast... I havent been there in such a long time Iyour pics are making me miss it!!
 

hooples3

Fuggetaboutit!
Mar 14, 2005
5,245
0
Brooklyn
Quit being antisocial and come ride with us sometime dude!
all I need is an invitation!!!!!!!

btw Ill be up by saratoga springs on the 16th.. and free to ride on the 17th if anyones around
are you guys anywhere near there?
 

DHS

Friendly Neighborhood Pool Boy
Apr 23, 2002
5,094
0
Sand, CA
what trail do i take to get to Dom's Denial. we always end up just past it.

i'd like to hit Road to Nowhere and then that. anyone?
 

DHS

Friendly Neighborhood Pool Boy
Apr 23, 2002
5,094
0
Sand, CA
there has to be a way. we tried a couple times. and it was either ending up past it, saw it on our left side or right side. could never find how exodus or whatever could get us there.
echo- you coming this weekend?