Maples Loop -- TR

[Sombeech]

Although I was in bad shape for this one, it was a good trail. This was Wed night, and we parked at the Art Nord TH. We chose to ride counter clockwise, cutting south on the Middle Fork trail, and heading back on the East Fork trail. This made for @6.3 miles.

These pics are only on the way up. I've got some helmet cam footage on the way down.

The trail conditions were a little choppy. This is a popular horseback riding trail, mixed with the hardened mud from the recent snow. I think these conditions will improve in the weeks to come. BRING INSECT REPELLANT!!! They were definitely out up there.



It sounds like we just missed mroy and mtnbiker62. We got there late, and went in different directions. I would eventually like to try this loop clockwise as well.

[Mtnbiker]

Looks like some nice singletrack! My problem now is trying to find places like that here in the southern part of the valley until the high elevation melts out.

[mtnbiker62]

I'm sorry we missed you guys. The Toyota in the pic is Mroy's rig, and the Pontiac van is mine.

I started up East Fork about 6:20, and Mroy followed me about 5 minutes later. I knew I would be struggling on the climb, so I took off early. Mroy caught me about half way to the Middle Fork trail split. The combination of early in the year and being morbidly obese really kicked my butt!

We got to the trail split around 7:20, and waited for a few minutes, but the bugs were driving us crazy, so we split. We went back down East Fork, hoping to catch you guys...we should have just continued down Middle Fork. Oh well...we had a 50/50 chance, and I made the wrong call.

I didn't have a chance to take too many pictures, but I got a couple at the trail split. Mroy, PM me your e-mail address if you want the high res version of your portrait! Hopefully we'll meet up with the rest of you guys soon.

[accadacca]

Hey that looks like a cool trail! Nice report.

[shagster]

Well here are a few more picts from the trail.

[Sombeech]

pantin' like a dog.

[accadacca]

pantin' like a dog.

You bought a new helmet huh? Or is the other reserved for the bike fro?

[Sombeech]

You bought a new helmet huh? Or is the other reserved for the bike fro?

Yeah, it has more surface area to mount the camera to, in different angles.

Plus, I was getting tired of disconnecting the camera when I just wanted to do a simple ride.

And the bikefro, which I haven't even taken on a ride yet......

[Sombeech]

Here's the helmet cam footage of the downhill.
Click the image to play the video




OR

Click this link to open it directly in your own player.
http://f6.putfile.com/videos/15317442773.wmv

[Ross]

cool pictures.

brings back memories.

I remember the horse tracks too, damn them.

[Sombeech]

I remember the horse tracks too, damn them.

I was talking with another rider at work, and he remembers being up there when they brought this machine up to smooth out the trail. He says last year it was right after memorial day weekend, so they should be getting to it anytime soon. This will make it much better when it's smooth.

Has anybody else seen these "trail grooming" machines? I guess it's just a machine about 3' wide, that a guy walks behind as it grooms the trails.