Thursday, May 15, 2008

Wildlife Encounters

Through out the years of riding in Southern California , I have encountered various wildlife.  I have seen all sizes from the smallest – ticks, to the biggest – California Mule deer.  The most common are rabbits as they flourish through out the mountains.  I’ve seen rattlesnakes up close and the wiley coyote lurking from afar.  I have also run into a coyote several feet from me, but quickly ran off as it was spooked. 


These two pictures are of a coyote from the Fullerton Loop, past the tunnels.  I was going in reverse when I ran into this coyote.  We were face to face for a split second and then it ran towards the hills.

By far in my experience nothing beats the day I ran into a bobcat.  It was sometime in 2000 when I was riding in Chino Hills State Park .  I was riding along on my GT Zaskar, heading east bound on Telegraph Rd. towards the East entrance.  As I turned the corner, I saw a figure move from afar.  This caught my attention!  I slowed down so I can have a better look.  I immediately noticed that it was a cat…but what kind?  As I neared the creature, I realized that it was too small to be mountain lion (what a relief) and definitely too big to be a house cat.  Also, a house cat/domestic animal will not last in the wild.  Getting closer to the animal I noticed that it was a bobcat.  Most wild animals in this size are typically harmless unless you do something to provoke them.  Not wanting to lose the opportunity to capture the moment, I stopped maybe 20-30 feet from it and slowly took off my camelbak, reached for my 35mm compact camera.

At this point the bobcat had already noticed me.  They are very keen in nature.  What was interesting is it was never spooked – it just stayed on the trail.  At times it appeared that it may have had a prey on the side of the fireroad. 


With the camera in hand and straddling the bike, I slowly walked towards the bobcat very cautiously.  I was snapping pictures as I approached it.  The bobcat moved several feet towards the edge of the trail.  I slowed down as I wasn’t sure what its intentions were but it didn’t seem to mind that I was there.   



As soon as I passed it, I turned around and continued to take more pictures. 



This was extraordinary event as not too many people have had this type of wildlife encounter… not to mention a harmless encounter with a wild animal.


This is a list of animals/creatures that I have seen while mountain biking:

  • ticks
  • tarantula
  • Horny Toad lizard
  • skunks
  • rabbits
  • snakes
  • bobcat
  • coyotes
  • deer

One day I would like to see a Mtn Lion out on the trail however, I want to see it from a distance J

Mt. Lion from a Seattle wildlife refuge.

Posted by HardCharger in 02:08:47 | Permalink | Comments Off

Friday, May 9, 2008

Training Grounds – Coal Canyon and Fullerton Loop

Fullerton Loop

Part of my goal to improve on racing is obviously to ride, ride a lot, and ride a lot more… With spring and very
soon summer upon us we have the daylight on our side.  One of the trails that I have been frequenting is the
Fullerton Loop.  To give a little background I have been riding The Loop (often referred to) just a little over ten years.
I have lived in Orange County, CA for almost ten and the Loop is local and very accessible.  At one point I lived
just miles from the trail head and I would often ride from my house.  Currently I work just a few miles south of
the Loop.  Needless to say I ride this trail at least three times a week.  Here ar e a few shots of the trail.



The most common trailhead - the courthouse.


Singletrack on the way to Euclid.

Fullerton Loop is not difficult at all.  Once a rider has the fundamentals down along with some stamina
and endurance, he/she can breeze through the Loop .  Because this trail runs through neighborhoods,
horse trails and parks, it can easily be made into a short or long ride.  The typical loop consists of 11
plus miles, however there are additional trails that can be added, making this into a 15 mile trail.  Also
some riders do double loops… bottom line there are many variations that can be ridden.
With a newborn, I have time constraints.  My typical rides are from 8 to 11 miles.  I do this at least three
times a week, sometimes more.  After having ridden it for so many years, at some point I started riding
this trail backwards.  With many variations available to me, I mix it up every so often, but always having
at least 8 miles out of it.  The Loop has some steep sections for climbing however they are short.  The
only time these posed as a challenge is when I converted my Intense Tracer into a singlespeed. 
 Slowly but surely, I’m making the steep climbs.  There are no real steep / technical descents or treacherous
climbs as you would find in the local mountains.  However, you can count on hundreds of people on a weekly
basis riding this trail.  Below are more pictures of the Loop at different areas:



Commonly known as Blair Witch.


Parts of Blair Witch

 
A fun area that leads you to a long descent, down to Euclid.
   

Short downhill to finish the ride by the courthouse.

Coal Canyon

Another area I ride often to help me train is Coal Canyon .  This trail has recently become part of
 Chino Hills State Park .  CC is located south of the 91 FWY.  The trailhead is accessible off the
Greenriver exit in Corona .  Park at the dirt lot before the golf course entrance.  You will then head
west bound on the bike path, paralleing the 91 FWY, and the riverbed along side the golf course. 




Looking back (north) towards the 91 FWY.  Chino Hills across the freeway.


Trails from on the way to the top.


View from the saddle, 1st mile.


CC’s ride consists only with climbs.  From the start of the trailhead you will go on a consistent gradual climb. 
 This will lead you to the Radio Towers at 7 miles.  The Towers can be seen off the freeway.  This is an in/out
ride, meaning you ride in, turn around and ride out; there are no other segments that branch off the trail. 
 Off course you can cut it short at anytime.



Radio towers at the summit.  This can be seen from the 91 FWY.


View from the Radio Towers, looking onto my neighborhood.


My typical ride is from my house which is 2 miles away from the trailhead.  I usually ride for only about
an hour as I am limited in time and daylight.  From the trailhead, I usually climb for at least 3 miles,
sometimes 4, then turn around and head home.  On the weekends, I try to squeeze another mile or two. 
 Out of this ride I get a pretty good workout as I have to climb back to my house on the road.  Overall it
evens out, but I certainly feel my legs burning by the time I get home.  These two trails are not the most
challenging however they are local.  One main target I use for training is time. I record my ride time and
always try to beat it the next time around.  So far I think I am on the right track.

Posted by HardCharger in 22:09:57 | Permalink | Comments Off

Thursday, May 8, 2008

RR: San Clemente Single Tracks

After my meeting in San Diego on May 1st and missing a ride the day prior (visit at Intense/previous post), I was looking forward to riding San Clemente Singletracks (SCST).  Sometime last week I posted a thread requesting recommended trails in San Diego and many recommended SCST.

I have never ridden this trail before although I have read about it on many postings through MTBR.com and Socaltrailriders.org.  The pictures and postings from STR members were very interesting.  I printed out a map from Geoladders.com and brought my trusty Garmin Etrex Legend.

When I arrived at SCST, I parked at the Richard Steed Memorial Park .  With my car marked in my Etrex (and map), off I went.  I entered the trailhead at the end of the street/cul de sac, just past the dog park.  As I entered the dirt trail, I noticed a sign.  I stopped at this junction as I thought it was a trail map, similar to El Moro.  Rather it was just a general map of the area and San Clemente .  Since I have never ridden here before I decided to go clockwise.  As I turned left, just about 5-6 feet from me was a RATTLER! It was heading slow to the bushes. 
4foot rattler

Holy cow, 5-6 feet is not far at all.  I’m sure it was harmless until I get close enough.  I slowly moved my bike far enough to get the camera out.  At the same time I thought it would be a good idea to help it off the trail as there were hikers out as well.  I threw small pebbles at it so it would move.  One hit it and the snake coiled up making it’s rattling noise. 

Rattler coiled ready to strike.

At this point, I wanted to video tape it through my camera but I used up most of my memory from the Intense factory.  The snake went off into the bushes right by the singletrack entrance rattling away!  After pissing it off, I decided to stay off the singletrack for now and go clockwise on the fire road.  I climb for a bit until there was an entrance to a singletrack on the northside of the park.

Here are some pics.  Overall, riding here was an experience.  It certainly would have been better if I would have gone counter clockwise as it appeared that there were more climbs involved in the route I took.  I didn’t see the ladders bridges that were on the postings on STR.  SCST was definitely overgrown.  Too many times I was getting whipped in the arms, legs and face.  It was too much in some places that it took the fun out of the ride. 
Start of the singletrack…


Exiting onto the fireroad.


Garmin Etrex and Map of SCST…

Posted by HardCharger in 19:16:50 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Intense Cycles Factory Tour

Sometime mid-April I learned that I had to be in San Diego for a meeting with a Client on May 1st.  My company was also planning to have an internal meeting the night before.  Seeing an opportunity to have multiple rides in San Diego , I started making plans on which trails to hit.  I inquired through various websites for suggestions on recommended trails in SD.  Coming from Orange County , many suggested that I try SCST (San Clemente Singletracks), La Costa and Mission Trails Regional Park .

On Wednesday April 30th after leaving work, I had planned to go to either La Costa or Mission Trails.  I left work early enough to go home, get my gear together and head off to the trail.  Just as I was leaving the house, it dawned on me that the rear linkage that Intense worked on while at Sea Otter needed to be warrantied.  From my house, the Intense factory would be on the way to SD.  So I called Chad/Customer Svc to see if I can swing by.

Upon arrival, I met up w/Chad who has given nothing but the best customer service.  I’ve dealt with him for several years now.  He asked if I have ever seen the back office where they did everything – I said “no” and sure enough he offered to give me a tour.  I have been to the factory in the past, but just stayed in the reception area.

Below are some pictures that I took.  I seriously felt like I was at a candy store.  Being a big fan of Intense, the sight of the different frames was awesome!  Also seeing that they did or manufacture everything from their shop was unbelieveable.  The only step/process that they didn’t do was the paintjobs.

I left Intense giddy like a little kid leaving a toy store.  I realized that I spent a lot of time in there and will not have enough time to ride.  My dinner meeting was at 6:00pm and I would be cutting it close.  I opted to skip the ride and save it for the next day.

Easton tubing


Machines that manufacture bolts/hardware…

Various frames in the early stages… looks like 5.5s

Frames – Socoms, 5.5s, Spiders…

Rear and front triangles after polished…


Rick the Welder’s workstation

Heat treatment…

Finished products – M6 and Spiders…

More M6s – Raw Blue and Raw Red shown…


Various Intense frames…

Classic Pro Factory riders – Toby Henderson, Johnny T, Sean Palmer, Brian Lopes, Cheri Elliot, etc…

Posted by HardCharger in 07:00:00 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Sea Otter Classic DH – Perspective changed, sad news, reality hits…

After shooting pictures of the Men’s Pro DH at the Sea Otter for many years I decided to race it this year.  To date I only have one downhill race under my belt which was the Keyesville Classic.  I am in no way an experienced DH racer.  Looking back at previous years at the Otter, I recall the course fairly easy.  As an avid rider and capable of riding the difficult terrains in So Cal, I figured that I can handle what the course had to offer.  What I didn’t realize until I was on top of the hill was I have been shooting PROFESSIONALS (Pros, paid athletes).  Then the perspective changed…

On Friday April 18th, was my first practice run.  I decided to roll over the jumps until I had a better feel of the terrain.  Top part of course consisted of back to back doubles, table tops and other kickers.  I rolled over all of them.  Then there is a long stretch of stuttering bumps that led to a steep rutted downhill to a sweeping left turn.  Then more jumps…  The second half of the course seemed fairly easy but I couldn’t quite get off on the jumps, therefore decided to keep rolling. Upon completion, we learned that our practice session was done for the day.  With only one run, and race day was on Saturday I certainly wasn’t ready yet.

Friday April 18th, DH practice

Next day (Race Day), I headed to the DH course bright and early to get in a few runs.  But with literally hundreds of racers waiting to practice, I was only able to squeeze in one run.  After practice we were instructed to check our race times and return accordingly.  Mine was listed for 1:35 pm. 

 

When I returned all suited up and ready to go, the announcer was saying that there was a “medical” and we were delayed for at least 45 minutes.  Not knowing what had happened, I left and returned in about an hour.  As I lined up with my age group, many were talking about a fatality.  All were unclear of what had happened and only with bits and pieces of information they’ve heard.

Race time… With this news looming in my head and a changed perspective of the course, the reality sets in.  At the sound of the beep, I raced to the bottom.  I pedaled through the first part of the course and as I approached the first double, I froze.  I didn’t know what to do other than roll over it. 

DH Finals, photos by Brightroom.com

DH Finals – Beginners

I had every intentions of hitting the jumps, I just could not get myself to do it.  Rather, I rolled over as I did in practice. Same through out the course… all the way down to the finish.  A sigh of relief as I neared the end…  But at the same time I had mixed feelings with the run in it self.  On one hand I wanted to experience the speed and jumps but on the other I was concerned with the recent news of possible fatality.  One year is a long time to wait to have another shot at the DH.

Later on that day we, the Sea Otter community, learned that Mark Reynolds died on his downhill run.  Unfortunate news indeed, this was the first fatality in the history of Sea Otter.

Posted by HardCharger in 22:10:00 | Permalink | Comments Off

Monday, May 5, 2008

Sea Otter experience – Mass confusion for beginner Clydes XC race.

Friday – XC race day…  Months prior when I registered for the XC race, the website stated that ALL beginners were doing 19 miles. I confirmed this via email (a week prior to the event date through the site) and they confirmed that indeed it was 19 miles.  My local rides have also been geared for a long race.

Just before staging I went to the information booth and they had advised me that we were only doing 10 miles.  I advised them that I had confirmation from the the Sea Otter website that we were doing 19.  They directed me to the personnel at the staging area.  When I arrived at the staging, our signs for the Beginners stated “1LAP, 10 MILES”.


Me, Harry Burr and Scott Vlahos. Sea Otter 2008

Ok, this is good – no problem, even better.  Nearing the start of the race, the officials around the staging area advised us to follow the yellow/black signs.  This will lead us to our designated trail as beginners.  At GO we all sprinted around the track for approximately one mile.  Quite an experience as it felt like we were on road bikes but heavier.  Heading into dirt…at the first split, the signs pointing to the left shows XC Race (White/Red) however there were handwritten 20 miles on it. To the right was a Black/Yellow sign saying 10 Mile Mtb Tour.  After what they told us at staging, many of us went right and some went left… some went back and forth due to the confusion.  This is were the debacle started…  from here on out, guys and girls were pushing themselves as many lost time going back and forth.  Some where along the trail, it appears we regrouped w/the other racers.  We also ran into many non-racers riding the trail which caused another concern as we were already uncertain of being on the right trail.

The signs that were posted on the race course.

Race went on and many of the guys in my class and Women’s group that followed us were on the Black/Yellow trailhead. Turns out this was the wrong way. We ended up doing 10 miles as they advised us at staging but it was the wrong route.  I arrived at the Finish Line seeing a few of the guys in my class.  They were all upset for the same reason.  As many more arrived, we gathered by the finishing line confused and upset at the lack of clarity and officials out on the trail directing the riders. 


Crossing the Finish Line.

I went to the registration & packet pick-up tent to speak to someone.  One of the gals referred me to Jeff Frost and he was supposed to be w/the group in charge of organizing the SOC.  I explained to him what had happened and he didn’t want to hear any of it.  Basically he stated that ALL of the beginners were supposed to do 19 miles; I told him “yes that’s what I was expecting, but the guys at staging told us 10 as well as the staging signs”.  He just waved me off rudely, turned his back and walked away.  Not very professional for someone whose suppose to be representing Sea Otter Classic.  It didn’t appear that I will be able to get through to him so I left and advised the other guys of my experience in trying to protest.  As it stood, I came in 6th place and two of the guys from SoCal Harry Burr and Scott Vlahos will be on the podium.

The following day when they posted the official results the rankings have changed from the night before.  For those of us who raced the 10 miles (for ex: 1st through 6th from last night) were now in the 18th through 23rd place. Our times from last night now have 2 more hours.  Basically we were penalized by 2 hours!  I finished the 10 miles in 58 mins, the new results reflect 2:58.  This wasn’t right.  I don’t get it… an event w/a history like Sea Otter needs to have better representation or a officials that will listen to the competitors and clear up any confusion…not making it worse.

When I returned home on Sunday, I sent an email to the officials of Sea Otter.  Their first reply was to contact Jeff Frost… I replied back and shared my experience with him.  They referred me to another person but I have yet to hear back from them.

Overall I had lots of fun, but very disappointed with the organization and how this turned out.

Posted by HardCharger in 23:36:08 | Permalink | Comments Off

Sea Otter April 17-20, 2008

For the last five years I have been coming to the Sea Otter to photograph professional mountain biking.  For the last two years I have been saying that I will compete the following year.  For 2008 I lived up to my word and entered the Beginner XC & DH. 
Weeks prior to this trip, I suffered a crash on my Intense 5.5.  While this was at the shop getting a tune-up, I lightened up my 6.6 to train on.  Upon riding, I noticed that there was oil leaking from my rear suspension – Marzocchi TST-R.  Having a similar problem in the past, I was pretty sure that the seals were blown.  I called The Path and spoke to Karl.  He suggested that since I’m going to the Otter, Marzocchi will be there and have them fix or rebuild.  With little time left, this was my only choice. 

Ready to hit the road.

So we left Wednesday night so I can be at the Expo first thing in the morning.  Shortly after arriving in Monterey , one of the first things I did was go to the Marzocchi booth.  I gave my bike to Ronnie who suggested that I return in an hour.  Wow, that’s fast service.  On my way back to the car I stopped by the Intense booth to check out what they have to offer of next year.  Sure enough they had a new bike on display.  At this point there is no name yet for the bike.  They were looking to get some suggestions from the customers.  It is an All Mountain bike that will take the 5.5’s place.  The new bike has 5.75” of travel and will sport a new frame design (top tube), similar to the 6.6 and Socom.  Here are some pictures.




Several hours later I returned to pick up my 6.6 from Marzocchi.  All was good, everything had been rebuilt except Ronnie had advised me that the rear linkage were not aligned properly.  I was surprised as I never did any modification other than changed the rear shock and this was done through The Path.  I said my thanks, then headed back to Intense.  I explained to Chad/Customer Svc what Ronnie has mentioned and immediately he began to work on the bike.  Excellent service as Chad and Andrew both worked on the link.  Definitely something was not aligned as they stripped quite a few bolts trying to get in the right place.  Unfortunately this took longer than expected.    By the time they had finished, the expo was ready to close.  I had wanted to get a few downhill practice runs or pre-ride the XC course.   Never the less, the service was certainly appreciated.

Posted by HardCharger in 19:02:07 | Permalink | Comments Off

Friday, May 2, 2008

2008 NMBS #1, Fontana. DNF – keep the rubber side down…

Two weeks after my trip to the Keyesville Classic, I signed up for the first National Mountain Bike Series which was held in Fontana, CA on Marc h 27th – 30th.  The beginners Cross Country race was not until Sunday the 30th.

On Saturday, I headed to Southridge to pre-ride the XC course.  It was rumored that some parts of the trail may have changed so I wanted to check it out before my race on Sunday.  It was very crowded, much more than the usual like the Winter Series.  I parked on the streets, adjacent to the park.  While changing I met Jim Palmer, also pre-riding the course.  Jim took second place at the SoCal State Series in Bonelli Park earlier this month.  Jim and I rode through the expo and checked out the vendors.  Shortly after we headed towards the back-end of the trail via the neighborhood streets.  At this time the Women’s Pro were racing through the course therefore we were not allowed.  Only after they have passed were we allowed to be race course.  We explored the backside of the course and pretty much everything was still the same as the normal XC route.  After an hour and we couldn’t really have full access to the course, I left for the day.  On the way back to the car, when the course was empty I rode it backwards towards the start.  Nearing the staging area I saw a huge rattlesnake.  I took a short video clip of it through my Treo, therefore the quality is not that great.  You can view it through here.  
Back on Sunday morning, bright and early.  The day was rather cold and overcast.  Registered and ready to go, I pre-rode the first few miles for warm up.  I saw many faces that I have seen since the beginning of the year in the several racing circuits that I had entered.  At staging I counted six racers for the Beginner Clydes.  Three of them, I have previously raced against (Jim Palmer, Harry Burr and Scott Vlahos).  The other two I have never met before.

Feeling good after my last three races, I was confident that I will do well today.  At GO, we sprinted through the dirt road that led to a left handed short climb, then back towards the opposite direction.  Shortly after there was a steep right hander that many were able to climb and many ran up with their bikes.  I was one of the few that ran up.  As soon as the ground leveled out, I jumped on my bike and road the course.  There were many of us Beginners that were mixed together.  As we approached the pavement (climb), the course was diverted to the left where there were singletracks.  (Normally during the Southridge Series, we stayed on the pavement and climbed up to the water tower.)  Once we reached the top, it followed the same course that I was used to.  I felt good… making all the climbs, maneuvering through the singletracks, lefts and rights. 
Heading towards the back of the course we started hitting sandy spots.  I passed the structure that resembles a chimney, then turned right up the climbed.  I grinded up, making the climb in good time.  At this point I can still see Harry Burr up ahead.  Throughout the Winter Series and the State Series, Harry usually powers away where I won’t see him until the end of the race.  I knew I wasn’t going to catch him, but it made me feel good that I can spot him; hence I was definitely in good time.

On the descent, I recall bunching up with other racers.  The course runs left and rights from singletrack to doubletrack.  Several of the corners were really sandy.  As I approached one, I was very cautious and feathered my brakes.  Then about ten feet away I saw a female rider go down and into the shrubs.  As I pass her there was another turn, and a straight away that will eventually lead to the paintball field.  This is when the day turns bad for me…

Cruising into the turn at a moderate speed, my front tire digs into the sand.  Right there and then I knew I was going to go OTB – Over The Bars.  This wasn’t the worst part of it.  Being that it was sandy I figure I can just roll or land on something soft.  But NO… I fly off the bike heading straight onto two rocks.  One – that my face was directly aligned to and another where my left leg landed.   I don’t know what I did, but I managed to miss the rock with my face and only grazing it with my chin.  The second rock my left thigh landed on it… OUCH!!!  I felt pain like I have never had before.  Immediately I moved my left foot just to make sure nothing was broken.  I gathered myself to the side while other racers pass me.  I recall a tandem group (I believe Father and daughter team) pulled off to the side to see if I was ok.  He also asked his daughter to move my bike out of the way.  As many others passed me, I stood on the side trying to walk but it was impossible.  I was almost certain that my femur was broken.  From my recollection this was the post excruciating pain I have felt.  Minutes later one of my fellow Clydes, Scott Vlahos stopped to see if I was ok.  I said yes and wave him to just keep moving. I really appreciate how some of the racers show concern for fallen riders.

A few more minutes, the pain slightly went away.  I picked up my bike and attempted to ride.  My left leg was real stiff and painful.  From where I was standing, it’s a downhill to the paintball field.  I decided to go for it and straddled my Intense 5.5.  I leveled my feet and cruised down.  Every time I hit a small bump I can feel the pain.  Soon enough I reached the bottom and immediately got off the bike.  I couldn’t go on…  More time passes and I see many racers go by.  By now I have come to the conclusion that I will not be able to finish the race.  In pain and disappointed, I didn’t know how to get out of the course.  I was in the backside known as the paintball field.  Shortly after, the dirtbike that runs before the Lead racer came by.  He asked if I was ok and this time I stated “NO”.  I asked him to call in a transport to get me out of here.  There was a lady on an ATV that eventually came to pick me up.  She mounted my bike on the back and helped me get on her ATV.  The ride from the paintball field all the way to the water tank was also painful but I was just glad to get out of there.  If you have never ridden an ATV, it’s not the smoothest ride.  I felt the pain on every bump…  Once we reached the water tower, I was loaded into a truck where another lady drove me down to the First Aid station.  From here the medics tended to me.  They determined that it was just a bad bruise but if I wanted to be certain, I would need to go to the ER and have an x-ray.  They gave me an ice pack and off I went.

I went to Corona Regional Medical Ctr. for x-rays and the results were negative.  Whewww… what a relief!  They confirmed what the medics from NMBS stated and suggested that I ice it down for the next week.  All in all, it was a disappointing day as I felt I was doing really well and would have ended well.  But, things happen and I feel fortunate enough that I did not break any bones.  I will heal up and be ready for the Sea Otter.
Posted by HardCharger in 20:52:15 | Permalink | Comments Off