It's All About the Tools

• Place: Village Park
• Trailhead: Library
• Riders with OMMB: Al, Bob, Jesse
• Miles: 7+
• GPS Track:

Notes: OMMB rode a sweet 29er demo from the shop.  A Gary Fisher Signature Superfly 100 AL Pro by Trek.  Real light and easy to handle, even though it was a large frame (which I didn't realize until after the ride).  I figured it was okay to try it right before our OBX trip, that way I would forget how nice it was by the time I ride again! 

 

 

 

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Tuck and Roll Grandma!

• Place: Massasoit State Park, Taunton, MA
• Riders: Al, Matt, OMMB
• Miles: 10+ 
• Technical Level: Fast rate, sharp hills up (and down!) 
• Whoops, Yikes, and Oh Sheets: A rare Oh Sheet by OMMB...following Al down a nasty root infested steep grade, as Al slid out at the bottom (as best I could see through the vibration), OMMB lost all hope of a controlled descent half way down and finally bailed at the bottom.  Good news...avoided hitting Al...bad news...somehow dove off the bike and tuck-n-rolled "around" a tree then front flip down a steep embankment.  Matt, who joyfully watched the two stooges, had the graciousness to hold his laugh until he knew we were ok!  All I thought was, great...another rider requiring a neck brace!!!
• GPS Track: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/n_EoQ0UIJgQ

Notes: Both Matt and Al were tearing it up today.  Did all I could to stay within 5 minutes behind them.  Finally lost the trail nearing mile 9.  I missed a turn and kept going...they caught up (no surprises there).  

Happy Trails,

OMMB

National Bike Month...

...so the Swansea Library decided to sponsor a "Learn to Mountain Bike" event at Village Park.  They asked Bob to host. Bob asked me to help out...sure, any excuse to ride.  It was open to ages 13 and up, unfortunately not many people showed.  I think the time slot was not accommodating for most.

Anyway, it was a cool idea, I ended up riding with Greg and a couple of boys for a 5 mile ride.  A girl in the group made it for about a mile before Bob escorted her back to the library.

Hopefully a better turn-out if they try it again. 

Tidbits: Some Elfs have built a new feature...a large boulder drop near Wildcat Rock, just before where The Downhill and Buddy Trail split.  Looks like fun...

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Humidideet!

• Place: Big River, RI
• Trailhead: Burnt Sawmill Rd
• Riders: Hector, Ron, Scott, OMMB
• Miles: 11.5-ish
• Weather: humid, not really hot and humid, just really humid (drain the life out of you humid)
• Temp: 80s
• Trail Conditions: very good considering how much rain fell in the last 24 hrs! 
• Technical Level: yeah, technical
• Wildlife: 2 turtle doves without the doves.  1 painted turtle (obviously lost) and 1 box turtle (crossing the road to reach the other side, you know, like the chicken)
• Whoops, Yikes, and Oh Sheets: just a little whoops endo when OMMB tried to traverse a boulder, going up was fine, other side was not so forgiving.  Ron also had a whoops with a tree, and has perfected the art of how not to cross bridges.
• GPS Track...



Notes: My West Coaster friends were in town and I wanted to take them on a good long tour of Big River...but the life draining humidity really slowed things down.  So I cut the ride short, even though it seemed to take forever, and we refreshed ourselves with Blue Moon Summer Honey Wheat at the trailhead.  Along with the humidity came the first signs of bug-atry, so we were loaded up with ode de DEET.  I did get to give them a taste of the best hidden single tracks at BR, although technical and requiring some hike-a-bike, they all liked the ride...highlighted by lunch at "Alan's Cliff".  Desserts provided by the candy box for a well needed energy boost! 

Tidbits: My tailgate approach to carrying the bikes worked well for four bikes, even room for one more...Tim!  And speaking of tailgate, why on earth did I not bring a grill and burgers???  Maybe next time...so we substituted with a tasty seafood dinner at KJ's in Middletown.

One Bike...One Hike-a-Bike

Trekking out of the jungle, notice the scary bridge wooooo...



...oh not so scary!





Rest stop at "I See Dead People"





Finally at the "summit"!




Enjoying some energy food (aka candy from a mailbox)



A boulder climb, just AFTER Hector cleared it.

Here's how Ron and Scott cleared the boulder climb! 
(I seem to remember some sort of chicken noise coming from Hector!)

And now the good stuff...well deserved!

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Closed a loose end... (Arcadia)

• Place: Arcadia, RI
• Trailhead: Main parking lot, Rte 165
• Riders: Jeremy "E.B.", OMMB
• Miles: 10.5
• Trail Conditions: excellent
• Technical Level: challenging loop, several climbs and rugged descents.
• GPS Track: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/sBteESxhOv4

Notes: Had not returned to this trail in many years, not since 2008 PB (Pre-Blog) I believe.  I remember trying to close the long single track loop (yellow trail?) that goes around Breakheart Pond and heads up towards Penny Hill, bordering the Alton Jones Campus land.  I never really successfully did the loop in one shot, attempted it from several trailheads. Well with the help of a seasoned Arcadia rider, we completed an "old faithful" route.  I believe this loop can be stretched to 12 miles, but I was spent.

Tidbits: RI NEMBA's first fun ride is here on 20 May, will be looking for the map to check out their route sometime...

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Weeeeeeet-a-moooooooo

• Place: Weetamoo Woods, Tiverton, RI
• Trailhead: Lake Rd
• Riders: Bob, Jack, OMMB
• Miles: 8+
• Trail Conditions: Very surprisingly good
• Wildlife: moooo cows black and white
• GPS Track:

Notes: Bob was looking to do something different than our usual Swansea ride, so we jumped down to Weetamoo to check out some new trails he heard about.  I was skeptical because each time I go there the mud and bugs drive me crazy...but I was pleasantly surprised!!!  There was very little mud, even though it recently rained, and the new stuff reminded me of the hidden single track at BR.  Although I felt quite kicked, little sleep, lots of rocks, this was a good ride.  I'm looking forward to going back to continue on the additional new stuff.  Convenient for a post work ride.

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Yeah Endomondo, the Bahamas are nice this time of year!

Check out where rthe Endo app figured we were riding today... http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/ptTcTPjznHA

...riiiiiiight.

Anyway,  Bob, Matt, and myself tore up about 9 miles in Swansea....regardless of what the stupid app said.

(this was short and sweet because I'm a week behind on my ride posts)

Happy Trails,

OMMB

From Big River to Holyoke and New Salem State Parks

• Place: Big River
• Trailhead: Division/New London Turnpike
• Riders: Jeremy, OMMB
• Miles: 294 by Non-do App; 11+ for real
• Weather: post rain clouds
• Trail Conditions: surprisingly good
• GPS Track: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/ggIxdyl1E1s

Notes:  Met up with CT J again for a post-work ride to show him some more stuff at BR.   We covered Foster's Folly, got messed up trying to head back towards Carr Pond and ended up on some streets, but found our way back in the woods to ride the long singletrack that circles Carr.  We went up to the Hopkin's Hill parking lot then down to the cemetery trail on the north side of Tarbox Pond.  Did the Switchback trail then out by Halloween, Hoover, Lego and all those in reverse direction.  Pretty technical ride with more than usual climbing...yeah I was beat (J was just warming up for his 20 mile ride 2 days later)! 

Tidbits:  J showed me the "Meditation Circle" which I had heard about but had never seen (cool, and weird)...

Happy Trails,

OMMB

A Swansea Niner

• Place: Village Park
• Trailhead: Library
• Riders: Bob, Jesse Dog, OMMB
• Miles: about 9
• GPS Track: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/mxIoCDFRC1E

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Family Fun Ride...

...all the way to Canada!  (according to my ridiculously flaky Endomondo App)

• Place: Village Park
• Trailhead: Library
• Riders: Alexa, Jesse, Teri, OMMB
• Miles: 978
• Whoops, Yikes, and Oh Sheets: One whoops off a bridge over log by T (aka ATK)
• GPS Track: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/kKKXxZRwkSk

Notes: Well actually we rode 5 fun miles through the park with Alexa picking up right where she left off a few years ago...hopping logs, crossing bridges, riding teeters on the 29er.  She wasn't happy about us dragging her along for some fresh air and exercise, but she was very glad she did.  Teri, on the other hand, although happy to be riding, was shocked to find what a difference going back to a 26er was!!  Ohhhh boy. 



Look at the intensity!




Oh no!  What happened?



Happy Trails,

OMMB

Mud, Blood, Zombies and All

• Place: Amesbury Sports Park
• Runners: Sadie, Greg, OMMB
• Miles: 3.1
• Trail Conditions: Mud, guts, roots, shocks, slides and swamps
• Wildlife/dead: ohhh boy was there wild life...gees
• Whoops, Yikes, and Oh Sheets:  Not even going to go there...the whole course was an hilarious Whoops!

Notes: So if you haven't already heard from Facebook, because Facebook is faster than blogging, especially since this post is a week late and I'm not Bookfaced, I got "invited" to run in a Zombie infested 5K obstacle course race called Run For Your Lives, along with Sadie and Greg.  Too STOOPID for words...so here's some pictures... Pics from Teri.

Gotta say it was a lot of fun (the other 6000 people who raced that day thought so too), even though calling it a race is debatable, because there's so much mud that even walking is almost impossible.  Somehow you do really move your ass when a Zombie freak is eyeing your "life" flags (intent was to make it through the course with at least one of your three flags in tact...none of us did).  I have NEVER seen SOOO much mud!  Everything from 6 inches to 3 feet deep...and smellier than Jesse after a ride.  Come to think of it, I've never seen that many Zombies either, there were at least twice as many than normally seen at work each day.  As if the mudding and loss of life wasn't degrading enough, they sent us down the world's biggest slip-n-slide at 200 miles an hour into something that resembled a cross between an African watering hole and low tide in New Bedford Harbor.  Oh, and did I mention, some of the obstacles involved electrical shocks?  Yeah, good times (for real).

Tidbits: Not sure how long this link will be available, but check out who was quoted as saying "I hate running, but I hate zombies more, so it makes me run"...  Newburyport News ....hahahaha

Happy (undead) Trails,

OMMB

"(Don't Go Back To) Rockville"

• Place: Freetown State Forest
• Trailhead: "Triangle" at intersection of Copicut and Bell Rock Roads
• Riders: OMMB
• Miles: 8.25
• Weather: cloudy, post rain
• Temp: 52
• Trail Conditions: good considering recent rain
• Technical Level: Miles 2 and 3 really sucked!  NBB (Nothin But Boulders)
• Wildlife: Looked like a Red Fox...but HUGE... Must have been a Coyote (unless it was a CoyFox). It was bolting from the horse farm, where I saw a new colt it must have been eyeing up for dinner! Naughty Coyote!
• GPS Track: http://www.endomondo.com/workouts/jqO3akWE2fU

Notes:  Had a dentist appt in the area, so afterwards I decided to shoot up to Freetown where I haven't trecked in a while.  Basically because everytime I've been there since a kid on a dirt bike, it's been chewed up and a miserable ride for a MTB.  Well with Elf #2's help, I wanted to find the area that he enjoys off Copicut.  I know I got off track right away, hitting NBB and mud ruts, but I think I found my way back to where I should have been near the new forestation area. Those trails were MUCH better and worth another trip here...hopefully with Elf 2 as a guide!

Happy Trails,

OMMB

Went for another ride...

Happy Trails,

OMMB