The State of Mountain Biking in Corvallis (12/29/14)

2014 started as a great year for mountain bikers in Corvallis, but ended as a terrible year.  A mild January through March provided great start and the trails dried a month earlier (June) than normal. Then in the summer Team Dirt (our local IMBA chapter) opened their grand effort in Alsea Falls (http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/site_info.php?siteid=409).  Which is quickly becoming a mountain biking destination like Black Rock. It was the panicle of why I live in Corvallis, the riding was great and varied.

But then in the fall it all came crashing down, literally.  First, OSU scheduled thinning and clear cutting took out four major trails (Stick n Eye, Existentia, The Secret, Ladder Bridge (Two Bridges).  Then independent logging around Dunn forest took out the road to Vince's and cut three roads through Chuft (along with Tunnel Vision and Viagra).  Finally OSU closed HiLo.  If that wasn't bad enough, a heavy November rain followed immediately by an ice storm (rare) and wind covered every trail and road in Mac with downed trees and branches making everything unrideable.

With that said, Corvallis has a great mountain bike community.  The City cleared the approved trails and the fire roads and local riders have been clearing the storm damage.  But recovering from the logging will take time.  Unlike some, I'm not upset over the logging (though I wish they would have made a little effort to preserve the trails) as this is a working/teaching forest and over the almost 50 years I've lived here, I've seen trails come and go. It is a blessing and a privilege to have access to it. 

So with that thought, new trails will be developed and old ones rebuilt, and here is the point I would like to make.  I hope they retain the magic of what riding in the Mac was all about, roots and natural obstacles. The Mac isn't about flow (that's what Alsea Falls is about) nor is it about man made structures (that's what Black Rock is about).  It is about steep hills, punchy climbs and roots and it has made me a better rider because of it.  But a discouraging trend I started to see before all these trails got damaged, was the idea of "sanitizing" the trail in the name of "flow."

Bombs Away is a great example.  The first time I road that trail was at night after a rain and it was a scary ride, but one I wanted to do over and over.  From it I learned to clear logs and land log drops in all conditions. But not it is a former image of itself because someone cut the logs and worked the drops.  The result is an easier trail to ride which caused the speeds to increase which caused more smoothing and widening of the trail.

I recently read a quote about trail builders in New Zealand in Mountain Flyer Magazine (issue 39) that said "They were seeking out the gnarliest trails they could find and then, instead of modifying the trails to be easier, they were modifying their bikes (not to mention their skills) to handle the trails." I hope we don't loose what made the Mac special as the trails come back to life.  We'll all be better riders for it.

World Championships - Keeping Portland Weird II

So this isn't my normal post because it is not about mountain biking, but about being a proud father.  In the past few months my married daughter sang solo in a choir concert in Wisconsin.  My youngest son became a National and World Wakeboard Champion, and my oldest son competed in the World Beard Championship placing 4th in the Amish division.

Yes there are beard championships and where better to hold it than Portland (because they just like to keep it weird).  There were 300 competitors from around the world in 18 categories including my brother (who took 3rd in his division) and my son.  I just couldn't pass up a change to post few pictures.  If it ever comes back to Portland, it is worth the price of admission.  It was a lot of fun.

Portland Bike Art

Parade of Nations

Keeping Portland Weird - Yet Fun

Thanks to shows like Portlandia and Grimm, people may wonder about Portland.  There is no doubt that it has its moments, but there are some mountain bike gems.  First, lets talk food.  Portland is a food scene and it has everything from food trucks to great neighborhood places like Ken's Artisan Pizza.  There are also dessert places like Salt n Straw, Cacao's and Blue Star Donuts (my favorite over VooDoo).

You also have bike shops everywhere along with Columbia, REI, Mountain Hardware, GoLite, etc.  The issue with Portland for a mountain biker is just that, it is Portland.  It is a big city and nothing is close.  When I go to Portland, I ride two places - Sandy Ridge and The Lumber Yard. The Lumber Yard is a smaller version of "Ray's Indoor Parks" and lets you ride indoors even when it is raining. Now I know what you are thinking, I don't ride "knees around your ears" trick bikes anymore, and that was my feeling the first time I went there.  But after riding 5 miles worth of fun on a full-suspension mountain bike my mind was changed. There are the trick ramps, but woven all through is a series of mountain bike obstacles including rollers, skinnies, drops, rocks and wall rides.  You'll work up a sweat and a smile. Here is a link to my YouTube channel that has two Lumber Yard videos on it (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMkKHTWdQnSsgbMFFIckIDQ)

The Lumber Yard also has an agreement with a local hotel (including breakfast) which gives you the perfect setup for a great weekend.  Leave work on Friday and drive to the Lumber Yard and ride until they close (or you are tired), then spend the night.  The next morning you are about 30 minutes from Sandy Oregon and another 10 minutes to Sandy Ridge.

To say Sandy is part of Portland, is like saying Bethlehem is part of Jerusalem, but if you are not from Oregon, it is easier to say Portland.  With that said, Sandy Ridge is mountain bike destination.  Designed by mountain bikers for mountain bikers and approved by the State.  It has a paved 4 miles climb and then many ways down for all skill levels.  Similar to Hood River and Alsea Falls, it is a must on any list.

For such a bike friendly place, what Portland needs is something similar to the Colonnade in Seattle (https://www.evergreenmtb.org/trails/i-5-colonnade) which provide great fun right in town (like the Lumber Yard, only outdoors).  There is also some great riding round Mount Hood (really, you ride all the way around it and say it huts along the way) and St. Helens.  But again, nothing close to the City other than Forest Park, which for such a friendly bike place, is not very friendly to mountain bikers. Which is again why I live and ride in Corvallis and visit Portland.

OMMBC 2014 Road Trip - Tour of Oregon

Every year the old men like to do a road trip before the start of the summer "season" of events (CPR, C2C, TOE, etc.).  In 2013 we went to Moab (see past post) and this year with the drought down south we were going to Tahoe, but a lat "e spring snow dumped 4 feet of snow on the trails right before we went, so plan "B" was put in place - The Tour of Oregon.

The TofO started on Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. with a visit to the Lumberyard indoor bike park in Portland Oregon.  It was my first visit (Tuesday is 2 for 1 night) and I went thinking this was a BMX track (as the 7 of us all had our 29" FSR mountain bikes).  I was gratefully surprised at how much fun it was.  There are tracks, trails, skinny's and rocks to keep you plenty busy.  I think we road 5 miles total and I was worn out when it was done (see my YouTube video - my channel is Craig Cole).

Lumber Yard "Team" Shot

The next morning was all Sandy Ridge (Sandy Oregon) and it was a perfect clear day about 60 degrees and Niner was giving doing a demo day.  Sandy Ridge has a paved 3.75 mile climb to the top with many excellent mountain bike only trails.  We road 22 miles and 4,000 feet of gain. Then drove to Hood River for the night (try the 6th Street Bistro).


Sandy Ridge Fun

The Top of Sandy Ridge

Thursday was a wet ride on the Post Falls trails.  First time there and there are some great trails (some of the craziest sweeping turns I've every been on) and one of the best play areas on top (they are putting a permanent bathroom) that you can drive to.  We were so wet and muddy that we washed our bikes and gear in the creek at the parking lot. This is a "must" return spot when it is dry.  After that crazy event, we drove from Hood River to Bend (Sunriver) with the rain following us (try Parilla.

Friday morning looked to be a bad weather day, but then in cleared as we started our climb up C.O.D. with a stop to play Pirate by riding some Planks.  It was "hero" dirt, perfect texture and no dust.  We climbed to Funner then up to Wanoga Snow Park parking lot and the pump track.  After a visit to Repeat Performance, we shuttled Funner (got snowed on in the parking lot as we unloaded) again and then finished with Storm King.

Funner Log Ride

Saturday we were supposed to be in Oak Ridge doing 17000 vertical feet in a day with Oregon Adventures (the guys who do Mountain Bike Oregon), but the valley was in the mist of a spring storm that included snow, so we decided to stay in Bend.  In fact, we woke up in Sunriver with a dusting of snow also, but the skies cleared and we road under blue skies again. We road 18 miles on the Deschutes River trail then shuttled Funner one more time.

All and all it was another "perfect" trip.  There was fun, laughter, great food, and good hard riding.  We had everything from warm sun, cold rain, snow, mud, and everything in between.  The key to having success on this kind of a trip is to not take yourself to serious, give each other space and recognize that we get on each other's nerves once and awhile. 

 

 

Deschutes River Trail 

 

 

Home Movies

As a follow-up to my last post about some of my favorite YouTube videos I can now talk about my favorite "home movies." That's because I got a GoPro Hero3 from a very special Santa's Helper for Christmas.

I know what you are thinking, "Oh Boy, more shaky video from Dan's Trail."  Some of that is true, what you see on YouTube doesn't always look as good as it does when I play the native files on my PC.  That's because the GoPro software will compress the export for YouTube.  So it will play well on a smaller device (like a smart phone).  You can export in a higher resolution for YouTube, but it takes longer and creates a much larger file.

Here is a link to my YouTube channel, so you can judge for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMkKHTWdQnSsgbMFFIckIDQ

Why I Like My GoPro:

1. As a mountain biker you remember the climbs more because you have so much time to think about them as you are doing it.  The downhill's not so much because they go by so fast.  The GoPro lets me review those downhill's when I get home.
2. My GoPro has Bluetooth, so I can play the videos back on my phone.  I can also turn the camera on and off from my phone.  So I can set it up down the trail and turn it on remotely and video yourself (or use it as a "spy" camera, but you didn't hear that from me).
3. It is improving my riding by helping me keep my head still, core centered and to look down the trail.
4. The GoPro software for making videos is very good and easy to pick up.  It comes with some default music and templates.
5. It can handle water, mud, snow, etc.
6. It is fun to send links to rides you have just done with your friends to your friends. 

Why I Don't Like My GoPro:

1. It is more to wear, keep track of and put on your bike.  I got the camera, but then I went and got a few more mounts, and chest strap and helmet strap.  Then you need a camera bag for it all and few more memory cards (nothing over 32GB though).
2. I have an older notebook so importing clips from the GoPro can be slow, then you have to convert them, then finalize your video.  All of which can take 10 to 30+ minutes at each step.  You can capture video fast, but not create media fast.
3. Videos take up a lot of space. On the camera memory card, on your PC and anywhere else.
4. You need to remember to take the camera, the memory card and make sure it is charged (all from personal experience).
5. Sound quality is not great natively once a person is a few feet away, but it picks everything else up.  Fenders banging, breathing and fabric rubbing. That's why back ground music is important.
6. If you don't have fenders on a muddy day or it is raining, the lens can get fuzzy quick.
7. This is nothing wrong with the software, but with YouTube and music rights.  I purchase all my music as I want to be honest, but if I use music I have purchased in one of my personal videos and upload it to YouTube it won't play on certain devices.  It will play on a PC but not a smart phone or tablet device.  YouTube scans the music files attached to videos and prevents them from playing if they "violate" royalty rules.  I understand why, but it is frustrating none the less.(I haven't yet found a great royalty free site for background music)

All in all I love it and I'm glad I have it.  I find out now that I'm videoing other things for other reasons than just mountain biking.  In fact two of my other riding buddies have them also!  So look for more videos from the OMMBC (Old Men Mountain Biking Club) coming soon.