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Hi
Mom, here we are under the big bridge again!
More than 60 people gathered at the confluence for this years' rides. We
tried a different spot for the picture, down at (and in) the river. But
we kept the big Foresthill Bridge as our backdrop. |
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Kris
Holm gets vertical
What was supposed to be our workshop time degenerated into an attempt by
a dozen or so riders to follow Kris down this hill. He made it down several
times. Nobody else did. However it was fun watching them try... What you
can't see from this angle is the angle of the slope, approximately 60 degrees! |
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Ted
takes the track
Ted Howe of Sacramento starting his run up the Confluence Uphill Course.
The object is to ride up the hill the fastest, without dismounting. Jim
Hahn of San Diego was the starter, while Chris Peck, Scott Arnold and others
waited to take their turns. |
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Bruce
Bundy on the steep part
The very last part of the race course is very steep; so steep that we didn't
even use it the first year. It also changes year to year due to the forces
of erosion, not to mention being flooded by high water during the winters.
Bruce Bundy of Santa Cruz is making a maximum effort to get to the top the
fastest! |
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Experts
on the Clementine Trail
The first part of the ride for the experts is the Clementine trail, upstream
along the American River North Fork toward Clementine Dam. The trail gets
narrow and the terrain steep as riders pass under the big Foresthill Bridge,
which is far above them. Riders not wishing to ride uphill 1000 feet got
dropped off near the top. |
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Christopher
Peck leads the way
At one of the highest points along the trail, Christopher Peck leads dad
George Peck and others through a nasty eroded section of the trail. Like
father like son. |
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Culvert
Trail
The Clementine Loop, which the experts rode on Saturday morning, is actually
made up of several smaller trails. The middle section is called the Culvert
Trail, because it passes underneath Foresthill Road through this culvert,
built specially for the trail. When riding in there from the bright sun,
it's absolutely pitch black in there! Scott Arnold from Springfield, Oregon
is feeling his way along toward the exit. |
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Yup,
another group shot
Too many people to name assembled themselves along Old Foresthill Road where
the Culvert Trail connects to the Confluence Trail. 1998 NUC host Jenni
White, at left, was effectively done riding due to her massive blowout.
She was able to take a shortcut by walking down the road, straight to the
parking area. |
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Watch
out, cops with radar ahead...
This speed limit sign must have fallen down from Old Foresthill Road, which
the Confluence Trail parallels beneath. Trail users mounted it proudly here,
where it makes a great juxtaposition with the narrow, rocky, and very technical
trail it watches over. That's Geoffrey Faraghan posing in front of it, eagerly
showing off the Telford. |
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Slime
disaster!
Jenni White's tire was filled with Slime, or a similar puncture repairing
substance. It's great for filling in pinhole punctures, but not this! This
is what you call a massive blowout. Jenni wasn't too disappointed. She figured
she was still on the same tire and tube she had used at the first MUni Weekend, back
in 1996! |
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Kris
Holm tames the wall
In '96, only George Peck could ride down this piece of the afternoon experts'
Manzanita Trail. In '97, Brett Bymaster also did it. After tackling it himself,
and then riding across the narrow wood plank immediately at the bottom,
Kris was reported to say something like "What? Was there a steep part
there?" George Peck, Julie Young, and Christopher Peck are back there
helping us get an idea just how steep this place, featured on the '98 T-shirts,
is. |
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It's
a long way down...
This is the end of the Manzanita Trail, just before it joins the Stagecoach
Trail, where all Saturday afternoon riders join up. This area experienced
a fire earlier in the summer and the damage is clearly visible. As much
as we like being rid of the nasty Star Thistle, now there's nothing to catch
Kris Holm if he slips off the trail! Highway 49 is visible far below. |
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A
way cool group shot
I like this one better because it's all riders, not just experts or novices.
In the background you can see the Foresthill Bridge, and also the fact that
we're much higher than at the beginning of the day. This is where the Manzanita
Trail joins Stagecoach. From here it's a 2 mile or so downhill road to the
finish! |
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Stagecoach
Trail
It looks like this, as we all take off from our group shot. Some riders
take their time and enjoy the ride, while others careen down with their
pedals spinning wildly! |
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More
steep stuff
Dan Heaton and Joseph Campbell watch as David Poznanter of Santa Cruz takes
a shortcut on the Stagecoach Trail. You can see the trail coming down above
him, which switchbacks more or less where I'm standing with the camera.
He'll ride on anything. If you don't believe that, don't miss MUni Weekend
'99 -- in Santa Cruz! |
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Uni-henge
Built thousands of years ago, but nobody knows why, the stones of Uni-henge
make a fitting scene for our tired unicycle to ghostride through. Look close
and you'll see there is nothing holding those unicycles up. |
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Uni-henge people
The creator of Uni-henge (he probably called it something else) was the
guy in the center. He and his girlfriend had apparently spent hours stacking
and balancing river rocks at the Confluence. This was the same place we
did our big group photo that morning.
Go
on to Sunday's pictures
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