The Tip

...you slap your forehead and say, "why didn't I think of that two years ago" when you realize you could have done something better originally. 

I had this happen recently. The original trail went under an overhanging, too big to cut, tree limb. Group rides were a constant, "Head!"  warning shouting, Then I had that revelation, Just take out the brush to the side of the trail to not go under that limb. Stupid easy. Now I shake my head in embarrasment every time I ride past that spot! lol

But ARR is pushing to develop Area 51 into a destination. Tons of potential there due to the elevation changes.

So let's do it again. This weekend was picked because it had the most RV spaces left. There's not many. If you have even a chance of going, book now, then cancel later if you can't.

https://www.recreation.gov/camping/campgrounds/232570/availability

There are lots of tent camping sites available. Sites 21-25 are tent camping only, but with electric. Sites T1-T8 are basic tent camping only. Just a space on the ground with a fire ring.

RV sites can have more than one tent on them too. We've had tents on our RV site every year.

Nobody has said anything. Wrecky asked me about it and we were supposed to bring it up at a Crank and Drank. But then we just drank beer instead.

Pick a date and we'll make it happen. I forget if the consensues was to have it later to be warmer and less windy, or earlier to be cooler.

Another successful Desert Fest Redux. We had 19-24 riders on each ride. Weather was perfect. Was good to meet JRIDER and his bro. Good times.

Next year's dates Feb 21-25. Make your plans now.

2021...Snowpacolypse

2023...Icetastrophe

2 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Well, our block was, a little, um, interesting this morning.

Hit a neighbor's car but did no damage luckily. 

I've recharged my chainsaw batteries 3 times today helping neighbors clear their driveways and front walks.

This looks SO similar to a tree two blocks over from my house. Saw it on my "look at the neighborhood walk". Went back with my chainsaw to help make the street passable. As we were working a huge branch fell from a tree across the street. No warning noise at all. Just "BOOM." Don't walk under ANY trees right now!

Just walking down the street was amazing. Creaking trees, rattling ice, snapping branches. Amazing. This Icepocalypse is going to be WAY worse than the Snowpocalypse.

It's misting on us in south Austin and it's slightly below freezing. The streets are fine but I believe the trees are still collecting ice. I was just helping to clear a road blocking tree a street over from my house. As I was chain sawing the fallen tree, a huge thing that fell over from the roots,  a big branch snapped and fell down across the street from where we were working. No warning noise or anything. DO NOT go walking on your favorite trail yet! Or under any trees on your "look at the neighborhood" walks.

Our power was out from 3:40 am until just now, 2:10. I've been watching Austin Energy's Power Outage site. The number of customers without power has risen steadily all day. It is currently at the lowest percentage (69.9) "total customers with power" that I've seen. This means that trees are still falling. 

It's going to take a LOT of work to get the trails cleared. A lot. I agree that it will be worse than the last one. That one was mostly snow.

14 hours ago, June Bug said:

Public or private?

Come on! It's a "thang." Not sure exactly how many are planning to go. At least 10. Some are staying at Maverick RV, some at spots in Terlingua next to Starlight. This is the

"they're not taking Desertfest away from us" event. Last year we went in the state park, then the airport trails, then the state park again. Great fun

Whew! You scared me for a second. 

But our event is planned for Feb 22-26

4 hours ago, Lacch said:

Onion Creek sounds perfect! Which trailhead should we use?

There's a large parking lot off of Nuckols Crossing Rd. Just head west from there. Have a trail map app pulled up so you can get back when needed. The park is very spaghetti bowl-ish. 

Maxwell Slaughter Creek is NOT beginner friendly. It USED to be, but now it has eroded to be a definite blue trail. My wife, who is not a beginner, but still not very accomplished, wanted to ride there. I went to pre-ride it to specifically count how many spots I thought that she would have to get off and walk. I counted 18 spots. When I went with her she ended up walking 17 times. And it's only five miles. That means getting off the bike every 1/3 of a mile. So NOT beginner friendly.

The one appeal to a beginner at Maxwell is that it is a no decision trail. You can't get lost and no one is going to run into you.

What is beginner friendly though is Onion Creek Park. Over ten miles of trail.  There's not much elevation changes, hardly any rocks, and it's very pretty and wilderness-y. It's a great introduction to get someone excited about mountain biking.

16 hours ago, AustinBike said:

I cannot unthink this thread.

"Not there's anything wrong with that"

My Niner at Sea Rim State Park. AKA "Mosquito Coast" There were so many mosquitoes it was like a horror movie. And this is January.  Don't go there!

On 1/11/2023 at 3:22 PM, Barry said:

Turkey Mountain is spectacular, but it's about the only game in town. 

Then it sounds like you need to start digging!

1 hour ago, mack_turtle said:

I keep seeing Surons and their ilk around here. Where does that fit in? 

They don't!

If it has a throttle it is an electric motorcycle.

This is what causes confusion with land owners trying to set rules. They are unaware of how to differentiate.

2 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

 How do you aim them?

Forward usually.

I keed I keed!

The NiteRider mounts have swivels so they can adjust left and right. Also the zip tie connections are such that I can slightly move them up and down when aiming the lights

People that design helmet lights must not ride mountain bikes. Or maybe they only ride in the desert where there are no trees. 

How many times have all of us scraped the top of our helmet on a limb? Probably happens even more at night because you can't perfectly see the trees in the dark.

That's why I zip tied NiteRider handlebar mounts next to my ears and hang lights there. I have yet to snapped my neck back from catching a branch with a top mounted light!

Couple of other people told me today they are booked to go. It's going to be a good group (quality!) regardless of the numbers of course. But a good sized group is shaping up.

Sorry, can't help as I don't wear them. And I have had multiple knee surgeries in my youth so you would think I would. Just have never fell and hurt my knees.

But I hurt my elbows twice before I decided to start wearing armored elbow pads. They have "saved me" maybe four times now. Worth whatever discomfort they cause. A side benefit was protection from branches. I feel them getting scrapped a lot.

SATN Satan worshipers. 😁

It's even more strange that there are two of these things in Dittmar. 

Awesome!!

Giving Austin a run for our money in the "keeping it weird" category.

6 hours ago, June Bug said:

I mention these as instances as a microcosm of weird policy by Federal agencies. 

That is strange that those Federal agencies are messing up because all our other Federal agencies do everything so logically and efficiently.

Good write up.

I like to use golf as an example of "you can't fight progress." You just KNOW that the golf purists squawked like crazy when motorized golf carts were first introduced. Probably a lot of the same arguments were heard that are being used for e-bikes now. 

That cardboard sign looks pretty darn official.  😁