The Tip

I concur with Matt. Just got back from a visit this morning. Lots and lots of stuff. Definitely worth going to see. They were bringing in boxes and boxes. Truck load. "Is this new stuff that's going to be put out?" "No, I think most of it is going right back out." I didn't try to clarify why they would be using the showroom as an interim storage facility. Doesn't make much sense, BUT the company is going out of biz, so...

Ya know, everyone keeps apologizing for causing the rains, but it never seems to stop them from buying new bikes. What's up with that? Congrats. Hope you can ride it soon. sigh

Your punning is very cutting ledge type stuff. Much boulder than mine.

Gosh, I hope your confidence hasn't eroded away. I'm ready to play for all the marble(s) now.

Well geez, don't get all sedimently on me.

No kidding. Remember when a 1/2" of rain was no problem? "It'll just settle the dust." Not now. 1/2" puts out of biz for three days. Arghh!

Please, no more punning. It gets me highly aggregate-ed. Now leave me a loam.

Can your Mudder change your diaper so you can dust yourself off and get back out there?

Signage won't cure the problem, but it will help. A good salesman will tell you to make a sale easier by telling the buyer why the sale is good for that buyer. So it would help to put on the educational material that "riding mud tears up your bike components" as a way to "sell" to those we are trying to get to "buy" in to the not riding wet trail concept.

Post trip report: We ended up not riding. We got there and a huge storm was blowing in. 40 mph winds. Then it blew that hard the next day. So we just hiked around as much as we could. We have been to a lot of state parks. This was NOT a favorite. The dried up lake and the scruffy trees were sort of depressing. It's not desert exactly, so it doesn't have that Big Bend "other wordly" appeal. The trails we saw were not that exciting looking either. Sure if you are passing through give it a shot. But we don't think it's worth a specific 3 1/2 hour drive.

And remember, always double down on eleven:

Slalom is good to go. Some bad spots still but they can now be avoided. You won't be creating anymore damage. The good news there is now you and your buddy can ride side by side on lots of it. Fun! That's a facetious statement to illustrate that the trails have been widened due to people riding it when they should not have. The west end of Phoenix South was a sloppy, don't ride it, mess. The downed trees on Digo's Shortcut have now been cleared so that would be the best route through there for the next couple of days.

Remember how you hated all that moon dust? Sliding out on turns, taking a shower after a ride and your tub is brown from the coating of dust that stuck to you sweaty legs, that same coating that got on everything on your bike, and group rides where you inhaled so much dust that you could spit brown? Remember? Yeah, me neither! About geology; I was standing on the Escarpment bridge over Slaughter Creek after a big rain watching the flooding below. A man came up and commented about the geology of the soil upstream from us. He was talking about the area where DiscGo DiscGo is. I forgot what he called the rock and soil combination, but he explained that it was like a sponge, and that it holds lots of water. That water would continue to leach out for a long while after the flooding subsided. I think our SATN recovers faster than your stuff in Yankee land north of the river does. It seems we are always ready to go sooner than Walnut or Brushy is.

Almost a perfect work shop. I'm assuming the the beer cooler is out of frame somewhere?

We had a discussion about this at our Violet Crown Trail Stewards Committee meeting yesterday. A park ranger supervisor and a member from Austin Parks sits on the board and were both there. Part of this discussion was saying that the pilot program is only a few months long. I asked what they are considering electric bikes. With throttles? Only peddle assisted? They said that they realized the difference and were trying to come up with classes for them. I think they said they identified four different categories. I felt that they are handling the situation as well as they can at this point. They certainly are not just ignoring it.

It might be a bit chilly (bring a drankin' jacket) but the trails will be good to go for sure. Let's ride!

Trail conditions are improving. Slalom is the only thing that was bad today. Yes there are small mud pools here and there through most of what I rode, but Slalom was a terrible muddy mess. I walked it just to see what people were talking about. Unfortunately I do not see any solution to it to make it drain better. Please do the community and your bike a favor. Stay off Slalom for at least a week. At least. Gravel Crossing was still under water. Bowie Sidewalk crossing was dry. So strange how it works.

And rapidly did here too. I saw this thread yesterday and didn't open it. Then this morning I see "13 responses." Huh? Why the big interest in screwdrivers for heaven's sake? Ah! Got it. Isn't "bulbous" a great word or what? That will be my word of the day.

I think everyone should not try to change people. I'll argue as long as it takes to convince people to not try and change people.

Nope. The REAL question? This:

We went north. The Valero Loop was just fine. And you're looking at two more days of drying before your ride tomorrow. Coyote Loop, Circle C, and the Veloway trails have been reported to be fine. 45 stuff still some problems but doable. No reports on Digo's Shortcut, but the puddles that do form there don't make using it impossible. No reports about south of 45 yet. I was pleased to see that the weather folks have said that the rain we are to get on Friday will only be 1/3" Shouldn't set us back too much

That doesn't look like a motorcycle at all.

Rim Shot, Bowling for Glory, Tommy's Tribute Trail, and Four Ledges are the downhill runs in the Meridian Bowl. Ski Lift is the jeep road that you ride up to access them. One of the Bowie mountain bike team members said he did 16 runs during their practice there a couple of weeks ago. Impressive. School Daze runs from the end of the 45 stuff, at 1826, down to the Meridian bowl. Avana Escape is the name of the complete run of the four named sections (separated by streets or sidewalk that have to be crossed) along Escarpment.

Good times!

Tonight's Crank and Drank is on. About a 12-13 mile route has been scouted and cleared. Yes, your bike will get dirty, but it won't get caked up. That is if you manage to not hit the muddy spots that can be avoided. Don't be fooled though in to just going for a ride out somewhere. Most of the SATN is still out of business.