Trailace
03-01-2006, 11:41 PM
Ride Report - Big Bend
Day 1 Thursday February 23
I left home around 2:00 PM after a long day at the office. I had a great ride all the way to Davis Mtns State Park and only hit a few drops of rain. When I rolled into camp around 10:45 PM Joe and Chief were still up telling lies. Jerry was in his tent sawing logs. We talked for a while and hit the sack.
Day 2 Friday 5:00 AM
The rustling of pans and the smell of coffee awakened me. I like to sleep a little later than 5 but once I?m up there?s no going back to sleep. Here we are getting ready to ride.
Chief.................... Jerry ....................Joe
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135865-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135865-M.jpg)......http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135869-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135869-M.jpg)......http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135874-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135874-M.jpg)
After breakfast Chief and I broke off from the group to do a little dirt riding. We took Pinto Canyon Rd from Marfa to Ruidosa; 20 miles of dirt, gravel and rocks.
Chief & Blink
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135877-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135877-M.jpg)
This was Chief?s first off road ride on the Big GS and he did great. If you ever get the chance to ride this road you have to do it. The scenery in the area is some of the best around.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135881-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135881-M.jpg)
Chief?s first water crossing, there were 5 of them.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135888-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135888-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135892-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135892-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135896-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135896-M.jpg)
With Chief pushing me the whole way we caught back up with the main group on 170.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135906-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135910-M.jpg)http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135910-Ti.jpg
........Chief (Mike) ........Mellow (Joe)........ Ron (2-cup) ........Mark (Brinkster)......Jerry (Gold Rush)
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135916-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135916-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135920-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135920-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135926-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135926-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135936-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135936-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135942-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135942-M.jpg)
We made it back to Davis Mountains just in time to run up Sky Line Drive to get a few pic?s of the sunset.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136008-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136008-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136024-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136024-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136056-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136056-M.jpg)
Chief & Mellow
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136028-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136028-M.jpg)
We had a few visitors back at camp this night. I was playing it safe, and did not get a picture of the skunks.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136077-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136077-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136089-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136089-M.jpg)
Day 3 Saturday
The rustling of pans and the smell of coffee awakened me again. I just wish I liked coffee! Today Chief and I would ride River road, it?s 50+ miles of gravel, sand, hills, rocks and washouts. Chief has wanted to ride this road for 20 years and I wanted to ride it for the last 4 years but had no one to go with. There was a few sections of sand that were just so much fun. It was over a foot deep.
We stopped at the Mariscal Mine to take a break.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136108-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136108-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136115-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136115-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136122-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136122-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136131-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136131-M.jpg)
Blink & Chief (Were is Rainman?)
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136169-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136169-L.jpg)
This was so much fun and Chief road like a pro.http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136151-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136151-M.jpg)
We hooked back up with Joe and Jerry and ran 170 one more time before heading back to camp.
I now know why Hondo gave up riding he has another interest.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136173-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136173-M.jpg)
Joe and Mike sitting around the fire. (There was a burning ban in the area.)
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136192-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136192-M.jpg)
Day 4 Sunday
The rustling of pans and the smell of coffee awaked me for the third time at 5:00AM. Hey Jerry, maybe if you stayed up later you would sleep a little later. LOL We packed the bikes and set off on the long ride home.
Thanks Guys I had a GREAT time.
All the Pics (http://blink.smugmug.com/gallery/1240438)
This will take a few minutes to load.
Big Bend Slide Show (http://users4.ev1.net/~trailace/Videos/BigBend.wmv)
Day 1 Thursday February 23
I left home around 2:00 PM after a long day at the office. I had a great ride all the way to Davis Mtns State Park and only hit a few drops of rain. When I rolled into camp around 10:45 PM Joe and Chief were still up telling lies. Jerry was in his tent sawing logs. We talked for a while and hit the sack.
Day 2 Friday 5:00 AM
The rustling of pans and the smell of coffee awakened me. I like to sleep a little later than 5 but once I?m up there?s no going back to sleep. Here we are getting ready to ride.
Chief.................... Jerry ....................Joe
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135865-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135865-M.jpg)......http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135869-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135869-M.jpg)......http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135874-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135874-M.jpg)
After breakfast Chief and I broke off from the group to do a little dirt riding. We took Pinto Canyon Rd from Marfa to Ruidosa; 20 miles of dirt, gravel and rocks.
Chief & Blink
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135877-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135877-M.jpg)
This was Chief?s first off road ride on the Big GS and he did great. If you ever get the chance to ride this road you have to do it. The scenery in the area is some of the best around.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135881-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135881-M.jpg)
Chief?s first water crossing, there were 5 of them.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135888-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135888-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135892-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135892-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135896-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135896-M.jpg)
With Chief pushing me the whole way we caught back up with the main group on 170.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135906-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135910-M.jpg)http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135910-Ti.jpg
........Chief (Mike) ........Mellow (Joe)........ Ron (2-cup) ........Mark (Brinkster)......Jerry (Gold Rush)
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135916-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135916-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135920-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135920-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135926-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135926-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135936-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135936-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135942-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58135942-M.jpg)
We made it back to Davis Mountains just in time to run up Sky Line Drive to get a few pic?s of the sunset.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136008-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136008-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136024-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136024-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136056-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136056-M.jpg)
Chief & Mellow
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136028-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136028-M.jpg)
We had a few visitors back at camp this night. I was playing it safe, and did not get a picture of the skunks.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136077-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136077-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136089-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136089-M.jpg)
Day 3 Saturday
The rustling of pans and the smell of coffee awakened me again. I just wish I liked coffee! Today Chief and I would ride River road, it?s 50+ miles of gravel, sand, hills, rocks and washouts. Chief has wanted to ride this road for 20 years and I wanted to ride it for the last 4 years but had no one to go with. There was a few sections of sand that were just so much fun. It was over a foot deep.
We stopped at the Mariscal Mine to take a break.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136108-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136108-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136115-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136115-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136122-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136122-M.jpg) http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136131-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136131-M.jpg)
Blink & Chief (Were is Rainman?)
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136169-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136169-L.jpg)
This was so much fun and Chief road like a pro.http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136151-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136151-M.jpg)
We hooked back up with Joe and Jerry and ran 170 one more time before heading back to camp.
I now know why Hondo gave up riding he has another interest.
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136173-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136173-M.jpg)
Joe and Mike sitting around the fire. (There was a burning ban in the area.)
http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136192-Ti.jpg (http://blink.smugmug.com/photos/58136192-M.jpg)
Day 4 Sunday
The rustling of pans and the smell of coffee awaked me for the third time at 5:00AM. Hey Jerry, maybe if you stayed up later you would sleep a little later. LOL We packed the bikes and set off on the long ride home.
Thanks Guys I had a GREAT time.
All the Pics (http://blink.smugmug.com/gallery/1240438)
This will take a few minutes to load.
Big Bend Slide Show (http://users4.ev1.net/~trailace/Videos/BigBend.wmv)