s0ul_chicken

It's going to be a great weekend! The perfect time to head out to my favorite trail and give the Goblin a go-around the Alien Run.This trail is just under 9 miles around an old UFO crash site. Supposedly, there are higher levels of radiation around this trail than any other area surrounding it - perhaps that is what make it so much fun - gives the skin a nice glow! Images can be viewed in original form, on Flikr.



Here is where we start - along the slick rock, in and out of Pinion and Juniper trees up the canyon rim. It's all uphill from here, all the way to the Alien monument.





The slickrock is a blast to ride, getting a bit technical in the bowls and walls.



The trail has several spurs off the main leg if you feel like you need to work on your technical skills. I have tried the Black Hole once - once. I will try it again here soon when I get a bit more comfortable on the Goblin.

The trail winds back inward from the ridge to some slightly technical rock outcroppings and more uphill fun.



I still have yet to fully clear this section as this spot is a dead left hand turn between two boulders that is almost impossible to turn unless you hop the back tire to the right.





Once you get to the far eastern side of the loop, you come out onto a clearing where you will find the Alien monument. By looking at the overhead satellite map, you can almost make out the alien face that was made with river rock.



After this point is the Outer Limits, a 4.5 mile out and back trail - something I have yet to try, but I hear it is more uphill. Not sure about you, but I am ready to cruise back and try my hand at some fast downhill.

But first, more technical downward climbs. If you look close to where the shade is over the trail, there is an actual rut in the rock itself, about 4 inches deep. Getting steep!!



Once you clear the rocks, it's all about speed and agility. The Saiz brothers did an outstanding job on this trail as not one tree was cut down to make it - which means there are trees waiting to take your head off if you don't duck in time. You really have to be on your toes on the way back as it is fast as it is tight.



The bike was outstanding with only minor complaints. The biggest complaint was chain-slap and lots of it. No worries, nothing a Lizard Skin won't fix. The second was some squealing rear brakes about 3/4 the way through the trail. Again, only minor as I am sure I can rid that problem with a bit of brake maintenance.

A big thumbs up to Airborne, and the Goblin - I had a great time on the bike and look forward to another round this coming weekend.

ColinL

I want to ride this weekend, but the local entry-level trail was severely overgrown last weekend when I went. July was crazy here-- normally about 3" rain, and we got 11". There was some erosion too.

My wife is not going to go for that. And I don't think she's ready to ride other trails, which are about an hour away.

So, I'm praying that someone has mowed. Otherwise I might be riding gravel roads... which is better than not riding at all, I guess.

mtnbiker66

I may go ride US129 The tail of the Dragon.

Mountain Mitch

This: https://www.rosslandtrails.ca/Default...pageId=1279518 ; for a start. Might do Redtop too. Road biking Sunday. Looking like a great weekend! Have fun!

Daspydyr 

We've had some big rains and flooding this week. If the trails are dried out a few guys want to survey the damage to the trails. Sloan Canyon area. It is one of the best places for Petroglyphs in the SW.



Red Rocks Canyon, biking slick rock goes bad. NO, its not me!

s0ul_chicken

Looks like fun MountainMitch and Daspydyr!

Either way you ride, everyone enjoy their weekends - I myself am taking four days off and plan some serious trail time. Be safe everyone!

Daspydyr 

Looks like a great weekend sOul chicken. Alien looks awesome.

I always wanted to bike to the top of Cannibal Plateau east of Lake City and BBQ some burgers in honor or Alferd Packer. Never did make that ride! You should.

s0ul_chicken

*Googles Cannibal Plateau* Now that looks like a fun trail! I figure another year of riding and I should be able to start traveling around. Moab is on the list too.


DSCN0024 by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr


Airborne Goblin 2 by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr

vikz

Hello guys! a couple of buddies rode Freund Canyon trail in Leavenworth WA last Saturday, it was my 1st time riding that trail and man gotta say that was awesome!! here are some pics..





Our bikes..



yours truly..



my bike..

Mountain Mitch

Hey Vikz, Looks great. I want to get over to Leavenworth one of these days. I usually road bike down in WA and I'm looking for some good MTN bike spots. I'm a bit spoiled with what is here in SE BC so it is hard to get the push to explore that one state down.

vikz

Mountain mitch yah it was my 1st time there too and it was a great trail, they are actually extending it more so it will be longer..

ColinL

Leavenworth means something different to Kansas residents.

s0ul_chicken

Great pics vikz! That looks like a blast to ride!

My weekend was plagued with flats, three in total. One for sure was a nice pinch flat on the back tire that sent slime everywhere. YAY! Other than that, it was great getting out in the hills. Three more days to go...

Daspydyr 

This is the "official" report from scouting out trail damage after our monsoon last week.

We rode Twilight today and it is thrashed. 75%, at least, has been affected from minor erosion to major. We did not even try to do the north loop.

There was so much run off that it has virtually changed the landscape. Great chasms now split the trail and there really isn't a way to ride them through. So much "fall line" damage has occurred as well with deep ruts and holes.

Southern NV MTB BIKE ASSOC. is a chapter of IMBA and will start rebuilding when it looks like the monsoon is over. We had some fires that destroyed the environment above the trail systems on the west side of the valley. So the runoff was way worse than ever expected. Bootleg Canyon is going to get a ton of pressure now that Cottonwood and Sloan have so much damage. Bootleg was just better designed to start with.

Maybe a road trip to the 4 corners is needed, I miss those quality waters as well. Congrats on your weekend, sorry bout the flats.

dminor 

Now it's time for you to get over and do Devil's Gulch .

You'll find more around Spokane/Coeur d'Alene but Leavenworth is a pretty area no doubt. It has a reputation for kinda tame trails (at least the well-known stuff) but the guys at Das Rad Haus have the local knowledge to point you to the good dtuff.

Mountain Mitch

Hey Daspydyr, well that sucks that the trails are wrecked. Hope you get some fun new ones out of it in a few months.

And thanks for the tips dminor. I drive through Spokane at least a dozen times a year but it seems I'm always going someplace else. I'll have to stop and explore a bit more.

s0ul_chicken

No worries Das, if anything, I gained a fair amount of experience with tire levers. I know what you mean when it comes to washed out trails, we have suffered a bit here, but Alien was perfect - best conditions I have seen in a while. I haven't ridden any of the Road Apple/Kinsey trails in a couple of weeks, hopefully it is fairly intact. I have yet to try out Seven Sisters with the new bike for fear of very sandy conditions, but I am getting the itch to ride it and take on that nasty climb at the end. The whoops make up for it though, you feel like you are flying more than you are riding.

Daspydyr 

Is Seven Sisters the trail out to Farmington Lake? I've forgotten a thing or two.

vikz

dminor thanks,devils gulch is on my to do list, just trying to decide if I should ride up or just do all down hill..My buddy knows a bunch of trail in leavenworth so I'll let him worry about that..

s0ul_chicken

Yep, you can grab a spur off the Seven Sisters trail and head to the lake, right after the whoops. I guess that would be a fun alternative to heading back up to the top of the ridge! I have been able to clean that hill only once, but I think the gearing on the Goblin will rock it.


DSCN0031 by s0ul_chicken, on Flickr

awfulwaffle 

I'm jealous of yall's trails. https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/3962468/alpha-trail is my favorite without going too far out of the way. Fun regardless, looking forward to the weekend.

s0ul_chicken

I think everyone here is jealous of everyone elses trails. I only wish I had more time, as that is what I ride against. Usually after work I only get an hour of ride time, so that puts me out of touch of a lot of trails around here like in Aztec, Durango and Cortez. Just to ride Alien with a home and back is a three hour trip all on its own, which means I get three trails to choose from, two of which are connected like a forward and backward P connection, and the third is considered a local bunny-hill which was just recently received a monsoon wash-out. It is all good though, there are worse problems to have in the world than being a bit on the bored side riding the same thing all the time.

dminor 

Nope.

s0ul_chicken

No? Well, I am!