So the Unhappy Looking Fat Lady Hiker says...
 

Unhappy Looking Fat Lady Hiker: Hey! You shouldn't be on these trails; you bikers mess things up. This used to be nice before you all started riding here.

Me: You do realize that the trail you are presently on was conceived, planned, built, and is maintained by a mountain bike organization, right?

ULFLH: Well that doesn't make it right!

Me: (internally: WTF???) Lady, you can criticize me for riding this trail when I see you out here helping to build and maintain things, okay? (pedalpedalpedal)

ULFLH: huffpuffhuffpuff.

Yeah, that set a really nice tone for the rest of my ride yesterday. I was so irritated, a massive case of CRFS developed. Thankfully short lived, groove resumption occured fairly quickly. A nice little trail session got me good and ready to go to work tonight.

Let's cleanse the palette with a little bike porn.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_6373.jpg

I was taking it easy, after cranking my right ankle a direction nature did not intend it to crank last Sunday. The spousal unit made me take a couple days off from pedaling, which was making me grumpy. Days off? Beautiful weather? No pressing business otherwise? Hamstrung (hah!) by a lame ankle? Screw that! Don't even go there; we're riding, pinky - spoken in my head by the bikes.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_6375.jpg

The ankle? Yeah, how did that happen. A stupid little stone step up, maybe 18" max. Front wheel up, oops! Hit it a bit off getting the rear wheel hopped up there, now we're going doooooown, Cap'n! Crunch. Pop. Well, it felt like that. Range of motion: sorta. Pain: for sure. Heading home: nope. Finished a several hour slog fest at Case Mtn. outside of Hartford.
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I don't know the place, and the folks intending to guide our three hour tour apparantly didn't either, despite their protestations to the contrary. Then there was the running out of water, and the murmerings of not being prepared to be out that long. Yeah, uh guys, that's why I ride with this big freakin' pack. You know, the one with all the water, munchies and spare stuff inside...that allowed me to spend five hours putzing around the woods by bike today without bonking and running out of water...
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_6377.jpg

Soothed by the tasty beverage, driving home was much nicer. Time to plan the next day of ride time.
Yeah, Ninham and I have unfinished business. Some ice, ibuprofen, and sucking down a lot of water had the cankle ready to ride. C'mon man, what are you waiting for? Dooooo it! Things felt pretty good, with the addition of a 661 ankle armor thingy to tha afflicted body part.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1.../IMG_0001a.jpg

Ran into a few other riders in there; odd for early on a weekday. We joined pedal superpowers and showed one another a few side trails neither party had seen. Good stuff. Joe and Harry, coming on down. Joe professed to not having ridden much in quite a while still managed well, and Harry was an old dude on a hardtail 29"er. He skipped some of the more ugly rolls and drops, but otherwise slayed things. Good to see him out there.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0001.jpg

We parted ways, and I made sure to go and slay the demon. The one that had been in the back of my mind. Doing this one with a group the last time I'd been here went well, though my landing was not the smoothest. Unsmoove enough that it sketched me off doing it again that day. This day it got dialed. It's like buttah.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...IMG_0040-1.jpg

Back at the car, I see two cats roll into the lot, one riding on his flat. They'd only been out a short bit, and he was on his second. Having my post ride brew, it seemed cruel to enjoy it while they worked on the tire. They conned and cajoled me into another lap. Ugh. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Labor Day, indeed. Actually managing to stay with them, and up front much of the time shocked me. Of course, by the time we were back and it really was time to head home - I was completely hammered.
I was, no longer, a fun guy.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0003.jpg

A nice sleep happened that night.

Other rides in the last week? The local spot got some time. I really like the place. I find new lines and ways to ride stuff all the time, by riding stuff in other directions, switching up loops, riding different bikes there.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0251.jpg

Signage for new trail? Oops, no, not legit. And in a spot with plenty of hikers, equestrians, and NIMBY types. Signing your intent to build an illegal trail is just f'ing stupid.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0019.jpg

It's coming... Just around the corner. Nearly time to bust out he studded tires. Make sure the light batteries still hold a charge. That the moths haven't had too much a taste of winter clothing. I dig this.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0021.jpg

Roll with things. One small little line, a side line built up that I just really like. It's a fun move, and I like the way it flows with the rest of the trail. Uh, no, I don't ride it up that way.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0012.jpg

My assumption is the same person doing the new trail schtick did this. WTF??? You're so unsure of where thisspot needs to be rolled that you freakin' SPRAY PAINT guide lines? Rocks and sticks are too fragile? What? Thiss pot is just as easily rollable a couple feet to either side of the paint marks. The picture does it no justice.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0232.jpg

Now I've ridden my share of not-quite-legit trail, and will continue to do so. Though stuff like this, and the "new trail" marking is just plain stupid. This place gets a lot of non-mtb traffic, and is surrounded by many NIMBY types that would love to have the trails closed to us of the knobby persuasion. Giving them some of the ammunition to further any attempts to do so is just stupid. What a moran.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0004.jpg

Grrrrrr! Scrubby smash! (not really my bashring) Methinks this may have caused some issues. Haven't ever broken a bashring. Bent a few chainrings, and a thin bash once. Overtorqued bolts? One hell of an impact? Curiouser and curiouser.
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Back to today. Wake up a little later than on a day off. Putz around the house, pay a few bills. Hit up the three S's. Eventually meander out. Send a few parts on their way to their new homes via the P.O.
Stopped at a local cafe for a (very) late breakfast. Pretty decent eggs Benedict. Lingered over that and my coffee for a good bit while reading a book, while resting the cankle on the neighboring seat. Not, when all is said and done, a bad way to start the day.
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f1...8/IMG_0002.jpg

Iduhtysbuatgdm

Yeah, yeah. That's great. So, how's that working out for ya?

It's nice to know that we're not the only ones with ULFLHs.I had a run in with one a while back when her stupid big black dog tries bite me.

A better response:

"Did you drive a car to get to the trailhead today?"

"Well yes, but"

"Thanks for f'ing up the planet for me. Now we're even."

You have a much better ability to control your temper that I do. I probably would have said some things that I would've immediatley regretted. Nice job not doing that.

Excellent pics and write up. I haven't gotten out in so long, it's nice to read threads like this.

Better how? I'm not seeing your logic there. She wasn't coming at it from a global/f'ing up the planet perspective. Besides, I drove my Benedict eating fat ass to the trail yesterday too...

Getting all pissy with her wouldn't have done a damn bit of good. Her mind is made up - nothing I could have said would have changed her thinking.

In contrast, I spoke with two lady equestrians the other day at the Ninham trailhead - they said they don't "get" the whole bike thing, but we saw eye to eye about being outside playing in the dirt. It's all good, because I don't "get" the horse thing. :thumb:

They even asked my advice about what bike to buy...

I ran into an ULFLH one time on the trail. I guess she missed the sign saying no hiking. I told her that, and I guess she didnt like being talked to by a "kid", so she just kept walking.

That was such a great post. It makes me want to head out on the trails...and I don`t even have a mountain bike. I`ll have to fix that one day.

I got bit in the back of the leg by a giant Weiner dog. This lady was in her 60's and had 3 dogs with her...none of which were on a leash. She said "Well he's never done that before." Animals are always going to be be unpredictable. I told her to leash them up b/c there are laws in KS. I've vowed never to slow down again. If I run one over...so be it.

BTW, Great pics :thumb: