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DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Want to go for a DAMN Ride? So do we! :whoop:
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juddspaintballs
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by juddspaintballs »

I'll be back to camp this afternoon
Jed Gregory
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Laoch
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Laoch »

So....how was the weather?
Muddy?

I'm sill stuck rehabbing my blown tendon :frustrated:
Bruce
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juddspaintballs
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by juddspaintballs »

I won this
20160521_075237.jpg
Jed Gregory
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Marylander
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Marylander »

Whoa, that looks nasty.

Sent from my LG-D800 using Tapatalk
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Bucho
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Bucho »

Oh no Jed! Hope you heal quickly
Yamaha WR250R
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Rut Row
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Rut Row »

juddspaintballs wrote:I won this

20160521_075237.jpg
there must be a good story there!

Does it start with "here, hold my beer and watch this?"
Ken
Die young as late as possible, remember who you were before the world told you how it should be. -- Barry Morris
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Laoch
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Laoch »

WTF dude? Snapped the sucker good! Hey, bones heal quicker with hardware :deal:
Bruce
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Skinny-J
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Skinny-J »

A WET but still very fun weekend! Wingfixer and I headed up Friday morning with my family in tow. Checking in at the office we ran into Jed and his wife and when we got down to the camp site Darwin and his grandson were there. Friday was a gorgeous day and based on the weather forecast for Saturday, we decided to go riding immediately while the conditions were so nice. WF, Darwin and his grandson and Jed were led around by Loosesrew who has been putting in great single track (but more on that in a little while). This is when Jed’s get-off happened; others will have to fill in the details on that. I took my family riding on some of the easy trails. First we did Gunner Run on the west side of the office and then onto Jay’s Run since my kids got a kick out of the name. We then wanted to get to the other side of the park to ride Deer-Pen and on the map a short “blue” connector trail looked like the way. The trail was uphill with large rocks, some of them bigger than my kid’s 90cc Honda quads. My daughter was not too happy but indulged us, and wife is still coming to terms with the AJP, but my son pinned it to win it and was fearless. I think I was more scared than him watching him hammer his quad through the rocks; but I was very proud of the entire Shaffer clan for making it through.

Friday night brought a delicious dinner and a nice camp-fire. Overnight, the rain came in while we were sleeping and it must have been pretty substantial. It tapered off mid-morning and Loosesrew took WF and I back out on the singetrack. The newest section that starts up by the office is great. It twists through some younger pine trees before dropping down into some older growth forest. Eventually, a pretty sizable stream had to be crossed that was raging pretty good from all the rain but the crossing went without incident. The trail than runs up, along and down some hillsides and eventually up one last hill climb. This one has got WF the day before so he decided to take the by-pass. I was dumb enough to try and follow Loosescrew up it. Its only single track wide with a sizable rock sticking out the top. Traction was nowhere to be found in the slick mud and there was not much of a run-up to it. Leaning back to get the bike to hook-up was working pretty well until the rock where in an instant the bike looped out from under me. The bike landed on the top of the hill and I was sitting on the rock so I will claim partial success and it only cost me a cracked rear-fender (WF was not so lucky the day before, he now has a missing rear fender to match his missing front fender…..)

After heading back for lunch we found J & J waiting at camp; along with some more hard rain. Jacob was not very happy that Dad was crazy and going to go riding in the rain and mud but at the end of the day he had nothing but smiles. After lunch, Loosescrew took us over to the single track that was new a few years ago by Shamrock. It was here on a stream crossing, on the off camber exit up a small bank that a mindless bobble left me on my back in the stream with the bike upside down on top of me; if I wasn’t wet before I sure was now! The S-T section by Shamrock had lots of wet log crossing that challenged more than a few of us (I even saw Loosecrew on the ground; but only ONCE). We then ran over to the other side of the park and dropped in on the very new single track. This new section of rocks, stream crossing, bogs and climbs finished off whatever we had left in the tank. Finally getting back to camp Big-bird had rolled in and I heard that da scrub and his wife stopped by for a while. We broke out WF’s pork butt and ate like kings, got a good fire going, played a new game called “crimes against humanity” and finally passed out from an exciting and challenging day of riding.

My two comments:
First, IMHO the riding at Mountain Ridge has been greatly improved with all the single track that Kevin has added. Between the old and new sections I bet there is 20 miles or more now. And its good enduro type stuff. This, coupled with the quad trails for an easier option, makes it a great place with something for everyone.

Second, it’s too bad it rained but I hope that reason alone did not keep anyone away as we surely had fun regardless. The annual “reunion” ride is never optional for me because I always hope it’s the one ride that I get to see everyone. In spite of the rain I had a great time riding with my family and my DAMN buddies.

SJ
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Wingfixer
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by Wingfixer »

Any post I would add would just echo Skinny's, so I'll just say Ditto!! Anybody that bailed because of the rain missed a couple good days of riding!

Following Kevin, a.k.a. Loosescrew, a.k.a. JungleNuts was quite a treat! He said it is his goal to add 4 miles of single track every year and he has already beaten that for this year. It was all good enough I plan to make a trip back later this year, hopefully when its a bit dryer so that at least one Beta fender will survive the weekend, I swear they make their plastic out of peanut brittle. :frustrated:

As for Jed's get off, it really was a DAMN shame, a spectacular crash but still... It happened after Kevin had led up through the first section of new single track. There are a few tough parts, made tougher by the conditions, that had Jed's KTM over heating. At the last break before the incident Kevin had told Jed that at our next stop there would be an open field next to a road that he could run up and down to get some air flow over the rads. When we got to the field, while waiting for Jed, Kevin explained to the rest of us that there is a pretty wicked ditch a ways down and to be careful. Jed came out of the woods about then and tore down the field to cool his bike. We all yelled for him to stop but it was no good. He hit the ditch at a good clip, flew over the bars as his bike flipped completely over, thankfully not landing on him. We all rushed up and where glad to find him awake and not bleeding. It was a bummer that his weekend got cut so short but it could have been a lot worse.

I was also sorry we missed Sam, he got there only a few minutes after we left for the afternoon ride Saturday.

ETA: And da-scrub, you coulda hung out to at least help with the pulled pork and a couple beers, dude!
F*** work.
Ride motorcycles.
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juddspaintballs
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Re: DAMN Reuion at Mountain Ridge 2016

Post by juddspaintballs »

Wingfixer described my wreck pretty well. It was stupid and spectacular. I know I hit it at WOT 3rd gear while standing. I remember jumping up right after, yelling expletives, then falling on my face a few feet away. Kevin told me to take a minute, that I just knocked my breath out, but I knew I was hurt more than that and my wrist was definitely broken. They got a UTV ride for me, called an ambo, and told my wife. Patrick rode my bike back to camp.

Shortening things, I got some fentanyl on the way to the trauma center, more when I got there, and dilaudid after while they were torturing me. The drugs only provided relief for about 10 mins each time. I couldn't feel my fingers and the traveling ortho surgeon was still at that hospital. He decided to do surgery that night and a carpal tunnel release. The surgery took 2 hours, he pieced my radius back together, and I have a little feeling back so far. Percocet is managing the pain now. The surgeon said my nerve looked "very angry" before the release. The hospital and staff were very good to us and gave us a quiet private room so Lauren could get some sleep. My wrist is very broken, but my "non injuries" include a stiff back that makes it hard to walk, bruised ribs, sore right wrist, and bruised pelvic area and man bits(!).

Thanks to all who helped us pack up, put stuff away, etc. It sucks to have to rely on others, but you guys are great. I hope to unpack today and dry things out. I may get to ride in 3-4 months again. I'll get a fan kit this time...
Jed Gregory
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