3rd Annual Troy Meadows Experience 07/5/10

[dirt dame 559]

The best year ever and the most pictures (two pages worth). Lots of running water in every meadow and canyon.

Link to the ride here:http://www.cafehusky.com/threads/the-chick-and-the-dame-ride-kennedy-meadows.11729/

[dsfox 0]

Hey there Girl, I'm so glad you got to go...and it looks more amazing than ever....(I actually replied to this last night, but replies are mysteriously disappearing on here....) lets ride soon, deb

[dirt dame 559]

dsfox said:

Hey there Girl, I'm so glad you got to go...and it looks more amazing than ever....(I actually replied to this last night, but replies are mysteriously disappearing on here....) lets ride soon, deb

I know. The whole thread disappeared....probably while they were tweaking the website.

Woodsie is an amazing rider, and manages to take even more pictures than I do while out on a ride.

Here is  the story without t he link:

DirtDame and I have been wanting to get together for a ride for a long time, and we finally made it happen over the Independence Day holiday. We met at Kennedy Meadows down in the southern end of the Sierra range. It is a high elevation plateau sandwiched between the North and South Forks of the Kern River. Our camp was at about 7300' and it just went up from there. The area has the largest concentration of alpine meadows in the entire Sierra range, and the banner snow year produced fantastic conditions for us. I think it's safe to say we both had a great time and we hope to do it again next year. This is our story and we'll both be contributing to this thread

Our campsite...


The meadow down below had a fantastic creek for playing in after riding...


Husky goodness x2...



I got there a day ahead of DirtDame and rode with my friends Dan and Glen...








My WR144 made short work of this trail...




Dan got some video footage of me coming down off of Sherman Pass Trail so maybe I'll post that up when he gets it to me. We put in a good 40 miles and I felt good on the bike, if a bit whipped at the end of the day. The elevation always gets to me, but I figured I'd feel better by the time DirtDame arrived the next day...and I did!


The Dame and I headed out early the next day, intent on a loop that would take us north to Monache Meadows. Beach Ridge Trail would take us north...





And Albanita Trail would take us east (sorry it's blurry, but she was going too fast for my camera!)...


DirtDame looks good in red, doesn't she?


We switched bikes for awhile and I rode her KDX220. She's got that thing set up really nicely and I felt like I could have ridden it all day! Super plush suspension, with a cushy seat to match, and a motor that is willing to please no matter what one wants to do with it. I'll let her give her thoughts on the WR


Lots more to come...
 

[TrophyHunter 15]

Incredible scenery & trails. Plenty of water and still green....looks like a great time.

[curayjusdad 0]

Whoa. That looked like paradise for me. The camping looked great and the riding looks inspiring. I want to do that sometime. Thanks for sharing.

Rob..

[kellymac530 0]

definately time for another trip up there...its been 8-9 months since i have been there

[Tweety999 0]

What a beautiful ride! Looks like you guys had a blast! Thanks for sharing.

[mctrails 38]

Nice pics and stories (although I haven't read through all of it yet.) I'm so glad you were able to make the trip, Mimi. Sounds like it was an awesome adventure. For the record, I was till planning to go along on the trip but did not have a chance to reply to your last call before you cancelled. Not a big deal as I ended up spending the time working on refurbishing my little utility trailer that I will be using again for camping and hauling motorcycles. I hope to join in on the trip next year. Seeing all the pictures reminded me of the trip last year. It looked a lot wetter than last year and no fires burning along the trails.

[dirt dame 559]

mctrails said:

Nice pics and stories (although I haven't read through all of it yet.)

Yeah, there are a boat load of pics on page two after all the responses.

More of the story from the link:

We played in the water...



We played in the rocks...



We played in the sand...



I know my trials tires is sticky but c'mon!


The views in this area just never stop. Every time we turned around we were greeted with stunning beauty...

[Beezzz 6]

Thanks Mimi for the great report. It was like being there. My wife and I will be interested on going next time. I suspect that I can find fireroads for wonderwoman and I to ride. The technical single track reminded me of the Flagstaff trails. Unbelievable beauty up there.

[dirt dame 559]

Beezzz said:

Thanks Mimi for the great report. It was like being there. My wife and I will be interested on going next time. I suspect that I can find fireroads for wonderwoman and I to ride.

If you look at last years report, you'll see that there were a lot of nice fire roads that we did. Eric did some fire roads this year while we did the single track, since his shoulder got broken in Nevada last month.

More, this time from me:

I posted the 3rd Annual Troy Meadows Experience so that the dates would be handy for Woodschick to be able to go. We had been discussing going riding together for a while. I had it posted on my local forum, since that is where I usually post it and that is where the usual suspects come from. With only three days left to go, I couldn't seem to get a definite response (or any response, for that matter) over there, so I canceled the ride on that end. It looked like some events might have conspired to stop Woodschick from going too, but at the 11th hour she was able to make it, and the ride was on.

On the trip up, I stopped at an interesting antique store. I was able to go at my own pace, because this was the first year that I was actually driving my own vehicle up there.


Speaking of antiques, how long ago was gasoline that price?


Up on the plateau, you gotta pass by the giant ice cream cone by the fence.


I am an official camping wussy, and by virtue of that, I hate tents. However, there were no giant sized toy haulers going up this year, and sometimes a person just has to make sacrifices in order to enjoy other aspects of an adventure. And I don't mind making sacrifices as long as I'm allowed to complain about them.


After arriving and setting up camp, I hauled Riley The KDX (not to be confused with Bentley The KDX) off of the back of the Jeep and went for a little solo shakedown ride up Jackass Creek trail. Later on Tami, Eric and I had a nice pasta supper and enjoyed the evening campfire with our new friends, the mosquitoes.


Night time was a pretty cold time up there, so I was happy to see the sun in the morning.


And so was this little guy.


Camp in the morning.


After the temps rose a bit and we had breakfast, it was time to hit the trails. Tami leads the way up Beach Ridge trail.


Water crossing at the beginning of Albanita trail.


Somewhere in the first half of the day, we switched bikes for a few miles. Though the bike's ergonomics were not set up for my height and riding style (wussy style), I was able to tell a lot about the WR anyway. First off, it was the most stable feeling platform I have been on for straightaways. Second, it was the tightest turning full sized bike that I have ever ridden on switchback type corners. The motor was quite impressive too, though not quite tweaked to get maximum performance at 7500-9000 ft. elevation. I still liked how much get up and go it had. The suspension mods felt very similar to the Bob Bell valving I had done to my TE450 back in January. The ride was very firm, but with an underlying plushness. I switched back, before I ended up liking it too much!

Woodsie, outstanding in her field.


Here, I show Tami the "I was here" technique of picture taking.


We ended up out in a meadow with a boggy crossing.




Testing the 803 on a muddy spot.


Strange flowers looked like a somewhat wilted tropical salad dumped in the middle of nowhere.


Not sure what trail this is. I think it was Blackrock.


Just know that it was a trail where I met some bozo rippin' it up from the other direction on a cliffside corner. He never slowed down, even after I slammed on my brakes and dropped the bike on the uphill side of the trail to avoid a collision.

What is this woman doing down there off the trail?


You can't see them in the picture, but this spot on Little Horse trail was just swarmed with lady bugs.


The days ride ended at 51 miles, with my wimpy wrists giving out and my wimpy gas tank hitting reserve right at the entrance to the campsite.

[Crawdaddy 96]

......The best year ever......

Very nice! ......thanks for the report.......I need to get up there and check it out "in person" :dance3:

[dirt dame 559]

Crawdaddy said:

dirt dame said:

......The best year ever......

Very nice! ......thanks for the report.......I need to get up there and check it out "in person" :dance3: :dance:

Early in the summer is the best time, especially if it has been particularly rainy during the spring. I couldn't get over all the types of flowers I saw that I hadn't seen in previous years, and how there was water flowing almost everywhere including running right down the middle of a few trails. The only way it could have gotten better is if it had rained while we were up there. And Woodschick is a very experienced technical rider. She and the WR125 kicked serious butt on those trails (and ran over a big pile of bear poo on Trout Creek trail ) .

Still more of the report from the link by Woodsie:

Yep, I'd never taken a photo of myself with my own camera (I know, I'm a dork...) but the Dame had some good pointers and I actually was able to get both of us in this shot!


The Dame is also outstanding in her field


More meadow merriment...










The Dame getting dirty...


The Dame getting clean...



We stopped at the South Fork of the Kern River for lunch and a splash or two...

 

[pyro 1]

Great ride and awesome photos Mimi! You got me missing the Sierra now. Sign me up for next year. I wanna do the 4th annual for sure! 8-]

[dirt dame 559]

pyro said:

Great ride and awesome photos Mimi! You got me missing the Sierra now. Sign me up for next year. I wanna do the 4th annual for sure! 8-]

For sure! You have to visit your own meadows.

More pix and report:

Next day:
I never drink hot tea as a rule, however I never turned down a nice hot cup every single morning at camp. After the morning chocolate cheerios and another cup of tea, we set sail for another dirt voyage. But not before Eric was so kind as to top off Riley's gas tank. I had somehow thought that the KDX got better gas mileage than it actually did (probably got it confused with Bailey The KLX), as was demonstrated to me on the day before, so it ended up that I had not brung enough extra fuel for two days of riding.

We wanted to do a slightly shorter ride this day so that the three of us could go to the South Fork of the Kern later in the afternoon. So this morning my personal guide started us off with a view from a mountaintop.






Out on Mahogany trail....or was it Rattlesnake? We did so many different trails that I couldn't keep track of them all!


Bonita Meadows.


Reading the map and plotting the route.


Greetings from us. Scenery is here, wish you were beautiful!


Somewhere on Boone, right after I fell down while walking down to take the shot.








Sadly, this shot didn't come out well due to the lighting (or lack of it). It doesn't really show Tami very well or how devilish the rock pile actually was.


Goofy colorful plants....


Way out on Trout Creek trail at Corral Meadow.




Nice shot, Woodsie.


Heading back on Mahogany.


We had a very nice ride which went almost 40 miles, and we were back in time to go down to the Kern in the Jeepy.

Tami and Eric soaked a bit, while I gave them a lesson in the local creek critter biology. Then I got sort of restless and set off to find some trout.

Evening time near the Kern.


I followed the river downstream till I came across a perfect and deep stretch. The trout were breaking on evening bugs, making me wish that I had brought my fly gear with me. But all I had was spinning stuff, so I would have to make do with that. First I tried to offer the trout a firetiger Roostertail with a ball of Yum Troutkrilla stuck on the treble hook. A small tree across the way decided to take the bait for itself. Then I tied on the smallest size Kastmaster in chrome and dayglow red. I saw a fish rise to it as it skipped across the surface. I tried fishing it from upstream to the tailwater, but it was awkward to do. so I fished across the tailwater and up. What the heck, I got bit. Twice the rod loaded up and a nice trout spiraled up into time and space over the river's surface and twice the trout shook the treble while cartwheeling out of the water. Nonetheless, it was very exciting!

Trout are RIGHT HERE!


I could have stayed on and even headed downstream further, but it was getting late, the sun was about to set and Tami and Eric were waiting for me at the Jeep. So I headed back. The trout will be there for me next year.

So it was the best time I have had so far up at Troy Meadows. I am confident that the 4th Annual Troy Meadows Experience will be even better, especially if Tami and Eric have anything to do with it.

Thanks, Woodsie....for being a great guide and riding companion and all round good gal (and having patience while waiting for your slowpoke friend to amble along up to you). It was nice to meet Eric too. Thanks to him, for helping to prep my bike for riding on the second day.

[dirt dame 559]

I know  this ride report is several years old, but I wanted to transfer all the story content and pictures to this website after we have been having some problems on the other site it was originally posted on.  Not sure if that site will stay up and running or not, and this was one of t hose fun trips of a life time....so some of the story was tranfered into above posts and the rest will be here:

As told by Woodsie....

After splashing around at the river we headed up the Monache Jeep Trail to Blackrock Mt Trail...


The trees are big here right on the outskirts of the Giant Sequoia National Monument...







After dropping down off the Blackrock Mt Trail we hit the Little Horse Trail that runs along Little Horse Meadow...






Looks like someone knocked the cairn over...


Back up through the rocks of Beach Ridge Trail and back to camp...


We arrived to see Eric scoping out the critter in the meadow next to camp...





We finished the day with 51 miles under our belts, and we had a great time!

[dirt dame 559]

Eric hung around camp nursing his broken shoulder, but he took my 610 out both days and explored the dirt roads in the area...

[dirt dame 559]

Our 2nd day's ride was to be shorter since we both wanted to splash around in the river afterwards...





We started off down the Mahogany Trail...


DirtDame coming down the switchbacks...




We headed up to the Bald Mt. Lookout for a nice view of the Dome Land Wilderness, a fantastic landscape of solid granite formations...




The hike up to the actual lookout at 9400' is very grueling in gear so we opted for the view from this wide spot in the road...


Can you see the teeny tiny lookout on top?


Back down to Mahogany Trail to Rattlesnake Trail...


And out to Bonita Meadow...


What a lovely view, eh?


Speaking of lovely views, this meadow on Beach Trail was spectacular...









The trails out on the western side tend to get ridden less because they're harder to get to and they tend to be a bit more technical...


Here she comes down the rocky trail...










More to come...

[dirt dame 559]

Nice little waterfall near the trail...


Water water everywhere...





Corral Meadow...







We got back on Mahogany and headed back to camp. This outcropping has always been a tad scary for me, as the "tink" of footpeg hitting rock has put me over the side before on several trails, but DirtDame seemed to make it through with no drama...



We made it back after 40 fun miles and had plenty of time to head on down to the Kern River for some soaking. I was avoiding wine the entire time since the altitude can make me feel crappy and alcohol makes it worse, but since there would be no more riding I helped Eric drain the boda bag of a scrumptious bottle of 7 Deadly Zins We had a great time splashing and talking and soaking up the very warm late afternoon sun. The long night sitting by the campfire capped off a very fun and relaxing 4 day holiday. I think we all had a great time. Thanks for coming along with us
 

[Bp619 104]

Nice reload, I really need to make an effort to take a weekend riding up there