D37 Gold Rush Qualifier - March 18th

[dirt dame 561]

the trail wasn't that bad, seeing was the problem. and the giant ruts that were forming. there were some puddles but mostly long mud/snow bogs with deep grooves. and barb wire on the trial that got tangled in my wheel. someone must have taken out one of the fences. there were lots of people who were blowing turns in the muck and bikes tossed off the trial when i was going around.

I have had blowing snow stuck to my goggles (when I wore them) and have had it pack into the face port of my helmet, after hitting snow covered branches. I had to stop and remove the snow by hand, before I could continue. And my feet got REALLY cold, too.

[Spaugh 1]

briana and mctrails and me lined up together. the first 3-4 minutes are on a track and it gets better on the single track after that.

[dirt dame 561]

Pretty sure that it looks more mucky and slippery than McCain does in the snow.

[Bagstr 287]

Excellent! Thanks for taking the trouble to shoot the report.

I assume you are on the 350?

Hard weather is hard to come by in SD, need to take advantage.

[daijones 0]

I'm not really a morning guy and the thought of battling thru snow covered roads before any plows in my 2WD van just to get to the start held little appeal so I drove up saturday afternoon. That was bad enough in torrential rain with cars span off and stopped all the way up the 15, after that was OK up to Anza but drive up dirt road to the track was difficult and only just made it into the main (lower) parking area which was very muddy with several ponds. Signed up, fitted number, sorted score card and back into van out of the weather, by 6pm had dropped below freezing and rain was now snow coming in horizontal. So settled in, watched dvd, read a book, text updates to Rob then off to sleep which was fine, warm enough even though no heater but van moving around a bit in wind and some heavy rain on roof. Up at 7am fresh and found 4+ inches of snow, Brad, Briana and Alan arrived and went to sign up and found start had been delayed an hour until 9am, Rob and Cyril were still on their way and arrived shortly after and signed up. Quick riders meeting discovered course had been cut dramitically and we would only ride a 3.5 mile special test twice, quite bummed really but they were concerned about safety and getting injured riders out would have been very difficult from anywhere far from the main roads.

So now at my key time of 9:31 headed off on first loop/test, messed start onto MX track a bit so last of 4 on my minute but got past 2 OK but other guy was going quick but caught him heading into single track but he was riding well and I never ride well early so dropped back a bit. Passed a bunch of riders and was finally catching guy on my minute but he was getting past slower riders better. After about 3/4 of test I was on him but couldn't get past in single track as he wouldn't pull over and going off line into snow which I tried quite a few times just didn't work so at end of test I was right behind him but lost some time to what I could have done. Got back to my van and my fingers were so cold so got warm, fresh gloves and goggles and an hour wait for 2nd loop/test. In meantime Brad came in with a barb wire fence around his rear wheel, Alan seemed to have had enough so with Briana they all loaded up to get out before it got any worse as by now there was a full blown blizzard.

2nd test I got better start behind the guy who had just beat me on 1st test, he rode nice and quick but was holding me up so tried a few passess on mx track but as soon as you went off into deeper snow there was no way past. So into ST I kept on his tail, now was more cut up with some deep ruts and I was getting plastered with mud, trying different lines around him, hoping for mistake but again he wouldn't pull over despite I was quicker and he was holding me up. We passed a bunch of others again and unfortunately these were in some of the only opportunites I could have passed him withought block passing so had to follow him to finish covered in his mud. So not too happy as could/should have done better as this suited me so well, my faults but if it had been longer as planned would have suited me better.

Drive out of the The Ranch was not easy, very glad Robert followed me, we got to one bit of hill I was concerned about and there was long line waiting with 4x4's crawling up with big trailers, I didn't get a good enough run up so got stuck first attempt, Robert my hero backed everyone so I could try again, fail, try #3 fail again. So back maybe bit firther for last try before resorting to putting on chains and just made it up, doesn't help with worn rear tires but the Sprinter isn't great in slippy conditions without weight in rear. Then 15 miles later we emerge from a blizzard onto #79 and it's a different world.

Fun day, memorable, even epic.

[robertaccio 407]

Hcam (not mine) for trail reference

[isde97 29]

I headed up Sunday morning, thinking this could be good since it wasn't raining. Until it starting snowing. I didn't have any trouble getting in, but could tell it was going to be a challenge to hold the event. It never stopped snowing the whole time I was up there.

Being prepped for the conditions can make a huge difference, and there is not a lot of room between having too much and not enough. The call was goggles with double pane lens, cold pro gloves (not sure I have ever even worn them before), regular gear with a pak jak and pak pants. This worked really well, fingertips were a bit cold after the first loop/test, but otherwise comfortable and could see. It was a little sloppy in the main line, really slippery if you got off into the snow. I only fall once.

I prewarm my gloves for the second test, and this time my hands stay warm the whole time (like 13 minutes, yay). I could have ridden more, but was OK with that being the day. I make a feeble attempt to find SDAR members, but didn't know who had made it and stomping around with snow going sideways wasn't that much fun. Someday, we will get our act together for these events.

[robertaccio 407]

Matt were you wearing your ISDE skunk helmet??? If so I think I saw you but could not be sure it was you. We need to use Dai Jones' tall white sprinter as a reference flag from now on. Thats how we found him in the AM. Glad you made it. R

I headed up Sunday morning, thinking this could be good since it wasn't raining. Until it starting snowing. I didn't have any trouble getting in, but could tell it was going to be a challenge to hold the event. It never stopped snowing the whole time I was up there.

Being prepped for the conditions can make a huge difference, and there is not a lot of room between having too much and not enough. The call was goggles with double pane lens, cold pro gloves (not sure I have ever even worn them before), regular gear with a pak jak and pak pants. This worked really well, fingertips were a bit cold after the first loop/test, but otherwise comfortable and could see. It was a little sloppy in the main line, really slippery if you got off into the snow. I only fall once.

I prewarm my gloves for the second test, and this time my hands stay warm the whole time (like 13 minutes, yay). I could have ridden more, but was OK with that being the day. I make a feeble attempt to find SDAR members, but didn't know who had made it and stomping around with snow going sideways wasn't that much fun. Someday, we will get our act together for these events.

[isde97 29]

Matt were you wearing your ISDE skunk helmet??? If so I think I saw you but could not be sure it was you. We need to use Dai Jones' tall white sprinter as a reference flag from now on. Thats how we found him in the AM. Glad you made it. R

No, thinking about how old that helmet is is not pleasant. It just sits on the shelf now.

It is good seeing everyone made it. I was thinking the conditions might have had some reconsidering.

[daijones 0]

I headed up Sunday morning, thinking this could be good since it wasn't raining. Until it starting snowing. I didn't have any trouble getting in, but could tell it was going to be a challenge to hold the event. It never stopped snowing the whole time I was up there.

Being prepped for the conditions can make a huge difference, and there is not a lot of room between having too much and not enough. The call was goggles with double pane lens, cold pro gloves (not sure I have ever even worn them before), regular gear with a pak jak and pak pants. This worked really well, fingertips were a bit cold after the first loop/test, but otherwise comfortable and could see. It was a little sloppy in the main line, really slippery if you got off into the snow. I only fall once.

I prewarm my gloves for the second test, and this time my hands stay warm the whole time (like 13 minutes, yay). I could have ridden more, but was OK with that being the day. I make a feeble attempt to find SDAR members, but didn't know who had made it and stomping around with snow going sideways wasn't that much fun. Someday, we will get our act together for these events.

Sorry we didn't see you Matt, glad you made it.

Agree being prepped can make a huge difference. My changes from normal riding are few, sealskinz socks to keep feet dry and warm, pak jak to keep core dry and not too warm, I use rolloffs on goggles with fishing line so doesn't stick when wet along with habervision vent fan to keep from fogging, first loop I used normal pawtector gloves but didn't get hands warm enough before start and fingers were popsicles by end, second loop used polarpaw gloves and got them nice and toasty on exhaust before start and were fine, right equipment and prep. Roll offs are so good in these conditions when done right, I spent the whole second loop/test a few feet behind another rider and along with the driving snow I was pulling fresh view every few corners so I could always see.

[daijones 0]

briana and mctrails and me lined up together. the first 3-4 minutes are on a track and it gets better on the single track after that.

Great video, wish I could have had such a clean run, I was stuck behind other slower riders the whole time it seemed.

[Spaugh 1]

Great video, wish I could have had such a clean run, I was stuck behind other slower riders the whole time it seemed.

you just have to invite your wife and your buddies that don't like riding in the snow to start with you

trust me, there wasn't anything clean about my riding. those ruts and mud were giving me a lot of problems trying to hold a good line.

[robertaccio 407]

I was also very fortunate, only one other rider on my minute (there were 4 in the book, 2 no-shows), I keyed off him until we hit the S/T then I passed and motored away, everyone else were great at moving over, except for a little hold up near the end of ST1(L1), behind one guy to the CP. L2 I was on my own all the way with no hold ups at all.I like the light bike, if I was on the 450 I think I would have gotten hung up either in a rut or in a mud hole. Thanks for the viddy Brad! there are also others being posted up now as well. Just waiting for the results!!

[robertaccio 407]

http://ridechec.com/

I railed the 1st ST Loop a couple seconds off Dai (my second loop sloooow time killed my OA)I like the 310!!

[KTMrad 512]

Great video !

[robertaccio 407]

ISDE97-21st OA class 1st

DaiJones-41st OA class 1st

Robertaccio-51st OA class 1st Prelim.

SDAR representin!!!

[SICVIC 0]

Nice work everyone!

[robertaccio 407]

1 Photo Album

http://s42.photobucket.com/albums/e338/robertaccio/2012%20MAR%2018%20Anza%20Enduro/?albumview=slideshow

Also honorable mention to Alan, Brad and Brianna !!!! Glad y'all made it!! Many folks turned tail and split.

[daijones 0]

I have to be happy with another class win (3 straight races now) and 41st overall from 160 2 loop finishers is decent but more pleased with 27th OA on first test (although to be fair early A riders had little trail to follow). I lost quite a lot of time on 2nd test stuck behind another ride that wouldn't let me past, turns out he won the Vet (30+) B Hwt class so not bad to be on his pace. Beat a load of A riders and in fact was only 1s off 3rd place in Senior A Hwt class but the conditions were much more suited to my background although I've only raced a couple of times in snow in last 4 years since started riding again but riding at McCain in snow a couple of weeks ago was helpful.

[dirt dame 561]

I've only raced a couple of times in snow in last 4 years since started riding again but riding at McCain in snow a couple of weeks ago was helpful.

You should have been out to McCain today. Lots of thick drifts and Larry Roeseler was out there too.

[daijones 0]

I've only raced a couple of times in snow in last 4 years since started riding again but riding at McCain in snow a couple of weeks ago was helpful.

You should have been out to McCain today. Lots of thick drifts and Larry Roeseler was out there too.

Was thinking of it but decided to ride there wednesday instead with Tim, should be fun

[dirt dame 561]

Was thinking of it but decided to ride there wednesday instead with Tim, should be fun

The snow was melting pretty fast at the south end of the OHV area. I think I might go back on Thursday.

[robertaccio 407]

DD,

LR on the TXC310? or? WR 2 strokin' it?

[dirt dame 561]

DD,

LR on the TXC310? or? WR 2 strokin' it?

He was riding the four stroke. He'll probably be out there again on Thursday.

[robertaccio 407]

more chest cam viddy from the sno-down ho down "chase cam" (Eric's)