Pine Valley to Corral Canyon

[dirt dame 559]

So yesterday I took the mellow fire road ride, then today I took the not quite as mellow light technical ride. Red sticker season is rapidly winding down, so there are only about two weeks to ride the little two-strokes before they go into mothballs for the summer. Looks like a job for Riley the KDX.

Got over to Pine Valley exit just before nine to find Spaugh, Brianna and Bryan already gearing up. They planned to have a little jaunt over to Corral Canyon and then maybe head over to McCain, or so they thought. I had other plans, seeing as how I couldn't get in on any road riding whatsoever.

We headed out towards Kernan and made our way down to Morena Stokes road. It was Brianna's first real ride doing technical stuff, so she had some new fun going down one side of Kernan and up the other on her big ol' KTM. By the end of the day, she would find herself fully initiated on the technical stuff, if not a little scuffed up and bent bikewise, but apparently none the worse for wear bodywise. She seemed to like the challenge, or at least didn't kill me for leading her all over rock tarnation and back .

I took the group down some big rock slabs, over to the campground and then up to the fire lookout, via Spur Meadow. We had a nice break, went back down Spur after the ranger up top told us that Sky Valley would be open all the way through in about two weeks . Took Bronco Flats connector across the middle section and fire road back to Kernan. We were all tired by then and it was getting past mid afternoon. And I could hear a cup of soft freeze ice cream calling my name, too. So it was back up to Pine Valley exit and from there over to Frosty Burger for some late lunch for all.

I had an almost perfect day, with nary a stall, fall or stumble and the little Kawalski ran and started great all day long. Fun ride with fun company. It was great to meet and ride with Brianna. She is a trooper and isn't afraid to take some chances to learn new aspects of trail riding. Sorry about the bent sub-frame, though.

The three KTMs get ready for the creek crossing.

Spaugh first....

Then Bryan....

And Brianna.

Up one slab....

down another....

On Spur Meadow trail.

A view of Corte Madera from the fire look out.

On Bronco Flats connector. Brianna does it in style.

Next up was Spaugh.

And then Bryan.

[ADAM_650L 0]

Looks like it was a great ride!!!

Wish I coulda been there... the whole work thing sucks!

[Spaugh 1]

hey mimi, thanks for guiding us around CC. We got home and its a lot hotter here. I'll go back there and do the rest of the trails, the guy at the lookout said the rest of the trails will be reopened in 2 weeks. I"ll see if bryan can gimme some pictures to post. My camera stopped working on the B2R ride in the sand dunes.

[dirt dame 559]

Oh boy! There's plenty more trails from where those came from!

[Jon O 0]

Awesome photos!

[Strega 0]

Nice pics

[dirt dame 559]

I had to scamper along ahead of the others to get into position for the photos. Unfortunately I wasn't around for any crash shots. Bryan took the shots of me.

[dirt dame 559]

And I found out by accident that the video feature on my little camera works in a pretty snazzy fashion. I'll have to try it out on purpose in the future.

[roostingu 0]

you are really busy with your new vocation as a ride guide, save some for me, can't wait, the pictures are great and the trails look better. missed seeing photos of you riding gear on this report

speaking of video I have a mount for my camera under the visor and the video quality is good, until I got my VholdR camera, it was the way I took ride video but it is hard to get it pointed right and to operate on and off, and I destoyed my first one via water and mud the autofocus nolonger operates, but I got lots of good video with it

packing stuff up and planning route, have not heard anymore about Moab so maybe thats not gonna happen but I will try to ride it when I come through Utah should be out there second week in May, God willing