RR January

small change said:

We had a get out of dodge day. One of my "tasks" with the new club is to
establish contact with other regional club. I did, and we got an invite to
travel a few hours and ride today. Not only did we get to ride with the
president of MAMBA, he's a trail builder and has been building single track
for 11 years. He's also the author of the local guide, what a generous guy
to show us around.
To sum it up, we had a wonderful ride on a gorgeous day.

<snip great stuff>

Quoted message said:

It was worth the drive, just to get the trail going under my wheels.

penny

Lucky you. We sem to be getting the weather you should be having. It
snowed a little again today. Arrgggghhh!!!!

--
o-o-o-o Ride-A-Lot o-o-o-o
www.schnauzers.ws

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We had a get out of dodge day. One of my "tasks" with the new club is to
establish contact with other regional club. I did, and we got an invite to
travel a few hours and ride today. Not only did we get to ride with the
president of MAMBA, he's a trail builder and has been building single

track

Quoted message said:

for 11 years. He's also the author of the local guide, what a generous

guy

Quoted message said:

to show us around.
To sum it up, we had a wonderful ride on a gorgeous day.

The long version... It's gloomy here. Warm enough to shut down every ski

are

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for 100 miles but most of the trails are still under a layer of ice and
snow. I attempted a ride on the ice/snow yesterday, you all would have

been

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proud of me just going for it... but after 1/4 mile I put my foot down,
right through a layer of ice into deep ice water. Both feet. Shoes filled

up

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with ice water. So I cashed it
in and went home.

Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.

The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful area. Or
another banana belt further inland?

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The valley at the trail head
was cool and in the shade, but I knew that we were going up the mountain.
On single track. On lots of singletrack. On single track built by bikers
for bikers, really. There is a arrangement with a private property owner

and

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the mountain bikers:

http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/penny/biking/images/mmtn/mmt5.jpg

It's evident our fearless leader has put his heart and soul into these
trails. He's got a real eye for flow, grade and all that good stuff. Every
now and then he stops to point out a particular design feature to us,

mostly

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as an educational tool. Me - I'm feeling the winter... as in not much
biking
lately, a spin class here and there, no skiing. Read, as, please god give

me

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one more gear but I suck it up and keep on climbing. There are very few
patches of snow, and it's incredibly warm. Sure we are going up but this
is - strange. Unseasonable! The sun is warming up the hill side, and there
are patches of green poking through the forest underlayers. Our guides

keep

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letting us know that it's worth the climb.

What can I say about these trails... beautiful, winding along the

topography

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with grace. At the very top we hit an old motorcycle V trail and what a
switch... it's not for long. We pop out at the view spot, take a little
break and then head down. I think we made a figure 8 but I'm not sure.
Heading down is of course where the fun begins. We head off on
"switchblade" a new topographical back and forth that winds us down

through

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the forest, crossing the old fall line trail numerous times. I've lost my
knack for switch backs it seems, but I guess I can't complain about 50%
success rate on these really tight round turns. The sun filtering through
the trees is something else, it feels like March, not January.

I'm kind of turned around...we go back and forth through the forest so

many

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times I give up trying to keep track of direction. The voices are above

and

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below me- no matter as I'm taking my time enjoying ride. Wishing too that

I

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knew the trail well enough to just bomb it, but that's the price you pay

for

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trying something new.

http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/penny/biking/images/mmtn/mmt2.jpg
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/penny/biking/images/mmtn/mmt3.jpg
http://www.specialtyoutdoors.com/penny/biking/images/mmtn/mmt4.jpg

Sweet.

Greg

--
"destroy your safe and happy lives before it is too late,
the battles we fought were long and hard,
just not to be consumed by rock n' roll" - the mekons

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

We had a get out of dodge day. One of my "tasks" with the new club is to
establish contact with other regional club. I did, and we got an invite to
travel a few hours and ride today. Not only did we get to ride with the
president of MAMBA, he's a trail builder and has been building single
track
for 11 years. He's also the author of the local guide, what a generous
guy
to show us around.
To sum it up, we had a wonderful ride on a gorgeous day.> It was worth the
drive, just to get the trail going under my wheels.

penny

Congratulations. Any riding this time of year is good, and your outing
sounds outstanding.

CDB

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Quoted message said:

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Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.

The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful area. Or
another banana belt further inland?

Question
Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

taywood said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.

The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
area. Or another banana belt further inland?

Question
Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be the
latter.

The warmth is subjective of course.

penny

small change said:

taywood said:

Quoted message said:

>Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.

The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
area. Or another banana belt further inland?

Question
Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be the
latter.

The warmth is subjective of course.

penny

Yup. Colorado's banana belt got six inches of snow since Friday. Hardy
banana trees.

Shawn

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

taywood said:

Quoted message said:

> Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.

The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
area. Or another banana belt further inland?

Question
Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be the
latter.

Yeah, but I think Brookings, OR has trademarked it.

Greg

G.T. said:

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

taywood said:

>> Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.
>
> The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
> area. Or another banana belt further inland?

Question
Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be
the latter.

Yeah, but I think Brookings, OR has trademarked it.

Greg

I dunno, I first heard the term in the Rockies, first as a refererence to
Fort Collins, and then Rock Springs ( or was it Green River? It's been so
long) in Wyoming....

penny

G.T. said:

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

taywood said:

>> Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.
>
> The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
> area. Or another banana belt further inland?

Question
Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

latter.

Yeah, but I think Brookings, OR has trademarked it.

Either there, or Buena Vista, Colorado. I think it's funny that in
Colorado it's pronounced "byoona vista". I've been to both places and
never saw any bananas growing though.

JD

JD said:

G.T. said:

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

taywood wrote:
>>> Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.
>>
>> The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
>> area. Or another banana belt further inland?
>
> Question
> Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
> Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be
the latter.

Yeah, but I think Brookings, OR has trademarked it.

Either there, or Buena Vista, Colorado. I think it's funny that in
Colorado it's pronounced "byoona vista". I've been to both places and
never saw any bananas growing though.

JD

how about Doo-boyz Wyoming ( don't call it Du bwoi....) as is goofy
pronunciations, not banana-ish...

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

JD said:

G.T. wrote:>> Either there, or Buena Vista, Colorado. I think it's funny
that in
Colorado it's pronounced "byoona vista". I've been to both places and
never saw any bananas growing though.

JD

how about Doo-boyz Wyoming ( don't call it Du bwoi....) as is goofy
pronunciations, not banana-ish...

Alright you infidels, I just talked to a lady in Brookings, (work related)
and she confirmed that it is truly the Banana Belt of the NW. Her monkey
said so, too.

CDB

JD said:

G.T. said:

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

taywood wrote:

>>>Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.
>>
>>The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
>>area. Or another banana belt further inland?
>
>Question
>Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
>Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

latter.

Yeah, but I think Brookings, OR has trademarked it.

Either there, or Buena Vista, Colorado. I think it's funny that in
Colorado it's pronounced "byoona vista". I've been to both places and
never saw any bananas growing though.

JD

Buni for short, or BV for real short. The story is that some years ago
the city gov. decided they needed to establish one pronunciation and in
traditional rural hick American style they officially bastardized the
name of the town. JD gave the correct official pronunciation.
Of course I live in Sa lie duh, not Sa lee duh (Spanish for "exit", go
figure). BTW Buni (25 miles north of here) ain't got nuthin on Salida
for bananas, we're 900 feet lower and a lot warmer.

Shawn

P.S. if you think "Byoona Vista" is bad, you should hear how they
pronounce Pueblo around here. "Pew (like it stinks) eeb low" or "Pwee eb
low". Makes my skin crawl. (Insert Sideshow Bob shudder here) At least
it's not Byoo een ah Vista!

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

G.T. said:

"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

taywood wrote:
>>> Not today. We headed toward the banana belt.
>>
>> The banana belt as in southern coastal Oregon? If so, beautiful
>> area. Or another banana belt further inland?
>
> Question
> Does this mean you ride thru banana plantations?
> Or is it a local phrase for an area which has milder temps.

Most Northern or Western states have a "banana belt" which would be
the latter.

Yeah, but I think Brookings, OR has trademarked it.

Greg

I dunno, I first heard the term in the Rockies, first as a refererence to
Fort Collins, and then Rock Springs ( or was it Green River? It's been so
long) in Wyoming....

Yeah, but those areas are too dry for bananas, hence, it's more appropriate
for coastal temperate areas.

GT

"Paladin" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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"small change" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

JD said:

G.T. wrote:>> Either there, or Buena Vista, Colorado. I think it's

funny

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that in
Colorado it's pronounced "byoona vista". I've been to both places and
never saw any bananas growing though.

JD

how about Doo-boyz Wyoming ( don't call it Du bwoi....) as is goofy
pronunciations, not banana-ish...

Alright you infidels, I just talked to a lady in Brookings, (work related)
and she confirmed that it is truly the Banana Belt of the NW. Her monkey
said so, too.

The monkey knows all.

GT