I was not going to write this but there has been a couple interesting things happen already.
First of all I have to say that CMW was awesome and well worth the 4 days it took to drive out here. I went way beyond bonking the first day (due to lack of preparation, food, etc.) and my legs really did feel halfway between pudding and Jello the second day.
After CMW I spent one more night at the Johnson residence then headed west to head up the coast. I ended up deciding to stay in Lassen Volcanic park and may have become the fist person to make the trek up Mt. Harkness shoeless, pant-less and wearing a cape. The way up felt great but going down was literally a foot at a time.
I stayed at the Juniper lake campground two nights then got back on the road and stoped to do the hike into Bumpass Hell which was a really cool hike but there were tons of people on the trail, I would hate to be there on a warm weekend.
There was a bit of snow on the ground from the evening before but the sun was shining so I was soon walking shirtless. The fist person I met was a lady in a big poofy parka and she just shivered when I passed her on the trail. I saw probably 80 people on the trail and least dressed of them had bunnyhugs and toques on.
Today I drove through Redwood National Park and stopped for a hike through the trees. I was a ways down the trail and it was just super peaceful. I sat down on a hump at the base of a tree about a meter off the trail and was enjoying the peacefulness of the place when this couple walks up the trail. The lady was in front and the guy behind. When they got to where I was the guy said “Hi” and I said “Hey” and the girl looked over and screamed jumping backwards tripping and falling into the trickle of a stream beside the trail.
I was not sure if I should laugh or apologize and ended up doing both. I guess she just did not see me then realized that there was something/someone only a meter away. She got a bit wet but was not hurt and just kept saying “I didn’t even him you there” when they walked away.
I wonder if I could have gotten an even better reaction if I still had the dreads and the beard.
Glad your made it to CMW. I now missed the last two. Sorry I missed you. I’ve been to three prior CMW.
Wait how exposed were you?
I can imagine the freezing cold you must have endured in your life time. Brrrrr!!
My ‘‘worst bonked ever’’ was on my first muni trip. It was at Moab on the Slick rock trail in 2005. I was very close to checking into the hospital from electrolite imbalance.
Man, I was looking at the map of your part of the earth. It’s was up there with tons of wildernest and lots of water(in the summer). How does the muni trails compare to the CMW trails? Do you have lots of trails to ride in the summer time that’s bear, moose, lion free? LOL
Makes me want to take a drive up north.
Do people snow-kite?
Nah no alki, I was wearing mocasins and they were starting to get sweaty 1/3 of the way up, took them off and figured that my shorts were not really necessary either. I did keep my boxers on.
I have to admit that I have not tried a huge amount of the trails up by Flin-Flon but have ridden many further south when I worked in the Narrow Hills Park. The trails by Denare Beach/Flin-Flon tend to be snowmobile trails and not very passible in the summer. The quad trails that are passable in summer tend to be very variable with rocks to rolling hills to swampy areas. There is no such thing as recreational trails up there.
There is lots of bare rock which would be great for natural trials if you were into that kind of thing.
Further south in the narrow hills (where I used to work) there are many more trails mostly rolling hills. there are some good but short downhill sections of singletrack (meant for hikers) going down to lakes. Lots of good fun XC trails.
As for snow-kite we call it kite-boarding but it is the same thing, there is quite an active group of kite-boarders in and around Saskatoon. They even have their own forums at www.escapesports.ca
An update on my travels:
I have had my first real encounters with American cops. They really weren’t as bad as people would have me believe. One woke me up two nights ago when I was sleeping in my vehicle saying that I should move to a shopping center parking lot or a campground, and I got pulled over by a ghost car when I was going 42 in a 35 zone. They let me off with a warning.
I have been slowly working my way up the coast and am now in Port Angeles Wa. Thinking of taking the ferry to Victoria in the morning. We will see if they have room.
