After breakfast, I rode Yagi, my 2006 Yamaha TW200 Dualsport over to the Dutch Fred campground (it appears to be a free camping area) to capture a nearby rock formation I'd spotted the day before.
Where it had been empty before, it now had three campsites with campers.
After I took the above shot, a rider from one the campsites came up to me.....yelled "Hey, that's my T-Dub!" and circled around to come park next to me. Turns out, it was Dustin, the guy who'd sold me the TW200! Small World.
We chatted for a bit, were joined by two of his riding friends. They were going out for a bit of riding. They offered to let me join them in their riding but I declined since I like to stop so often to take pictures.
After they left, I rode on over to the vicinity of Devil's Head hoping to get a shot of the mountain itself. No luck at this point, though I did find a nice pile of boulders to climb and get shots of the countryside:
Above, the view of the road where I left Yagi parked
Below, the rock pile I spent some time clambering over.
Here's the view from up there:
I turned back towards the turnoff for Devil's Head Trailhead and stopped for a pic of a nice rock formation:
I got back on Rampart Range road and soon found an entrance point to the single track trail that was running alongside the road. It was Trail #627 I believe, and it was very rideable in spite of my lack of dirt biking skills. I went slow and steady of course, not going like a bat out of the hell like most of the dirt bikers I'd seen in the area.
Moseying along, I came upon this open area that gave a good view of the nearby mountain range of which Devil's Head is a part:
Devil's Head is the rock formation atop the middle of the
mountain on the left.
I continued on what I believe was Trail 627 until I got to one spot where I mistakenly got onto Trail 787, boy was that a mistake.
What had been pretty doable single track terrain turned hilly and full of series of holes, one right after the other, which tended to bounce one's motorcycle about quite a bit!
Still, it was still doable but definitely was pushing the limits of my dirt riding skills. Trail 787 took me deeper into the woods, steadily descending into some valley. Narrow spots abounded, and I was concentrating really hard in not smacking the mirrors or for that matter, myself, on the trees alongside the trail.
There came one tight turn to the right, with negative camber and mud which proved my undoing. Took it too fast, hit the front brake as I was aimed at a tree turn, and crashed. I pitched forward onto the ground while Yagi buried it's right side into the mud/dirt.
I banged my left knee and the side of my right calf pretty good, but was able to turn off the engine and slowly get up. I was dragging Yagi to a better position to pick her up when two other riders came by with their dirt bikes. They stopped and offered to help and it was easy work to pick up Yagi and get her upright once again.
We chatted for a bit, then a third member of their party showed up on a small ATV and advised them that another one in their party had gotten stuck further back the trail. I examined Yagi and she seemed OK, covered in mud of course due to the many puddles and being crashed onto the dirt.
I said my goodbyes and thanks and after some encouragement from one of the riders, kept going instead of turning back.
It would be many more miles of sometimes tricky trail riding but no more crashes but there were a couple of close ones! Let's just say I breathed a sigh of relief when the trail finally ended at the entrance parking lot to Rampart Range Road!
So, Trail 787, not a trail to do by yourself, trust me.
I rode the trail that borders Rampart Range Road back towards the campsite, it wasn't as technical but it did have some steep hillls! I was tired and hot, so went slowly all the way back to the campsite. Still, made it back without incident and rested the rest of the day. I had left the campsite around 8AM I think and didn't get back till almost 3PM! Long day of riding!
No pics of the trail riding, picture a rough dirt trail, barely wider than your handlebars, bordered by pine trees on both sides, throw in many, many, holes filled with water, sloping walls on each side, steep hill climbs and steeper descents.....and you'll have an idea.
4 comments:
Boy, am glad you made it through the rough stuff with only minor bruises. With only two wheels, is tempting to explore the narrow and twisty.
A word of caution, she who keeps you wants a functioning partner... eh?
Yep, thanks CCjon and yes, confirmed, message received and understood....no more solitary single track riding if at all possible.
That single track seems way beyond what I’d want to do let alone ability to do. But it sounds like you made it through mostly unscathed.
It’s actually fun until it gets gnarly and then it can get “technical “....best done with a buddy.
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