DS-dirt road exploring N and NW of Tomball

[dbdolan]

Went for a little ride Sunday afternoon on 2-18-07 with Desmo. Took off from Steve's house and worked our way up North and West of Montgomery just kinda looking for something new in the dirt road area. My bike ran fine after the dunking from last weekend and I told Steve(Desmo) I was taking it easy today so no trails only dirt roads, but noooo... we found some trails over in the Todd Mission area and we putted around. Steve almost lost it but recovered just inches from laying his KLR down (this was the first time I have ever seen Steve loose control of his KLR, he is a rock solid rider and I don't think he is ever laid any of his bikes over.) Well I should have taken a que and quit while I was ahead but noo... I lost it on a hill and laid her over and snapped off my clutch lever, thank goodness I had a spare and got back on the road. We spent the rest of the day just exploring and really had a nice time just out sightseeing and enjoying the weather. Here are all of my pic's...

Me changing the clutch lever..
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea001.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea003.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea005.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea007.jpg

My camera was kinda freaking out but it did take some abstract images...

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea008.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea009.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea010.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea012.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea014.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea015.jpg

okay back to normal..

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea017.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea018.jpg

Okay here I accidentally zoomed in the lens while trying to take these riding pics..it was abstract to say the least.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea020.jpg

on the move

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea021.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea023.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea025.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea026.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea027.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea028.jpg

We came to a few locked gates while checking some of the roads that were on the gps..

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea029.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea030.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea032.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea033.jpg

Ran across some wild game ranch that had some unusual animals..

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea035.jpg

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%202-18-07%20butler%20ranch%20area/DS2-18-07butlerrancharea036.jpg

[Cagiva 549]

I see you rode down Bethel road , what ? no pictures of the gorrillas . SEYA

[dbdolan]

I see you rode down Bethel road , what ? no pictures of the gorilla's . SEYA
I could see the gorillas as we were riding by, I thought about taking a pic but kept riding. Next time I will stop and take a pic, I haven't been on that part of Bethel Rd. in years. It is funny what you see. I can say on these DS rides I have seen tiger's, donkey's, emu's, water buffalo's, red deer, jackalope's, and now gorilla's.:lol2:

[Thunderchild]

Very cool ride! Reminds me that I need to start carrying spare parts on even short local rides. You never know...

I never thought I'd see the word gorilla in a ride report from Texas. :rofl:

[Greasemonkey]

Glad your bike is good Brian and looks like a pretty good ride.Gorilla's,tiggers,deers and birds,sounds like we need to do a zoo ride for the city folks!!!!

[Cagiva 549]

If you have BarkBusters you dont need spare leavers , Thats the first thing I added to my KLR . SEYA

[Desmo]

Yes, but with BarkBusters your more likely to bend the bars. Just ask the Tourmeister how many handle bars he has been thru in the last year. My opinion is just dont fall in the first place!

Great ride and trip report, Bryan. I look forward to the next one.

Steve

[thumper]

Glad to see all your stuff survived the "puddle'' db.:lol2: That looks like a nice area. I've been thinking about a trail/dirtroads route dipping in and out of SHNF and up where y'all do most of your riding. Got any suggestions?:trust:

[Tekisasu DR]

Hi, Bryan,

Glad to see your bike running great again!
I did know that you can ride dirt road before you get to Montgomery...

BTW, is this the unusual animal you saw?

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o3/texasdr/Misc/Unusualanimal.jpg

:lol2: Ken

[Tekisasu DR]

Glad to see all your stuff survived the "puddle'' db.:lol2: That looks like a nice area. I've been thinking about a trail/dirtroads route dipping in and out of SHNF and up where y'all do most of your riding. Got any suggestions?:trust:

Tim,

I went down Kelly's pond bank in SHNF this weekend. Boy, it looked really muddy and bottomless. I am very glad I turned around immediately... You've been there?

Ken

[saturnsb]

Cool Photos, I would love to add another DR to some of your rides in the future.

Stuart

[jsb223]

Hi, Bryan,

Glad to see your bike running great again!
I did know that you can ride dirt road before you get to Montgomery...

BTW, is this the unusual animal you saw?

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o3/texasdr/Misc/Unusualanimal.jpg

:lol2: Ken

Wow...a Texas Stump Sloth...

kinda rare...

:mrgreen:

[thumper]

Tim,

I went down Kelly's pond bank in SHNF this weekend. Boy, it looked really muddy and bottomless. I am very glad I turned around immediately... You've been there?

Ken

Yeah, I've been there several times. I probably don't know the trails near as well as some riders, but it seems to me that Kelly's pond is one of the lower sections [gets wet and stays wet].SHNF is open right now, so it must be reasonably dry on most of the trails.

I thought it would make a good ride by linking some of the better trail sections together with forestroads and then ride a dirt road loop above the forest.:trust:

Most of the times I've been there we rode all trails or all roads.:rider:

[dbdolan]

Hi, Bryan,

Glad to see your bike running great again!
I did know that you can ride dirt road before you get to Montgomery...

BTW, is this the unusual animal you saw?

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o3/texasdr/Misc/Unusualanimal.jpg

:lol2: Ken
I think it is a Jackalope with his head buried in the ground.:lol2:

[Georgiapeach]

Bryan, you just had to jump the hill didn't you? he, he. You are right about Steve I had never even seen his rear tire wiggle, not once. Nice effect on the pictures. The other day I took a trip to Burton and passed a farm with giraffe statue, from a distance it looked real. The bmw saw dirt for the first time, a little scarier than being on the lighter DRZ, but I managed even with the stock Tourances.

[dbdolan]

Bryan, you just had to jump the hill didn't you? he, he. You are right about Steve I had never even seen his rear tire wiggle, not once. Nice effect on the pictures. The other day I took a trip to Burton and passed a farm with giraffe statue, from a distance it looked real. The bmw saw dirt for the first time, a little scarier than being on the lighter DRZ, but I managed even with the stock Tourances.
What no pictures? I would like to see your beemer getting dirty.

[dbdolan]

Bryan, you just had to jump the hill didn't you? he, he. You are right about Steve I had never even seen his rear tire wiggle, not once. Nice effect on the pictures. The other day I took a trip to Burton and passed a farm with giraffe statue, from a distance it looked real. The bmw saw dirt for the first time, a little scarier than being on the lighter DRZ, but I managed even with the stock Tourances.
You know me I like to jump the hills even if I am not sure what is on the other side.:doh:
http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d130/dbdolan/DS%20Coldspring%209-10-06/DSColdspring9-10-06013.jpg