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2013 Uncle's Around the Bend and Desert Challenge ride reports

Joined
Jan 1, 2005
Messages
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Location
Buda, TX
First Name
Rich
Last Name
Gibbens
This picture is, to me, a perfect example of Uncle's rally and the desert challenge.

A dusty, smiling Milton Otto, somewhere on the desert challenge course.
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Thanks to all who attended - without the riders supporting the rally there wouldn't be a rally. So, thank you.

Also, thanks to this year's sponsors - Lone Star BMW/Triumph, Two Wheeled Texans, and Mag Powersports. Your continued support makes the rallies something special.

And, finally, thank you to Connie, Uncle, Bob, Ed, and everyone else that worked to make all the rally stuff happen. You guys make it look easy, but I know it's not.



Riders, please post your ride reports and pictures in this thread.
 
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My fav Around the Bend (ATB) of all time.

Thanks Richard and Connie and Uncle and all who year after year do great things to put this on.

This was the KLR's last ATB. Time for an exotic gunslinger. Pics coming.
 
GREAT TIME HAD BY ALL(almost)

it really happened!(pics)

MANY THANKS

shiny...errrrrr, i mean DUSTY side up

sw
 

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Home Safe, at 8:10 pm, What a GREAT time, Thanks Connie/Richard and everyone, Also to you Bob (Waldo) for the Grand tour to Terlingua Ranch roads and the stories, the group was on top of the world as Bob pointed out Cathedral mountain, Elephant mountain, Christmas mountain,etc...Thanks
 
Absolutely the best time ever! Thank you all for such an amazing event and wealth of knowledge. Back in Waco safe and sound.

-- Where's Waldo, thank you very much for the awesome tour of Terlingua ....

Special thanks to two of the best guys in world; Greg and Roger -- KLR Kings that took two noobies under their wings and made the event possible, without these gentlemen a little TW200 and WR250x would have been lost in the wilderness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHM8Hy4RBg0


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooVQHA-stT8
 
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Thanks to Richard/Connie, Uncle, the sweep riders and everyone else involved. Very well planned event, and so much fun. Also thanks to the Starlight and all the other vendors that fed us. Everything was very good.

Here are the stats from our challenge ride (two KTM Adventures). I took this screen shot right as we pulled back up to the Starlight after we finished. The extra miles were due to a detour up to the Marathon entrance to buy park passes. The high speed was passing a diesel pulling a trailer on 118 going toward Terlingua Ranch. Otherwise we ran close to the speed limit on all the pavement. We left first to avoid the dust and to be first, not to race but just because I guess we are wired that way. We made pretty good time and ended up stopping at Castolon a while for some cold ice tea. Old Ore Road and Black Gap were the most fun--with the nod to Old Ore because it is longer. Black Gap is fun but the good stuff ends way too soon.

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Saturday we headed out to the state park. It is a loooong way, but amazing riding, It is much more technical than anything in the National Park. Of course we hit the loop down to the Javelina Pens and across to the hill that Richard named King Kong. It is pretty impressive, especially when you are at the bottom sitting on a 500 pound motorcycle that needs to get to the top. I pinned it in 2nd gear and never let off. The last part has a turn in it and heads nearly straight up. The surface is loose rocks of varying sizes. I could have won the X games because I did at least three freestyle tricks. One was a Superman Air and the other two I don't know the names for, but they were both no-footed.:eek2: Anyway, I made it first try and I sure didn't take the best line. My buddy got up without too much trouble and we continued on. This is me on top of the hill. What a hoot!

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From there we completed the loop via West Oso and then headed out and did the Solitario Loop up to the Los Alamos Residence and back. This loop is very technical on a big bike with lots of nasty off cambers and hill climbs. Still a bunch of fun.

We ended up with 55 miles of actual riding in the park based out of the main Ranger Station in Sauceda. Riding in and out of the park to Sauceda would add another 50 miles to that. The State Park is great riding if you are looking for more of a challenge as far as technical terrain compared to the National Park.
 
As Wallace & Grommit would say, it was a "Grand (2) Day Out!"

Assisted a Ruskie with ignition problems
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The little engine that could
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Well Punk? Feeling lucky? Are you?
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Trice gets to thinking...
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Porch scene
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Up by Hen's Egg
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Parting shot of Elena
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So thanks again to everyone whose hard work made this a fantastic weekend.
 
Lots of fun...met lots of peeps...the guys hanging at El Dorado drink like fish...

Thanks to Kee, Bob, and Hunter for a cool Saturday..


-Rick
Honda CRF230f

p.s. Will post photos when I get home.
 
This picture is, to me, a perfect example of Uncle's rally and the desert challenge.

A dusty, smiling Milton Otto, somewhere on the desert challenge course.
P1010015-L.jpg

:tab Given the smile on his face and how much fun he looks like he's having, I have to wonder if he's gone and done something like break a bone in his foot... again... :nana: :lol2:
 
Had a great time. First time out and I find my mind is still in the park today at work.
 

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We had a great time as well - did the challenge the first day and the state park the next.

Regarding the state park - If you're on a small bike and want to trailer over there, I highly recommend unloading in Fort Leaton at the ranger station and riding to the state park, via Bofecillos road. It sucks in a truck, but it's pretty fun on a bike, and wasn't washboarded hardly at all. Also, if you do the King Kong loop, make sure to go to the Guale 2 campground. Great scenery, and the ride is as good as anything in the King Kong loop.

pics:

Note the $2.00 helmet cam mount and the free fuel storage:
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If you steal this idea, I recommend not using laundry detergent bottles with the really large caps and funnel spout inside. The caps don't seem to like fuel (although they weren't an issue):
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And if you fall in the pea gravel and then your bike won't move:
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Check for rocks between the chain and sprocket. We had to move the axle out to the side and get the snail adjuster completely off of it's peg to make enough slack to get the rocks out. We were worried for a minute.
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And don't you just hate it when you don't have the camera out at the right time:

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Thursday March 7, 2013 : 6 of us are making our way to the rally by way of Mexico:

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The trail quickly turned into a boulder field that Jarrett has dubbed "Death Valley"

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Norbert is standing by this monolith that either indicates the turn around point or the future landing site of a hovercraft/guest villa/spa/nightclub/toy hauler:

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Izz,
Wicked rock section! Sorry I missed this one. Planning on doing the Aug ride in Ouray, CO. Also, will be organizing a Baja ride this fall and hoping to get several TWT riders involved.

Saludos,
Mark (currentlly in Guatemala)
 
As a first timer to the Around the Bend and Desert Challenge, I'd just like to express my thanks to Richard/Connie, Uncle, the Sweep Riders and especially my fellow riders who were great guys - (Kent, Kevin, Bill, Dan - apologies for getting any names wrong) and made the day even better than I could have imagined.

The country was awesome, and the company even better. Terlingua gets into your blood, and I've already started making plans to return. It was worth the trip from the Great White North for sure. Thanks everyone.

Bob (Ned Quick)
 
Come on guys, it's time to ride
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KTM vs The curve
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The Curve wins this one
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Sand on Old Marathon Road
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The job goes faster when a friend helps
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A big GS on Old Ore Road
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There's a smile behind that helmet
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The Italian Supermodel on Black Gap Road
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The hill on Black Gap
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What a great trip! A huge thanks to Rich/Uncle/Connie, and everyone else that made it all possible. The folks at the El Dorado were great. I must say that the riding was fantastic and it was great to have met and be accepted by all of the dual sport veterans being that it was Cade's and my first trip to Terlingua. We will no doubt be heading back that way a year from now for the next Uncle's rally.
Rich-I have to admit, when we first entered the state park for our thursday ride, I buzzed Cade on the radio and said oh crap! is it going to be like this the whole way!??! (Talking about the freaking sand)He said yep probably so. I thought to myself oh dang, Im gonna have a long day out here fighting this KLR around the park. It turned out to be an awesome day of very challenging riding (for me anyway...) Thanks!

It was awesome meeting, JT, Jack, Aaron, Pete, Chris, Chad, Bob, Kyle, Matt, Dale and everyone else that we had the opportunity to ride with.

P.S. Jt and Jack, next year we will bring a lot more whisky. Don't forget to try out the "One Eyed Dolphin!!"
 
Video from our group's day one:

[ame="http://youtu.be/GXW8u8bWDXk"]2013-03-09 Big Bend - YouTube[/ame]
 
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