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9th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride 2017 - What Happened?

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Location
Castroville, Texas
First Name
Sander
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What happened at the 9th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride 7/31-8/4 Cloudcroft, New Mexico?
Add your pictures, videos and stories to this thread.

The 10th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride will be July 30-August 3, 2018.

Day 1 - Monday, July 31, 2017.
Temperature range 52-68

We rode:
Bailey Canyon
La Luz Canyon
Calico Peak Road
Fresnal Canyon
Steep Hill
Horse Ridge
Dry Canyon - partial
The tunnel
Karr Canyon
Courtney Mine Trail
Karr Road 634
then the rain started...Sunspot back to Cloudcroft

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEqLgeeyyR8"]9th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride - Day 1 pre-ride - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr_CX8znjls"]Dry Canyon Trail (T5574) begins at Forest Road 5574 in Dry Canyon and ends at the "A" trail (T119) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbsQvDMsiw8"]Dry Canyon Trail (T5574) begins at Forest Road 5574 in Dry Canyon and ends at the "A" trail (T119) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JcS2GtLYeY"]Horse Ridge overlooking Alamogordo - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZIsa-3P0_Y"]Horse Ridge overlooking Alamogordo - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFJXLlOW16w"]Courtney Mine Trail (T132) - YouTube[/ame]

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DSC00728 by AvantMotorcycles, on Flickr

Photo by Jbay
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Photo by Jbay
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So I am thinking about getting the Rekluse left hand rear brake kit

Then I will have no excuse not to stand on the pegs more
 
Why do you need the thumb brake to stand?
 
I guess why not try it my brake line was broken

With the rekluse clutch in there is no engine brake so it runs fast down hill

With the LHFB you still keep the clutch and the right foot rear brake

Left hand front brake not needed it is the rider not the bike, at least that is what they keep telling me :)
 
:tab There have been a few times where I would have liked to have the thumb brake on the left bar, but that had nothing to do with standing. It has to do with REALLY steep descents where I WANT that right foot down!! Going down Black Bear Pass in Colorado was a good example. I was hugging the uphill side of the road while trying to negotiate the steps near the top. If you fall left, you go into the creek. If you fall right, you just lay up against the rock wall. So I was wanting to keep the bike slightly leaned right... just in case. But the front brake was almost useless, so I had to keep the rear brake applied. It was tense, probably the most tense I've ever been on a bike. A loss of control could also mean picking up speed going down the steps and failing to negotiate a SHARP 90 corner at the bottom, which meant becoming part of the water fall where the creek plunged over the edge...

Looking up hill from the sharp corner...
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You don't want to get over into the loose stuff on the right side of image because there isn't much room to slow or stop before you reach the edge...

Me coming down on my KLR
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The view from the top
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The dude in red is at the corner with the drop off
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Here it is looking back up to that corner
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Having a thumb brake in stuff like this would be REALLY nice!!
 
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RG we did make it to the Weed cafe for a green chili cheese burger

Run with the big dogs or lie on the porch?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Weed Cafe is always a must do when out there! :eat:
 
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Johnf3 along with his sons Conner and Jerrod took us out for a great rip up the Rim trail. As the seasons go, it came the usual afternoon deluge. JT, being the wiser of the group had bailed earlier to go deal with some unruly boots.

We all huddled under a friendly tree waiting for it to stop. It didn't.

KubotaMike along with the rest of us getting a good bath...

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Well, I couldn't get any of my pictures to post, so I'll just do a text only post.

Becky and I arrived at Cloudcroft Saturday afternoon and set up camp at the "Saddle" campground off of 244. Before that we tried to find a decent, dry spot at one of the many primitive camp sites along the various forest roads but most/all of the good ones were occupied. We stayed all week and the riding was very good. A few of the days we had some pretty good rain, but overall it was good stuff. The whole gang was there and we really appreciate Sander organizing this. Here is what Becky and I did by day:

Day 1 Sunday - Upper Rio Pensaco to 5005 to Benson Ridge
Day 2 Monday - Bailey canyon to La luz canyon to Laborcita canyon. We had to make a 180 on Laborcita road due to some seriously deep mud ruts. We almost made it out to hwy 16.
Day 3, Tuesday - hauled bikes to Carizozo and road part of the BDR that looped off of 380. desert type riding but had some decent clay type mud in places
Day 4 - Rode with Sander's group. Had lots of fun chasing Sander's XR
Day 5 - More La Luz and Bailey off of 244, Benson Ridge, dark canyon
Day 6 - Russia Canyon area, Pierce Canyon, West side road to Heart Attack canyon

All in all a very good trip. We had bears visit us each night in the campground we were staying at. Saw lots of elk, a few turkey and both muleys and white tails.

Good trip. Thanks again Sander for organizing this!

David
 
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Day 2 - Tuesday, August 1, 2017.
Temperature range 51-65
Dinner at the Western Bar for Taco Tuesday.

We rode:
224 to Dark Canyon
The area northeast of Dark Canyon
16 Springs
Walker Canyon
Carr Gap Road
Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKmENmiyoRE"]9th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride - Day 2 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKB3uw0r-4k"]Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail (T5002) - YouTube[/ame]

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Sander if you went through Pierce canyon that is where we were at the Baptist camp

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I counted over 80 Elk in our backyard


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Rim trail fun from parking area 1 to the overlook. Great ride with the trail in proper shape. Johnf3 led a spirited pace that everyone seemed to have no problem with ...cept for me. I managed to slide into home plate in a slick area thanks to gravity and a wrist sized piece of firewood left in the trail. JT enjoyed a front row seat to the event. He seemed mildly amused with my aged durability. Vinny celebrates his successful navigation through "Vinny's Corner."

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The crew: Vinny, Jerrod, Johnf3, Connor and KubotaMike. White Sands in the background.

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Love the little winged feet on Dino here.


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Man I am so jealous! Looks like an absolute blast! Hopefully this time next year i'll have an XR650 in the garage to take on this. :mrgreen:
 
Day 3 - Wednesday, August 2, 2017.
Temperature range 50-69

We rode:
Rim Trail - parking area 1 to 2
Russia Canyon
Lucas Canyon Trail
FSR223
Rio Penasco
Old Sunspot
FSR64
Jim Lewis Canyon
Scott Able Canyon
West Side Road
Karr Canyon Road
Rim Trail - Karr Canyon to parking area 4

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMsScXkvnR0"]9th Annual Smokey Bear Dual Sport Motorcycle Ride - Day 3 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgR2vO2PhlM"]Lucas Canyon Trail (T251) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4umGc-C6Qs"]Alamo Canyon Trail (T104) - YouTube[/ame]

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It is amazing how many downed trees there are! Are they having Pine Beetle issues in that area? Parts of Colorado are seeing whole mountains worth of trees wiped out by them.
 
Next day was a solo expedition. The plan: to map out a loop over to Weed and head back running through some southern canyons that are really great rides but farther from Cloudcroft.

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Care must be taken to avoid hitting rocks. Pinch flats and all...

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Some canyons are way more scenic and stopping just to listen to the silence can be pretty cool.

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Made it to the Weed cafe just in time to take shelter. It came a frog strangler that went on for a good while. During the downpour several local folks came by for their mail (the cafe doubles as the Weed post office). Each one stopped to tell me about an old motorcycle they have in their barn or the one their Dad restored or whatever. One lady ran home to print off a picture of an older Honda from a vintage way before my time. The thing looked brand new.


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Day 4 - Thursday, August 3, 2017.
Temperature range 47-71

We rode:
Pines North Trail (T5688)
Little Apache Trail (T124)
FSR223
Benson Canyon Trail (T5005)
Willie White Trail (T113)
Hubbell Canyon Trail (T9277)
FSR64
FSR257
Prestridge Hill

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uPXddvS4qA"]Riding through Cloudcroft, New Mexico to the Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail (T5002) - YouTube[/ame]

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3b1exC2tG0"]Old Cloudcroft Highway Trail (T5002) - YouTube[/ame]

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So, two days in a row there had been parts of me wet and freezing that don't take well to such harsh treatment. This day looked to be entirely more accommodating. The sky was blue, JBay was ready for adventure and off we went.

We rode some of the usual Cloudcroft suspects such as Benson canyon and Willie White trails with JBay piloting his 500 like a true champ.

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After getting gas and some lunch (green chili cheese burgers at the Weed café) we headed for the hills again.


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The afternoon part of this loop starts out in a gentle, soothing kind of way. Sort of gives one’s lunch time to settle. But, things do change and so they did.


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Rocky Hill is a lot of fun but as cameras tend to flatten out the image, you can expect this hill is a good deal steeper than it appears.


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And then there are some rocks. JBay shed gear and took some time to scope this one before saddling up for the run.

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After surviving Rocky Hill, the trail took us through some shaded wet low lands that had seen a lot of quad damage and erosion. Slick spots were pretty common and blow-down trees added to the challenge.

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Eventually this ends at a private property sign where a wee bit of bushwhacking is in order to connect with the next trail.

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The trip down Scott Able is always a gentle treat. We ran across the rest of the crew taking a break beside the river.

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The clock was ticking so after briefly stopping to visit, we headed off toward the southern canyons.

First up was Apple Tree canyon. You know, sometimes trails change from season to season. I didn’t remember this one being nearly so technical but what the heck. It could only throw us down and make me cry.

This trail is a multi-mile steep climb on softball sized loose rocks where staying on the gas and keeping momentum is remarkably important. There are some other entertaining features along the way like big honkin roots sticking out of the wall right in the bend of a tight uphill switchback. It’s a real hoot!

There’s a small spot to stop (sort of) at a switchback about halfway up and JBay came tooling along shortly - doing just fine. By now, all the day’s jostling and bouncing around began to take some toll. Of course, the high altitude gets in its licks, too. This isn’t a trail that supports a “stop and go” kind of approach so I mentioned that I’d go on up and wait at the top.

The top has a shady spot to sit down and some really nice views.

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Once at the top, I kicked off my gear and snacked on some yummy crackers as I admired the view and waited… and waited… and waited. Hmmm… no engine noise from below… been quite a while now, too. No more yummy crackers. Guess I’d better go back down and see if JBay is still alive.
To be continued…
 
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Rocky Hill is a lot of fun but as cameras tend to flatten out the image, you can expect this hill is a good deal steeper than it appears.


That still looks tough, but your are correct, not anywhere close to what it's like looking over the handlebars instead of looking at my computer screen!

Old Apple Tree...For me it Old Ouch Tree.
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLedpOLu9GY"]Crash on Trail #5601: The Apple Tree Canyon trail in the Lincoln National Forest - 1996 Honda XR400R - YouTube[/ame]
 
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