Maple Springs

[JamR]

Originally Posted by bikinglawyer

i told my friends at work, they think were crazy.

Continuing the story.

I didn't know how bad I cut my leg until I got home. I opened up a nice chunk of skin almost to the bone. I didn't feel anything at the time because of the cold water. The only thing I remember is while crossing the other streams; I could feel the flap of skin flapping in the current.

They tried to suture it Sat, but by Sun it was apparent that the flap could not be salvage so, after waiting for almost 2 hours at the emergicenter; I went home a cut it off myself. Looks pretty good today.........just have a big divot in my shin

As a follow up..........it was very wierd to hear that the little grocery store on Silverado Canyon was taken out by a landslide. I always stop there for some snacks after my ride. Just confirms how bad it got out there, and how fast it came on.

I'm thinking of changing my rescue tactics for my bike. With a superlight aluminum single speed bike running 2.25 tires.......it was floating upside down pretty well (which guaranteed my brand new Race Face Carbon handlebars to bounce off of every submerged rock). I think I'll rent a boat next Sat and see if I can find it in the ocean. I figure it at least half way to Catalina by now

Anyway on the upside, I already have a nice Ventana El Toro SS frame with the eccentric bottom bracket in my sights. I'm thinking the sunburst orange color frame so it will be easy to spot if I lose this one in some fast moving water.

What an adventure......................anyone up for a night ride up Blackstar tonight?

how much does that ventana SS frame go for?

[ECOdork]

Thanks for the write-ups guys. I'm sure you will get quite a bit of milage out of those stories!

Once again, it is good to hear that everyone made it out with only minor injuries. Wish I could say the same for the bikes.

In a previous post I indicated that I had been in my share of torrential downpours and the sort, so I'll share my most recent wet adventure.

Decided to take the dog for a hike at one of the few local, undeveloped yet open to the public, and free parks nearby my house in TX. Lick Creek Park, it is called for those who like details. Anyway, on the way in I heard on the radio warnings for flash floods, thunderstorms, high winds, etc. But the warnings were for areas much further north, so I figured I had a good hour or two. So I'm a good mile or two out, enjoying the hike with the dog, when all of a sudden the forest starts getting dark and really, really creepy. Hollow winds pick up and the trees and forest erupt with action. Good time to turn around, I figure. So I'm going back at a fast clip, but barely make it 200 yards before the sky just opens up. All of a sudden it is pouring and lighting is striking, incredibly close by. I don't understand how I didn't hear it before, but sure as sh*t it is striking the fields around me now. The dog and I start running back to the car. Meanwhile, many things are going through my head. Keep in mind that this is a highly dynamic floodplain for multiple creeks. So streams of runoff appear out of nowhere. As the winds are howling I realize that tornados do occur here and really start freaking out. I make a quick phone call to my wife to let her know I'm heading home and could be in trouble. As I do this I realize that I have a freaking antenna next to my head, so I promptly turn it off. Add to that all the metal clips on the dog's leash, and it doesn't do much to quell the mind. When the big bolts sound like they are hitting really close I get in the "taking a dump" position I hear about on the weather channel. Otherwise, I'm sprinting towards the car. To make a long story short (too late for that, eh?) we made it to the car safely, but we couldn't have been more wet if we had gone swimming.
Anyway, it was the sort of adventure that humbled me, and reminded me to appreciate and respect life and nature.

I have another story of how I almost lost my truck in a flood during a Tropical Storm in New Orleans, but rather than post on the internet one of absolute stupidist things I've ever done in my life, I'll save that one to share over some beers!

[ECOdork]

Originally Posted by bikinglawyer

hmm..looking at some new single speeds, the KONA A FS looks pretty nice...

I recently spotted a really sweet Bianchi SS at a bike shop in San Clemente. It was so nice it almost convinced me to go the SS route!

[CalEpic]

Wow - I'm sure that will be an adventure you guys will not soon forget. I'm sorry to hear about the lost bikes. At least everyone is mostly in one piece. I guess it's a good justification for spending ridiculous amounts of money on a new bike!

I was looking forward to riding with you guys soon but now I'm thinking you are not such good luck

I wish this rain would stop.

C

[JamR]

Originally Posted by bikinglawyer

how much does that ventana SS frame go for?

Don't know how much the frame goes for, but I'll start calling around today to find out.

Real sweet frame though. Disc only frame, nice welds, and the eccentric bottom bracket allows for around 1" of adjustment.

I have a Ventana El Conquistador FS mountain tandem with the same eccentric BB, and it's really easy to adjust the chain tension with.

I like the idea of having the chain tensioning done at the bottom bracket instead of the drop outs. This way there's no brake adjustment required.

I'll let you know where I find the best deal at. Maybe we can get a discount for two frames \/

Yea that definitely sounds good. JAMR, are you interested in a Chumba Wumba SS??

[JamR]

Originally Posted by moochy

When did you cut your leg Adam? *I don't remember when it happened. *Did you guys tell your wives yet? *How'd it go?

After 27 years of marriage and 22 years mountain biking, she's come to expect something like this every three to five years. This one was cheap compared to my last ICU stay 3 1/2 years ago.

As long as I call her around the time I told her she would be hearing from me after a ride, everything’s fine. The only two times I didn't call her on time after a ride in 22 years I was being carried out of the park on a backboard. Once by ambulance and once by helicopter.

She's a pretty good sport about this mountain biking thing...............it only took her about 2 minutes into our conversation before she asked me what new frame I was going to get \/

[JamR]

Originally Posted by bikinglawyer

Yea that definitely sounds good. JAMR, are you interested in a Chumba Wumba SS??

Have not seen one yet, but I hear there great frames. I'll check it out.

Yea, my friend owns the company. I e-mailed him about new frames, he says we can have them custom fit for us.

only problem is that I hear their frames are extremely pricey...

[JamR]

Originally Posted by bikinglawyer

only problem is that I hear their frames are extremely pricey...

Especially if you're going to end up dropping it into a fast running stream

JAMR, u want to stop by chumba wumba with me? Its in anaheim.

2/7/98. Nathan Cook, 20, an Occidental College student, died as a result of either a fall from his mountain bike or from a flash flood someplace 5 miles up trail from the Arroyo Seco / El Prieto Canyon trailhead. He was said to have been headed for Mt. Wilson. His car was parked at the parking lot at Windsor and Ventura in Altadena, and his bike, eyeglasses and helmet with a broken chin-strap were found "5 miles from" the trailhead a few hours after a search for him began. 7 February was the second day of a 4-day period of rain in a wet winter, so the trails were undoubtedly very slippery. In addition, at the location where his bike was found, search and rescue officials found water lines on trees in the mountains well above the height of a person's head. Officials said that such levels indicate that there might have been a flash flood.

Nathan was an experienced mountain biker and hiker, but was clearly biking under very poor conditions on single-track trails.

Helicopters, search dogs and over 20 people searched for him beginning on 2/9/98 after his friends reported him missing. His body, "partially covered with branches and debris and wedged up against the base of a tree" was recovered in Hahamongna Watershed Park (aka Devil's Gate Dam) on 2/11/98. Sources: PSN 2/10/98; 2/11/98; 2/12/98; LAT 2/12/98, B5.

[moochy]

That's horrible what happened to the store on silverado. Apparently a "juvenile girl" was killed while in her bedroom (its a home on the second floor). A boulder washed down from the mountain and crashed through the house/store. It's on the front page of the Oc register. I wouldn't be surprised if they evacuate silverado since it'll rain for a couple more days. I'm glad we all got out of there ok...makes our bikes seem very trivial.

Seriously, thank God we're all still alive.

[LBmtb]

Wow. The stories of the lost biker and the landslide on silverado hit close to home. My prayers are with them.


Articles page is detailed accounts from Dell, Mike, and myself.

[Pho'dUp]

You guys stepped in something good that day. *Granted, it sucks to lose bikes but it sounded like things could have been a whole lot worse.

Adam(JamR), glad to see you're still going big. *I met you a few years ago at a Clinic at Peter's Canyon. *You helped me with install a new drive train on my Trek Hardtail back then when I just started riding. *Thanks again man. *That bike is still rolling. *Though, as a Singlespeed now!

Anyhow, that's a great story. *I'm glad that nobody was seriously hurt. I think the Dirtrag essay contest is calling your names. *

Carl

[EBasil]

Man, you guys got lucky!!

I cannot resist pointing out that, at exactly the moment one of you began the process of throwing a Yeti, loud bells should have been ringing...

[El Jefe]

I just got off the phone with Adam, and told him I'm up for a search and rescue mission. I'm free from now until sunset if anyone is up for another adventure.