Just Back From The Plunge...

New Baby

Congrats on the new baby! Did the baby come early?

 

Congrats Rodel on the new baby. :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

Looks like STR has a new future member... So your not going to be using those sweet rides of yours for awhile, ehh????

 

hey all

I had a great time riding with you all! We got to the bottom around 5pm i think. We washed up in the river, ate dinner in bakersfield, and headed home (LA/OC area). Got home around midnight. It was tough getting to work the next morning, but well worth it! This was my first time riding Cannel and thought it was just beautiful! I've never ridden through meadows like that. Riding down the Plunge was a lot of fun too. I love downhills, but as my first time down the plunge i didn't take too much risk. And i gotta thank everyone who organized, and helped guide the group.

jr

 

not to derail this thread but...

Thanks and yes, but just by a couple of days.

Thanks man! and congrats on your wedding :beer: .
I'm on family leave so still trying to get out and ride during the mornings while she's asleep as much as I can.

 

Kernville has some great trails!

Well, my Plunge experience was awesome. I loved riding the trail and would definitely go again. This trail is misunderstood. Everyone seems to refer to it as "The Plunge" but I think that's wrong. This is the Cannell trail and the Plunge is just part of it. I mean, people seem to think that the whole thing is downhill. Nope. There's definitely some climbing. The first climb is not bad but at 9000 feet (or more) it's extremely fatiguing. Plus, if you don't know the trail well, it can mess with your head since you don't know how much to pace yourself. The second climb is a fireroad. It's also not bad, only a couple miles long and it's not very steep. The last real climb is pretty technical and somewhat steep. If it weren't singletrack with rocks, it probably wouldn't be very challenging, either. So, those who think that this trail is all downhill would be wrong. That doesn't mention the several miles of moderately flat trail, either. You are definitely going to expend some energy riding this trail!




The ride up to the hill was long, but only because of the anticipation. The day before, riding "Just Outstanding" and the extra credit option took a lot out of me and I was nervous to ride the Cannell trail.



The first third of the ride is beautiful. There were lots of fun whoop-de-doo sections (which probably would have been a lot more fun if not for the elevation and being totally out of breath!) and some amazing meadows and cool little stream crossings.



The air was cool at elevation, though. That was a blessing.




We regrouped and got ready for the next section of the ride.




Fireroad and huge meadows dominated the 2nd third of the Cannell trail.






The guardian angel of all mountain bikers could be seen flitting between the trails. When I grow up, I wanna be like him.



Part 2 coming soon... to be continued.

 

Part 2



After a long break at the cabin, we got ready for the last third of the ride. The first part of it was a series of boggy, muddy meadows. Well, parts were boggy and muddy. But, it was singletrack and it was 7000 feet, so it was bitchin'. Next, came the rocks. Big rocks everywhere. Granite in the trail and granite to the sides.



Then, we got to the beginning of the Plunge itself. Is that a skull in the rock formation? An omen of what awaits on the Plunge?



The Plunge is downhill for a looong time. But, it's an unforgiving downhill.




You can't take your eyes off it unless you stop. Which we did a few times.





There was Scott, as usual he'd zoomed ahead and then asked as you passed if you had enough water or a gel or power bar. A prince among men.


The descent into the valley was hot, rocky and demanding. By then end I was just glad to make it down. I had lost a screw from my right shoe cleat and had changed my front tube (pinch flat!) on the way down the Plunge. I heard but didn't see a rattlesnake was we came down the last section of the Plunge. I don't have any pictures of this part because I was tired, dirty and thirsty. I was spent and wanted to just get down in one piece!

But, it was a blast. I had a great time and this trail is one I will never forget. I enjoyed riding with everybody. What a great group of people! People were kind enough to wait up for those of us who weren't very fast and there was always a ready "atta boy" for us when we got there. I know if I start mentioning names that I'll leave someone out so I won't try. But, I do have to thank Frank for driving and Mike for renting me some floor space so I could go.

If you didn't go, then you better put this trail on your list of places to visit in the near future. It's epic. More than 26 miles of choice trail you have to experience to understand.

 

Hey Gurp, in a pinch you can use a bottle cage screw as a cleat screw.

Thanks for the great write up and pics. Looks like it was a blast.
Definitely a trail to do soon.

 

I also had a good time. Once again, it was a great group ride, lead by our great leaders. I'm glad everything turned out the way it did.

Scott was kind enough to wait for the last few riders. He even helped Henry with a flat tire, and waited for others to give water.

Mike, thanks for lending us your tire. We'll return it on the next ride.

... and great pics everyone!
Well, I'm a little late with the pictures, but here are my share:

 

more pics...

 

danngg guys!! everyone took sooo many cool pics!!! can u all share the big versions? if u could email them that would totally rock!!

[email protected]


:beer:

 

I've just a few @ www.winridgeinc.com/cannell.zip - but they're full size. Since we were moving along pretty quickly with the "locals" I didn't stop to take too many pics...

 

Good tip to know, Schecky, thanks! I'll keep it in mind.

Mine are up at flickr. Look for gurp13. If you find some you like, let me know and I can get a bigger version to you.

 

My weekend

I went up on Thurs night a little farther north near Quaking Aspen CG. Woke up early and rode solo on the Nelson trail. Most people shuttle it but I new I would either be climbing it back up or taking the paved road back. The trail starts near the campground and drops 2000ft over 5mi to Camp Nelson. The first mile is steep with some technical spots. The rest cris-crosses a creek down a canyon. The highlight is passing through two Sequoia groves.

These trees can't hide




Lots of green the whole way down


Not many trails go through trees


After doing the downhill, I figured I would end up walking alot of the way up so I decided to take the 10mi paved route back to the top. After lunch I climbed another trail a couple miles out of the campground until it started to go downhill. On the way to Kernville I stopped and rode the Trail of 100 Giants. It's a touristy paved path through a bunch of sequoias.

Log ride anyone?


The meadow across the road from the trail.


After meeting Mike in Kernville a few of us hooked up with Jeff and he took us on an XC ride to get out of the heat. This trail climbed for 8 miles on a dirtroad and went downhill most of the way back on singletrack.

Dean glad to be out of the heat down in the valley.


On Sat we hooked up again with Jeff and he took us on two different trails. One, an XC loop and then Just Outstanding. One of the guys had bent his deraileur and chain on the drive up so I stayed back to fix it for him and wait for the crew to return. After fixing his bike, some guy pulls into the big parking area and tells everyone to clear the lot because they have to helicopter someone out with a medical emergency. So now we're thinking one of our crew had crashed hard and they are there for him. Luckily that wasn't the case. Having the copter fly right over us as it was landing was beyond windy. I jumped in my truck and watched as my bike started to move as it was lying on the ground. After regrouping we started off on the shuttle part of the ride. Lots of fun, sometimes steep singletrack most of the way down.

Our patient tourguide Jeff standing tall above the Lake below


Two almost hidden riders


Towards the end Franky was bonking bad and Jeff rescued him from the trail. I stayed with him until someone could drive up and get him. At least I got out of retrieving my truck from the top of the mountain (thanks Mike).

Cannell day.
This was the biggest group I had ever ridden with. For a lot of guys it would be the longest and toughest ride they had ever done.

Random memories: Rich bonking right from the start and still making it all the way; Rob trying to keep up with Joy after she dropped him on one of the climbs; Watching Tin pull away from us on the dirtroad climb on his 50lb rig; Looking down into the canyon on the side of the road and seeing Mike's group lost at the bottom; No cows for Mike to chase in the meadows this year; Coming down one of the rocky downhills faster than I thought I could go and thinking, 'I like my new bike'; Fixing Henry's flat near the end and seeing every inch of him covered in dirt from crashes on his "department store" bike and remembering that it's not about the bike, it's about the ride, and he'll probably remember this one a lot longer than I will.

Checking out one of the first meadows


Another boring meadow


The "tech" climb claiming it's victims


Leader of the pack


More meadows


Last one


I want to thank Jeff (jfsh) for being our tourguide and putting up with us another year. It was my pleasure to help guide everyone through this epic. It made me think back to when I started riding. There's nothing like the feeling of accomplishment you get when you finish a ride that pushes your limits.

 

looks quite nice

a little too much flats and uphill for me

 

great shots!
After reading this thread and researching the plunge, this is top of my to ride list.
7000' of down!

 

looks like there are some nice bikes there

aybe some nice riding

from wut i can see

 

I'm really glad you guys had a good time. I wish I could of hung around and I didn't mean yo be rude and not chat on the way down, but I was running out of time.

Scott had a lot of riding in for those days. He did 3 rides more then any of us.

There is a Fat Tire Festival in October that I'll probably hit again this year. MRA puts it on.

 

Its cool Mike, we all know that u have to leave asap. You and Scott stayed behind making sure everyone gets through and that is all we can ask for. Thanks again for organizing a great trip/ride for all of us. You guys make it fun and enjoying to ride even though some parts were brutal. Mike, thanks for the tire (I'm going to put it on my Nicolai, LOL, J/K). Ill give it back to you the next time we ride again. Well, from behalf of me and my "Asian" gang, we like to thank all the riders for giving us a good time up there. Were defiantly doing it again.
Tin

 

where's the video?:?: and yes your asian gang sure kicked some butt!!! lets ride soon.