Ride Report Rwanda 2014

Had to miss this year's ride (but showed up for the raffle) so, yeah, I'd be in if I can.

But I'd vote against the Robinson Ranch section... I was so happy to see it omitted form this year's route. Those steep, rutted horse trails eat my soul.

 

Dino, I'm definitely down for that ride, and since I ride these trails often I'd be happy to help plan the route and lead or sweep. Definitely +1 on including Waterworks and the Vista singletrack descent. Vista doesn't even add any distance, but it's way more fun than going down via the dirt road. I'd also return to the oakly/Wahoo's area via the Berm Run or another fun singletrack. One last option would be to start/end at Cismontane, Daily's, or one of the other fine establishments in RSM, eliminating the section getting through the neighborhood next to Oso Reservior. Lot's of fun possibilities!

This year was a different Rwanda Ride for me. I wasn't sure I was going to ride until I pulled into the RnR parking lot at 5:30 on Friday.
Nice t-shirt? Check.
Friends working the table talking me into it? Check
A case of Number Plate Fever? Check.
OK, I'm in for the 25er. No 50 though; I just want easy fun this year.

Then the rain came down.

I was really surprised the park was open and event was on. So surprised that I took my time and didn't even arrive at the start area until 8:10, but knowing that those first climbs would be muddy I intentionally waited for everyone else to pack it down. Thanks, everybody! Two friends - xhuskr and Brown Chicken Brown Cow had volunteered to sweep from the start to Dove Canyon Waterfall, so I decided to be a "paying volunteer" and helped them out with collecting the trail markers and signs.

BTW: I had an interesting chat with a ranger in O'Neill who said that if it wasn't for the event they might not have opened the park that day. I thought that was pretty ironic considering the potential for trail damage by 900+ riders, and I mentioned that I was one of many who felt bad about being on the trails that day. But I also said that it ended up working out pretty well since there were actually enough people to pack everything down and smooth out most of the ruts...most of them. If we get conditions like that again, we should try to recruit 10% of the riders to come back for trail work the next day - we could work wonders!

After the Dove Waterfall we were just riding for fun, so we enjoyed the Tijeras Creek stretch down to the sports park, at which point it was agreed that other commitments - including cold beers - were more important than riding every inch of the course, especially since were were at the back of the pack after sweeping early. When we got back to Oakley I had to bail for family commitments, so I was bummed to miss the socializing, but I'm stoked for xhuskr who won a nice town bike for his wife.

As usual, Rwanda was the fun, feel-good event of the year, and I'm looking forward to next year!

Brown Chicken Brown Cow and xhuskr enjoying the beautiful singletrack of Tijeras Creek:

 

You know JSD did the 50 twice before everyone got there. That was his cool down ride.