On the spur of the moment (and with the summer days quickly waning into the sunset...) we decided last Thursday to make a run up to Mammoth for a long weekend. We stayed at The Village and overpaid for our room (due to the Mammoth Bluesapalooza fest going on over the weekend -- nope, we didn't go to the festival, but we sure heard plenty of drunken a-holes leaving the place and hooting it up every night until 3AM...). This was to be our only summer get-a-way this year, so we made the best of it. My wife doesn't ride (at all), so it was kinda a boys weekend on the hill, but Beth was happy just to be out of town and up in the eastern Sierra sun. The weather was picture perfect, and the riding was really great (though I have my issues with bike parks in general, but that's just me -- I'm an XC rider, so I always feel like I have to earn my downhill singletrack by climbing up it...). We had our mishaps (one pretty bad), but in the end, Willie said it best as we exited the hotel as we left town, "Hey, dad -- this was a great weekend: None of us got hurt!" On Saturday morning, I thought it would be good for my older boy Willie to get a roll on a big drop bike since he's never been on one before, but really (really!) wants to jump a lot on his AM bike (this would come back to haunt him later in the weekend...). Willie aboard his rented RM Flatline (8" front and back -- nice color...): Little bro Toby aboard his Hardrock -- he would be my ride pardner for the weekend (since big bro would be off flying down Twilight Zone, or Velocity or what have you...): Willie getting the bikes on the bus: Toby and I then split up with the DH boy and let him go on his way. We jumped on the gondola and headed up to the top. Toby gives it up on the gondola (note all the snow in the b/g!!): It was cool and windy up top, but not chilly. Just beautiful, really. The Minarets through the fence: Toby at 11,053 feet above sea level, and ready to roll: A few shots of Toby going down Off The Top, with the incredible Minarets in the b/g: There was still a lot of snow on the ground, and the trail often led us right through it: Toby on his way down Off The Top (lower section): Looking down OTT at the Minarets, Red's Lake and Toby (you can just see him in the middle of the pic on the left side, about to go into the trees): When we got to Red's Lake we climbed up to the picnic tables at the snack stand, and looked down at our shadows, 25 feet below: As soon was we left Red's Lake, we hit the only climb on the trail as we headed up Beach Cruiser. Toby shifted to 1/1 and his chain slipped over behind his cassette. It got stuck. No, I mean it got STU-UCK! The chain actually twisted sideways when it went behind the cassette. I spent a good 20-25 minutes wrestling with it before I finally decided to break the chain. Me and the $$^*%$%^$ chain: I then wove the chain back into place and attempted to get a speed link to hook up. I tried and tried and tried and finally gave up (learning later on that the speed link would not work on his little chain... d'oh!). I was nearly outta my mind so just packed up his chain and told toby to DAB it back to the main lodge. As we descended a group of four guys rode by and said, "Hey, why not break out a link?..." Double d'oh!!! Why didn't I think of that?? #-o While I was busy slapping my forehead, one of the guys got to work with my chain breaker... New pal Justin, fixing Toby's chain up: The guys (+ Toby): Everything seemed fine with Toby's bike after that (but, this would come back up as an issue on Day Two...). T and I had some late lunch (we were about an hour behind by this time because of the chain snafu). We then hooked up with big bro and headed down Downtown at the end of our day. The Downtown trail, which is more just an expressway to get you back down to town, runs right along the access road. We very quickly got down to the Stump Alley Express chairlift, where DT hits the bottom of Twilight Zone. Willie asked if he could session the jumps, so we hung out for a few while he did. I took some pics and shot a movie, yes I did... Willie on Twilight Zone: Seems the big drop Flatline suited him just fine! I grabbed one of his jumps with my iPhone: [youtube]pgFj7wr74ac[/youtube] And then we were back on Downtown to the bottom, done with a good Day One of riding the big hill. Toby in the evening sun descending through the trees on Downtown: Day Two comin' up... - shud
On Day Two (Sunday), Willie was back on his AM bike (even though he begged for another demo rental…). I figured he'd had a good go on the big bike, and it was time to use his own trailbike. Maybe not such a great idea -- he'd been bitten good by the big jump capabilities of the Flatline, and this caused some problems. I had a head set issue with my C'dale, so I sent the boys up the hill on their own, and they rode Twilight Zone together. Apparently Toby did really well -- only one minor crash to report once I found them after getting my bike looked at down in town at Footloose. The boys at McCoy Station: We turned Willie loose at this point, so he could go hit the double diamonds again, while Toby and I rolled Brake Through, an intermediate XC run. Toby's chain got stuck (again!!!) and I had to break the chain (again!!!) to get it out. Jeez. Because of the hour-long mishap from the day before, I was able to do the whole thing in about 15 minutes, and we were back on the trail. I would later have one of the techs down the hill adjust Toby's limit screw to keep the chain from jumping the rails (shoulda done that yesterday!). Brake Through had some melt off issues, to say the least… Toby pushing up a snow drift... …and fording a stream that ran directly down the trail! Later, when asked of his fave moment of the weekend, he said it was pushing his bike up the trail through the water. :-k Toby did really great on Brake Through. He led me the whole way down and was really hitting all the little jumps and railing the corners. Toby on Brake Through: I then picked up a message from Willie -- apparently he had taken a bad fall on Twilight Zone where he tacoed his front wheel and dinged his helmet up good (he went OTB and landed on his head). Perhaps I should have gotten him the demo bike for Day Two as well… But, he seemed to be fine, although a bit shaken. He threw his bike on the bus and went back down to town. Toby and I finished up our day by going down Downtown again, where Toby showed me he did not want to get left back by his big bro. Hitting a jump on DT: One more jump in the waning sun: When we got back to our room, I had a look at Willie's equipment. Not too good… Helmet replacement needed? I dunno… Wheel replacement needed? Um, yeah… So, all in all, a great weekend (other than the drunks... and the big fall). 8-[ Enjoy. - shud
Awesome pic. Looks like the boys were about to put a beatdown on the mountain... If they didn't thank you, THEY WILL! (even if they do so 10 years from now). You are a very lucky man! :clap: Aaahhhh yeah! :bang: Did Willie ask if he could take the bike home with him?
bug has bitten.. hence ridding the trail bike like a dh bike.. :lol: a great time with the family was had and glad nobody got hurt.. also good to see the helmet did its job!
Shud, you shouldn't have rented him a big bike, its really contageous....(I know). I think ill be heading up that way soon to ride big stuff. Maybe willie could tag along...
Yeah. Several times. #-o #-o #-o Yeah, I know all about that. Before leaving town on Friday the wife said, "NOBODY gets hurt this weekend. Right? RIGHT?!?!" We all just stared at her and nodded. Willie came awfully close. He said after ringing his bell on Twilight Zone, he just he sat in the dirt for a few minutes and checked that he could still feel all his fingers. Yeesh. 8-[ Yes. This is a problem. :-s And now he's gone and wrecked his AM bike. #-o Indeed, and expensive!! The only reason I balked at the second day of renting is that it was $149 (all-in, with insurance on the bike) for the one-day package, though that did include the all-day lift ticket. Ouch! As of this moment, Willie's got no functioning bike, so I think he won't be able to join you, though I bet he'd have a great time. Thanks for the offer, Thomas. - shud
just got back from mammoth again and its so much fun. your pics are awesome!!!!!! what trails did you guys do? i ran off the top - beach cruiser - downtown - paper trail and finish off at big ring. anyone hit one of the last jumps on off the top with the lower wall next to it???? I DID!!!!!!!!! and I PAID THE PRICE!!!!! I was going way to fast and went OTB luckly it was louse dirt i feel in lol. glad you guys had a great trip.
As usual...great pics Shud. You're wife's plea to you about nobody getting hurt sounds all too familiar to me. I hear it all the time from my wife. She usually says "if you get injured, don't come home"....which is her way of saying play it safe!
