RR - Joplin Sucked! - Going Doo-Doo Didn't

I hated Joplin!!...way too loose for my liking. We completed HTT/Joplin/STT in five hours w three breaks (so I was an hour off...sue me!!).
Best part, is that I squatted my first duece on HTT...big milestone for me.
Great riding w freewheeler and hubster, Surftime and just me. Weather was ideal. Luke will be posting pics...
I'm beat......

 

Huh??? Joplin is sooooo much fun. Try riding shortly after a rain....or in the rain. Still loose, but not as bad.


TMI on HTT.

 

I'm not 100% sure I want to see the pic's from this RR :?:

 

J, I went off trail as oppose to the Phantom Pooper....lol

 

lol I saw that one coming, both the hate for the trail and the poop. Joplins fun rox, but its steeper than it looks. You should stick to smashface, much less loose and a bit less steep See you tommorow grandma

 

It's all in the tires, skinny XC tires don't do well on Joplin. I had 2.4 Racing Ralph 29er on Joplin and it sucked too, Hans Dampf is another story though.

 

Queen TMI strikes again! :lol:

Yeah, I've never enjoyed Joplin specifically, but I do enjoy that route overall. And, right now Joplin is in the best shape I've ever seen...it's usually much worse (looser w/ those softball-sized rocks). To me, it's a trail that's a means to an end - getting to the top of STT. That's when the fun begins in earnest IMO.

 

Was it soft served or a log?

 

Joplin was loads of fun...

Come on Rox, it was not that bad

Well the climb up Harding was tough at the beginning and much better later on. I got nice break when Rox took a pit stop, sorry no photos, didn’t want to break her concentration. We took 2 hours or so to the top and I think and all finished within 10 minutes of each other. What a great day, perfect weather, clouds, just awesome.






On the way to Joplin, that stretch of MD just plain sucks, loose, chunky, not fun.

gota good shot of Mark though



When we dropped Joplin my bike was squirming all over. Blame 50% on me, and 50% on that trail, man its loose. I let some air out of my tires half way down and that really helped. What also ended up helping was just going with the slides and trusting the bike. I also got some really bad cramps, quads, hamstrings, and hips – I had to stop and stretch but that didn’t help. Mark luckily had some calcium/magnesium magic potion that worked miracles. Amazing. I ended up crashing in front of Suzanne, embarrassing, but the second half of the trail I had more fun once I realized how to ride it and also when the cramps got better. Mark and Suzanne killed it, they were moving fast.





Joplin is just plain loose, way looser than say motorway, but I like the adventure so for me I had a lot of fun even though I was not flowing turns on that trail. The chunk wasn’t too bad, not sure if I mentioned though that it was LOOSE, a few switchbacks though were really touch to navigate. So I would love to do the trail again, ill just run lower pressure around 30PSI or even lower and ill get more of that magic potion cramp mix from Mark

Love old camp



STT from old camp was primo, someone has done some work since the last time I was there a year or so ago. Lots of little lumps and berms. I accidentally did some extra credit on Cadillac…. Wrong turn. I think without that extra credit we would have hit 4 hours… just kidding.. Eventually turned around and found Rox and we all met up at the flag. Rox and I continued to STT and the cars.

Rox on her way




perfect sky, bikes not so bad either



Suzanne, Mark, and Rox are a GREAT group of people to ride with, great day, and a decently fast time considering 3 long breaks.

 

The famous "dropping of the yule log."
[video=youtube;-0F349E2dXE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0F349E2dXE[/video]

Nice RR!

 

Get ready to get your ass kicked out in the water, squirt!

You're a sick individual but I'll comply: soft serve covered w a yule log.

I was quite proud myself after dropping my merry measure!

 

Sounds like you all had a good time overall. Great Job! :clap::beer:

 

Nice pics and RR. It's a beautiful trail isn't it? We just did trail work on it early last month. Joplin as with the other trails in the Santa Ana's are just what they are. Each have their characteristics. Some love them, some hate them. I know people who love the Motorway and those who hate it. Same can be said about Coldwater, Smashface, Los Pinos, WHT, Trabuco or Bell Ridge as well as the climbs like Black Star, MS, HTT or ITT. Wait till it snows. Since it's at the saddle, the top portion is usually covered in a few feet on snow and that's when it gets really "fun"

 

Worst part about deuces on the trail . . . How long it takes to disrobe if you are wearing bibs . . .

 

Exactly !

Thats why I ride with Depends

MTB casuals are the best

 

good idea to check back with the snow - THANKS for working on it Gene, i get PO really easy and it was cleared way back. Although i struggled sliding around in areas, i really liked the challenge and adventure

 

First time i did this ride, i had four flats, two in front and two in rear. None were due to Joplin trail. I swore i will never do Joplin trail again- But its trails like those that makes you appreciate remote paths like such and go back. So far that is the only place i seen with vegetation so live and vibrant. But, i have not done much of UHJ or lower through out the seasons.

I dont remember being loose gravel, i do recall a huge boulder in the way with a 3foot drop (walk a bike) ? Just on mental notes that of times, im thinking 3hour ride on a good push....

Thanks Gene for the up-keep.

 

Way to get it done, team :bang:

Rox, the Weasel didn't much like it either, although she rode well on it.


Gene, insightful summary of the forest trails. Certain trails I've sworn were terrible and I'd never ride them again. Then I end up riding one, realizing it's better than I recall. Chock it up to the experience of the ride as much as the actual trail; sometimes in the zone, sometimes not so.

Cheers, all :beer:

 

So gross Rox. Luv ya!

 

You wanna go ride w me??....lol