First ride since I came back from deployment,, decided to make it an off road weekend vice a MX one.. My 16 year old son is coming off 15 month two surgery broken wrist,,, So we decided on an easy weekend of off road stuff at Hidden Falls Adventure Park.. Having never been there we were looking forward to exploring.
DRZ is in parts waiting on some gaskets, so we took the RM250, CR125 and the wife’s CRF230 (she has not ridden dirt for two years after a broken leg at CTOR)
Set up camp late on Sat,, we were on the trails by 1230 or so.. rode all of the motorcycle only by night fall, and scouted a few of the dual use ATV motorcycle stuff for a Sunday ride with my wife…
Back after a few hours or riding
Pesky fork seal leaking,,, cleaned up though and had no more leak for the rest of the weekend,,,highly recommend the Motion Pro seal cleaner if your inclined to do your own work.
The two longer one way bike only trails are fun on an advanced /intermediate level. Nothing too technical, but being one way you can rail um at speed, and just watch the trail crossings (of note, we made some wrong turns from the single track one ways a few times on sat.. and ended on the atv trails) The mix of beginner and intermediate multy use trails …perfect for a new rider, or an experienced one who need some confidence back after a fall.
Sunday came and the boy was up and ready by first light, bikes fueled, had a nice breakfast and hit the trails by 830…. The we found out why the named the place “Hidden Falls” Apparently the was a hidden fall…and I found it. About 1000 we were on the north loop (13 miles?)for the second lap… wicking up the speed as we loosened up. Fast downhill, then up a short rocky hill… 4th gear pined. I just clipped a large bowling ball sized rock with my front wheel. It rolled, and the back wheels deflected off it pretty good. The boy was behind me, coming hard,, said he blinked and I was on the ground having been high sided and drilled in to the rocks. Seems as the back end of the RM came right, it swapped sides one more time to the left, and caught.
My son got stopped, and ran up to save the day………….. he of course in Marquez tradition said are you ok… as I lay very still trying to decide what if anything as damaged. .. I grunted once I was ok so far,, and he ran off to the bike and started checking it out..LOL.. calling off the damage report,,,,while I notice the left shoulder is not working so well.
I decided,,, getting run over by another rider would only add insult to injury…. And getting off the trail was a key element to making it through the day.
The good news is…I could still crawl.
The bad news is I dislocated my right shoulder once before, and had it reduced for me in the field, and assisted in doing the same for another guy in Australia when we were there doing some racing. The bad news is….I remember what was involved and was not looking forward to it.
The RM had a broken clutch lever, bent pro taper bars and bar mounts but otherwise looked un damaged.
Cody started the bike in neutral for me, and gave me a push start, I clicked into 1st then 2nd and we found an escape trail that connected to an ATV trail, and made our way back to the trailer.
Now.. Remember I said my wife had not ridden since she broke her leg 2 years ago.. and we were going to take her on a nice comfy fun ride, to build some confidence.. .. yes, well apparently coming home one armed does not build said confidence.
At this point.. I know… No matter what… We have to go out and do this ride.
I explained to Cody how to reduce a shoulder dislocation. Told him crying like a little girl was ok,,,, and just to ignore my tears when he was doing what needed to be done.. LOL…
So there I am, with camping neigbor all around looking at me laying on the ground, two cloth straps holding me to the trailer, my son with his feet in my side, and pulling on my arm while rotating it to allow the joint to go back in place. .. Two attempts which is one to many… and it slide back in. .. Several strong drugs later, an hour of laying on the ground whishing for I had passed out.. The nausea passed and I could mostly breath normal again… Mean while my wife is looking out the window and shaking her head.. LOL, I may have forgotten at this point to tell her the shoulder had been dislocated.
Cody got a spare lever and replaced it on the RM, I went inside and convinced my wife I was ok for an easy ride.. Because she knows me well enough to know I don’t take drugs much at all, and I normally do not have Cody work on the bikes…when I’m there.. she refused to get her helmet on and ride until I showed her I could raise my arm.. … oh, umm, ya,,, welllllllll .. I can do that, but I prefer not to at this point. . . . . . . .no huhhhh.. ok,, so One arm raise later we went for a quick ride up to the swimming hole, Cody leading the way along the route we had planned
and then Dino falls.
Once there we figured she would be happy, safe, and ready top head back.. Easy ride, no falls or stumbles.. She is a strong B+ rider or was before her big get off, so ability is not the question,, just confidence..
She asked to ride some more, and make it more then just flat park roads.....
ok well we can do that......
Came back via north pole trail
and the home safe in the trailer.
After watching my wife and son pack up bikes and trailer we headed home...
And with some persuasive discussion I was talked in to going to the ER.
End result.
Me
Dislocated shoulder
Bruised kidney
Bruised ribs
Broken clutch lever
Bent clutch perch
Bent ProTaper bars
Bent ProTaper bar mounts
Son
Crushed pipe on sons CR125
Family
Grins, laughs and memory's that will last a life time. Plus a free 30 day supply of vicodin
What more can you want...
DRZ is in parts waiting on some gaskets, so we took the RM250, CR125 and the wife’s CRF230 (she has not ridden dirt for two years after a broken leg at CTOR)
Set up camp late on Sat,, we were on the trails by 1230 or so.. rode all of the motorcycle only by night fall, and scouted a few of the dual use ATV motorcycle stuff for a Sunday ride with my wife…
Back after a few hours or riding
Pesky fork seal leaking,,, cleaned up though and had no more leak for the rest of the weekend,,,highly recommend the Motion Pro seal cleaner if your inclined to do your own work.
The two longer one way bike only trails are fun on an advanced /intermediate level. Nothing too technical, but being one way you can rail um at speed, and just watch the trail crossings (of note, we made some wrong turns from the single track one ways a few times on sat.. and ended on the atv trails) The mix of beginner and intermediate multy use trails …perfect for a new rider, or an experienced one who need some confidence back after a fall.
Sunday came and the boy was up and ready by first light, bikes fueled, had a nice breakfast and hit the trails by 830…. The we found out why the named the place “Hidden Falls” Apparently the was a hidden fall…and I found it. About 1000 we were on the north loop (13 miles?)for the second lap… wicking up the speed as we loosened up. Fast downhill, then up a short rocky hill… 4th gear pined. I just clipped a large bowling ball sized rock with my front wheel. It rolled, and the back wheels deflected off it pretty good. The boy was behind me, coming hard,, said he blinked and I was on the ground having been high sided and drilled in to the rocks. Seems as the back end of the RM came right, it swapped sides one more time to the left, and caught.
My son got stopped, and ran up to save the day………….. he of course in Marquez tradition said are you ok… as I lay very still trying to decide what if anything as damaged. .. I grunted once I was ok so far,, and he ran off to the bike and started checking it out..LOL.. calling off the damage report,,,,while I notice the left shoulder is not working so well.
I decided,,, getting run over by another rider would only add insult to injury…. And getting off the trail was a key element to making it through the day.
The good news is…I could still crawl.
The bad news is I dislocated my right shoulder once before, and had it reduced for me in the field, and assisted in doing the same for another guy in Australia when we were there doing some racing. The bad news is….I remember what was involved and was not looking forward to it.
The RM had a broken clutch lever, bent pro taper bars and bar mounts but otherwise looked un damaged.
Cody started the bike in neutral for me, and gave me a push start, I clicked into 1st then 2nd and we found an escape trail that connected to an ATV trail, and made our way back to the trailer.
Now.. Remember I said my wife had not ridden since she broke her leg 2 years ago.. and we were going to take her on a nice comfy fun ride, to build some confidence.. .. yes, well apparently coming home one armed does not build said confidence.
At this point.. I know… No matter what… We have to go out and do this ride.
I explained to Cody how to reduce a shoulder dislocation. Told him crying like a little girl was ok,,,, and just to ignore my tears when he was doing what needed to be done.. LOL…
So there I am, with camping neigbor all around looking at me laying on the ground, two cloth straps holding me to the trailer, my son with his feet in my side, and pulling on my arm while rotating it to allow the joint to go back in place. .. Two attempts which is one to many… and it slide back in. .. Several strong drugs later, an hour of laying on the ground whishing for I had passed out.. The nausea passed and I could mostly breath normal again… Mean while my wife is looking out the window and shaking her head.. LOL, I may have forgotten at this point to tell her the shoulder had been dislocated.
Cody got a spare lever and replaced it on the RM, I went inside and convinced my wife I was ok for an easy ride.. Because she knows me well enough to know I don’t take drugs much at all, and I normally do not have Cody work on the bikes…when I’m there.. she refused to get her helmet on and ride until I showed her I could raise my arm.. … oh, umm, ya,,, welllllllll .. I can do that, but I prefer not to at this point. . . . . . . .no huhhhh.. ok,, so One arm raise later we went for a quick ride up to the swimming hole, Cody leading the way along the route we had planned
and then Dino falls.
Once there we figured she would be happy, safe, and ready top head back.. Easy ride, no falls or stumbles.. She is a strong B+ rider or was before her big get off, so ability is not the question,, just confidence..
She asked to ride some more, and make it more then just flat park roads.....
ok well we can do that......
Came back via north pole trail
and the home safe in the trailer.
After watching my wife and son pack up bikes and trailer we headed home...
And with some persuasive discussion I was talked in to going to the ER.
End result.
Me
Dislocated shoulder
Bruised kidney
Bruised ribs
Broken clutch lever
Bent clutch perch
Bent ProTaper bars
Bent ProTaper bar mounts
Son
Crushed pipe on sons CR125
Family
Grins, laughs and memory's that will last a life time. Plus a free 30 day supply of vicodin
What more can you want...
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