3 Amigos Ride!
Sunday, June 2, 2019 at 11:40AM
Just a couple of weeks ago I finally got to do some woods riding. It was with Buckmeister, (Buck at SBB suspension) and Gino Belino, (Gene is from Folsom Prison). Well, let me clarify that Gino WORKS at Folsom Prison. So it was not on a weekend pass, parole or anything. He actually had the day off! Then there was Doo Rag, (Darrin) also fresh outta prison, with a Kitchen Pass and Matt. Matt had paroled a few years earlier when he got a creampuff job working at a Fire Camp in Nor Cal.
We were all pretty excited to hit the trails since it had just rained a couple days before. Apparently not enough since it was much dustier than we anticipated in the open and exposed areas. The tree covered areas were still pretty good as the shade of the trees held the moisture much better. So in some sections we could all ride close but had to space out when the dust reared its ugly head. I had a great time, since they let me ride in front all day! I guess age does have its privileges, lol.
We rode most of the ride with big grins on our faces with an occasional stop to regroup and catch our breath. In just a few short hours Matt reminded us he had to head back as he did have to work a swing shift that day. We said good bye and were now down to four riders. Doo Rag was beginning to feel the pace as he doesn’t get a kitchen pass very often and subsequently has had very little seat time. Doo Rag spends his free time hanging onto a fishing pole, not a set of handlebars. So Doo Rag says he will meet us down by the river crossing and away he goes.
Buckmeister, Gino and I explore a little on our way down the canyon into the river, where we finally catch up to Doo Rag. I forgot that Doo Rag carries a collapsible fishing pole in his pack when he rides. So guess what he was doing when we rolled up. We took a rest break while Doo Rag fished and proudly displayed his trophy when he caught one of those whoppers!
While we were there it was kinda hard to miss the newer Toyota SUV 4x4 that was lodged in between a couple of trees just above the river. It had not been there long as there were no bullet holes in it yet! Also, there was a bit of debris scattered indicating it was a new arrival. This compared to the old Toyota car that had been down there since the 80’s that I can remember. That one had a few bullet holes.
Our rest period turned into an hour and a half long break with snacks and a lot of stories being told. Some I will remember and some I will try to forget! None that I will ever repeat……………..Time to go. Doo Rag informs us that he is Fished out. I think that is code for he is too tired to continue on our ride. So he says he knows his way out to a road and will meet us back at the trucks. So now we are down to 3. Buckmeister, Gino and #33.
The 3 of us head up out of the canyon and are having a big time blasting through the trees. I know I am as I now spend most of my time in the desert and only have to dodge bushes and cactus, not trees. This is Great! We continue on trail after trail until we come to a very rocky, somewhat steep slate/granite trail that is probably now considered to be in the ‘Advanced’ or ‘Extremely Difficult’ rating on the trail maps usually printed for the riding area. I go ahead to the top and stop at the next intersection to make sure we all head the same direction. I wait……and wait………hoping someone got a flat. It had been about 10 min and I figured maybe they didn’t have the tools to fix whatever it was. So I head back down eventually finding Gino holding Buck’s bike.
Doh! Buckmeister is standing there holding his clutch side wrist/hand. I observe that he is standing and walking ok so if we can get his bike to the top of this rocky ascent we should get back to the trucks without calling for outside assistance. Buck says he will walk to the top if I will ride his bike up. I park my bike and get on Buck’s bike and remember, crap, he is riding a YZ 125! The last time I rode a 125 was years ago on a motocross track and I wasn’t very good at it. It has been MANY years since I owned or rode a small bore. I am a 500cc kind of guy. I weigh about 250 lbs. dressed to trail ride. But away we go, uphill, rocky, ledges and crevasses to traverse to reach the top. 8 to 10 thousand RPMs and a little abusing of the clutch and I make it. Sure glad that ain’t my clutch!
Buckmeister stands there and now has to figure out how to get rolling with a dicked up clutch hand. He does it and we are headed toward the trucks on normal trails and find a road that leads us out. We eventually make it back to the trucks and find Doo Rags truck still there. He should have been back long ago, loaded up and gone. We load up Buck’s bike, our bikes and get ready to go. Gino says, “shouldn’t we go look for Doo Rag?”. I think it over for a minute and tell him, ‘Naw, he has a fishing pole.” I figured if he got stuck somewhere he would just catch his dinner. A few minutes later Doo Rag rolls up. We asked him how we could have beat him back to the trucks considering our misfortunes and slow return pace. After all he was riding the road back.
“Uh, I turned the wrong way and went to hi way 193.” I tried not to laugh, but I never promised not to tell he was directionally challenged. Dude caught a fish though. I have pictures, lol.
So we started with 5. Went down to 4. Finished off with 3 and 1 straggler. Rolled in with 2 intact and 1 damaged. This may have been The Best Ride Ever!!!
#33
‘Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than the ones you did do. Explore. Dream. Discover.’
Reader Comments (2)
sounds like a great time.. Is that Auburn area ? mustve if Bucky and your cell mates from folsom were there. You know I hate to say this but I don't think Ive known Bucky without him having a limp or some sort of tweaked body part... hmm.. well I hope he recovers soon, oh and why is he on a 125 ?? hes no small dude !! lol : )
10 minutes! 10 retired McKenna minutes which translates to 30 minutes regular time. Gino.