Author Topic: Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!  (Read 4275 times)

Moskito

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« on: July 26, 2005, 09:39:03 AM »
Coal Creek was a blast!

I think there was a grand total of 18 Pilots present along with a hand full of quads and a bunch of bikes too.  I'm guessing 35 to 40 people all together.  Wives, kids - everyone had a good time.

Overall, the damage was minimal - especially for the number of us there.  Two bikes suffered flat rears, quite a few of the Pilot tires had the same fate too.  But hey, it's Coal Creek! (rocks abound).

Human damage was minimal too - Stoneman's shoulder and one of my buddy's thighs both found large rocks embedded in the soil and Mark & Red's buddy Mathew played Jousting Knight with a large tree branch (Matthew lost, but is all right).  I hear that Vrooom's boy did a tumble down a hill on a quad too.

We had a contingent of world travelers present:  Ozpilot made the trip from Sydney and gets the iron butt traveler award.  Ludedude and Ted made the two day drive from Nova Scotia (Lude depends on that GPS/laptop setup too much....  :D  - Rand-McNally, Lude...) and dhjunkie flew in from the reconquered upper Mexico, formerly Los Angeles to Pilothawk's neighborhood to play Aamco Man for PH's wife's vehicle.

Lude, fortunately, doesn't mind (too much?) wrenching on machines.  He got in a huge amount of wrench time, as his Pilot's power plant didn't seem to like the high temps and high humidity there at CC.  (I think it wanted to go back to Nova Scotia and be cool - Lude, don't take it to the desert, it will melt).   We'd see him sitting in the roll cage working on the engine one minute then we'd see him head on up the mountain.  Sometimes he'd come back under his own power, sometimes under the power of Ted's front bumper.  Lude and crew did get in some really good rides, though (from what I understand).  Something about a creek and swimming...  Bucked scared everyone too...   (pink tu-tu??)

Unfortunately, the bikes and Pilots didn't seem to ever leave the pits at the same time, so I didn't get to ride with the Pilot guys, but dh & Stoneman more than made up for entertainment on the trail.

A small group of us went out on a nice "easy" bike ride.  The group consisted of Ramjet on his KTM 200, Mini-Ram on his KTM 65 (up shift!), dhjunkie on PH's XR400, Stone on the Green Ox (KX500), Max (mini-Stoneman) on his XR and PH's brother John in one of the Stoneman Pilots, me on my CRF 450X.  "We'll just go up the nice gravel road and take it easy - make it nice for the kids" -- famous last words.

Somewhere along the line, Ramjet & Mini-Ram decide that they've had enough (mini-Ram's just learning how to use a clutch, so when the trails got rough/tight, it was a bit of a challenge) and they head back to camp.

While we were discussing this, Junkie's pulled over at the edge of a fairly large water puddle and is worn out trying to kick over the XR400.

I walk over to help him get the XR started and we hear a large bore two stroke coming up on the pipe...  About the time I realize what's going on, a green streak comes flying through the puddle, parting it like Moses did the Red Sea.  His intention was to splash Junkie and myself with the pudding colored/thick muddy water.  Fortunately, we were at the leading edge of the puddle and Stone missed us and the XR.  My bike, on the other hand was on the opposite side and farther down...  Thanks Stone.

We get the XR started and dh decides that he can hand a little of that back to Stone.  Testosterone at it's finest.  I was enjoying the show...

The section of the trail we were on alternated between puddles of pudding and dry spots - 20' of pudding, 20' of dry.   dh pulls up along side Stone and attempt the splash.  Stoneman sees it coming and opens up the Ox. (there's NOTHING like the sound of an open-class 2 stroke on the throttle)

They both hit the next puddle at about the same time, canceling out each others splash (I think Max may have caught some of it).

Still accelerating, they are now approaching dh's terminal speed (testosterone's starting to die down and fear of dirt sampling is taking over - good move!).

We jog around a corner and there are three large, wide, deep puddles of water and then there's the puddle of pudding mud at the end of the three.  

There's Stoneman, on his hands and knees, beside the Ox (on it's side) covered from head to toe in pudding mud.  I missed the crash, but from what I hear, it took him the three holes to crash and the final one caught him.   I pull up beside him and ask if  he's all right and in the great Stoneman fashion, he slowly stands up, raises his hands above his head and yells out "THAT WAS AWESOME!"   Don't know why, but he's gotta take a soil sample ever ride gathering...  At least he does them in spectacular style!

We'll wait for dh's play by play - he saw it all.

Saturday night was spent at the PH compound.  The swimming pool was well used, PH cooked and his wife proceeded to destroy the crowd (well, some of us.... ahem...) with margaritas and pina coladas.

Sunday was another great day of riding too.  About half the crew made the trek back out for a few more miles before packing up and heading home.

I don't think that there's ever been a larger gathering here in the east and it was just plain wonderful.   There wasn't not a person there that wouldn't lend a hand, or help out if the need was present.

To those that missed it, you have to try to make one of these trips.  They're a blast and it's the best group of people around to have a blast with!

Hey Zoomer, was good to meet you and your boy.  Sorry I didn't get a chance to talk to you a bit more.

Oh - if anyone wants some Kenwood stereo equipment, get in touch with Ram.  I think he'll let it go with a smile on his face.

Thanks again to PH & Cricket for the bed space and hospitality and to everyone for making this a great weekend.

Think about Little Sahara Sept 30th - Oct 3rd...  Maybe we can get another great group gathered there.

RIDE ON!!!
Moskito - Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming \'WOW-What a Ride!\'

Moskito

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Just for Bucked, Lude, Ted... (And Oz...)
« Reply #1 on: July 26, 2005, 11:06:56 AM »
Quote
This was on the counter over at my kid's mom's place...


ROFLMAO...oh Buck!
Moskito - Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming \'WOW-What a Ride!\'

tsutton44

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #2 on: July 26, 2005, 02:31:11 PM »
Sounds like all had a great time and pilot hawk & wife surely was gracious in opening and the property to make things nice and easy for everyone.I wished thing would have worked out for me,i might have been able to make it.
skeeter you going to get you another pilot ?
I have to get mine back,the law just took everything i had  :cry:

PilotHawK

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #3 on: July 26, 2005, 04:15:43 PM »
I was glad to host and glad everyone seemed to have a good time. Cricket enjoyed hosting the show as well. We are tired and worn out, but the companionship for the weekned is worth it!

This is indeed a great crowd, and nothing has changed in the 5 years that I've known these guys. Some have come and some have gone, but the quality and character of the group remains unequalled.

I was glad to see the number of people show up that did. I plan on getting in some more seat time on the XR and mapping out some pilot friendly trails for the pilot riders.

Tires for pilots are a lesson in themselves. The first time I took my pilot on a ride away from home, I had several flats as well. Driving technique has a lot to do with the tires, and once you figure out how to tackle the rough and rocky sections the tire problems will become minimal.

I hope we can make this a yearly expedition or even more frequently. This was without a doubt one of the best rides I have seen to date.

pilotdvr

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #4 on: July 26, 2005, 05:59:13 PM »
Quote from: "PilotHawK"

Tires for pilots are a lesson in themselves. The first time I took my pilot on a ride away from home, I had several flats as well. Driving technique has a lot to do with the tires, and once you figure out how to tackle the rough and rocky sections the tire problems will become minimal.


I definitely have to agree with this.  My front tires this trip were Maxxis Razr 6 plys, the rear were the original tires that came on my Pilot...with no tire problems (knock on rubber)!  I was planning on having new Titan 489XTs on the rear, but they got to Indy on Friday...my old Titan's were worse off then my original tires.  :cry:

I was running 10 lbs in the fronts, and 14 lbs in the rears, on Douglas 190 Red labels all the way around.

As far as technique...#1 avoid tall grass (monsters lurk here), #2 put big rocks down the center line of the Pilot and let the skid plate toss you up into the air a little, #3 hit big rocks square on the tire as possible, #4 avoid hitting rocks with the side wall of your tire, #5 use a semi loose grip on the yoke (I think this also helps prevent bent tie rods), #6 if all else fails...slow down

dhjunkie

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Coal Creek
« Reply #5 on: July 26, 2005, 10:27:33 PM »
I had a blast.  I am so glad I made this trip in spite of my hesitant beginnings Thursday morning.  It seems that I either ate something that didn't agree with me or caught one of the kids one day bugs.  But Thursday morning around 12:30 AM on up to leaving for LAX  was not pleasant at all.  Then came the long plane flight, which isn't to bad in normal health BUT when you feel like crap it took eternity :).  Luckily I did start feeling a bit better the farther I went east and by the time I got to Knoxville I was feeling a bit on the normal side.
 Then comes Friday morning, I wake up and i am feeling better, I can actually hold down some food and it is off to work on PH's S-10 blazer ( my mega mile service call, Mr. Goodwrench at your service :)   I get it all squared away and it is off to Coal Creek to meet the P-O group and do a bit of riding.
  What a world of difference in terrain from the left coast  to the Tennessee mud and rocks.  That stuff is slick when your not knowing what your looking at :)  So I adapted very slowly  and chugged my way through the trails keeping in mind that my wife's last words to me were "Do not come home broken!".  I went on a ride with a group of pilots and watched Murphy do his wrath on tires   3 flats all in a span of at least 500 yards.  Vroom is the tire repair man, he amazed many that you can fix a sidewall gash with an abundance of tire plugs and CO2 cartridges.  While I was out  n about looking for a trail that some were saying was the Downhill trail,Buck stealthily sneaked up on me and threw a rev on his motorcycle, it proceeded to scare the crap out of me  and I saw the giant laugh/grin through his helmet.  Buck and I rode back down the road to camp and then did the  last ride of the day with Buck  ( I still am not sure why everyone was so concerned with this  :D  ).  We did an easy ride up to the windmills.  The scenery is just beautiful there, a lot better than the concrete I am from.  So after the that we packed it in and went to Casa d' Groff for a dip in the pool and group gatherings.
  Saturday came  and  with it came more riding,  went on a couple more rides with the group and then an easy one with Moskito, Stonemam, Lil' stonemen, Ramjet and Lil' ramjet.  This was a good ride to relax at a slower pace and enjoy the scenery.  While at one of the pit stops , Skito shuts my bike off and Gimp me about dies trying to start it over.  Along comes stoneman with a fury going to mud us up real well, but fails :)  So now I know I am in trouble, he wont stop till I am covered in the Tennessee tanning lotion.  Skito get the bike started for me and we are off again on the trail.  We get to a section that has a series of mud holes taking up the entire trail and I can hear stonemans bike roar to life. I am think oh know hear it comes and proceed to grab a bit more throttle but not wanting to cover lil'stoneman with the slop, But too late between stone and I  Max gets it good.  Now stone and I are moving at a decent rate trying to get each other  until stone walls me with a wave of goo and I slow down a hair.  
  This is where it gets interesting, Stone it in 5th gear hauling a$$ when he clobbers me with the mud. His rear tire must of just slightly slid out to the right starting a tail hop to the right in one mud hole and then back to the left in another. He did the fishtail thing about 4 times in 4 different holes with each one getting worse.  Now by the last tail hop stone is practically sideways and horizontal with the bike when he his a squared large edge of the last hole, this sent him right into a large mud hole filled with perfect consistency pudding.  Upon impact a wall of mud went everywhere and stone was lying sideways with his bike half way submerged in the goop.  Stone got up and seemed all right laughing at his endeavor.  He was covered head to toe in this slop. After a while of trying to start his bike  ( and one hellacious backfire) it breathed life and we were off back to camp.  On the way back is when he started feeling the effects of Terra firma,  Nothing a dip in the pool cant fix :)
  Saturday night was party night at Casa d' Groff and all were basically in attendance.  the margarita's and pina coladas flowed, hamburgers and chicken sandwiches filled bellies and some clown called wanting to sell me 5 satellite dishes :)   All was good and everyone was having a very good time.
  I enjoyed meeting all these people that I have been chatting with on line  for the past 5 years getting to put a face to the names.  This is one hell of a fun bunch in cyberspace and even better in person.  Thank you all for not flogging this left coast tree hugger or playing  some dueling banjo's in the backwoods  :D .  Hopefully I can make another trip out that way sooner than it took me this time.
  Thank you again Chris and Cricket for the hospitality you guys gave me, I will never forget it.  If you need another service call, you got my number  :)
Scott  aka-dhjunkie

tsutton44

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #6 on: July 26, 2005, 11:12:23 PM »
hilarious and in tears  :D

tsutton44

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #7 on: July 27, 2005, 08:20:52 AM »
How did OZ pull up,how was the Aussie lingo(speak) with you guys ?

Cheers
Aussieduner

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2005, 11:37:40 PM »
I don't think any Aussies made it to CC. Brendan came in from somewhere but he never uttered one G'Day, mate or krikey so he must have been from the US. He did use the term "you guys", "y'all" and "git-er-done" on several occasions so I assumed he is a true Southerner. Hell of a nice guy tho!

Aussie Duner

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2005, 07:38:34 AM »
Brendan is from Australia,now if i was there at that shin dig you would have had some fair dinkum Aussie slang that youve never heard before,hey cobber !
Crikey next time i will pack my swag and hit the frog'n'toad to the big smoke and join you buggers for a fair dinkum good time. LOL

Hows that ??


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Aussieduner

hoodlum

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The Ozz
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2005, 10:20:17 PM »
Brendan was a very pleasent addition to the CC trip. He seemed right at home in the heat and as far as I could tell, had a wonderful time. He also invited the whole group to come to his side of the world, and offered your house for boarding as well!!
Just kiddin, would like to make it sometime and see how you guys play.
Thanks for coming Ozz! Your a trooper if there ever was one! My wife still can't believe someone came from "down under". Showed her pics and guess what she said." He doesn't look Australian"!!!  Yankee turned Hillbilly for you.
Rooky

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Coal Creek Gathering - The Best People Around!
« Reply #11 on: July 29, 2005, 03:55:11 AM »
How does a typical Aussie look ?

Cheers
Aussieduner

PS
Im a boardshorts & T-Shirt type of guy myself LOL

hoodlum

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Aussie ID
« Reply #12 on: July 29, 2005, 08:22:34 AM »
That was my ? also!! She just cracks me up sometimes. Guess she thought that everyone there was like the Aborigines, if thats how you spell it, not sure. She thought I was lying when I told her Mel Gibson was an Aussie also.
By the way, thats really cool that your pilot will be in the magazine!! These machines deserve all the publicity they can get.
G'day mate!!  (or does that mean hello?)
Rooky

Aussie Duner

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« Reply #13 on: July 29, 2005, 08:24:12 PM »
OK Rooky here's a few Aussieism's

G'Day Mate = Hello
Crickey      = Wow
See ya later when ya legs are straighter = Goodbye
How they hang'in = How are you.
Cobber = friend

See ya later cobber ;-)

Aussieduner