Ride, ride and more RIDE!

Where do I begin?

Things have been going really well, for the most part. Been doing a lot of riding off park (WTOP) for the past month. It has been a lot of fun. I didn't realize how much I missed riding on Stone. In the last couple weeks I've been across Stone to go to the Harlan Overlook (Harlan Kentucky) twice. Once it was just my husband and myself and then this past Sunday with the guys (and gals) that visit "ridewhereyouwant.com" aka Partsman and friends.

Also have done two trips up to Hensley Settlement. Now that is an adventure. Trail is for the most part easy to moderate. With a lot of smooth riding. Bad thing is where it isn't smooth.. it is ROUGH! I mean ROCKY - BOUNCE your guts out rough.

I've served as trail guide several times for different groups. I've had a blast. Every group is different. Some like to really see as much as they can see in a day. Others want to see stuff but at a lot slower pace, bad thing is that they miss out on so many other things that there just isn't time to see.

The leaves are changing here and it is getting really pretty to be outside. Bad thing is that it means that you put on a lot of clothes and strip during the day then put back on before you get back to the truck! Thought sure that my riding gloves were going to be enough Sunday. NOPE! My hands got so cold. I kept kicking myself for not taking my good winter gloves. Those would have felt a lot better on my poor frozen fingers. Bad thing is that it really isn't that cold. BUT after being in the upper 80's and lower to mid 90's for high temps all summer, when it gets down to the upper 40's lover 50's it feels like it should be the dead of winter.

I've gotten several really good videos done from all the riding. In fact I've got so many that there is no way to post them all here. I will upload one but will provide links to the others. AND if you like them and are signed up on YouTube then please rate my videos and leave me a note if you can! I love reading people comments... Good & Bad. I do have one more video that I need to get the footage worked up. Hopefully I'll get time to do them before this weekend. In the mean time here are some links to the ones that are the newest ones that I've done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQcYEiEcK0I (Hensley Settlement PT. 1)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRm-6jqyYB4 (Hensley Settlement PT.2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tGApUYBWMw (Part 3)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqJfT2YPEAA (Montage)

We, most of the family, went over to my sisters cabin on the river farm one weekend. I'll admit that riding in a pasture is NOT my favorite thing to do. I hate with a passion riding there and dodging the "FRESH Cow Patties"! BUT getting out and riding with 4 generations of my family is awesome!!!!! Not many people get to ride with a family group that range in age from 2 to 79! Here are the videos of that day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBwQYe0TX7s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qx-f7psvou4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZODsMQWrQE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wNNlF47AwE

Here is a short video of the inside of the little "cabin" that we built last summer. OH I forgot to tell you that the people that built that was myself, my husband and my sister! It's not perfect but it works!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2OOoO9jqRA

Here is the video of one of the groups that I guided at WTOP. I got an email from them and they liked it so much that they are coming back in a little over a week to do it again!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afE5uW4bUqo

This is one of the trips that we call "Cawood Loop". It's a really GOOD ride!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlJoqSewDCc

This is of my husband and myself going to the Harlan Overlook. Caught up with some friends and rode back with them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AT-0jB1MT5Y

Remember I said that I had gone up to Hensley Settlement twice? Well I've saved what I think is my best video to put up on here to view. Hope you like it!

Well I think I'm semi caught up. I know I've said it before but I will do a lot better at trying to keep things updated here.

Till next time! See ya'll.

Sunday Aug. 24

I had almost forgotten how much fun it is to ride on Stone! I hadn't done it in a while.... I'll admit that I don't miss all the really ROUGH parts of the trails up there. They will jar your innards (YES that is a word! lol) loose for sure..... but it is well worth it.

Only 3 started out that day. Dale, Don & myself were the only ones that met up at the parking area in Rose Hill. Those two are very brave souls indeed! They put ME up front playing "Follow The Leader"! I really felt bad for both of them by the time we got back to load up and go home. Don was covered in dust.... but poor Dale I swear had every speck of dust that had been kicked up on the trails on him! I don't see how he could see or breath.

Did the Cawood loop, then drove by the lake to see who was there. Found some riders from Virginia that Dale knew. They had been playing there for a while. I've got some video of that bunch playing and our part of the ride and some video of the Saturday ride yet to work up. I'll try to get in here and get it up soon.

But for now all I have are some photos. OH and we did see some Turkeys on the trail. Live TURKEYS..... not the "idiot man turkeys" that I know! WHICH will remain nameless! hehehe

Looks like next weeks ride is shaping up to be a REAL good ride! Where to? Who knows. But as of right now I know of at least 4 people that are wanting to go that normally don't go with us. I take that back, one is Mudd Puppy! She always puts on a good show.... and what few times I've had her and Ivy together it is even BETTER!

Till next week..... have a good'en!

Saturday, Aug 23

Served as guide this past Saturday to a group that wanted to explore Wilderness Trail Park. Got a late start as one lady is a nurse and worked the late shift and had to get a little sleep before taking off. Didn't get to go very far..... but it was a good ride.

Dust was boiling, as usual, but everybody made it back to the trucks/trailers in one piece.

Where do I begin? I'm behind again!

I'm so far behind on updating this that it is a wonder that anyone comes here any more. I'm sorry.. but the good news is that even in this dust and heat "Miss Kitty" and I have been getting out some. Not near as much as I'd like... but beats the heck out of staying at home all the time!

Now to do some catching up. Looks like last time I posted was on about the July 20th ride. Didn't get to go for a couple weeks after that. Rode on Stone Mountain on August 3 with Dellis,Dale, Randall and Morgan. Found lots of mud of course!

On Aug. 8 went down to WTOP for a while. Did some tree trimming first then met up with a group of guys that were here in the area for a visit from Ohio! Took them to see/play in Mud Bowl II. They had fun!

Next trip down was Aug 10. Met up with all the old gang that I rode with last year on Stone, plus a few new friends. When we got to the Colemar parking area we found some other "Holler Crawlers" that were there to ride. So we all hooked up and rode most of the day together. 15 riders in all! Had a BLAST!

Jim hadn't gotten to ride any since his knee surgery but he finally got to go on August 14. We knew it would be an easy ride seeing as how we were taking the grandson Michael down for his first time. Michael is only 10, but he has his own "Sportsman 90" I was impressed with how that little ride went! Jim did alright with being out on the trails after the surgery. His knee hurt a little more than usual after the days ride, but he did it anyway. Michael now thinks that his papaw is the BEST!

Thought sure that I was going to get to go riding again this past Sunday, August 17 but nobody posted about going so I stayed home rather than risk going alone. Instead we cleaned the mud off of our rides..... which they really needed! It took several hours of pressure washing, then hand washing to get all the mud off.

This coming weekend is looking REALLY good for a LOT of riding. I've got a group that I'm guiding on Saturday and on Sunday Dale and I have already said that no matter who else goes WE are not sitting at home again! WE WILL RIDE!

I've got several minutes of videos from the previous rides.... so rather than wait a long time for them to load here I'll just post the links to what I have up on You Tube.

Michael's trip - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E4v-VPcDdc

The turkeys we saw on one of the trails - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8tU-du4xsM

August 10 ride - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=813Qrz7ml5g

Hope you enjoy them. Till next time......

FUN! FUN!! FUN!!!

Thirteen riders (I'm not in the group photo and like it that way) met up Sunday morning to brave the dust and try to find a good mud/water hole. We found BOTH! Lots and lots of dust.... and a really good water hole!

Where I hadn't ridden for a while it sure felt GOOD to be back on a trail again. I really missed it. Tried out my new full face helmet today. Broke it in proper! Covered in dust!!! Other than the fact that it was hot, it really helped to keep that dust out of my eyes and it was so easy to flip up the shield when not needed. I like it. BUT I think I would like it better in cooler/cold weather.

Got some really good video today. Haven't worked it up yet..... it could take me a day or two to get it done, but it should be really good when I do.

I promise I'll come back and upload it when I am finished with it.

Later people!!

Tomorrow..... I RIDE!

Oh boy..... The 20th is finally almost here. Going on a really good ride in the morning. Had to go borrow my sisters trailer so I could haul 3 rides instead of the two that mine will. Picking up my baby sisters niece and her boyfriend at a little after 8 in the morning, then drive on down to Middlesboro. Should be a really good ride. Can't wait!

I put new lights on "Miss Kitty" today. She's looking fine! Should be really good light to see the trails at night now.

Seeing as how it is almost 11 PM I'll get a photo of her tomorrow. See ya'll either late Sunday or early Monday with a ride report!

No riding this past weekend, Hubby knee surgery

At times Family comes first. On Friday, July 11, my hubby had knee surgery. So needless to say I stuck close to home to take care of him. He has a hard time getting up to get anything. I did tell him that there was one thing that he was on his own with...... no need to say it here.. it would be TMI..... but you can guess what it is.

I do have the photos of inside his left knee..... pretty cool looking! Not bloody and so white and clean..... other than the torn places you wouldn't think anything is wrong.

But now this coming weekend is a different story. I've already told him that he had 9 days to heal enough to be here a day along because I was heading out to ride!

A bunch of Holler Crawlers and other people that just want to join in are going to ride "The Crater" around Middlesboro. Should be an interesting ride..... long but good. Can't wait! At first I thought that both of my nieces were going with me, now it is down to only one. Ivy and her boyfriend are going to ride down with me. That's good. She doesn't get to go riding near as much as MuddPuppy does.

Well.... till sometime Sunday night or during the day Monday... stay safe! I'll have lots of photos I hope!