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The short version of my North Umpqua ride with UncleMTB, long version and more photos on my site.
The plan: meet UncleMTB in Roseburg Oregon on Saturday and ride 36.2 miles of the IMBA certified epic North Umpqua Trail on Sunday.
Saturday: I wake up with knees covered in blisters from allergic reaction to neoprene, but drive 500 miles to Roseburg and meet UncleMTB.
Sunday Morning: UncleMTB's truck has dead alternator and battery and no jumper cables so we roll start it. Eat breakfast and roll start again. Caravan 55 miles and drop off my truck. Drive dying truck 40 miles into the wilderness and park on a hill hoping to roll start it when we return at the end of the day. Self proclaimed "mountain man" at the trailhead warns we "flatlanders" will die if we try to ride the "Dread and Terror" section. Ride report posted on mtbr.com begs to differ. UncleMTB decides we had better ride fireroad bypassing that section, but I trick him into riding it. It is difficult but doable and spectacular, but I have to wear my knee braces over the blisters. 23 miles and many hours later we begin to worry about dying truck with no lights awaiting us. We skip the rest of the singletrack and take road back to my truck. We drive back to dying truck, roll start it and get it to Klamath Falls as darkness approaches.
Monday morning: truck now dead. No roll start and literally burns up some guys jumper cables. Time to call AAA and I leave. 40 miles from home at 75 mph in lane four I get first flat tire in my life. Not easy getting to right shoulder and fixing it in 100 degrees along busy freeway.
Was it worth it? You bet! A few photos below, video in a day or so.
Dread and Terror trail map
Nice trail
UncleMTB taking a cold shower
UncleMTB
UncleMTB
Rare photo of me
The plan: meet UncleMTB in Roseburg Oregon on Saturday and ride 36.2 miles of the IMBA certified epic North Umpqua Trail on Sunday.
Saturday: I wake up with knees covered in blisters from allergic reaction to neoprene, but drive 500 miles to Roseburg and meet UncleMTB.
Sunday Morning: UncleMTB's truck has dead alternator and battery and no jumper cables so we roll start it. Eat breakfast and roll start again. Caravan 55 miles and drop off my truck. Drive dying truck 40 miles into the wilderness and park on a hill hoping to roll start it when we return at the end of the day. Self proclaimed "mountain man" at the trailhead warns we "flatlanders" will die if we try to ride the "Dread and Terror" section. Ride report posted on mtbr.com begs to differ. UncleMTB decides we had better ride fireroad bypassing that section, but I trick him into riding it. It is difficult but doable and spectacular, but I have to wear my knee braces over the blisters. 23 miles and many hours later we begin to worry about dying truck with no lights awaiting us. We skip the rest of the singletrack and take road back to my truck. We drive back to dying truck, roll start it and get it to Klamath Falls as darkness approaches.
Monday morning: truck now dead. No roll start and literally burns up some guys jumper cables. Time to call AAA and I leave. 40 miles from home at 75 mph in lane four I get first flat tire in my life. Not easy getting to right shoulder and fixing it in 100 degrees along busy freeway.
Was it worth it? You bet! A few photos below, video in a day or so.

Dread and Terror trail map

Nice trail

UncleMTB taking a cold shower

UncleMTB

UncleMTB

Rare photo of me