Chasing the Doc
on the
Primrose Trail


Here's some photos from the ride we took after the Doc Wong Dirt Riding Clinic held at Clear Creek on 3/18/01. Doctor Harry Wong and Phil Douglas of Aftershocks Suspension led the way down the knarliest trails I've ever been on, and my friends that have mountain biked with me for 20 years know that means knarly.

It was just seven of us...Doc, Phil, two ride leaders whose names I rudely missed, and three of us from the riding clinic. Beginners. Rubes. And keen to try whatever Doc and Phil had in mind. :-)

These pictures show just a few of the things we did...as usual it's hard to ride AND take pictures so I didn't catch much of it on camera. It took most of my effort to just complete the ride. Not shown are the trails that were only one tire track wide, with mazanita bushes in and over the space your motorcycle (and body) is supposed to go through. Or the winding trench that looked more like a luge track than a motorcycle trail. Or most of the other amazing sections.

You can read a full description of the Primrose trail (AKA "Bill's Folly") here on Doc Wong's web site.

This was the best kind of ride. We were taken onto trails that would have been foolish to try on our own. But with expert guides, it was just challenging fun. Doc or Phil would have gotten my bike out if needed. But with their hints and tips, we were all able to complete the ride entirely on our own.

Two days later my thighs were still so sore I could barely walk...I can't wait to do it again!

-Randy

Down, down, down Down through the brush, down the luge track, and down a few near-cliffs like this one.

Up and over This one was easy, if you didn't look down to the 50 foot dropoff to the left. If you hesitated, you stopped. Like this. Doc and Phil said if you have to take a foot off a peg, make it the one on the hill side, and keep the down side peg weighted. Keep your momemtum, smooth and steady. I did, and it felt real good to be on the other side.

Trailside Tuning One of the bikes was overheating, and Doc and Phil said it must be running lean. So Phil takes apart the carb right there on the trail. Takes out the needle, moves the circlip up a notch...problem solved.

Putting it back together Um, which way did this thing go in here?

Hanging Out We got a welcome rest when one of the group took a side trip. Phil chased him down and reeled him in. This is the kind of support that made this ride possible.

A welcome break Fatigue took its toll. I fell 4 times in the last hour. It got hard to maintain full concentration and on these trails all it took was a momentary lapse and it was into the bushes...again.

Run Doc Run Doc demonstrates a hillclimbing technique that we didn't cover in the Riding Clinic. Doc and Phil were kind enough to take us up easy trails to get out of the canyon, and back down to camp. What a great ride!

	"It's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses" Before leaving for the day, I revisited the Goat Mountain Trail. I rode it the night before the Ride Clinic. I was stuck on this hill, in these ruts, in the dark, at 1am. Because who wants to waste time sleeping when you could be riding?
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