Nonsense: Fairland Part Deux

Last weekend, we had wonderful weather here in Laurel, and this Saturday was living up to the same standard. I could not bear to, again, watch the sun rise and set from the discomfort of my computer chair while working on lengthy college research papers. So, I ventured out at the prompting of another email from Austin Steo, to break dirt with my local mountain bike brethern.

Austin, looking rather charming with his pulaski (pick).
Photograph by Chuck Bolte.

Austin, Andy, and I met at high noon at the Storm Water Demonstration building in Fairland Park and carted our trail tools into the eastern (or was it southern?) part of the trail system. The particular section was a familiar one, because Austin has been working for weeks to finish bench cutting in the quarter mile to one half mile section of trail.

Bikes are jumping in Andy's head.
Photograph by Austin Steo.

We three labored for three hours under beautiful clear blue skies and successfully bench cut an Andy-estimated 70 feet of trail. It looked great.

Austin estimates that another two hours of hard labor from two to three hardcore trail maintainers will result in the completion of the south/east side rollercoaster of a trial section.

Nonsense: Never Summer

It has come to my attention that my loyal readers are upset with my recent lack of interesting writing. For this lack of interesting writing, I apologize. Since the beginning of the year of 2008, my life has been dominated by dull activities that keep me inside for long hours, which leaves me with nothing to write about. These long dull hours have also inhibited me from journeying out and making interesting things happen.

Like all good things, all bad things will also come to an end. And my current college semester will come to a close on Sunday, February 24th, 2008, and I will be free to make interesting things happen.

And they will happen.

The first happening will occur in the state of Colorado throughout the dates of February 23rd to March 1st, 2008. The snow gods of the West have responded to my snow dances in the East and I am not about to let another magnificent West snow season slip away unshred.

Neigh do I desire to travel to the land of snow unprepared.

Witness this...

Out with the old, in with the new.
Photography by Chuck Bolte.

My six years thrashed 152 Burton Balance takes a seat as my new 158 Never Summer SL steps up to do my bidding. The NS SL will be outfitted with my once ridden 2007 Burton Freestyle bindings.

Stoked to shred, dude.

Nonsense: ChuckBolte Youtube Channel

Ahhh!

When I deleted my Myspace profile, my BMX videos from Augusta were taken down with it.

So, to allow the continued public viewing of those videos and any future edits that I might produce, I have opened a Youtube channel.

To enjoy my life in motion, go here!

Chuck Bolte's Youtube channel

Snapshots: Blue Heron

While hiking in Great Falls, MD last weekend, this big blue bird allowed me to move to within 15 feet of it and steal its soul with my digital camera

Big Blue Bird.
Photograph by Chuck Bolte.

Nonsense: Maintenance By Austin

The following pictures illustrate a short session of rock armoring and de-berming, carried out by Austin Steo and Chuck Bolte, at Fairland Park.

Shown in the picture below is the condition in which we found this 30 foot section of trail at Fairland Park. It may be difficult to see, but Austin is standing on a rather large berm on the left side of the trail. Because there is a berm there, there is a trough in the trail at the front of Austin's feet. This trough was created by water running down the trail, which is bad. At the location where I shot this picture there is a small water run off that hits the trail in a perpendicular manner. This is ok, but the dip created in the trail by the run off needed to be armored with rock.

Austin and I raked the leaves off of the trail and then Austin began setting the rock armor that had been harvested earlier in the day.

If the first picture in this series was the "before" picture, the picture below would be the "after" picture. Austin and I hacked up the berm and pulled the berm dirt into the trough as well as covered the freshly laid rock. To finish, we tamped the trail and replaced the mucky winter leaves.

Below, Austin visualizes himself riding down the trail.

Nonsense: Hoppy Holidays!

The Single Speed Outlaw invited me out for a fixed gear road ride on Friday night, but this was definitely not your typical fixed gear road ride. Why was it different? Well, here was the plan. First, I would meet the SSO and some other hardcore cyclists at the Catonsville park and ride. Next, we would ride our fixies into downtown Baltimore to a watering hold named Max's. There we would commence in much merriment somewhat influenced by various alcoholic beverages and rather good food. After Max's, our final event for the evening was at the 8 x 10 live music venue, where we would rock out with the Baltimore born band, The Almighty Senators.

In the beginning, I did everything I could to piss on the good spirits of the party. First, I showed up to the park and ride 20 minutest late. Second, I flatted approximately 120 seconds into the ride. Third, I reseated my tire bead incorrectly causing a massive bulge in my rear tire that nearly ended my entire ride. Somehow, I did make it to Baltimore with the fellas and was able to completely fix the fixie's unfixed tire at Light Street Bicycle Shop.

After that, everything went according to plan.

Bring a lock or walk home.
Photograph by Chuck Bolte.

AMS at 8x10.

Photograph by Chuck Bolte.

Nonsense: Even Even MORE Maintenance

And so, it rained.
Photograph by Chuck Bolte.

Originally, I had two trail work days planned for the weekend, but I overslept on Saturday and missed the work party at the Upper Rock Creek Park which is about 30 minutes west of my apartment. I regrouped on Sunday morning and made the hour long drive north to Frederick and Gambrill State Park where I linked up with the Single Speed Outlaw and company for some trail knicking in the rain.

We worked for a solid four hours, building rock water bars and digging knicks on a 300 meter stretch of trail. The rain kept us cool while we worked, but erased any thoughts of post maintenance riding from our mountain biker minds. My final task for the day came while we built the last water bar, my orders were to retrieve a cooler full of beer from the van that brought us to the trailhead.

As I jogged back down the trail with the cooler in hand, the beer bottles happily clink clinked against each other like an alcoholic dinner bell. My coworkers for the day were kind enough to pounce/flock after I had set the cooler down.

Alcohol on weary stomachs made some legs weary.

The party continued at the Brewer's Alley in downtown Frederick where a large percentage of the group enjoyed the Monte Cristo.

Good people, good trail work, good beer, good food.

Life is good.

Snapshots: The First Snow

A light dusting out front.
Photograph by Chuck Bolte.

Nonsense: Even MORE Maintenance!

Another weekend in my new home is wrapping up and with it came rain and trail maintenance. The trail maintenance came at another MORE trail work party held, this time, at Rosaryville State Park, 30 miles south of home. I think highly of the trail quality of Rosaryville, so it was a pleasure to be a part of its maintenance. Of the eight to 10 people that showed up, two of us, Dave and I, took a B.O.B. trailer out on the trail while the others hiked into a different area to work some re-routes. Dave and I rode about half of the 8 mile perimeter loop stopping at a dozen work sites to dig knicks or to de-berm the trail.

After some three hours of maintenance the gloomy skies finally opened up and began sprinkling cold rain on our helmets. Dave and I dug out the last knick and re-stacked the B.O.B. for the final time. On the way out, we rode a new re-route and caught up with the hikers who were also on their way out. We dropped our tools at a shed before riding an asphalt shortcut back to the parking lot where my truck was parked. Out on the open pavement, I had an opportunity to test a new supposedly waterproof jacket.

Yes, the jacket successfully repelled all water. Unfortunately, I discovered when I got home, my Camelbak bladder also repelled most of its water into my backpack throughout the day.

Bleh.

No pictures due to rain.

Nonsense: MTB MD!

Blazing through the blazing leaves.

Photography by Chuck Bolte.

Since moving to the state of Maryland, I have done my best to plunge head first into the local mountain biking scene. As of today, Sunday, that plunge has taken me to Rosaryville State Park, Patapsco River State Park Avalon Area, Patapsco River State Park Woodstock Road, and Fairland Park.

So far all of these mountain bike areas have treated me quite well. Patapsco is a huge adventure and I have miles and miles of trail left to explore. Rosaryville and Fairland are both much smaller, but the trail quality within each park is excellent. Well, except for all of the now old fall foliage that has clogged the flow of the dirt.

Chuck is in the "two year old Stans" terror dome at Patapsco.