Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/29 09:22well as part of my gps mapping project I ventured down Spruce Gap trail from the fire tower yesterday for the first time in probably 6 years. And I must recant my total disdain for that trail, its really not too bad, and quite the challenging downhill. I imagine my skill level has increased a bit and the disk brakes that I have now that I didnt when I originally tried are the main reason for my change of heart. The one section near the bottom thats really loose still isnt a whole lot of fun, but its ridable and the rest of the trail is really pretty cool. This still wont be on the weekly ride rotation but I'll definitely be revisiting it more often then every six years.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/29 09:39Spruce Gap, aka the Edge, is awesome! I love that trail. I felt the same way about not enjoying that trail and avoided it for awhile. I rode it again last year and loved it. I usually hit it at least 5+ times a year. It's interesting how your perception of a trail can change over time. I think for me it was more experience, better skills, and better equipment that increased my enjoyment of Spruce Gap. I'd still say Old Laurel is the better option from the top, but Spruce Gap is a fun option to change things up.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/29 18:46i'm in the same situation as you kevin, i've not been on that trail in years until our recent trip down it on a tuesday night ride probably a couple months ago. i remember the double endo wreck up on the fun stuff and recall how much i really liked the top parts, but pretty much wrote the whole trail off at that point.
however, it really isn't so bad. just as you said, the loose section isn't fun, but i managed to live through it without running over jean luc. i'm not about to plan a ride to hit that trail, but i'm not about to bail on it if everyone else decides to ride it either.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 10:02I remember the ride down Spruce Gap with Don a couple of months ago. Nabil, Yoda, Jean Luc, and I started down it. We thought Don had bailed on us after the climb up Laurel Run road from Wildcat Gap. Nobody remembered seeing him make the turn onto the fire tower road. We stopped at the fire tower for a rest and to prepare (pray for safety!) for the possible carnage that lie ahead on Spruce Gap. HO and Rodney decided to descend Old Laurel Run instead. It was nearing dusk and daylight was fading.
Everything clicked on the descent and the trail gods must have been smiling on us. Among the 4 riders I think we only had 2 minor dabs in the loose stuff and 2 rode it clean. Collectively, it was an excellent team effort.
We reached the bottom of the trail at the Longberger intersection and the 4 of us were smiling and congratulating each other on a fine descent. We turned around and there was Don! Where the heck did he come from and how did he get there so fast?
The only explanation I have is that the Princess must have rode Spruce Gap demonically fast and immaculately clean. Maybe he was using the Force? Yoda was along on the ride. Don's blazing descent of Spruce Gap is the stuff of NMBA legend and Rothrock lore.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 10:24Demon of the Fall wrote: Don's blazing descent of Spruce Gap is the stuff of NMBA legend and Rothrock lore. as is the first time i was on old laurel run and don did a beautiful endo flip into the rocks on the lower side of the trail. as i was having visions of a helicopter evacuation, don hops up and blazes down the trail dropping me like the sissy rider i am.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 10:24Its a crappy hiking trail. Lengthen the 500' elevation drop over 2-3 miles, add rocks, logs, jumps, switchbacks and a view or two and you have a great trail! If it would only grow in and become impassable with deadfall maybe we could re-route it
HO
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 15:42Don's crash on Old Laurel Run trail a couple of years ago was nasty. The fact that he emerged completely unscathed and continued riding was amazing and cannot be explained by science or reason. It's almost as if there is something magical or supernatural about the Princess. Maybe he was using the Force again. After that crash another page was etched in the epic adventures of the Princess in the book of Rothrock lore and NMBA legend.
By the way, is someone writing this stuff down?
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 16:26Demon of the Fall wrote: By the way, is someone writing this stuff down? you mean in the "PRINCESS DIARIES" ?
sorry kevin, we're getting a wee bit off subject....which was....ahh yes... SPRUCE GAP. only did it once, but personally didn't find it the terrifying experience i was thinking it would be. didn't clean it but i'm looking forward to another chance at tryin'.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 20:54Don's crashes and near crashes -- law of large numbers, or something like that. If you crash often enough you'll ride away from some of them. He's spent enough time on crutches to prove the other side of that argument...
Favre's game winning pass last night -- a thing of beauty. See above, though, and think about Favre's records of td passes, and interceptions.
The edge -- not a thing of beauty. The top was fun but after that big rock (still there?), hang on.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 22:27I personally think it's a fun/challenging trial but a reroute about halfway down would be a blessing. The potential for a reroute is vast and could add a mile or two of trail at least.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/30 22:29gods, but i'm laughing myself to pieces!
if we ever get the ehlmet cam footage of me being dumb enough, you guys can have nabil make a video after the one that does me in and we'll call it the princess diaries.
i do love pontzer's flair on here, it's just good entertainment. i'm glad i can inspire him a bit. i'll disagree with jim here and say i've spent too much time on crutches, but i do have to admit to being biased on the subject.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/31 11:36I seem to remember hiking up there a few years back and finding (or being told about, I forget which) a reroute around the trickiest part of the edge. I kind of remember that it wasn't quite finished and needed some rock work.
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Re:Spruce Gap trail - 2007/10/31 16:46yup, i had thought about that as well, seems to me it went off to the right. i think you're the one that showed it to me, matt.
might be worth looking into, but i think the ideal would be to run it along until it ran into the intersection of lonberger and kettle since old laurel does a much better job of getting to three bridges without going straight down.
just my thoughts.
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