Sunday, August 24, 2008

BASH Update - Three Bands and a Beer Wagon

Keith is THE man... he lined up three bands AND the Beer wagon! Woohooo.... The Friday evening band is a buddy of his whom used to be part of Ebenezer Screw. Remember them from a few years back at the BASH? Then Saturday, he got an opening band called Iriquois Confederacy whom plays originials of bluesy southern rock. And the headline band is now Blind Justice whom plays medium hard rock (i.e., Black cherry). The Devils Rejects broke up. All other BASH planning is going well and we're just about sold out. It'll be another good time this year.

Trail Update - Sunday Aug 24

Everything is dry and fast. Rick, Keith and Jill got out for some log cutting on Rattling Creek trail so you need not worry about the twin log in the fast downhill section - its clear sailing now. We also fixed the logpile at the top of Rattling Creek. The center was caving in and it just needed some logs to fill it in, so Rick got the idea of cutting the ends off the logs, filling in the caving in section, then having a "go-around" for weenies -- like him. (He said it, not me!) The only other trail maintenance needed that we are aware of is trimming Hop back and possibly a log on Wolf Pond. Emory is riding today so we'll know for sure by day's end what else is needed. We cut back most of the face slappers on the tight stuff and its looking pretty good. Some would argue that its still too tight (we think its good now), and Keith commented yesterday how when he first started mountain biking, you could barely tell there was a trail that everything was grown in big time. So we honored the survey on this BLOG (Is the Singletrack too tight?), and just cut back the face slappers.

Friday, August 22, 2008

A "FEW" Spots Left for the RCST BASH?

Rick keeps telling folks, "there's still a "few" spots left for the BASH. Get your registrations in." And he doesn't want me to say exactly how "few", but I have to share with everyone this fact: we're going to sell out again this year (over the 150 limit). Last year we sold out the weekend of the BASH, this year we'll likely sellout 2 weeks prior. That's how "few" spots remain. I believe most of the regulars got their registrations in, but if you didn't, you better do it really fast.

Monday, August 18, 2008

All Coming Together

The trails...the BASH...the riders...the registrations. Everything is falling into place for the 9th annual BASH! We've been collecting SWAG from our AWESOME sponsors... Bicycle Outfitters in Elizabethtown, Mountainside Ski and Sports in Mechanicsburg, Lyman Glass Sculptures, CLIF Bar, Boligs Gas and Propane (hot showers!), Shawn Withers, Spokes Bicycle is coming again with Mike Carter as the Spokes Team representative, Robin Reinhart -- trophy maker extraordinaire -- will be back with his incredible ironworks, and Keith and Rick's hard work in making phone calls to line everything up. Me? (Jill)...I'm just a slacker these days. Actually, I carry the chainsaw for Rick when we do the trailwork (ha!). No really, the trails are getting cleared and some of you are worried they are too tight...getting overgrown. We're going to try to cut back the taller stuff that slaps the face, but the underbrush -- the blueberries -- will start to die back by the BASH so we likely will not get the brush hog out for that. There's one spot that someone said is really, really overgrown that we may get at -- on Rugged Trail. Someone else mentioned poison on Hopback, so we'll search for that and banish it from the trails. Its gonna be another awesome year!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

BASH - Band and Beer and Rock's Ridge


Keith did his duty -- he got the BEER WAGON reserved and found a replacement Band for Whisker Bisket whom everyone agrees wasn't quite as good without the lead singer we've grown to find quite entertaining. DEVIL'S REJECTS is the new band this year. Its a head-banging heavy metal band singing tunes of Seether, Slayer, Black Sabbath, etc. -- you know the type. Keith spent many a night looking for the best band to come to the Bash, and the Rejects got the gig. He's talking like there may be some musical entertainment prior to the band too.

Shawn and Skippy will return to run and judge the King and Queen of Rock's Ridge contest. They are talking of changing some things up this year, so watch for something different. They really wanted to move it to Wolf pond Trail, but we are saving that move for the 10th anniversary next year.

Summing up the BASH planning: we got the grub (Gonder's Grub House), the Beer Wagon, the Band, Camp Muckleratz, 2/3 of you confirming your return (NOTE: if you didn't get your registration in, you better do it soon or you may lose your spot when we sell out in the next couple weeks), four shitters, registration with DCNR is done, the insurance, a couple sponsors (confirmed is SPOKES, GRIZ, CLIFBAR, Mountainside) sweet singletrack, and some SWAG at registration. I think we're gonna have another awesome BASH! Can't wait.

Trail Work Update


Rick and I got out again today to do some trailwork. He had a tough time pulling me away from the blueberries, but we managed to completely finish up Fawn Kill. We cut logs out, trimmed back some face slappers, and re-did a ramp someone took some time to build, but it wasn't quite enough (they only ramped one side -- we're guessing to get some air, but we aren't sure). So we ramped both sides of the log. The plan is to get out again next weekend and cut the log on Rock's Ridge, and work on the face slappers on Schreffler, Dry Run, and Rattling Creek. We hope to also stop after work one night and cut back Hop Back which we're fairly certain is overgrown by now. I hate to admit, but I haven't ridden the trails in weeks. Only what we do on trail work days (for now that's only been Fawn Kill and Doc Smith) is about all I've been riding. So if you know of treefall that definitely needs attention, let us know! rebjsw@epix.net