My first dirt biking trip to Maine was Labor Day Weekend, 2001. It was one week before the 9-11 attack on America. I can't go off on that, it would require another blog site and there's plenty out there all ready. Lets just say, we're all damn proud and happy to be American's and we've even figured out how to properly display the flag.
That trip in '01 was awesome. Labor Day Weekend has never been the same since then. I had ridden a little bit when I was a kid but it was hacking around on friend's bikes. I never really put any time in dirt or woods riding until I had my own dirt bike. I only got one because Sean wanted to ride and I couldn't very well just turn him lose in the woods. This was the argument presented to Lyn any way. She agreed that it would be irresponsible to let the kid ride alone. I should get a bike too! So I had just started riding in the woods that previous summer.
I have the same 1995 Kawasaki KX-250, I got fourth or fifth hand that year. I did finally make a modification to it the next year and had a weighted fly wheel put on it, but that first trip to Maine was a killer for me. The KX has way more torque than I could deal with in the mountains. I spent almost as much time on my back or picking the bike back up, as I did riding it. Riding back in Plymouth in the woods or out on the power lines was like night and day compared to Maine. Plymouth's little kettle hills and then huge mountains of rock in Maine. Big, big difference! I didn't have the hang of burping the throttle or of feathering the clutch yet, so I was almost choking it for gas trying to lug it over boulders or twisting it wide open, with the front wheel pointing at the sky. I got a lot of time on my ass that first year.
We met a few of Pete's buddies that year and we've been good friends since. Man those guys can ride. Ride fast and all day long. They don't ever seem to get tired, never loose their sense of humor and can teach a little kid, (or an old man) to ride better in a day. They can also tear down and re-build a dirt bike in the woods and I swear they could do it with a Swiss Army knife and a book of matches. It's a great crew and I'm glad to know them all.
-Sul
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Russell just sent me an email (2-18-06) with a page from the guest book, that sits on the kitchen table in The Mouse House. Everyone usually writes something in it at the end of a weekend. It's funny reading through the back pages of a journal. Reading something from five years ago brings back a flood of memories, it must be very cool to catch up on a summer from fifteen years back.
That first Labor Day Weekend, Sean's bike fouled out and wouldn't start again. He had gone for a quick ride and got separated. After pushing the bike for a while he found a local guy that cleaned out the plug for him and got it started again. It started, fouled and died a couple more times.
We were about to go looking for him when an old guy on one of those monster four wheel drive Quads, came slowly up the road, twenty feet behind him tied to a rope was Sean, on his 125 Honda. The gentleman didn't want a burger, a beer a soda or even some gas for the monster Quad. Just a look at the 'city folk' in the neighborhood.
During the weekend we were off the main trail, on a small dirt road going to another trail, when we came across two Rangers. They stopped us and commented that this group of thirteen was the most safety conscience, group they've ever seen. We had two teenagers and four kids under twelve, everyone had the full gear on and we were all in single file on the side of the road. But they made us pull out the dirt bike registrations and had to write up one guy for not being registered. I think it was a 150 dollar fine. Ouch!
At any rate, below is the guest book entry from 2001 that Russell just sent me.
There once was a man from Plymouth,
He didn't know much about bikes,
the woods & women.
He drove all day so his boys could ride,
Get 'em outside to commune with mother nature.
Rippen through the woods,
Fouling many a plug,
Getting lost in the hills,
'Till the locals all laughed & towed us back down.
13 did ride & it was lucky for some,
'Till Ranger Rick turned down his thumb,
Plates & Reg, from one & all..!
Then he said to his partner,
Who looked a bit slow,
Write 'em up.! There just Mass Holes!!!
The food was good & the company is great!
My God... Maine, what a State !!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Sul
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