Volunteer Appreciation

[Rich]

We had a nice turnout of volunteers at Borderland State Park. The goal was to say thanks for all the hard work NEMBA vols put in last year, ride, eat and draw the winner of the MERLIN!! It was a beautiful day for a ride. Thanks to Ellenor and all the staff at Borderland for letting us use the visitor's center. A huge thanks to Erin, the owner of Eatin' Healthy in Quincy for giving us free food. Check it out if you like all natural great tasting food. www.eatinhealthy.com I'm sure SPLAT will post some trail pics.

Mmmmmm food
http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/ventners/appre020.gif

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Part of the gang
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Good to see Mr. Riding back riding...

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Bo and the kiddos showed up
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And the winner of the Merlin frame is!!!!!!!

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h256/ventners/appre014.gif

DAVE MITCHELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How great is that???!!!!!!!! Just hope they put some gussets on that thing.

[heckler]

Last I heard it was cancelled due to snow and would be rescheduled but I don't remember ever hearing about a new date! I am bummed! Glad you all had a good time. Couldn't ask for a better day for it.

sure wish you had posted a reminder. I bet you would have gotten a whole lot better turn-out.

[Rich]

Hey Heck,

I'm really sorry you didn't know. I sent out evites to everyone who received one the first time - about 155 - those who gave emails at Merlin trail series days. Got about a dozen bounce backs. We'll try and do better next year.

Rich

[dirtrider2]

Thanks Rich for the fun ride and good eats. Lots of fun riding with different people including a riding Riding! Nice to see old friends from years past. Of course I also want to than Donny for picking my ticket out of the basket allowing me to win a new Merlin. Yahoo!!!

Dave

BTW, Do you think a dual-crown fork will void the warranty ;^)

[splat]

Well It was deleayed a little bit , due to weather but it happened .

and after much chatter on email weather the trails were going to be OK or not to ride ,late last night after checking the OK was given to ride the trails .

we start out in the parking lot.

The gang is all here

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002710.jpg

This may not be much But I screwed up big time trying to get up on the thing. and twisted my ankle but good, so I sit typing this I have my Ankle in a brace, and I have been Icing it.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002711.jpg

Now what is a ride in Boulderland with out a rock garden ( or 10 )

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002712.jpg

and The there was Quo_fan , who was wearing Chain Mail, Granted it was taped to the side of his helmet to counter weigh the video camera on the other side.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002713.jpg

then the Voz gomes ripping though on his bullit , and said , "rocks ???"

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002714.jpg

Now this was something I wish I had gotten a picture of , the silver turtle made the appraoch to this launch and just as he got to it saw a Dog right in the middle of the landing ! he hit his brakes hard and did the most incedible nose wheelie , and how he ddid not go over the top , no one could figure out , it defied gravity!

here he is hitting it with out a dog in the way .

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002716.jpg


IF_rider

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002715.jpg

Donny

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002717.jpg


and Mike from the front view

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002718.jpg

[splat]

next we came to this lttle gaper

Here donny is hitting it but her really doesn't have enough Speed so He cases it.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002720.jpg

then things just continued to go Bad. and down he went

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002723.jpg

Mike showing the better way to do it.,

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002721.jpg

the pictures make this little rooty rocky down hill look like a nothing but it was not as easy as it looks .

Vozz

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002725.jpg


Berkshire_rider

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002727.jpg

IF_rider goes over the rock

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002729.jpg

BillE

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002730.jpg

Donny

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002731.jpg

Did I mention it was the triumpiant Return of DR , Mr Riding Rides again!!!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002732.jpg

[splat]

Mike down some rocks

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002734.jpg

IF_rider from a different angle

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002735.jpg

Mike hits a Roller ,but hucks it anyway

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002737.jpg

Mr Riding on a set of Planks

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002738.jpg

Zach Says Hi how you doing !

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002739.jpg

the Silver turtle goes over a rock

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002740.jpg

IF_rider tells him he took the easy way , to which the turtle wanted to know why He was so hurtful :(

SO here is IF_rider going the harder way over

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002742.jpg

Mike can't pass up this challenge. ( since there was some time to kill while Berkshire_rider changed a flat. )

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002743.jpg

[splat]

the silver turtle off another roller , but huckes it.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002745.jpg

IF_rider doing the same , but met a tree on the run out , discovered trees win!!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002746.jpg

this trail was the only one that was really muddy, but hey there were planks !!

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002749.jpg


DR coming of the end of thos planks .

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002750.jpg

then on to the friends trail , and the loooong plank section

Jack Maxwell

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002751.jpg

Quo_fan on the plank, he made it .

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002752.jpg

and fianlly DR on the planks

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b227/jgoeller/borderland/march/im002753.jpg


at this point the batteries in my camera went dead.

But we were just about done anyway, we got out and had a Yummy Lunch , then the drawing for the frame.

adn Congratulations go to the Silver turtle , who won him self a Merlin!!!

Hope fully QuoFan will post the picture of him in a Total state of shock at hearing his name drawn!!

[fisherking]

Excellent pics (again!) And it looks like everyone had a great time.
Looks like a place I would like to hit sometime.

[SteveC]

Nice pics, Mr Splat!
I had a very enjoyable ride today considering there ARE no smooth spots on which to get a proper warmup:rolleyes: ......next time I'll have to do some road first....and yes, next time will be soon.....but it was a great re-entry into the season.......
The food was great ( thanks Rich and Eatin' Healthy)....
Mr Quo, you get some good footage?
SC

[Quo Fan]

I'll be getting the photo of Dave's jaw on the ground, along with some video clips of some get offs later. I still have t get it off my camera and do a little editing and find the right music.

[Quo Fan]

Rich, I'll e-mail you all the photos I took at the end of the ride for use as you please.

[C.P.]

Sorry I missed you all...I was just too busy with Family stuff, including my son having his 5th birthday yesterday. I did stop in to say hi near the end, but was just on my way to another family gathering...

If you never heard me say it before, I'll repeat it again, THANKS To all the volunteers that showed up to help/lead/whatever with trailwork in 06. 'Here's to a real productive and fun 07....I hope to be hangin' w/ my "mountainbiking" family soon!

[Quo Fan]

Here is the pic of Dave after hearing his name.
http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i284/pygar909/Stuff/IMG_8655.jpg

[splat]

I took about 80 photos (5mp each = 240mb total). Who should I send them to? Rich, Splat, both? Let me know what size you want me to reduce them to if they are too big.

go through them , choose the ones you like, crop enm , resize them then just post them up here. or as I do Use Photo Bucket. and use the Links.

[SteveC]

that slide show is a great way to share pix! cool!
SC

[sage2424]

I got a short video of Silver Turtle managing not to land on the dog from the jump on the NEMBA trail. I still dont know how he didnt go over the bars or the jump!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhBRPtN0hC8

[dirtrider2]

Pardon my French!! I almost killed that dog. Thank goodness for Saint brakes and new Michies!

Dave

[splat]

From the angle I watched you , that rear wheel looked a lot higher than it in that video.